5 south suburban driver service centers shut because of virus
South suburban drivers are finding themselves having to drive a bit farther to take advantage of some secretary of state services as cases of COVID-19 have resulted in multiple closures of some driver service sites.
The office on Friday said that centers in Bridgeview, 7358W. 87thSt., andMidlothian, 14434 S. Pulaski Road, will be closed until early next month after employees at both locations tested positive for COVID-19.
The secretary of state said that no potential exposure to customers occurred at either site, and that the facilities would undergo cleaning.
On Thursday, the office said that a facility in South Holland that offers commercial driver’s license serviceswouldbeclosed for twoweeks after an employee there tested positive.
These are the third closures due to COVID-19 for the Midlothian and South Holland sites since June.
The Chicago Heights driver services center has been closed since June 1 due to a fire following protests, and the secretary of state isworking to open a new center in Orland Township’s offices after closing an express facility that had been in the Orland Park’VillageHall.
The township site is expected to be ready sometime in the fall, according to Dave Druker, spokesman for the secretary of state.
“We’re really getting clobbered there in the south suburbs,” he said Friday.
The closest open driver service centers to the Southland are at 201 S. Joyce Rd., Joliet, 1029-31 E. 9th St., Lockport, and 9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Chicago.
Employees are being asked to report if they are experiencing COVID-like symptoms and remain home if they feel ill, and are urged to get tested, Druker said. He said the secretary of state relies on guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health in deciding to temporarily close a location.
“They’re the experts,” he said.
The Midlothian site had reopened Aug. 5 after a two-week shutdown, and the South Holland CDL facility was back in service July 29 after being closed for twoweeks.
Midlothian had just reopened July 16 after a previous closure due to COVID-19, before closing again July 24.