It has been a trying time for many residents and businesses in Illinois since Gov. Pritzker first announced the stay-at-home order and other restrictions in March.  
Residents are largely home-bound, local businesses are losing significant money, and people have died.  At least 3,600 people have died from COVID-19 across 98 of Illinois’ 102 counties.
On Tuesday, DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department director David Remmert announced one new case of the virus diagnosed in DeWitt County.  As of Tuesday, three earlier positive cases in the county were fortunately reported recovered as the rural Midwest is beginning to see more reported cases of the virus, and healthcare professionals around the country are seeing some bizarre symptoms among children.
One business in Clinton is playing a major support role in helping to keep people safe, while trying to keep its own workers safe.

People are using a lot of hand sanitizer these days.  But, without the little tube that connects the product to the pump on the bottle, the task could be a little trickier.
Action Technology manufactures a product most people might not give much consideration to, but it’s likely to be there whenever they sanitize their hands or use lotion.
“With the up-tick in business for the tubing we supply for people who are making hand sanitizers and disinfectants and things like that, it has almost made up for business considered nonessential that is set aside for now,” Leevey said
Action Technology’s primary product produced in Clinton is tubing used in spray and pump bottles, but the plant also distributes pumps for sanitizers and lotions and other products.  Many companies have approached Action recently that are well supplied with bottles and valves but are in need of tubing to fit the bottles.
“And, of course, there are a lot of people trying to contribute by putting hand sanitizers into bottles.”

• See the complete story in the Friday, 5/15 print edition of the Clinton Journal and on the Journal E-Edition.