Chicago Coronavirus Closures

Updated: 3/20 9:00pm CDT

Pritzker issues ‘stay at home’ order to Illinois residents. Pritzker’s order, which takes effect Saturday at 5pm and is set to expire April 7.

School Closures:

All Illinois Schools Closed.

• District 208 schools close until April 7.
• All Archdiocese Catholic Schools in Cook, Lake Counties closing amid coronavirus outbreak.
• SIU Extending Spring Break and Moving to Alternate Instruction effective March 23, classes will be offered in online or other alternative formats until further notice.
• Districts 106, 109, 112 &113 Canceling After-School Public Gatherings this includes events such as tonight’s Orchestra Concert at HPHS and the Spring Orchestra concert at DHS on March 18. Information regarding IHSA events will come separately.
• Elmhurst College will move all classes online beginning, Monday March 16.
• Arlington Heights School District 214 canceled or postponed off-campus events from March 12 through April 30 and canceled co-curricular activities through the end of spring break.
• Park Forest A letter was sent to District 163 parents and guardians on Thursday notifying that a parent said her children were in contact with a person who tested positive with the virus over the weekend of March 7 and 8 and attended school this week. The students are to remain home until status is confirmed. The school will close for the next few days for cleaning.
• Elmhurst School District 205 suspended all after-school activities March 12 until further notice. The suspension does not include Elmhurst Park Department Rec Station. All off-campus activities are also canceled.
• Eastern Illinois University has extended its spring break through March 29.
• The Latin School of Chicago announced March 12 that it would be closed, with a tentative plan to reopen on April 6 after spring break. The school said there are no reports of anyone in the school community with COVID-19. Latin School of Chicago officials said the school buildings would be open March 12 for students to retrieve items and that faculty and staff are on call.
• The University of Chicago is moving to remote learning for undergraduate and graduate classes for the entire spring quarter beginning March 30.
• Hinsdale District 86 has canceled classes at Hinsdale Central, Hinsdale South and the Transition Center for March 12. The test conducted on the student from Hinsdale South who may have been exposed to COVID-19 came back negative, and classes will resume on Friday, March 13.
• Kirk School in Palatine is closed March 12 for cleaning after an employee’s family member tested positive.
• Loyola University said it will suspend face-to-face classes and transition to online/distance learning beginning March 13 and continuing through the end of the semester. Final exams will be “handled remotely.” In addition, residential students are “expected to leave campus as soon as possible and go home for the semester.” Residence halls will close by the end of Thursday.
• Bernard Zell officials clarified in the letter that no student or staff member was diagnosed with the virus, and that they believed the risk to students and faculty remained low, based on conversations with medical experts.
• Adler University said Wednesday that a member of its Chicago Campus was being tested for COVID-19 and is in isolation. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Chicago Campus has been closed until results of the testing are known,” the school said in a statement. “Should the results come back negative, campus will re-open and normal operations will resume. Should the results come back positive, a deep cleaning of campus will take place. When our students, faculty, and staff return, they will be returning to a well-prepared, clean, and safe campus.” Meanwhile, classes were canceled through March 15.
• Winnetka School District 36 cancels classes, moves to online instruction.
• Dundee-Crown High School and Perry Elementary School are closed March 12 and 13 for deep cleaning after a student at Dundee-Crown and their family were asked to self-quarantine while they await test results for a different member of their immediate family.
• Vaughn Occupational High School in Portage Park is closed until at least March 18 after an employee at the school tested positive for COVID-19.

Activity Cancellations:

All bars and restaurants in Illinois must close to dine-in customers from the end of business Monday night through March 30.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday ordered the cancellation of all public events with more than 1,000 people, including all major sporting events, through May 1 and urged organizers to call off private and public gatherings of more than 250 people in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

• Chicago-area religious leaders including Cardinal Cupich suspend services.
• Navy Pier closed through April 2.
• Lincoln Park Zoo closed through April 10.
• Chicago officials announced Sunday new restrictions for businesses that sell liquor to have less than half of their regular maximum capacity and in addition, cap entrance to 100 people as the number of coronavirus cases in the state continue to rise.
• Illinois’ 10 casinos will be closed for 14 days starting Monday, according to the Illinois Gaming Board.
• The majority of civil and criminal court cases in Cook County will be postponed for 30 days starting Tuesday, according to Chief Justice Timothy C. Evans.
• The ‘Bean’ at Cloud Gate Plaza at Millennium Park through April 12 along with all activities planned.
• Brookfield Zoo to remain open but all indoor exhibits, shop and restaurants closed until further notice.
• Metro temporarily closed until further notice.
• Adler Planetarium to temporarily close March 14.
• Shedd Aquarium to temporarily close March 14.
• Lincoln Park Zoo to temporarily close March 14.
• Museum of Science and Industry to temporarily close March 14 through April 6.
• The Art Institute of Chicago to temporarily close March 14 through March 28.
• International Housewares Association cancelled its trade show slated for March 14 to March 17.
• James R. Thompson Center in the Loop to all people who don’t have state business starting Monday 3/16.
• St. Patrick’s Day Parade and River Dyeing.
• Spanish restaurant Mercat a la Planxa has cancelled its Swine & Wine event scheduled for March 29.
• Gallagher Way, the plaza in front of Wrigley Field, has cancelled its St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
• Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises has cancelled St. Patrick’s Day celebrations slated for Saturday at Pizzeria Portofino and at RPM Events, according to a rep.
• Old Town Pour House cancelled its annual “Kegs & Eggs” St. Patrick’s Day party, originally scheduled for Saturday.
• International Housewares Association cancelled its trade show slated for March 14 to March 17.
• Catholic archdiocese allows anyone 60 and over to stay away from Mass, spells out more cancellation guidelines for churches, schools.