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JACKSON COUNTY, ILL. (WSIL) -- Growing numbers of young people are contracting COVID-19 in ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Illinois.

Carbondale resident Joseph Val Behan said he tested positive for COVID 19 almost 2 weeks ago, and has been in quarantine ever since. 

"I was pretty shocked to get those results to be honest," Behan said. 

So far the symptoms are mild.

"I feel fine. I had a really mild reaction to it and I'm very lucky for that," Behan said.

Behan said he works at the Saluki Bar and Grill now shutdown but it is still unclear how he contracted COVID 19.

"I went to Missouri, with a group of 25, 30 people. We were all camping, so it was somewhat socially distant, just like inherently. Because we were all outside and we all had our own tents. But that may have been, that may have had something to do with it, I don't know," Behan said. 

Jackson County Health Administrator Bart Hagston many young people have mild reactions, many people in their 20s are starting to take the pandemic less seriously.

“Young people are social in-nature. They want to hang out with their friends.. do all those normal things but with that comes the possibility of spreading COVID from person to person,� Hagston said.

The Jackson County Health Department reported 23 new positive cases yesterday, 16 of those cases were people in their 20s.

"We're going have to stop running from this and actually confront it and try to fight this," Behan said.

For the month, 54 percent of COVID-19 cases were in their teens and 20s, according Hagston.

"Young people also maybe don't take the virus as seriously. Generally they are not as impacted by the symptoms of COVID as other people but unfortunately than that leads to further transmission, " Hagston said.

While many  people are tired of restaurants and bars being closed or at limited capacity, health officials remind everyone that these are steps that must be taken to help stop transmission of the virus.

"We know its a virus. It's still in the area. And we want to continue to wear a mask. We want to continue to social distance. So that way we don't keep spreading the virus. We want to stop COVID. We don't want it to stay in the area," said Bi-County Health Department Director of Emergency Preparedness Carrie Eldridge.

But for Behan, the hardest part of having COVID-19 is the quarantine.

"That's the hardest part. Cuz that's when you can't really interact with anyone, you can't go anywhere. I haven't seen my daughter, I have an eight month old daughter, her name is Phoenix. I haven't seen her in 2 weeks. And that's definitely been the hardest part."

In a statement, Saluki Bar and Grill confirms patrons and close friends of staff have tested positive for COVID-19 and they requiring staff to get tested.

They point out their decision to shutdown is a quote "a business decision in response to recent city regulations."