Buffalo Grove orders public places closed after employees potentially exposed to COVID-19

Buffalo Grove Village President Beverly Sussman issued an executive order Tuesday closing all places of "public assemblage," a day after officials learned that village employees may have been exposed to the coronavirus.

The order goes into effect at midnight Wednesday and will last until further notice of the village. It includes health and fitness centers, movie theaters, bowling alleys and recreational/entertainment facilities, as well as the lobbies of all public buildings, except for the village's police station.

"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," Sussman said in an announcement of the order. "We very much appreciate our local businesses that have already opted to voluntarily close to slow the spread of COVID-19."

A public assemblage does not include normal work attendance, according to the order.

According to the announcement, Village Manager Dane Bragg was made aware Monday night that village employees potentially were exposed to COVID-19 through a vendor who does not have contact with the public.

As a result, village employees who worked in the same area as that person are now working remotely. The vendor currently has no symptoms of the virus, officials said.

The initial exposure occurred between the vendor and a friend's parent, who had recently returned from Europe, village officials said. The parent displayed flu-like symptoms and was tested for COVID-19. The test results are not yet available, but are expected in the next 24 to 48 hours.

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, officials said.