February 14, 2022: The City's proof of COVID-19 vaccination requirement for patrons of on-site dining establishments expired at the adjournment of the February 14, 2022 City Council meeting. Learn more.
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City of Highland Park Requires Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Patrons of On-Premises Dining Establishments
New measures take effect Friday, January 7, 2022
December 29, 2021 – In response to a rise in COVID-19 cases in the City of Highland Park (“City”) and the Chicago metropolitan area, the City of Highland Park has issued an emergency order requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for patrons of on-premises dining establishments. Beginning Friday, January 7, 2022, all individuals ages 5 and older will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to access all on-premises food and drink establishments in the City, including:
- indoor dining at restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and bars, including fast-food and fast-casual establishments;
- indoor entertainment venues where food and drinks are served, such as movie theatres.
The City Council approved the vaccination requirement pursuant to the City’s new Emergency Declaration at a special meeting on Wednesday, December 29, 2021. City Council also extended the Emergency Declaration to the close of the January 24, 2022 City Council meeting. The measure complements similar policies enacted in Cook County, which borders Highland Park, and the City of Chicago.
"Over the past six weeks, we have seen a precipitous rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in our community and throughout our region," said Mayor Nancy Rotering. "We are taking these temporary steps to mitigate the impact on our increasingly burdened health care system, and to help protect the lives, health and safety of our community.”
Businesses covered by this policy will be required to confirm that all customers comply with this requirement. Customers will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 before entering a business covered by this policy, and individuals age 16 and older must show proof of identification as well. The following documents may be furnished to demonstrate full vaccination:
- CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (original or photo);
- Immunization Record provided by the State or country where the individual was vaccinated, such as the Illinois Department of Public Health's VaxVerify printout (original or photo);
- Immunization Record provided by the individual’s medical provider.
Employees of on-premises food and drink establishments must either provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination to their employer, or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test at least once every seven calendar days.
For the purposes of this emergency order, the definition of “fully vaccinated” is aligned with that of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, individuals ages 5 and older are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose in an approved two-dose vaccine series (Pfizer/Moderna), or two weeks after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Approved vaccines include those authorized or approved by either the United States Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization.
The vaccination requirement applies to indoor establishments as well as restaurants with a roof or overhang enclosed on at least three sides or temporary outdoor structures for dining, such as tents, with less than 50% of the sides open or without adequate ventilation to allow for four to six air exchanges per hour.
The vaccination requirement does not apply to houses of worship, K-12 schools, preschools, and child care centers, indoor locations within a residential or office building, where the use of dining facilities is limited to residents, owners, or tenants of the building, and charitable food service establishments such as soup kitchens.
Individuals who have previously received a medical exemption are exempt from compliance with this requirement, provided they also provide proof upon entry of the medical exemption received and a negative COVID-19 test administered by a medical professional within the prior 24 hours.
Exemptions to this requirement also apply to the following individuals:
- Individuals entering an establishment for less than 10 minutes for ordering and carrying out food, making a delivery, or using the restroom;
- Individuals who are performing at the establishment and those accompanying them, who will only be in the establishment for the duration of the performance;
- Children under the age of 18 entering a business to participate in a school-sponsored or after-school program offered by any pre-K through 12th grade school;
- Individuals entering a business serving as a polling place for the purposes of voting in an election, assisting or accompanying a voter, or observing an election.
"Throughout the pandemic, the City has strived to proactively respond in the best interest of public health, while balancing the needs of our business community," said City Manager Ghida Neukirch. "The City remains committed to partnering with business owners to provide support as they continue to weather the economic impacts and short- and long-term consequences of the pandemic."
The City will work collaboratively with business owners to ensure that the vaccine requirement is appropriately applied. City staff will follow up on any reported concerns with individual business owners. Repeated violations may result in a citation.
Information about the new vaccine requirement for certain businesses is available at cityhpil.com/covid-19. Individuals with questions should contact the City Manager's Office at cityhp@cityhpil.com or 847.926.1000. Business owners may contact the Office of Business Development at 847.926.1027.
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