Deerfield Park District Program Protocol Update February 21, 2022
On behalf of the Deerfield Park District, we’d like to thank everyone for their patience and perseverance over the last two years. The ever-changing landscape of the pandemic and mitigations have certainly been a challenge to all of us. Earlier this month, Governor Pritzker unveiled a plan to lift the Illinois Mask Mandate, with certain exceptions, effective February 28, 2022. The lift is contingent on a continual decline in COVID related metrics. The Cook County Health Department also announced that they will follow that same contingency and date to lift the mask mandate and the requirement for persons 18 years and older to show proof of vaccination while indoors. The Cook County notice has significance to the park district as the Sachs Recreation Center is located in Cook County. All other park district facilities are in Lake County.
A recent court decision has determined that schools do not fall under the same mask mandate. As a result, many school districts have lifted or will lift, their mask requirement sooner than February 28, 2022. Each school district can independently make its own decision on what its own requirements will be.
This is not the case with the park district. The district still falls under the February 28 date allowance to lift the mask mandate. As previously mentioned, it is contingent on declining COVID related metrics and the Governor officially lifting the mandate. It is also contingent on local municipalities following suit. The Village of Deerfield has indicated that it will stay aligned with the February 28 mandate at this time. We will wait to hear from the Village of Riverwoods on their position. As a result, the Deerfield Park District will continue to require masks indoors at all park district facilities at this time. Persons over 18 will still have to show proof of vaccination upon entering the Sachs Recreation Center. The one change at this time is related to park district participants at School District 109 and 113 facilities. As of this posting, park district participants at D109 and D113 facilities will follow the respective school district protocols and guidelines.
Further updates to all programs and facilities will be shared once the confirmation of the February 28 mask lifting allowance is official and upon receipt of any other updated guidance and determinations that are received from the Lake County Health Department, the Cook County Health Department, the Illinois Public Health Department, the Village of Deerfield, the Village of Riverwoods and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.