Thursday the first cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in DeWitt and Piatt Counties but local health officials say social distancing is still working in Illinois and beyond.

CEO of Warner Hospital and Health Services Paul Skowron remains pleased with the way the community continues to follow the guidelines of state and federal officials. He points out the peak of this virus is predicted around mid-April for the country and about April 20 for Illinois.

According to Dave Remmert, Executive Director of the DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department, while it could be easy to panic right now, he is hopeful residents will stay calm and continue to follow the recommendations of state and federal experts as we work our way through this situation.

President Trump's coronavirus task force updated the country on statistics and predictions based on models Tuesday afternoon and both Skowron and Remmert believe with vigilant and intentional social distancing, we will get back to normalcy sooner.

Skowron believes Illinois is ahead of the curve in taking action for social distancing. He hopes everyone keeps up the social distancing and takes it seriously. 

Skowron and Remmert say the process to get tested remains for individuals to call their healthcare provider first before showing up. They also note testing is going to continue for symptomatic individuals.