chicagosun-times--2020-03-25--Horoscope for Thursday, March 26, 2020

Horoscope for Thursday, March 26, 2020

Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 2 to 9 a.m. Chicago time .
After that , the moon moves from Aries into Taurus .
Double-check financial matters , especially issues related to earnings and cash flow because you might have difficulty dealing with an authority figure .
Furthermore , whatever happens might come out of the blue and surprise you .
Stay tuned !
Don ’ t be worried if you feel periods of fleeting depression .
You might feel lonely or cut off from others .
“ Nobody loves me.
” ( Hey , this just ain ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary relationship of the moon to stern Saturn .
Everyone will feel this in a tiny way .
Fortunately , it ’ s gone by tonight .
Something going on behind the scenes or behind your back will surprise you or catch you off guard .
It might have something to do with the media , religion or politics .
Someone in a position of power might counter you or challenge what you say .
Oops !
A friend , probably a female , could create restrictions on how you want to share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than their fair share ?
Perhaps they want you to pay what you owe them ?
Something related to the wealth of others needs to be dealt with today .
This is a tricky day dealing with bosses , parents , teachers and people in authority .
No question .
For starters , they might do something that surprises you .
( Don ’ t quit your day job . )
They might also create restrictions in your relations with someone close to you ?
Play your cards close to your heaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They might be canceled , changed or delayed .
Ditto for schedules with colleges and universities .
Meanwhile , someone might challenge your ideas related to politics , religion or racial matters .
Stay cool .
You might want to double-check details regarding shared property , banking matters and anything to do with inheritances or insurance issues because a surprise awaits you .
Don ’ t be caught sleeping at the switch .
Stay on top of things so you know what ’ s happening .
A close friend or partner might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready for this .
Very likely , it relates to someone older in the family or something to do with increased responsibilities and obligations on the home front .
Cope as best you can .
Your work routine will be interrupted today by faulty equipment , computer crashes , canceled appointments or staff shortages .
Someone might introduce a new set of rules that you find restricting or challenging .
Whatever this is , you can deal with it .
Children might be an increased responsibility today .
In addition , parents should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day for your kids .
Therefore , be extra vigilant .
Meanwhile , social outings might be canceled or delayed .
Double-check details so that you are not left high and dry !
It might be challenging dealing with someone older on the home front today .
You might feel rebellious or unhappy about certain restrictions .
Possibly , a small appliance will break down or something will suddenly require your attention .
Be cool .
A female relative might need your help and sympathy .
Today is full of surprises !
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be exciting , but they might also catch you off guard .
Something unexpected might limit you or create some concerns for you .
Possibly it means you have to pull the line because someone in a position of authority has to lay down the law .
If Your Birthday Is Today Actor , comedian Martin Short ( 1950 ) shares your birthday .
You are charming , warm and affectionate .
In particular , you have excellent powers of observation .
You can be a perfectionist .
Service to others is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family .
This means you must take care of yourself so that you are a strong resource for yourself and others .
Invest in the relationships that you value .
Tap into your personal creativity and hobbies .

