The village of Homewood is not closing village hall, as it did during the statewide shutdown in the spring, but village officials are asking residents to voluntarily avoid visiting in person for the time being.
With COVID-19 infection numbers surging locally and around the state, the village posted a notice on its Facebook page on Tuesday urging residents to conduct business remotely when possible for everyone’s safety.
Methods of contacting village staff include the main phone number, 708-798-3000, and commonly used email addresses, including [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected].
The police department can be reached by the non-emergency number, 708-206-3420, or by sending email to [email protected]. In an emergency, dial 911.
The public works department can be reached at 708-206-3470.
The fire department non-emergency number is 708-206-3400. In an emergency, dial 911.
Payments, permits and correspondence can be placed in the drop box in front of village hall, 2020 Chestnut Road.
Check the website, www.homesweethomewood.com or call 708-206-3377 for news and operational changes.
The reminders come as the numbers of infections have climbed in recent weeks.
At the beginning of last week, four of the state’s 11 public health regions were under additional mitigation orders because infection rates or hospitalization numbers exceeded thresholds established by the Illinois Depart of Public Health.
As of Sunday, Nov. 1, 10 regions were included, and by Wednesday, Nov. 4, all 11 regions were under additional mitigation orders, which include banning indoor dining and bar service, and limiting gathering size.
Regions trigger additional mitigation measures when infection rates exceed 8% for three of 10 days or when hospitalizations with COVID-19-related illnesses increase for more than three of 10 days.
The purpose of the additional restrictions, according to state health officials, is to slow the spread of the virus in order to protect lives and prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.