A Special E-News Message from Village President Catherine M. Adduci

January, 22, 2021

A Special E-News Message from the Village President, Catherine M. Adduci

January 22, 2021

Dear River Forest Residents,

COVID-19 Vaccine

The Village will continue to share all vaccine distribution information with residents as we receive it from the Cook County Department of Health. At this time, COVID-19 vaccine doses remain very limited. The State of Illinois and Cook County have identified priority groups to receive the first doses of vaccines before the general public:

Phase 1A - health care workers and residents and staff at long-term care facilities.
Phase 1B - residents age 65 and older and non-health care frontline essential workers as defined by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Phase 1C - residents aged 16 to 64 years old with high-risk medical conditions and other essential workers, pending final recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Currently, we are in Phase 1A, but the State of Illinois and Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) will expand to Phase 1B on Monday, January 25. CCDPH plans to provide some direct vaccinations, but most will be administered by partners, such as hospitals, other healthcare facilities (e.g. clinics, nursing homes, etc.) and retail pharmacies per federal contracts.

Please remember, the CCDPH is now inviting residents to sign up to receive information about the vaccine distribution plan. This survey does not register individuals to receive the vaccination, only to receive regular updates about the availability and distribution of the vaccination. River Forest residents should click here to complete the survey.

The CCDPH has reported that the County plans to open a new website where residents can register to get vaccinated. This website is not available yet. This system will be used to inform residents about vaccination sites nearest to them and how to make an appointment.

If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, please review the resources below and contact your primary care physician. You may also call the River Forest COVID-19 Senior Response Team at 708-613-1642 or Village Hall at 708-366-8500 during business hours, Monday through Friday 8am-4:30pm.

Both the IDPH and CCDPH have provided new portals containing vaccination data to monitor progress of the vaccine administration.

Illinois Department of Public Health Vaccine Data
Cook County Department of Public Health Vaccine Data (click “Vaccine Data”)

COVID-19 Cases

Between Sunday, January 10, and Saturday, January 16, River Forest had 19 new positive cases; 427 tests were completed, resulting in a positivity rate of 4.4%. The week before, from Sunday, January 3, to Saturday, January 9, there were 43 new positive cases of COVID-19; 377 tests were completed, resulting in a positivity rate of 11.4%. For more on COVID-19 data, please read a previous COVID-19 Update by clicking here.

The Village will continue to update you on COVID-19 case data. Residents can also view this by visiting the following sources:

Illinois Department of Public Health
Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH, click “Case Data by Town”)
Enigma Forensics (utilizing data from the IDPH and tracking it day-by-day)

COVID-19 Restrictions

Currently, Region 10 (which is Suburban Cook County, including River Forest) is in Tier 2 resurgence mitigations. For a detailed list of Tier 2 mitigations, click here. At his press conference earlier today, Governor Pritzker announced Region 10 is on track to move into Tier 1 tomorrow. Click here for a detailed list of Tier 1 mitigations. The Illinois Department of Public Health will make the announcement tomorrow whether our region (Region 10) has reached Tier 1 mitigation. Click here for more information about our Region’s Tier status.

Under Tier 1, limited indoor restaurant and bar service is allowed as follows:
Indoor service limited to lesser of 25% room capacity or 25 persons
No tables exceeding 4 people indoors
Outdoor, delivery and takeout continues

The IDPH has also issued updated sports guidance, and Tier 1 allows for fewer restrictions on sports. Click here for the sports guidance outlined by IDPH.

Help local businesses and our community by following guidelines to stay healthy and make this happen! Please click here to review all mitigation plan information.

COVID-19 Testing

Residents who have symptoms of COVID-19 or who have been exposed to confirmed cases of COVID-19 should quarantine and get tested. Residents are encouraged to contact their primary physicians to coordinate testing needs.

Local testing options in River Forest include:

CVS on the corner of North and Thatcher - Testing at CVS is by appointment only and is free to those who qualify after completing a COVID assessment. Appointments can be made online by clicking here.
Walgreens at 7251 Lake Street (Town Center) - Testing at Walgreens is by appointment only and is free to those who qualify, as well as with most insurance. Appointments can be made online by clicking here.
Midwest Express Clinic at 7343 Lake Street (in Town Center next to Panera). Midwest Express Clinic is testing all patients regardless of symptoms but the cost may vary depending on insurance; out-of-pocket, same-day pricing is $200. Individuals looking to schedule testing at Midwest Express Clinic must complete the online form here.

Other free, local, state-run COVID-19 testing sites are open to everyone regardless of symptoms or other criteria. No appointment, doctor referral or insurance is needed, and testing is free. Testing is crucial to identifying new cases and taking immediate action to prevent additional spread. The list of free, community-based testing sites is available by clicking here.

Residents may also choose to utilize or keep handy new, at-home COVID-19 tests, such as Abbott’s BinaxNOW Test which can be purchased online. This particular test is a convenient option that allows for testing to take place through an application to ensure that results are reported to public health agencies. These are antigen tests, which are not as sensitive as PCR or nucleic acid amplification tests. To better understand the different types of testing, please download this informational sheet from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Quarterly Community Safety Meeting

The Police Department will hold its Quarterly Community Safety Meeting on Wednesday, January 27 at 6:00pm. At this meeting, they will have guest speakers from Oak Park and River Forest Townships to present on Senior Services and Positive Youth Development. Department members will also speak about Illinois Department of Employment Security fraud (like filing false unemployment claims), community resources, and more. Click here for more information and the flyer.

February Supper Club

A February series of the River Forest Supper Club is available for purchase now! The One Off Hospitality Group will be offering its fully prepared family meals from: Publican on 2/4, Dove’s Luncheonette on 2/11, and avec on 2/18. Meal pick-up will be on those dates between 4:00 - 6:00PM at the River Forest Public Works Garage (45 Forest Ave). Click here for more information and to purchase a subscription to enjoy meals from these award-winning restaurants! Orders must be placed by Monday, February 1 and quantities are limited, so place your orders now!

Shop River Forest

If you are able, please support local businesses. Shop local and help support our restaurants and businesses during these difficult times, especially through Takeout 25 Oak Park, a local campaign geared toward getting commitment from residents to spend $25 each week on takeout from local restaurants through the winter months.

Business Spotlight:

Famous Victory Branding & Design is a River Forest business with a team of creative directors, art directors, designers, illustrators, writers, strategists…and now, mask makers, too. How do four people wear all those hats? The staff come from backgrounds requiring them to think on their feet, visualize a project from every vantage point and most importantly, create big brand impact for any type of business; from large corporations to solopreneurs to nonprofits, and everything in between. For five years now, Famous Victory’s brand passion and can-do connection has resulted in countless victories that are both memorable and hard earned.
Capri Italian Foods is a family-owned Italian foods store and deli on North Avenue. Owned by Joe, Marianna and Nick, the store has been serving the River Forest area for over 50 years. They take great pride in all their Italian foods and deli products and use the best quality ingredients in their prepared foods. Stop by for a sandwich or to peruse the aisles of Italian delights!
Good Earth Greenhouse and Cafe is a local greenhouse located on Madison Street that offers a variety of plants and garden decor, consults with a garden coach, and a floral designer to help plan wedding or event designs. The cafe offers delicious sandwiches, salads, smoothies and an excellent selection of wine for takeout and delivery too! Stop by to shop or place an order for curbside pickup or delivery.

For more River Forest businesses, visit the Shop River Forest page of our website at vrf.us/ShopRF. Don't see a River Forest business listed on the Shop River Forest page? Want your business to be featured? Email info@vrf.us.

Sincerely,