Moon Alert
Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 2 to 9 a.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Aries into Taurus.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Double-check financial matters, especially issues related to earnings and cash flow because you might have difficulty dealing with an authority figure. Furthermore, whatever happens might come out of the blue and surprise you. Stay tuned!
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Don’t be worried if you feel periods of fleeting depression. You might feel lonely or cut off from others. “Nobody loves me.” (Hey, this just ain’t true!) This is a temporary relationship of the moon to stern Saturn. Everyone will feel this in a tiny way. Fortunately, it’s gone by tonight.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Something going on behind the scenes or behind your back will surprise you or catch you off guard. It might have something to do with the media, religion or politics. Someone in a position of power might counter you or challenge what you say. Oops!
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
A friend, probably a female, could create restrictions on how you want to share or divide something. Perhaps they want more than their fair share? Perhaps they want you to pay what you owe them? Something related to the wealth of others needs to be dealt with today.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
This is a tricky day dealing with bosses, parents, teachers and people in authority. No question. For starters, they might do something that surprises you. (Don’t quit your day job.) They might also create restrictions in your relations with someone close to you? Play your cards close to your heaving bosom.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Travel plans are uncertain today. They might be canceled, changed or delayed. Ditto for schedules with colleges and universities. Meanwhile, someone might challenge your ideas related to politics, religion or racial matters. Stay cool.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
You might want to double-check details regarding shared property, banking matters and anything to do with inheritances or insurance issues because a surprise awaits you. Don’t be caught sleeping at the switch. Stay on top of things so you know what’s happening.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
A close friend or partner might throw you a curveball today. Be ready for this. Very likely, it relates to someone older in the family or something to do with increased responsibilities and obligations on the home front. Cope as best you can.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Your work routine will be interrupted today by faulty equipment, computer crashes, canceled appointments or staff shortages. Someone might introduce a new set of rules that you find restricting or challenging. Whatever this is, you can deal with it.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Children might be an increased responsibility today. In addition, parents should know that this is also an accident-prone day for your kids. Therefore, be extra vigilant. Meanwhile, social outings might be canceled or delayed. Double-check details so that you are not left high and dry!
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
It might be challenging dealing with someone older on the home front today. You might feel rebellious or unhappy about certain restrictions. Possibly, a small appliance will break down or something will suddenly require your attention. Be cool. A female relative might need your help and sympathy.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Today is full of surprises! New places, new faces and new ideas might be exciting, but they might also catch you off guard. Something unexpected might limit you or create some concerns for you. Possibly it means you have to pull the line because someone in a position of authority has to lay down the law.
If Your Birthday Is Today
Actor, comedian Martin Short (1950) shares your birthday. You are charming, warm and affectionate. In particular, you have excellent powers of observation. You can be a perfectionist. Service to others is your theme this year, especially with family. This means you must take care of yourself so that you are a strong resource for yourself and others. Invest in the relationships that you value. Tap into your personal creativity and hobbies.


chicagosun-times--2020-03-25--Senate passes coronavirus rescue package on unanimous vote

