Face Masks Mandatory In All Public Buildings In Wilmette

WILMETTE, IL — Following updated guidance from state, federal and county public health officials, Wilmette village, library and park district staff announced masks are now mandatory for all visitors to publicly owned facilities.

Everyone in a county with more than 50 new cases of coronavirus per 100,000 residents should don face coverings whenever they are indoors, regardless of their vaccination status, according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Tuesday and adopted hours later by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

"Businesses are permitted to require face coverings and social distancing as they deem appropriate," according to an announcement from village staff. "Please be respectful and follow the requirements of individual businesses."

The Wilmette Park District issued a nearly identical guidance Friday.

"In alignment with the masking recommendations, visitors to all Wilmette Park District facilities are required to wear a mask INDOORS, regardless of their vaccination status," park district staff announced. "This includes while working out at the Center Fitness Club and while playing indoor tennis."

The Wilmette Public Library has also announced masks are mandatory — for both visitors and staff.

The new local mask rules follow announcements earlier this week that masks would be mandatory for everyone, vaccinated or not, in facilities owned by the state government or secretary of state's office.

RELATED: COVID-19 Spread Rises To 'Substantial' In Cook County

The latest masking guidance from Cook County public health officials "strongly recommends" that everyone wear a mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status, though it stops short of requiring it.

Dr. Rachel Rubin, chief medical officer and co-lead of the Cook County Department of Public Health, said at a news conference Friday that the majority of the county's new cases were instances of the delta variant, which is at least twice as contagious.

"Basically, indoors you should be masked, whether you're vaccinated or not," Rubin said. "And that's because there's significant community spread — meaning that even if you're vaccinated there is the small chance that you could get COVID from someone who's not vaccinated who has COVID. Even though you are almost certainly going to have a very mild or even asymptomatic case, and then you could spread that to people who are not vaccinated."