Information on COVID-19

Follow Cook County Government on  NextDoor for important updates. 

Cook County Employee Vaccination Policy

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has signed Executive Order 2021-1, stating that Cook County will implement a mandatory employee vaccination policy to ensure that members of the public who interact with County employees and facilities are safe when doing so, as well as to ensure the safety and well-being of employees while at work.

Employees in the Offices under the jurisdiction of the County Board President and covered by the Cook County Employment Plan have until October 15 to comply with the policy or provide a verifiable medical or religious exemption. 

Cook County Community Vaccination Program

Cook County Government, Cook County Health and Cook County Department of Public Health are pleased to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to those living or working in Cook County. The distribution of COVID-19 vaccination will be done in a phased approach as vaccine supply is available and using guidance from local, state and national public health authorities. Visit the site and sign up at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov. The website is available in English and Spanish. You can sign up for COVID-19 updates and information and schedule an appointment when administration expands to your phase. Providing all the information requested will ensure that you are notified properly as the program expands.

A hotline to schedule vaccines is also available at (833) 308-1988 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and is available Monday - Saturday.

Cook County is currently vaccinating all adults and children ages 12 and older. For answers to frequently asked questions, the latest information about COVID vaccine development and CCDPH’s vaccine distribution plan, visit the Cook County Department of Public Health website at www.cookcountypublichealth.org. Find out more about our public information campaign at www.myshotcookcounty.com.

Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt

Cook County has launched a new initiative, Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt (CCLAHD). CCLAHD helps residents resolve eviction, foreclosure, debt, and tax deed issues. The first program under the initiative, the Early Resolution Program (ERP), launched on November 23, 2020. The ERP provides free legal assistance, counseling, pre-court mediation and case management for residents and landlords dealing with evictions or delinquent property taxes, and creditors and debtors with issues related to consumer debt. Visit www.cookcountylegalaid.org or call (855) 956-5763 to find out more information and get help.

The services are provided on a pro-bono basis for residents of Cook County without legal representation and are being offered to:

• tenants facing eviction,
• landlords dealing with an eviction,
• debtors being sued for unpaid debts,
• creditors wishing to sue on the basis of unpaid debts, and
• residents who have defaulted on property tax payments or mortgage foreclosure payments.

Download Early Resolution Program flyers in English, Spanish and Polish: 

• English Early Resolution Program Flyer
• Spanish Early Resolution Program Flyer
• Polish Early Resolution Program Flyer

Cook County COVID-19 Community Recovery Initiative

We created this rapid response initiative to provide equitable and holistic comprehensive financial relief and critical support services to help suburban Cook County residents and small businesses rebound stronger than ever from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative, funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is part of our ongoing commitment to promote equitable economic growth and community development, along with our partners.

• We have launched a wide range of assistance programs as part of our equitable recovery initiative.
• Our goal is to assist businesses to remain open, workers find jobs and families stay in their homes.

Learn more about our COVID-19 Recovery programs for businesses and residents at www.cookcountyil.gov/recovery.

• Looking for a job during the pandemic? Start here or call 1-800-720-2515
• Need help paying utility bills? CEDA has a program that could help you
• Register for Small Business Webinars
• Get free business advising
   

CARES Act Funding for Local Governments

Cook County received approximately $429 million from the U.S. Treasury from the CARES Act. Under the Act, units of local government with a population exceeding 500,000 are eligible to receive this funding and can distribute these funds to municipalities under this threshold for direct expenses related to coronavirus. Per the CARES Act, these funds are NOT eligible for loss of revenues many local jurisdictions are unfortunately facing and only authorized for direct COVID-19 expenses. Cook County has chosen to allocate $51 million of this relief among the municipalities located within Cook County. 

Allocations to each municipality were determined through an equitable lens, with factors that included, but that were not limited to the following: immediate needs of the municipality to respond to the pandemic, municipal population,  municipal median income and municipal public health statistics. It is important to note that each municipality must apply for this funding allocation and such allocation will be contingent on eligible cost reimbursement. Find out more on the service page.
 

Re-opening of Cook County Facilities to the Public

County facilities re-opened on July 6, 2020, in accordance with President Preckwinkle's Executive Order 2020-11. Please be advised that services are still available online, and staff are available by phone or email. Residents and businesses are still strongly encouraged to access services remotely in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Cook County employees will return to the workplace in phases beginning July 6. Employees and members of the public using Cook County facilities upon reopening will be expected to practice physical distancing and wear personal protective equipment in accordance with public health guidelines. In addition, everyone who enters a County facility will be required to undergo a thermal screening and health questionnaire.

Cook County Courts also re-opened on July 6. More information about the resumption of court services, including a full plan, overview and FAQ, are available for download from the Justice Advisory Council.

Learn more at www.cookcountyil.gov/reopening.

Cook County Covid-19 Response Plan

On Thursday, May 14, President Preckwinkle released the Cook County COVID-19 Response Plan: From Rapid Response to Equitable Recovery during a virtual City Club speech. Read the full speech on Medium. This plan documents our initial, rapid response to the COVID-19 crisis and outlines our priorities for an equitable recovery over the next several months. 