WASHINGTON — The Senate late Wednesday passed an unparalleled $ 2.2 trillion economic rescue package steering aid to businesses , workers and health care systems engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic .
The unanimous vote came despite misgivings on both sides about whether it goes too far or not far enough and capped days of difficult negotiations as Washington confronted a national challenge unlike it has ever faced .
The 880-page measure is the largest economic relief bill in U.S. history .
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , appeared somber and exhausted as he announced the vote — and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though he promised to recall them if needed .
“ The legislation now before us now is historic because it is meant to match a historic crisis , ” said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. “ Our health care system is not prepared to care for the sick .
Our workers are without work .
Our businesses can not do business .
Our factories lie idle .
The gears of the American economy have ground to a halt.
” The package is intended as relief for an economy spiraling into recession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grim toll from an infection that ’ s killed nearly 20,000 people worldwide .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , asked how long the aid would keep the economy afloat , said : “ We ’ ve anticipated three months .
Hopefully , we won ’ t need this for three months.
” Underscoring the effort ’ s sheer magnitude , the bill finances a response with a price tag that equals half the size of the entire $ 4 trillion annual federal budget .
Insistently optimistic , President Donald Trump said of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifetime , “ I don ’ t think its going to end up being such a rough patch ” and anticipated the economy soaring “ like a rocket ship ” when it ’ s over .
The drive by leaders to speed the bill through the Senate was slowed as four conservative Republican senators from states who economies are dominated by low-wage jobs demanded changes , saying the legislation as written might give workers like store clerks incentives to stay on unemployment instead of returning return to their jobs since they may earn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off than if they ’ re working .
They settled for a failed vote to modify the provision .
Other objections floated in from New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , who has become a prominent Democrat on the national scene as the country battles the pandemic .
Cuomo , whose state has seen more deaths from the pandemic than any other , said , “ I ’ m telling you , these numbers don ’ t work.
” Ardent liberals like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were restless as well , but top Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation will follow this spring and signaled that delaying the pending measure would be foolish .
The sprawling measure is the third coronavirus response bill produced by Congress and by far the largest .
It builds on efforts focused on vaccines and emergency response , sick and family medical leave for workers , and food aid .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , swung behind the bipartisan agreement , saying it “ takes us a long way down the road in meeting the needs of the American people.
” Senate passage delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will most likely pass it Friday .
House members are scattered around the country and the timetable for votes in that chamber was unclear .
House Democratic and Republican leaders have hoped to clear the measure for Trump ’ s signature by a voice vote without having to call lawmakers back to Washington .
The package would give direct payments to most Americans , expand unemployment benefits and provide a $ 367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home .
It includes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program for guaranteed , subsidized loans to larger industries , including airlines .
Hospitals would get significant help as well .
Six days of arduous talks produced the bill , creating tensions among Congress ’ top leaders , who each took care to tend to party politics as they maneuvered and battled over crafting the legislation .
But failure is not an option , nor is starting over , which permitted both sides to include their priorities .
“ That Washington drama does not matter any more , ” McConnell said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , act together , and pass this historic relief package today.
” The bill would provide one-time direct payments to Americans of $ 1,200 per adult making up to $ 75,000 a year , and $ 2,400 to a married couple making up to $ 150,000 , with $ 500 payments per child .
A huge cash infusion for hospitals expecting a flood of COVID-19 patients grew during the talks to an estimated $ 130 billion .
Another $ 45 billion would fund additional relief through the Federal Emergency Management Agency for local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the package would help replace the salaries of furloughed workers for four months , rather than the three months first proposed .
Furloughed workers would get whatever amount a state usually provides for unemployment , plus a $ 600 per week add-on , with gig workers like Uber drivers covered for the first time .
Businesses controlled by members of Congress and top administration officials — including Trump and his immediate family members — would be ineligible for the bill ’ s business assistance .
Schumer boasted of negotiating wins for transit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that were cemented after Democrats blocked the measure in votes held Sunday and Monday .
But Cuomo said the Senate package would send less than $ 4 billion to New York , far short of his estimate that the crisis will cost his state up to $ 15 billion over the next year .
More than 280 New Yorkers have died from the virus , a death toll more than double that of any other state .
Still , Pelosi said the need for more money for New York is “ no reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Pelosi was a force behind $ 400 million in grants to states to expand voting by mail and other steps that Democrats billed as making voting safer but Republican critics called political opportunism .
The package also contains $ 15.5 billion more for a surge in demand for food stamps as part of a massive $ 330 billion title for agency operations .
Republicans won inclusion of an “ employee retention ” tax credit that ’ s estimated to provide $ 50 billion to companies that retain employees on payroll and cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to $ 10,000 .
Companies would also be able to defer payment of the 6.2 % Social Security payroll tax .
A companion appropriations package ballooned as well , growing from a $ 46 billion White House proposal to $ 330 billion , which dwarfs earlier disasters — including Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy combined .
Europe is enacting its own economic recovery packages , with huge amounts of credit guarantees , government spending and other support .
Germany , Europe ’ s biggest economy , has agreed to commit over 1 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiscal stimulus and support — roughly 30 % of that nation ’ s entire annual output .
France , Spain and Italy have launched similar programs .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , or death .
