Feb. 17, 2022 – With COVID-19 metrics steadily improving, the Oak Park Department of Public Health is reassessing various mitigation measures currently in place to slow the spread of the virus.
In particular, local health officials are considering whether to continue Oak Park’s indoor mask requirement and proof of vaccination requirement in public places.
Earlier this month Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the statewide indoor mask requirement will be lifted Feb. 28. Whether Oak Park’s local measures will be lifted at the same time will depend on several key metrics, local health officials say.
Proof of vaccination requirement
Oak Park’s public health order requiring proof of vaccination in public places went into place in early January in an effort to specifically address the surge in cases created by the omicron variant.
Based on recent trends, local health officials fully anticipate lifting the proof of vaccination requirement Feb. 28. The latest COVID-19 status report issued Feb. 16 indicated the number of local cases had dropped 79.4 percent over a 30-day period.
Indoor mask requirement
Health officials are working to determine the metrics necessary to be met before lifting the mask requirement.
Oak Park health officials say the following five key metrics will be considered when deciding when to lift the local indoor mask requirement:
- Decreased case rates to a moderate level per CDC criteria (10 to 50 cases per 100,000 population)
- Decreased positivity rate to less than 5 percent for a sustained period
- Vaccination rates of 75 percent or greater
- Regional ICU bed availability of 20 percent or greater
- Regional hospital bed availability of 20 percent or greater
The latest COVID-19 status report indicated issued Feb. 16 indicated two of the categories – positivity rate and vaccination rate – had been met.
For more information about Oak Park’s ongoing COVID-19 response, visit www.oak-park.us/covid19.