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COVID Rises Up On Glenview: GBS Goes Remote, Library Closes Doors, Parks Expand Mask Mandate


Glenbrook High School.

Two more institutions in Glenview — Glenbrook High School Dist. 225 and the Glenview Public Library — announced preemptive closures as COVID-19 infection rates spiked and the Cook County Dept. of Public Health issued a stay-at-home advisory Friday.

Additionally, five elementary school districts serving Northfield Township — Glenview Dist. 34, West Northfield Dist. 31, Northbrook Glenview Dist. 30 and Northbrook districts 27 and 28, announced a move to all-remote learning into January last week.

Dist. 225 will transition to a full “adaptive pause” beginning Wednesday, Nov. 18. “This means that all classes will move to e-learning beginning this Wednesday,” Dist. 225 Supt. Charles Johns said in a Sunday, Nov. 15 letter to parents. “Unless there is a significant improvement in conditions in the short term, this adaptive pause will run through Monday, Jan. 18 (the Martin Luther King Day holiday). Students are expected to return to hybrid instruction on Tuesday, Jan. 19, the first day of the second semester.”

The library will temporarily close to the public beginning on Saturday, Nov. 21, and will remain closed until at least Monday, Dec. 14, Glenview library officials said Friday, “to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep Glenview healthy.”

The library will maintain drive-up window service for pick-ups and drop-offs and continue virtual programming. Library cardholders may schedule one-on-one appointments with a librarian for research or with library staff to address technical issues. The library has also boosted its Wi-Fi signal extending to the parking lot for those needing internet access.

Glenview Public Library. (Library photo)

Cook County issued a “stay-at-home” advisory which began at 6 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16. Both Dist. 225 and the library cited the county’s advisory as reasons for their closures.

“As much as possible, please refrain from any non-essential activities and stay home,” the advisory says. “If you must go out for essential activities, such as work, to attend school, get tested for COVID-19, get a flu shot, or to shop for groceries.”

The county advisory calls on residents to limit gatherings, including family holiday gatherings, limit travel, to wear a mask correctly both over the nose and mouth and to wash hands frequently.

“CCDPH’s (Cook County Dept. of Public Health) recommendation for schools in our jurisdiction is to strongly consider remote learning given the presence of sustained community transmission,” county health officials said last week.

Dist. 225 Supt. Johns said in his letter to parents: “COVID-19 cases have risen at a significant rate and are continuing to grow. Our district’s two primary indicators to inform a move to an adaptive pause have been at the ‘Substantial’ level for two consecutive weeks in the two geographic areas that we closely monitor, North Cook County and Glenbrook zip codes.”

Johns said a review of extracurricular activities and athletic activities is underway. “Each program is different and is being assessed on a case-by-case basis,” he said. Coaches and activity sponsors will follow up directly with students on the statuses of activities.

The Glenview Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement Friday: “The health and vitality of our business community are of paramount importance to us, additionally acting responsibly to limit the spread of this horrific disease is equally important. The Glenview Chamber of Commerce recognizes that a healthy business is an open business, and we are actively looking for ways to ensure both of these things can happen simultaneously.”

Teens work out on rowing machines wearing masks at the Glenview Park Center’s fitness center in June. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

Glenview Park District officials instituted a further mask mandate Saturday. Previously, those working out at the fitness center in the Park Center or those playing tennis in the tennis center did not have to wear masks when exercising on equipment or playing. As of Saturday, they now are required to wear masks. 

Parks officials said programming would not change much as programs, including the Camp Rec academic pod program, are already capped at no more than 10 participants. Parks officials said they have the capacity to increase academic pods in the Camp Rec program. 

COVID-19 positivity rates remain high in Glenview. Totals trended down at the end of the week (Nov. 14) with the village at a 9.14% positivity rate — down from a high rate of 11.78% on Nov. 10, according to Illinois Dept. of Public Health data reported by Northwestern University.

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