In the United States , more than 55,000 people have been sickened and @ @ @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON — The Senate late Wednesday passed an unparalleled $2.2 trillion economic rescue package steering aid to businesses, workers and health care systems engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The unanimous vote came despite misgivings on both sides about whether it goes too far or not far enough and capped days of difficult negotiations as Washington confronted a national challenge unlike it has ever faced.
The 880-page measure is the largest economic relief bill in U.S. history. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., appeared somber and exhausted as he announced the vote — and he released senators from Washington until April 20, though he promised to recall them if needed.
“The legislation now before us now is historic because it is meant to match a historic crisis,”said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “Our health care system is not prepared to care for the sick. Our workers are without work. Our businesses cannot do business. Our factories lie idle. The gears of the American economy have ground to a halt.”
The package is intended as relief for an economy spiraling into recession or worse and a nation facing a grim toll from an infection that’s killed nearly 20,000 people worldwide. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, asked how long the aid would keep the economy afloat, said: “We’ve anticipated three months. Hopefully, we won’t need this for three months.”
Underscoring the effort’s sheer magnitude, the bill finances a response with a price tag that equals half the size of the entire $4 trillion annual federal budget.
Insistently optimistic, President Donald Trump said of the greatest public-health emergency in anyone’s lifetime, “I don’t think its going to end up being such a rough patch” and anticipated the economy soaring “like a rocket ship” when it’s over.
The drive by leaders to speed the bill through the Senate was slowed as four conservative Republican senators from states who economies are dominated by low-wage jobs demanded changes, saying the legislation as written might give workers like store clerks incentives to stay on unemployment instead of returning return to their jobs since they may earn more money if they’re laid off than if they’re working. They settled for a failed vote to modify the provision.
Other objections floated in from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has become a prominent Democrat on the national scene as the country battles the pandemic. Cuomo, whose state has seen more deaths from the pandemic than any other, said, “I’m telling you, these numbers don’t work.”
Ardent liberals like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were restless as well, but top Washington Democrats assured them that an additional coronavirus legislation will follow this spring and signaled that delaying the pending measure would be foolish.
The sprawling measure is the third coronavirus response bill produced by Congress and by far the largest. It builds on efforts focused on vaccines and emergency response, sick and family medical leave for workers, and food aid.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., swung behind the bipartisan agreement, saying it “takes us a long way down the road in meeting the needs of the American people.”
Senate passage delivered the legislation to the Democratic-controlled House, which will most likely pass it Friday. House members are scattered around the country and the timetable for votes in that chamber was unclear.
House Democratic and Republican leaders have hoped to clear the measure for Trump’s signature by a voice vote without having to call lawmakers back to Washington.
The package would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home.
It includes a controversial, heavily negotiated $500 billion program for guaranteed, subsidized loans to larger industries, including airlines. Hospitals would get significant help as well.
Six days of arduous talks produced the bill, creating tensions among Congress’ top leaders, who each took care to tend to party politics as they maneuvered and battled over crafting the legislation. But failure is not an option, nor is starting over, which permitted both sides to include their priorities.
“That Washington drama does not matter any more,” McConnell said. “The Senate is going to stand together, act together, and pass this historic relief package today.”
The bill would provide one-time direct payments to Americans of $1,200 per adult making up to $75,000 a year, and $2,400 to a married couple making up to $150,000, with $500 payments per child.
A huge cash infusion for hospitals expecting a flood of COVID-19 patients grew during the talks to an estimated $130 billion. Another $45 billion would fund additional relief through the Federal Emergency Management Agency for local response efforts and community services.
Democrats said the package would help replace the salaries of furloughed workers for four months, rather than the three months first proposed. Furloughed workers would get whatever amount a state usually provides for unemployment, plus a $600 per week add-on, with gig workers like Uber drivers covered for the first time.
Businesses controlled by members of Congress and top administration officials — including Trump and his immediate family members — would be ineligible for the bill’s business assistance.
Schumer boasted of negotiating wins for transit systems, hospitals and cash-hungry state governments that were cemented after Democrats blocked the measure in votes held Sunday and Monday.
But Cuomo said the Senate package would send less than $4 billion to New York, far short of his estimate that the crisis will cost his state up to $15 billion over the next year. More than 280 New Yorkers have died from the virus, a death toll more than double that of any other state.
Still, Pelosi said the need for more money for New York is “no reason to stop the step we are taking.”
Pelosi was a force behind $400 million in grants to states to expand voting by mail and other steps that Democrats billed as making voting safer but Republican critics called political opportunism. The package also contains $15.5 billion more for a surge in demand for food stamps as part of a massive $330 billion title for agency operations.
Republicans won inclusion of an “employee retention” tax credit that’s estimated to provide $50 billion to companies that retain employees on payroll and cover 50% of workers’ paycheck up to $10,000. Companies would also be able to defer payment of the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax.
A companion appropriations package ballooned as well, growing from a $46 billion White House proposal to $330 billion, which dwarfs earlier disasters — including Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy combined.
Europe is enacting its own economic recovery packages, with huge amounts of credit guarantees, government spending and other support.
Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, has agreed to commit over 1 trillion euros ($1.1 trillion) in fiscal stimulus and support — roughly 30% of that nation’s entire annual output. France, Spain and Italy have launched similar programs.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
In the United States, more than 55,000 people have been sickened and more than 1,000 have died.


