Contact Tracing has now been centralized in the state of Illinois. We will discuss how that has changed up the COVID response provided by your local health department like Southern 7. Plus, we introduce a new regular segment of Southern 7 Connections: it’s our regional restaurant report. We’ll discuss some of the good and not-so-good results of local restaurant inspections.

Coming out of the Christmas weekend, we’ve seen an increase in people getting COVID testing, in hospital admissions, and an increase in the overall number of positive COVID-19 cases. How is the S7 region handling the Omicron variant and what lies ahead? Plus, the CDC announced some changes shortening the quarantine time for people who have been exposed to COVID-19. We will talk about how those changes will impact our Contact Tracing efforts. With the countdown to a New Year getting ready to begin why it may be best to just celebrate without the crowds this year.

We’re going to look at the latest news surrounding COVID-19 in our region: heading toward Christmas, a new COVID variant looks to disrupt the holiday season and infect folks at an alarming rate. What will the impacts from the Omicron variant look like in southern Illinois? Plus, the Contact Tracing process for COVID-19 in Illinois is headed toward a big change for the new year. We’ll talk about how it may impact you. And, remember that battle of words between Morgan and Teresa over who had THE best hashbrown casserole? We put both their recipes to a test and we will share the winner’s secrets. 

We’re going to look at the latest news surrounding COVID-19 in our region: Positive COVID-19 cases are going back up following the Thanksgiving Holiday. We will talk about what we can expect heading toward Christmas and the groups being hit the hardest right now. Plus…it’s been one year since COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the Southern 7 region. We’ll look at how many vaccines have been administered and how much the vaccination landscape has changed during the past 12-month. And…the 12-Ways to Health this holiday season.

Dig in to our Thanksgiving podcast special giving you the latest on COVID updates in our region! We will also discuss ways to keep ourselves healthy and COVID free as we navigate a Thanksgiving that looks much different than last year. COVID isn't the only nasty to look out for at your holiday gathering. We'll talk food safety and how to avoid giving the gift of food poisoning to all your friends and family...of course we'll sprinkle it with a dash of humor and personal stories too!

In this episode of Southern 7 Connections, we talk with Contact Tracing Program Manager Morgan Frayser about current COVID trends impacting the southernmost region of Illinois as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday. Plus, last year's holidays felt and looked much different due to the pandemic. This year is different. Are you or someone you know beginning to feel the stress or anxiety of getting together with friends and family this holiday? We will talk with mental health experts at Arrowleaf on how we should all give ourselves the gift of time and space to mentally prepare for those gatherings.

COVID cases across Southern Illinois start creeping upwards. Could it be the start of a fourth wave of infections? All lights are green for children ages 5-11 to get a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine plus do you have enough time to complete your COVID vaccine series and be considered fully vaccinated before those holiday gettogethers? We'll discuss your options as we head into the busy holiday season.