(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Suburban cooling centers are facing a balancing act of protecting residents from extreme heat and the coronavirus.
With a predicted heat index well over 100 degrees this weekend, emergency management services opened only a fraction of cooling centers.
“Because of COVID-19 we have seen less centers that are open," said Dan Eder with the Lake County Emergency Management Agency.
The CDC issued new guidance specifically for emergency cooling centers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Some of that guidance talks about things such as proper physical distancing, good air flow, keeping your staff and volunteers safe, some of the other things about signage, reminding people to wash hands to keep their distance and then providing protective supplies," Eder said Friday.
The Lake County EMA is helping centers follow those guidelines by providing personal protective equipment to any center that wants to open.
Regardless of the pandemic, Eder says it's best to call ahead and make sure any listed facility is open. Staff at centers should do some screening of callers, to inquire whether they have symptoms, he said.
“They’re also going to try to screen them when they get there to make sure we’re not having sick individuals go into our cooling centers. We’d find them a better place to go if they need care,” Eder said.