Coronavirus: Area Communities Step Up To Slow Spread Of COVID-19

Across the Chicago-area, community leaders, school officials and business owners have made some tough decisions in recent days regarding how to handle operations amid the new coronavirus outbreak. Many have opted to close buildings and cancel programs per advice from state and federal health and government officials.

But others operations, including daycare facilities and many businesses, remain open as of Sunday morning. That could all change as more cases of COVID-19 are reported in Illinois.

As of Sunday morning, Illinois has 66 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and no reported deaths. Across the U.S., there have been 1,629 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 41 deaths.

• Coronavirus Spreads To IL Long-Term Care Facility; Now 66 Cases

We've included a roundup below of what some suburban communities, schools, businesses and organizations are doing to keep everyone informed and safe.

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Communities Take Action: What Is Your Town Doing?

Communities throughout the Chicago area are working hard to continue to provide key services, like garbage collection and water service, to residents but many have decided to close their city halls and cancel government meetings to help quell the spread of COVID-19.

As is the case with many rapidly-changing situations, communication is key.

In Crystal Lake, city officials have established e-mail and voicemail options for residents looking to request information related to the city’s activities in response to COVID-19. The e-mail is info@crytsallake.org and the voicemail is 815-356-2448.

“Additionally, these communication options can also be used to request guidance on where to find information. Our representatives will work to provide the information in a timely manner,” according to information shared from the city on Friday. “The city asks that our citizens utilize the website links below as the primary source of information.”

Meanwhile in Geneva, city officials have decided to continue operating without any disruption. As of Friday, the city planned to keep all departments and services up and running per usual. City council and advisory board meetings are taking place as scheduled, according to city officials.

Signs have been posted on the doors of city buildings in Geneva urging visitors who are sick not to enter. City officials are urging residents to call or go online to get more information or get answers to their questions.

Many communities that run senior centers or fitness centers have announced facility closures and program cancellations. If you are planning to stop out to one, you may want to check the website or call ahead before you go.

Schools and Daycares

On Friday, Gov. JB Pritzker announced the statewide closure of all K-12 public and private schools. The statewide closures will start on Tuesday and continue through the end of the month though some school districts have opted to close Monday as well.

• All Illinois Schools Closed Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

Many Chicago-area schools will opt to use online tools to teach students while they are home.

Adlai E. Stevenson High School was among the first school districts in the Chicago suburbs to announce a prolonged closure and a shift instead to e-learning. Superintendent Eric Twadell stressed the importance of using precautionary measure to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Stevenson High School will be closed Monday through at least April 6. Students had Friday off, but teachers were at school prepping to shift their curriculum online.

"While we know this is an unprecedented decision, these are unprecedented times. We are committed to following CDC recommendations and to do our part in taking preventative measures to mitigate the impact of this pandemic," Twadell announced Thursday afternoon.

Stevenson teachers will aim to follow a regular class schedule during e-learning days. Teachers and students will be expected to be online and available to one another during the times when they would normally be at school, Twadell said.

Meanwhile, many daycare centers are still planning to open, allowing some working parents a respite amid all the other closures. The Goddard School in Elgin is among the daycares planning to continue business as usual this week.

But in a note to parents Friday, Goddard School co-owner Sheryl Nelson noted that conditions and circumstances are changing rapidly and the school, located along Randall Road in Elgin, is heeding the advice of the health department, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Goddard Corporate and the Governor’s Office for Early Childhood.

“Should we be required to close we will make our best efforts to provide a credit for the time off. Unfortunately, this is an unprecedented situation. However, we will do everything in our power to credit our families, pay our teachers, and remain in business through this challenging time,” Nelson wrote.

The decision to close area schools does not have a direct effect on daycare's decisions to close. Early Childcare Centers are governed by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and local Health Agencies, while K-12 Schools are governed by the school districts, according to information provided in an e-mail from two Goddard owners in Illinois to other Goddard owners and parents.

“DCFS and our Health Department have provided no instruction that we need to shut down, and in fact I interpret their communications as strongly encouraging us to remain open as long as there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our school,” according to the e-mail.

Some of the reasons for staying open amid coronavirus concerns include the fact that childhood centers are smaller in terms of the number students compared to K-12 schools, the students primarily stay in one classroom throughout the day and do not move around much, there are no cafeterias where hundreds funnel through during a lunch hour, and early childhood centers have practices in place to minimize the spread of germs.

