3/27 COVID-19 Updates & Closures

Forest Park Residents and Friends,

Recently, Governor JB Pritzker issued a “stay-at-home” order to help flatten the curve and contribute to fighting the COVID-19 outbreak in Illinois. The Governor’s orders are based on common-sense measures recommended by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and other medical and public health professionals. These orders are meant to protect you, your loved ones, and your neighbors, as well as the essential workforce and medical professionals on the front lines.

We cannot stress the importance of these regulations enough. While it is important to get outside and be active, it is also important to make sure that we follow proper social distancing protocol, as well as avoiding any social gatherings and staying home if you feel sick.

To help prevent congregating and social gatherings, ALL Park District of Forest Park facilities, including the playgrounds, outdoor fitness court, and outdoor facilities are closed to the public through at least April 7. Our walking trails remain open, so if you decide to utilize these, please follow the NRPA and CDC’s recommended guidelines on social distancing. Our Egg Hunts have been cancelled and the Celebrating Seniors Brunch has been postponed as well.

For more on the CDC guidelines, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

In addition to the Governor’s “stay-at-home” order, Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins has also declared a state of emergency. Doing this allows Mayor Hoskins to make decisions quickly during the pandemic. The state of emergency will extend until the next regularly scheduled village council meeting. The authorization allows the village to move more swiftly in response to emergencies.

“It’s a tool we can use, one we will prepare to implement in case we need to,” Hoskins said.

Forest Park School District 91 has also announced that they will remain closed at least until Tuesday, April 14. Next week, they will resume e-Learning, as well as providing lunches to all D91 students from 11am until noon at Garfield, 543 Hannah, or Forest Park Middle School, 900 block of Ferdinand. Their formal announcement can be found here.

While these times are surely unprecedented, the solution starts with all of us. It’s important to try and limit contact and comply with the Governor’s orders, but if you do go outside for some activity or to engage with neighbors and friends, it’s imperative to make sure we adhere to the guidelines to help slow the spread of the virus to our neighbors and loved ones. It is a fluid situation and we will make sure to keep all of you updated as changes arise.

Wishing all of our friends health and safety,

Park District of Forest Park