With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on everyone’s mind, news feed and break room gossip, we will do our best to pass along updated information as this pandemic continues.

As of this moment, the Peoria area has no known cases of the Coronavirus, per the PJ Star reports / Dr. Gregg Stones, Medical Director for the Peoria City and County Health Department. That’s great news, but with testing for the virulent, highly-contagious virus almost non-existent in our country at present, no one really knows how far-reaching the virus is and will reach. Peoria decision-makers have chosen to postpone or alter events where large number of people would be gathering. And more cancellations are likely.

Our 40th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been postponed. It will likely happen later this spring or summer. Also, this weekend’s IHSA state basketball championships at the Peoria Civic Center will go on as scheduled but with no more than 60 fans per school in attendance. Nationally, the NBA has shut down its schedule for the foreseeable future. The NHL has suspended its season. And the NCAA mens and womens March Madness national championship tournaments have now been cancelled. In fact, all NCAA winter and spring sports championships are now cancelled. Tuesday’s Illinois election is still on, but you can get a mail-in ballot if you don’t want to go to the polls in person that day. Bradley University is extending spring break and going with online only classes at the end of March.

Life as usual goes on. Businesses are open. Certainly, heed the warnings of health professionals. Per the CDC, the virus is thought to spread person-to-person from coughs and sneezes, so: avoid close contact to people if possible (“social distancing”), wash your hands often, avoid touching your face, cover your coughs/sneezes, avoid contact with sick people, etc. Clean and disinfect surfaces you come into contact with daily. Stay home if you’re sick. Older adults and those with existing medical conditions are most at risk.

Doc Watson