Chicago Department of Public Health Weekly Media Brief
Stay safe on St. Patrick's Day
Things that should be green on St. Patricks Day - the River, your beer, your hair, NOT YOU. The parade and other festivities kick off this weekend but keep in mind that COVID is still with us and other viruses are circulating. Here are a few things you can do to keep yourself healthy this St. Patrick's Day:
Stay home if you're sick
Wash your hands frequently
Carry a mask in case you find yourself in a crowd...or next to a coughing leprechaun
Stay hydrated (with water, not beer!)
Watch Dr. Arwady Live (skip to 1:08:06) to hear her talk about the circulating stomach virus and what you can do to protect yourself.
Opioid Settlement Program Plans
Did you know that opioid-related overdose fatalities in Chicago are now higher than the number of traffic fatalities and homicides combined? CDPH and the City of Chicago are launching new initiatives to combat the opioid epidemic using $78 million from settlements with pharmaceutical companies.
Change in Rock Crushing Rules
CDPH announced new rules this week for rock-crushing facilities designed to reduce dust and improve air quality in communities surrounding these facilities, implement continuous monitoring, and enhance CDPH oversight through greater reporting and record-keeping requirements. Rock-crushers take concrete, bricks, rock, stone and paving asphalt and process them into smaller, more manageable pieces that can then be used as fill material at construction sites and in road projects.
On Tuesday, Executive Director of West Side United (WSU), Ayesha Jaco, and Executive Director of Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative (GPRWC), Theodore Crawford, joined Dr. Arwady’s weekly Facebook Live show where they spoke about community-driven approaches to address root causes of health inequities and improve the life expectancy for Chicagoans living on the West Side.
Crawford discusses the organization’s mission to cultivate Black Culture Wellness and how this drives the work of GPRWC’s five focus areas including but not limited to neighborhood activation and working with the Community Safety Coordination Center.
You can view all previous recordings and presentations of Ask Dr. Arwady on our website.
Dr. Arwady will be back next Tuesday, March 14 at 11am on Facebook and Twitter to answer your questions on COVID and other items related to public health.
COVID-19 Update
Cook County and Chicago remain in the Low COVID-19 Community Level based on metrics from the CDC.
CDPH updates COVID-19 data on its dashboard every Wednesday at 5:30pm if you want to follow along.
