COVID-19 Closures & Cancelations

Municipal Buildings Closed to the Public; No Reduction to Public Safety Services

Essential public administrative services are available online and via mail. There will be no reduction in services for public safety and the City encourages residents to conduct business online or by phone where possible.  Essential public meetings will be conducted virtually. Meeting notices will be posted to the City’s agenda and minute center. View meeting agendas, minutes, and videos here. 

Effective Wednesday, March 25, 2020, the Highland Park Connector service will be suspended until further notice, for the health and safety of riders due to coronavirus (COVID-19.)  Seniors and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk for complications of COVID-19. For transportation needs, please contact the City at 847.926.1000.  Learn more about COVID-19 here.   

Medical Equipment Loan Closet: Reopened with COVID-19 Safety Measures
Click here for more information. 

Virtual Programming
The Highland Park Senior Center remains closed to the public. However, Senior Center staff are now offering high-quality, virtual activities that are interactive and engaging. Ideas for programs may be shared with Christina by email at cearle@cityhpil.com or by phone at 847.432.4110. Click here to download the August 2020 calendar. Please note that some programs may require advance registration. Please contact the Senior Center at 847.432.4110 for more information and to learn about registration. 

Current Zoom programs may include: 

• Beginning Bridge (no prior experience necessary)
• Bingo (sponsored by Aperion Care; limit of 30 participants, first-come, first-served)
• Book Club
• Knitting
• Nature BYOBrunch and Learn (presented in cooperation with PDHP, sponosred by Radford Green)
• News & Views
• Sharing the Good

Lakeshore Recycling Services: Spring Clean-Up Rescheduled; Bulk Item,  E-Waste, & White Goods Collection Resumes

In partnership with LRS, the City has rescheduled Clean-up Days for August 2020. The new schedule is as follows: 

• If your collection is Monday, your Clean-Up Day is Saturday, August 8
• If your collection is Tuesday, your Clean-Up Day is Saturday, August 15
• If your collection is Thursday, your Clean-Up Day is Saturday, August 22
• If your collection is Friday, your Clean-Up Day is Saturday, August 29

For more information, please click here. 

Please contact LRS at 773.685.8811 with any questions or visit www.LRSRecycles.com for more information. 

Highland Park Public Library:  Library building closed

In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Highland Park Public Library has closed its building to the public. Cardholders may continue to borrow materials via the convenient Grap & Go pickup service. All programs continue virtually. Online services include virtual assistance and online resources. Books, movies, music and more are available to download or stream. To learn more, visit hplibrary.org or call 847.432.0216. 

Park District of Highland Park: Indoor fitness facilities are open for individual exercise in accordance with Tier 3 mitigations. Reservations are required. 

PDHP in-person fall programs have either been canceled, transitioned to a virtual platform, or moved to an outdoor environment. Winter programs scheduled to begin in late November/early December have been temporarily put on pause. 

Some indoor group fitness classes previously scheduled at the Recreation Center have been moved to an outdoor tent. The special issue December digital program brochure details virtual and outdoor programs.

Visit pdhp.org for more information.

School District 112

NSSD112 has released a plan for returning to school in the 2020-2021 school year. 

Throughout the 2020-21 school year, District 112 will utilize the following communication methods to keep stakeholders up to date on changes regarding all protocols:

• NSSD112 Website (www.nssd112.org)
• Email, text, and voice alerts
• District 112 mobile app
• Lighthouse 112 the District 112 Podcast
• Social media 
• COVID-19 related information can be found at www.nssd112.org/COVID-19

Township High School District 113 has created a section on its website dedicated to COVID-19 and planning for the 2020-2021 school year, with messages from the Superintendent, an overview of the return to school plan, and resources for parents and students.

School District 113 is coordinating free meals for all students 18 years of age and younger. Weekly meals (seven breakfasts and lunches) provided at one weekly pickup. Meals may be picked up on Mondays & Thursdays, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (no need to visit on both days.) Meals may be picked up at Highland Park High School, Athletic Entrance (433 Vine Ave.) or Deerfield High School, Back Parking Lot (1959 Waukegan Road, Deerfield.) More information is available here. 

To follow best practices for social distancing and to prevent the spread of illness, the Braeside, Ravinia, and Highland Park Metra Station depot buildings are closed to public access until further notice. Commuters may wait for trains outside the station buildings and along train platforms while maintaining social distancing. Trains will continue to run according to schedule; information about Metra schedules is available at metrarail.com. 

To support the community, Metra is also providing free rides to medical personnel presenting a work ID for the duration of the Stay at Home Order, as is Pace Bus . For more information about these and other steps Metra is taking to address the coronavirus situation, visit metrarail.com.

Pace has announced  that effective Monday, June 22, the temporary suspension of fare collection due to COVID-19 will conclude. PACE buses will return to front door boarding only, and riders will be required to pay fares on all Pace bus routes, On Demand services, Dial-a-Rides, and ADA Paratransit services. All service suspensions remain in effect, but Pace will continue to monitor demand carefully. Medical personnel will continue to enjoy free rides with display of a work ID showing employment with a hospital, doctor's office, medical facility, or local fire department. Pace will continue to prioritize the health of its riders through increased cleaning protocols and limited, socially distanced seating. All riders are asked to wear a face covering in addition to following all other public health guidance. 

Effective beginning Monday, April 13th and continuing until further notice:

• Shuttle Bug 628/629 routes will be suspended. These shuttle routes provide bus service from Braeside Metra station to and from corporate business parks along Lake Cook Road.
• Pace bus routes 471 and 472 will temporarily operate weekday service on a Saturday schedule. Service on Saturday will continue to operate as scheduled.  Routes 471/472 transport passengers to various locations throughout Highland Park, Highwood, Deerfield, and Northbrook and connect to Metra train stations and other Pace routes. Many of the locations served along these routes are temporarily closed or have reduced hours during the Shelter in Place order.

Additionally, for the safety of passengers and bus operators, passenger assistance by operators has been temporarily suspended in order to maintain Social Distancing and help slow the spread of COVID-19. Operators will continue to secure passengers’ mobility devices per federal regulations and at the request of the passenger. For additional information, please visit Pace’s website at www.pacebus.com/health.

Moraine Township has suspended the Door-to-Door Van service except for those going to dialysis or chemotherapy treatments until it is safe to resume the program. The Township's income tax preparation service, VITA, as well as the passport application program, are also suspended. However, Moraine Township continues to provide access to the Food Pantry; beginning March 16, the Pantry will provde pre-bagged food to clients and families receiving free meals from NSSD #112. Township staff will help residents with applications for Township or other assistance by phone. Township staff will likewise perform wellness checks via phone with senior clients.

Ravinia TV is a new, streaming weekly variety show available on Ravinia Festival's Facebook page and YouTube Channel. Tune in on Friday evenings at 7:00pm for music and more from Ravinia. 

Ravinia Festival announced the cancellation of its summer 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, the first time it has done so since the Great Depression. Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman, who had previously announced that 2020 would be his final season, explained that Ravinia's Board of Trustees felt strongly that the decision to cancel the season prioritized the health and safety of Ravinia's artists, audiences, staff, and neighbors. The announcement is in line with cancellations of other summer festivals. Ravinia will explore ways to host a virtual season on its social media platforms. More information is available from Ravinia Festival.