The Oak Park Department of Public Health has recommended all people, including those who have completed a full COVID-19 vaccination series to wear masks inside all public places, citing the 25 new positive cases among village residents as of July 28.
“The new cases reported today by the Oak Park Department of Public Health likely include some breakthrough cases among fully vaccinated individuals,” reads a news release sent July 28 from the village of Oak Park.
Individuals with breakthrough cases can still spread the highly contractable Delta variant, the most dominant strain of COVID-19 virus, to others, according to the release, including to children 12 and under who are ineligible to receive the vaccination at this time. Breakthrough cases typically are mild or asymptomatic and do not require hospitalization, per the Oak Park Department of Public Health.
While vaccination remains key to preventing COVID-19 from spreading, the village of Oak Park has also reported that the rate at which residents are getting vaccinated has slowed significantly, causing concern among local public health officials. All approved vaccinations have demonstrated efficacy against all variants, including the Delta.
About 56 percent of all Oak Park residents and two-thirds of those eligible have received vaccinations, only a slight increase from the previous week, according to the release.
“Oak Park’s numbers are well below other communities such as Evanston which is reporting that 84 percent of eligible residents have received one dose and 78 percent are fully vaccinated,” the release states.