chicagosun-times--2020-03-25--4 injured in West Town hit-and-run

4 injured in West Town hit-and-run

Four people were injured in a crash Wednesday in West Town on the Near West Side .
A 2012 Chevy @ @ @ @ @ p.m. in the 300 block of North Hoyne Avenue when a dark-colored pickup truck struck @ @ @ @ @ to flip over , Chicago police said .
A 41-year-old woman and a woman whose @ @ @ @ @ taken to Stroger Hospital , police said .
Two men , ages 20 and 41 @ @ @ @ @ Sinai Hospital .
Police said they were in good condition .
The pickup fled from @ @ @ @ @ .

Four people were injured in a crash Wednesday in West Town on the Near West Side.
A 2012 Chevy Equinox was northbound about 9 p.m. in the 300 block of North Hoyne Avenue when a dark-colored pickup truck struck the Chevy, causing it to flip over, Chicago police said.
A 41-year-old woman and a woman whose age was not known were taken to Stroger Hospital, police said. Two men, ages 20 and 41, were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital.
Police said they were in good condition.
The pickup fled from the crash, police said.


chicagosun-times--2020-03-25--2 Cook County chief judge’s office employees, 3 clerk’s office employees test positive for COVID-19

Two employees with the office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County , and three Clerk of the Circuit Court employees tested positive for COVID-19 , officials announced Wednesday .
The chief judge ’ s office employees are : an adult probation department employee working on the lower level of the Leighton Criminal Court Building and an office of the chief judge employee working on the 23rd floor of the Daley Center , the chief judge ’ s office said in a statement .
Both reported they were asymptomatic when they last reported for work March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office employees are : one employee working at the Domestic Violence Courthouse , 555 W. Harrison St. , and two traffic division employees working on the lower level of the Daley Center , the clerk ’ s office said in a statement .
They did not come in contact with each other and appear to have contracted the virus outside of the clerk ’ s office locations .
The employees are in self-isolation , and last reported for work on March 19 , the clerk ’ s office said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep cleaning and anyone who came into contact with the pair while at work will be notified , officials said .
On Wednesday , health officials announced 330 new cases have been added to the state ’ s total , bringing the Illinois tally to 1,865 cases .
So far , 19 people have died from the outbreak in Illinois .

Two employees with the office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and three Clerk of the Circuit Court employees tested positive for COVID-19, officials announced Wednesday.
The chief judge’s office employees are: an adult probation department employee working on the lower level of the Leighton Criminal Court Building and an office of the chief judge employee working on the 23rd floor of the Daley Center, the chief judge’s office said in a statement.
Both reported they were asymptomatic when they last reported for work March 13, officials said.
The clerk’s office employees are: one employee working at the Domestic Violence Courthouse, 555 W. Harrison St., and two traffic division employees working on the lower level of the Daley Center, the clerk’s office said in a statement. They did not come in contact with each other and appear to have contracted the virus outside of the clerk’s office locations.
The employees are in self-isolation, and last reported for work on March 19, the clerk’s office said.
The areas where the employees worked received a deep cleaning and anyone who came into contact with the pair while at work will be notified, officials said.
On Wednesday, health officials announced 330 new cases have been added to the state’s total, bringing the Illinois tally to 1,865 cases. So far, 19 people have died from the outbreak in Illinois.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-16--Second suspect in custody in fatal attack of ex-Marine pushed into CTA train

Charges are pending against a second suspect in connection with the fatal attack of a former marine who was pushed into a Red Line train last week .
The 19-year-old man was in custody and being questioned days after a warrant was issued for his arrest in the April 7 death of 29-year-old Mamadou Balde , Chicago police said Thursday .
Ryan Munn , 18 , has already been charged with first-degree murder in Balde ’ s killing after he allegedly admitted to taking part in the attack , Cook County prosecutors said .
Balde was approaching passengers about 5:10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform when he started talking to Munn ’ s accomplice , prosecutors said .
Balde smiled and jokingly put his arms up as if to fight and the suspect punched Balde in the face , prosecutors said .
Munn allegedly jumped in and the pair pushed Balde , who fell in between two train cars .
He was dragged along the platform until his head and upper body ultimately slammed into a metal partition inside a tunnel .
He was pronounced dead at the scene .
Munn was arrested April 10 and denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Charges are pending against a second person who is being questioned in connection with the fatal attack of a former marine who was pushed into a Red Line train last week, Chicago police said Thursday.
The 19-year-old man was in custody and being questioned days after a warrant was issued for his arrest in the April 7 death of 29-year-old Mamadou Balde, police said.
Ryan Munn, 18, has already been charged with first-degree murder in Balde’s killing after he allegedly admitted to taking part in the attack, Cook County prosecutors said.
Balde was approaching passengers about 5:10 p.m. at the Jackson Red Line station platform when he started talking to Munn’s accomplice, prosecutors said.
Balde smiled and jokingly put his arms up as if to fight and the suspect punched Balde in the face, prosecutors said. Munn allegedly jumped in and the pair pushed Balde, who fell in between two train cars.
He was dragged along the platform until his head and upper body ultimately slammed into a metal partition inside a tunnel. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Munn was arrested April 10 and denied bail at a court hearing Sunday.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-16--Abbott Labs’ touted rapid COVID-19 test not widely available around Chicago, Sun-Times finds  (LIVE