The plan is grounded in our core values of equity, engagement, and excellence, and builds from the six policy priorities established in the Policy Roadmap: Five-Year Strategic Plan for Offices Under the President.

The needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic evolve quickly, so we are committed to updating and revising this plan for an equitable recovery as new information becomes available. Be sure to check back over the coming months for updates to our approach.

Read the Plan. The full document and overview are available for download.
 

Interactive Maps

Cook County unveiled two new interactive data dashboards, the Cook County Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) Map and the Medical Examiner COVID-19 Dashboard. The SVI Map is an interactive map down to each Census tract with that estimates social vulnerability by several factors as defined by the Centers for Disease Control: poverty, lack of transportation access, language barriers, and other issues. This map will help us to predict exactly which communities are most vulnerable to disasters like this pandemic and allow us to use a data-driven approach to target resources. We’ve made the dashboards public so that other local governments, policy makers, and social service agencies can make use of this data. The SVI Map is available in English and Spanish.

The COVID-19 Dashboard for Medical Examiner’s Office data presents the public with clear, easy-to-understand information regarding COVID-19 deaths. The dashboard shows deaths by location, time, and importantly, race and ethnicity. The Medical Examiner COVID-19 Dashboard is available in English, and Spanish.
 

Business Resources

Cook County Financial Relief Package

With businesses and residents facing so many challenges and difficulties created by the coronavirus, Cook County is moving to waive various County fines, fees and deferring tax collections. Waiving these fines and fees and deferring the County’s tax collection will assist businesses in terms of cash flow to the tune of $45 million during these trying times. This can provide some breathing room for businesses that are struggling. 

Under this relief package, due dates for Home Rule Taxes like the Alcoholic Beverage Tax, Amusement Tax, Tobacco Tax and Gasoline and Hotel Accommodations Tax will be pushed back. So will numerous fines and fees under the jurisdictions of the Departments of Transportation and Highways, Environment and Sustainability, Revenue, Building and Zoning and Public Health.

Download the full list of the business-friendly efforts in English, Spanish and Polish.
 

Resident Resources

Available Testing Sites

Find a testing site near you from the Illinois Department of Public Health: http://dph.illinois.gov/testing. Testing is free and does not affect immigration status. Please call ahead to confirm testing availability.

AlertCook, Hotline and Email

Sign up for AlertCook, Cook County's text alert system. Simply text "AlertCook" to 888-777.

The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) has opened a hotline, with live translation services available in all major languages: (708) 633-3319. This hotline is available Monday through Friday during regular office hours and is staffed by CCDPH staff. If you cannot immediately reach a member of staff, please leave a voicemail. Voicemails will be returned.

CCDPH has also launched an email service for all COVID-19 questions and concerns at CCDPH.COVID19@cookcountyhhs.org.

Homelessness Prevention

• If you are a suburban Cook County resident and need financial assistance with mortgage, rent payments, rent deposits, utility payments, or other housing issues please call the Homeless Prevention Call Center at (877) 4-COOK-15 or (877) 426-6515. Listen carefully to the prompts to choose which kind of help you need. City of Chicago residents should call 311 or (312) 744-5000 (outside of Chicago).

• Emergency shelter: Due to changes in shelter operations due to COVID-19, please call the Homeless Prevention Call Center at (877) 4-COOK-15 or (877) 426-6515 if possible to be directed appropriately to shelter resources. If you are not able to call, please see shelter providers in suburban Cook County.

Domestic Violence

Visit the Domestic Violence Hotlines: http://www.suburbancook.org/dv

City Bureau COVID-19 Resource Finder

City Bureau, a non-profit newsroom, has compiled an easily filtered, comprehensive collection of resources available in all major languages. City Bureau consulted with communities and found that narrowing a large list of resources to find specific items that work for each individual would be very useful in accessing COVID-19 resources. Their finder has easy-to-use filters for types of resource and eligibility. The site has been translated into 10 languages and SMS access is available.

Food Access

• The Greater Chicago Food Depository responds to food insecurity in our community every single day. Anyone in need of food assistance can turn to the Food Depository’s network of agencies and programs. With some exceptions, their network of 700 partner agencies and programs remains open. These sites are modifying their distributions to promote social distancing, including offering pre-packaged boxes of groceries.
• School districts throughout Cook County suburbs are providing meals to families in need. Find the details here: http://bit.ly/CookCountyMeals
• Download this list of South Suburban Food Pantries.

Employment Questions

Residents who have questions about the Earned Sick Leave Ordinance and COVID-19 can visit the service page for frequently asked questions at the Department of Human Rights and Ethics.

Job seekers can visit the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership's website to find out who's hiring now.

Residents with questions about unemployment insurance and COVID-19 can visit Illinois Department of Employment Security for frequently asked questions.
 

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This webpage was last updated on August 20, 2021.