Schaumburg driver's license office closes after worker tests positive for COVID-19

Officials at the Illinois Secretary of State's office say one employee at the Schaumburg driver's license facility has tested positive for COVID-19, causing the office to close until July 2 and putting at least 56 co-workers into self-quarantine for 14 days.

Dave Druker, a spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White, said only one of the employees at the office at 1227 E. Golf Road has tested positive so far.

Druker would not comment on the severity of the worker's infection, citing privacy concerns.

He said there was little risk to the public who might have visited the facility in recent days and they do not need to stay in isolation.

“After consultation with the Illinois Department of Public Health, there is no direct impact on the public, so no requirement to self-quarantine,” Druker said.

Rick Kurnick, director of Driver Services Metro for White's office, was at the facility Friday assisting customers who showed up unaware of the facility's closure.

“It's important to be out here and take care of these people and let them know what's going on,” he said.

White's office is directing those who might need services provided by the Schaumburg facility to seek assistance at similar facilities in Des Plaines, Elgin and Lake Zurich. The offices are only serving new drivers, customers with expired licenses or IDs and those who are filing vehicle sales transactions.

It would be too difficult to move employees from those offices to temporarily staff the Schaumburg facility, Druker said.

“We cannot move employees to Schaumburg because the building needs to be cleaned thoroughly,” he said. “And frankly, employees at other locations are very busy.”

White's office will follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards for sanitizing the Schaumburg office, but no equipment or forms will have to be destroyed in the disinfection process.

The plan is to have the Schaumburg facility reopened July 2 when the staff's quarantine will be over, officials said.

• Daily Herald staff writer Brian Hill contributed to this report.