La Grange Park Requires Face Coverings

LA GRANGE PARK, IL — La Grange Park Village President Jim Discipio issued an executive order Wednesday requiring all people over 5 to wear face coverings while working in and patronizing essential businesses and operations. These include grocery stores, medical facilities, restaurants, banks and hardware stores. The order takes effect at 8 a.m. Monday. Violators could be fined, the village said.

More towns are issuing such orders, including Cicero, Skokie, Glenview and Morton Grove.

Illinois Coronavirus Update April 22: 35,108 Cases; 1,565 Deaths — Don't miss updates in La Grange as they are announced — Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

Face coverings will not be required when people are engaging in outdoor activity so long as they are observing social distancing, when riding in a personal car, at home or when doing so imposes a greater health risk to the person, the village said in a news release.

"We, as residents, business owners and visitors, all contribute to making La Grange Park a wonderful and safe community," Discipio said in a statement. "As part of that communal relationship, we owe it to each other to help prevent the spread of this disease. Wearing a face
covering when entering a business is a simple task that we can all do to demonstrate we care for the safety and well-being of one another."

The village said it would provide signage to essential businesses before Monday, notifying patrons of the requirement to wear face coverings. Residents are encouraged to wear cloth coverings, such as homemade fabric masks, bandannas, handkerchiefs or scarves. Sew or non-sew patterns are available on the village's website.

In the news release, the village said it discouraged the wearing of medical-grade masks, which should be reserved for health care professionals and first responders.

The village said it would enforce the emergency order, including by issuing citations, if necessary. The village did not say what kind of fines it would levy.