“At our school we are constantly washing hands. We wear gloves when we blow children’s noses and have children and teachers wash their hands immediately after that. We wash our hands before and after sensory play,” according to the letter from Goddard. “In early childcare schools’ teachers are responsible for managing and executing stringent health and wellness standards that do not exist in the K-12 environments.”

Michael Petrucelli, the owner of the Goddard School in Darien, helped to draft the letter. There are 25 Goddard School properties in the Chicago area, he said.

Parents, so far, have expressed their gratitude for the daycare remaining open

“Generally we’ve been hearing ‘thank you for being open. Thanks for the information. Thanks for being transparent,” Pertucelli told Patch Sunday morning.

Libraries, Park Districts, Conservation Districts

Several libraries throughout the Chicago area will close. The Grayslake Public Library shut its doors starting on Saturday and will remain closed through the end of the month.

Grayslake Library Director Sara Brown announced the decision in a letter to library patrons on Friday evening. She said library officials are not aware of anyone who has COVID-19 that has visited the library. Like many area organizations and libraries, the decision to close was made “out of an abundance of caution” and to promote social distancing and for the health benefit of the entire community.

In addition, the library will close its drive-thru book drop off and all late fees will be waived.

Library patrons belonging to libraries that are closed are encouraged to use any digital resources available. Check your library’s website for more details and to see if your local library is also closed.

Several park districts, conservation districts and community organizations, as well as businesses, have cancelled programs for several weeks. If you are signed up for something, check to see if its still on before you go.

Criminal Justice System

Kane County Chief Judge Clint Hull ordered Friday that the Kane County Branch Courts in St. Charles, Elgin and Aurora close Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 27.

“Hundreds of people each business day appear at each of the three branch courts. We want to eliminate the potential spread of the virus by closing the branch courts for this two week period,” Hull said.

The Kane County Judicial Center and the Kane County Courthouse, located along Route 38 in St. Charles, will remain open and will continue to hear regularly scheduled cases. The Kane County Judicial Center in St. Charles will move forward with planned trials, but will limit the number of jurors called and will send any home exhibiting respiratory illness symptoms.

Lake County rescheduled all its cases planned for branch courts in Mundelein and Park City on Thursday and Friday. The circuit court will remain open, court officials said Friday afternoon.

Lake County will also limit the number of jurors allowed, send home any that display symptoms in line with COVID-19 and will allow any attorneys who are not able to show up in courtrooms for civil or family matters, not including orders of protection, to appear remotely through the use CourtCall telephonic service, according to a statement from county officials.

In addition, county clerks are changing its rules regarding wedding services performed at local courts. Many will only allow the couple being married, and no guests or attendees, to be at the ceremony until further notice.

Check with your local court or visit the circuit court’s website to see if anything else has changed before stopping out to a courthouse.

Meanwhile, many jails will not allow visits with inmates. Some, like the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, are working to expand opportunities for detainees to communicate with their loved ones by phone.

Many Chicago-area sheriff’s offices will not be evicting residents following an order to cease court-ordered evictions from the Office of the Judge. Deputies are also working to screen people they encounter for COVID-19 and get them the medical help they may need.

Last week, Cook County Sheriff’s Office deputies came upon a person displaying various symptoms of the virus. They immediately call for emergency medical services to transport the man to a local hospital for evaluation, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
They also cancelled the eviction.

“The health and safety of our staff and the public continue to be the top priority of the sheriff’s office,” Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said in a statement on Friday.

Suburban police departments have also stepped up its efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In Elgin, authorities are asking residents to only come to their lobby for urgent police matters.

“If present in the lobby please strive to maintain a 6 foot minimum distance between yourself and others and limit contact with surfaces,” according to a post on the Elgin Police Department Facebook page. Police reports can also be submitted online and anyone wondering if they need to come to the station to file a report can first call 847-289-2700.

“We appreciate your understanding that the community’s safety, health and welfare are our top priority. Be assured Elgin's first responders are taking many precautions with our own health and safety to ensure we may effectively address public safety needs,” according to the statement from the Elgin Police Department.

Other police departments are ensuring residents that public safety will remain a priority. The village of Libertyville, in a press release sent on Friday, noted there would be no reduction in services from its police department but encouraged residents to “conduct business online, via mail or by phone” whenever possible. There also will “be no reduction or changes to critical emergency services, water distribution or refuse collection.”

“Residents should continue to call 911 in an emergency,” according to the news release.

• Important websites: Illinois Department of Public Health - Center for Disease Control

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