Today’s coronavirus updates: 51 Illinois counties now at warning level, including Douglas County; Outbreak at Libman Company in Arcola

Half the state’s counties including Douglas County, are now at a warning level for their COVID-19 spread, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

IDPH reported 3,874 new COVID-19 cases and 31 additional deaths throughout the state in the past day.

There have been dozens of new COVID-19 cases at the Libman Company plant in Arcola since Oct. 11, officials stated today.

According to a company spokesperson, since the start of the pandemic, the plant had very few cases estimating 20 over eight months.  When the week started on October 11 the plant had three active cases but by that Thursday, October 15, the plant has averaged 10-15 new cases a day as of yesterday.

Libman’s has been working closely with the Douglas County Health Department, which has also been on site testing employees.

Since the pandemic started the company has been taking precautions, including mask-wearing, use of hand sanitizer and making sure employees are working at distances from each other.  In all, they have 1.5 million square feet to spread out but that doesn’t seem to be helping with numbers of new daily cases.