Oak Park Public Health Director Mike Charley announced that an Oak Park woman in her 80s has died – becoming the village’s fourth fatality likely caused COVID-19, according to an announcement issued April 15. The Cook County Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death.
The village of Oak Park reported its first likely COVID-19-related fatality April 1 when a man in his 60s died after previously testing positive for the virus.
The second likely fatality was announced April 9; in that case, the victim was a man in his 50s.
The village of Oak Park reported its third likely death April 13. That individual was a woman in her 90s.
According to Oak Park Communications Director David Powers, the village does not receive confirmation from the medical examiner.
“The M.E. does not report confirmations to the Health Department, so we still can’t say that the deaths have been officially attributed to COVID-19. Given the circumstances, however, it is a fairly safe assumption the deaths are attributable to the virus,” Powers said.
Along with the fourth fatality, another five Oak Park residents have received positive COVID-19 test results, according to the April 15 village announcement. Oak Park now has a total of 114 cases. However, that number could change as public health officials verify residency.
The newest four cases range in age from 30s to 60s. Privacy laws prohibit the village from releasing further information regarding the individuals.
According to the announcement, “Anyone who has had close, direct contact with any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 is notified by the local public health authority as part of standard patient tracking and case follow-up procedures.”