Abbott Labs’ touted rapid COVID-19 test not widely available around Chicago, Sun-Times finds  (LIVE UPDATES)

Abbott Labs ’ touted rapid COVID-19 test not widely available around Chicago , Sun-Times finds Abbott Laboratories ’ ID NOW test for COVID-19 , which can display a positive result in as little as five minutes and a negative result in 13 minutes , has been lauded by President Donald Trump as “ a whole new ballgame ” in expanding testing for the disease .
But it ’ s still not widely available in Chicago and the suburbs , a Chicago Sun-Times survey found .
Though the Lake County company won ’ t say where the recently approved tests have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals , Rush University Medical Center , University of Illinois Health , AMITA Health and Physicians Immediate Care said they have Abbott ’ s rapid tests at some of their locations .
And Walgreens has said it has the Abbott rapid test at its drive-through testing sites in Austin and Bolingbrook .
The Advocate Health chain of hospitals said it does not have the Abbott rapid test .
A Northwestern Memorial Hospital spokesman would not say whether Northwestern has the rapid test .
Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood and NorthShore University HealthSystem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information .
The coronavirus pandemic has turned a light on long accepted inequities like the segregation that has created pockets of poverty and violence on Chicago ’ s South and West sides , requiring nothing short of a “ Marshall Plan ” to redress them , according to a leading public health expert .
“ Many Americans are shocked by the data emerging from multiple cities showing the disproportionate over-representation of African Americans — and in some cities Latinos as well — in terms of COVID-19 mortality , ” lauded social scientist David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Wednesday in a teleconference by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation , the country ’ s largest public health philanthropy .
“ The striking disparities we are seeing are not the fault of individuals , families and communities that are experiencing them .
Instead , they reflect longstanding policies that have created pervasive social and economic inequalities in the United States , ” Williams continued , as the U.S. notched 637,716 coronavirus cases ; 30,826 deaths .
Joslyn Ewing-Brown believes she and her two children were put at risk after Roseland Community Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the deadly virus COVID-19 .
That positive test actually was from her mother , whose name is Joslyn Ewing .
And Ewing-Brown wouldn ’ t find out about the mix-up for a full day .
Ewing-Brown was told by the hospital she couldn ’ t be around her children and she should immediately self-quarantine .
They also suggested a family member look after her kids in the meantime , so her mother — the person who actually had tested positive — came to get her two grandsons .
“ My kids were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s for that whole day , they were hugging and embracing her , not knowing that she was the one actually sick , ” Ewing-Brown said .
“ This is really scary.
” Citing the coronavirus pandemic and its “ profound ” impact on University of Chicago students and their families , school officials have announced a freeze on the overall rate students pay for tuition , housing and fees .
But students who are threatening to refuse to pay tuition when it ’ s due at the end of the month — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be cut in half — say the school ’ s efforts don ’ t go far enough .
In a letter to students sent earlier this week , university officials said there would be no increase “ in the combined total ” of tuition , housing and fees for college students for the 2020-2021 school year and that a “ detailed breakdown of charges for each area will be finalized in the next few weeks.
” “ The University of Chicago remains deeply committed to ensuring that students from every background , regardless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home here , ” Provost Ka Yee C. Lee and Dean of the College John Boyer wrote in the letter .
“ We recognize the economic pressure currently felt by many College students and families .
The University will continue to do what it can to support its community during this unprecedented time.
” The Chicago Teachers Union on Thursday was highly critical of Chicago Public Schools ’ decision to forge ahead with third quarter report cards despite students ’ learning having been severely disrupted the past month while schools closed because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after frustrated teachers and parents took to social media to air their concerns about an announcement that CPS would end the academic quarter and finalize grades as previously scheduled .
Many called it another sign of inequity hurting the most under-resourced students in the district .
Though CPS is working to distribute 100,000 laptops and tablets to students who need them , tens of thousands are still without computers this week as the grading quarter comes to a close .
CPS ’ schedule had reflected an end to the third quarter Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and report cards to be picked up at schools next week .
Lots of students , parents and teachers assumed that would change given the ongoing struggles with launching remote learning .
But the only ch ange , the district announced in a letter to families Thursday , was that report cards would be mailed home instead .
