By Dana Rebik, WGN
Residents in suburban Oak Park have been urged to voluntarily shelter in place after the village reported its first case of COVID-19.
The patient is a man in his 30s who is recovering at home.
Additionally, two emergency room physicians at Rush Oak Park Hospital tested positive for COVID-19 They have been quarantined at home and the virus was “likely community acquired,”according to the hospital.
The hospital said one physician had not been seeing patients for several days prior, when he would have been contagious.
“The other may have had patient and peer contact and we are assessing the overall risk of exposure, working with the Illinois Department of Public Health and advising patients and peers as appropriate,” a statement from the hospital said.
Oak Park’s mayor Anan Abu-Taleb declared a local state of emergency Wednesday and is urging residents to stay at home.
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Oak Park public health director issued a public order telling residents to shelter in place starting Friday, March 20 though Friday, April 3.
The village is asking residents to only leave their homes for essential travel to places like grocery stores, pharmacies, the bank and to health care providers’ offices.
Food banks, convenience stores, gas stations, hardware stores are other types of essential businesses that can remain open.
People can go outside for walks, to exercise or walk their dogs, but the mayor is asking everyone to practice social distancing – stay six feet away from others and avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
Right now, this is merely a request but the mayor said he could be forced to take more serious measures if necessary.
More details at https://www.oak-park.us/COVID19
This article originally appeared on WGN News.
