Coronavirus: Buffalo Grove Officials Confirm Negative Test Result

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — Officials from the Village of Buffalo Grove said they've received confirmation of a negative test result for the person believed to have caused potential exposure to the coronavirus in a Village facility, and to employees. According to a news release from the Village, the person is a vendor who was working inside a Buffalo Grove facility and had in-person contact with a friend's parent who showed flu-like symptoms and had recently returned from Europe. The parent was tested for COVID-19 Monday, and the Village has since been notified of the negative test result. The Village added that the vendor doesn't have contact with the public, and no one from the public was exposed.

Due to an overabundance of caution, Village employees who worked in the same area as this individual are working from home. The vendor is also working remotely and currently has no symptoms of the coronavirus, according to the news release.

Despite the good news that the test was negative, Village continues to take all precautions necessary to help in slowing or limiting the spread of the coronavirus to the community.

No village employees are allowed in the area of the building where the potential exposure occurred. Village Hall has been inspected by a cleaning firm that will commercially sanitize the area where the potential exposure occurred, as well as the entire building.

Other precautions include an Executive Order and a Local State of Emergency Proclamation issued Tuesday by Buffalo Grove Village President Beverly Sussman for the village. These steps were recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are in response to ever-changing updates regarding the coronavirus in communities, the state and the nation, according to a news release from the Village of Buffalo Grove. The Executive Order and Proclamation of the Local State of Emergency are published on the Village website, and more details can be found below.

"We take these measures very seriously and, while we are sensitive to the inconvenience to our residents and businesses, we must take action to prevent unnecessary public interaction to protect the entire community," officials said. "We very much appreciate our local businesses that have already opted to voluntarily close to slow the spread of COVID-19."

In addition to closing facilities, the village is also taking proactive steps to protect the health and safety of its employees by reducing employee interactions, using social distancing and implementing remote work for employees, the news release said.

The Village also continues to focus on the delivery of essential services. For additional updates, the Village strongly encourages residents and businesses to follow the Village’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor, and LinkedIn. Updates will also be posted on the website at vbg.org.

Executive Order

Effective at 12 a.m. Wednesday, all public places where people assemble — including lobbies, except the Buffalo Grove Police Department — are closed, the village said. The closures also apply to health and fitness centers, movie theaters, bowling alleys and recreational/entertainment facilities. All door-to-door solicitation is also prohibited.

All in-person public meetings of the village have also been canceled until further notice.

"The Executive Order was created to protect the health and welfare of the community, and to prevent further spread of COVID-19," the release stated. "Preventing the spread of this disease will not only help those who are at increased risk of experiencing complications should they contract the disease, but also prevents the spread of the disease to public safety officials who are providing critical services to the community."

Local State of Emergency Proclamation

The local state of emergency proclamation grants specific increased temporary
powers to village officials to address life, health and safety issues on an immediate
basis relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes emergency purchases that are
necessary to prevent the spread of the pandemic among the community and employees
and the ability to establish emergency locations for the conduct of village business,
emergency medical services and other necessary services. In addition, the
proclamation allows the village to request supplies and resources through the Strategic
National Stockpile, the CDC, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Impact on Village Services

The village has temporarily suspended building inspections services to mitigate contact
between village employees and the public. If you currently have a project underway
and require a building inspection, the village will provide inspections based on priority,
with emergency inspections conducted first, commercial inspections second and interior
residential inspections as the lowest priority. The village will screen residents and
contractors with health questions before fulfilling an inspection request. If the occupants
of a facility or home have high-risk symptoms or travel/exposure characteristics, the village reserves the right to cancel the inspection. If you would like to request an
inspection, please contact the Community Development Department at 847-459-2530.

Village manager Dane Bragg urges the community to be proactive in avoiding social
interaction.

"By minimizing our daily interactions, staying home and using
sensible health measures, we can reduce the impact of the COVID-19 virus on our most
vulnerable citizens," he said.

The Village of Buffalo Grove encourages area residents to help
reduce the number of people exposed to COVID-19 in our community, by following
safety guidelines from the Illinois Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease
Control to keep our residents, businesses, and visitors safe.