5:29 p.m. Lightfoot hints strongly that in-classroom school year is over Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday hinted strongly that the in-classroom school year is over for Chicago Public School students and their counterparts across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is up to Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and she would like to be part of that discussion .
Pritzker ’ s original stay-at-home order was to expire April 7 .
He already has extended it once — until April 30 — and has hinted for days about a second extension deep into May .
Meanwhile , governors in several other states — and New York City Mayor Bill DiBlasio — have ordered their public school buildings closed for the rest of the academic year .
Against that backdrop , Lightfoot was asked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would remain closed .
“ We have not had that conversation yet with the governor .
Although we are hearing that he may make some kind of announcement later this week , ” the mayor said .
“ Certainly , we ’ d love to be in conversation with the governor and his team about that before any announcement happens.
” Reporters Fran Spielman and Nader Issa have the full story .
Illinois health officials on Thursday said 125 more people have died from the coronavirus , marking the highest number of deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statewide toll eclipsed 1,000 lives lost .
There were also 1,140 newly confirmed cases , bringing the state ’ s tally of total positive cases to 25,733 .
In total , 1,073 people have died from the coronavirus in Illinois .
The virus also spread to another county , with 90 of 102 counties reporting positive cases .
The grim daily death toll is a reminder the state might not have reached its peak , although Gov .
J.B. Pritzker has for days signaled some optimism based on the doubling rate of infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet at capacity , and officials said Chicago ’ s ICU beds this week went from just 16 % of beds available , to 24 % .
WASHINGTON — New White House guidelines outline a phased approach to restoring normal commerce and services , but only for places with strong testing and seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases .
President Donald Trump unveiled his administration ’ s plans to ease social distancing requirements on a call Thursday with the nation ’ s governors .
The new guidelines are aimed at clearing the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with low transmission of the coronavirus , while keeping them in place in harder-hit locations .
Places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phased gradual reopening of businesses and schools , with each phase lasting at least 14 days , meant to ensure that the virus outbreak doesn ’ t accelerate again .
Read the full report and guidelines here .
4:08 p.m .
Layoffs and pay cuts are now striking more white collar jobs WASHINGTON — First , it was bars , restaurants , hotels .
And clothing stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And countless small businesses , from bookstores to barber shops .
Now , the record-setting flood of layoffs unleashed by the viral outbreak is extending beyond the services industries that bore the initial brunt and are still suffering most .
White collar employees , ranging from software programmers and legal assistants to sales associates and some health care workers , are absorbing layoffs or salary cuts .
So are workers in other occupations , like construction and real estate .
The mounting toll of job losses resulted last week in 5.2 million new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department said Thursday .
That raised the total number of laid-off workers in the month since the virus all but shut down the economy to 22 million — by far the worst run of U.S. job losses on record .
“ There really is no industry that is immune from the effects of the outbreak , ” said Daniel Zhao , senior economist at job listings website Glassdoor , said .
Employee discussions of layoffs on Glassdoor have jumped 47 % among information technology firms and 64 % in finance , Zhao said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers in health care .
That ’ s no longer surprising : Many doctors ’ offices and other health providers have cut back on nonessential procedures , and some are shedding jobs .
3:41 p.m .
Anyone showing mild COVID-19 symptoms can now get tested .
Here ’ s where to go .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday that anyone displaying even mild symptoms consistent with COVID-19 now qualifies for testing in Illinois .
During his daily press briefing , Pritzker noted that the state has increased both its capacity to conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the state ’ s criteria for testing have been updated to include all patients showing signs of infection , even if they haven ’ t received a doctor ’ s orders .
“ This will apply to our state-run drive-thru testing centers , and it is guidance that we will now be offering to providers , all across the state of Illinois , ” Pritzker said whilea advising those with mild symptoms to call health care providers before showing up to get a test .
Last week , state officials took over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by members of the Illinois National Guard and were previously supported by the federal government .
In addition to those sites on the Northwest Side and in McLean County , another drive-thru site opened this week at a vehicle emissions testing station in Markham .
Those three sites can now run a total of 1,800 tests a day , according to Pritzker , who said two more sites would soon be added .
Check out our updated map of COVID-19 testing sites in the Chicago area .
3:09 p.m. CTA , Pace and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal stimulus money Federal stimulus funds totaling $ 1.4 billion will be shared by the CTA , Pace and Metra , regional transit officials announced Thursday .
The CTA will receive $ 817.5 million , Pace will get $ 112.8 million and Metra will get $ 479.2 million — all in the form of reimbursements for operating costs .
The money will be provided through the federal Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act .
More immediately , the Regional Transportation Authority — the region ’ s umbrella transit organization — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among CTA , Pace and Metra in the estimated amount that each agency lost in fares in the month of March due to the pandemic .
2:23 p.m. WHO says there ’ s no need to disinfect your mail Is it safe to open mail and packages during the pandemic ?
There is no evidence that COVID-19 is spreading through mail or parcels , according to the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Most of it is spread from droplets produced when an infected person coughs or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby .
Health experts say the risks are very low that COVID-19 will remain on envelopes or packages and infect anyone who handles them .
The agency still recommends you wash your hands after handling packages .
Read more here .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday extended until June 1 her decision to stop ticketing , booting and towing illegally parked vehicles — except for public safety reasons — to ease the burden on Chicagoans whose jobs and paychecks have been impacted by the coronavirus .
The temporary reprieve for motorists was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s revised stay-at-home order is due to expire unless , as expected , it is extended once again .
The city ’ s new June 1 go-easy deadline will include a temporary suspension of late fees and defaults on payments plans for utility bills , parking and red light tickets , booting and other non-safety related violations .
There is no parking meter holiday .
Motorists are still required to feed the meter boxes .
But , City Hall will make no attempt to collect overdue debt and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans .
The ultimate penalty of booting vehicles has been suspended .
1:22 p.m. Coronavirus has hit the federal jail , so R. Kelly is asking for release — again A little more than a week after a federal judge in New York denied his bid for release , R & B singer R. Kelly is again asking that judge to let him out of Chicago ’ s federal jail , where the coronavirus now appears to be spreading .
Though the Federal Bureau of Prisons has officially confirmed only one case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Metropolitan Correctional Center , the head of Chicago ’ s federal defender program and other local defense attorneys say the number has risen to six .
Kelly ’ s new motion cites the same number , and it alleges the MCC “ has not even engaged in any systematic testing of its detainees — unless and until they have exhibited symptoms of the virus — despite the well-known close and crowded conditions at that facility.
” The 53-year-old singer is the MCC ’ s most high-profile inmate .
He ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while facing indictments in Chicago and Brooklyn .
Judges in both court districts have rebuffed previous requests for release from Kelly .
12:23 p.m. City offers free mental health resources for medical personnel and first responders The City of Chicago has partnered with mental health providers and area hotels on a collection of resources for medical personnel and first responders on the front lines battling the COVID-19 crisis .
“ You ’ ve got the city ’ s back and we ’ ve got yours , ” concludes a quote from Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ web page addressed to health care workers .
Available services include free virtual support groups provided by NAMI-Chicago , an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness ; free individual and group psychotherapy provided by the Chicago Department of Public Health ; directions on how to obtain free childcare through Sittercity via the Child Care Assistance Program for essential workers ; and information on the availability of hotel rooms for front-line workers who need to be quarantined outside of their homes .
Assuring the safety of health care workers who are at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been challenging across the U.S. as states contend with shortages of personal protection equipment ( PPE ) like masks and gloves .
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Tuesday found that between 10 % and 20 % of U.S. coronavirus cases are health care workers , though they tended to be hospitalized at lower rates than other patients .
Click here to visit the city ’ s health care worker resource site .
The coronavirus pandemic has turned a light on long accepted inequities like the segregation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Chicago ’ s South and West sides , requiring nothing short of a “ Marshall Plan ” to redress them , according a leading public health expert .
“ Many Americans are shocked by the data emerging from multiple cities showing the disproportionate over-representation of African Americans — and in some cities Latinos as well — in terms of COVID-19 mortality , ” lauded social scientist David R. Williams , of Harvard University , said Wednesday in a teleconference by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation , the country ’ s largest public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are seeing are not the fault of individuals , families and communities that are experiencing them .
Instead , they reflect longstanding policies that have created pervasive social and economic inequalities in the United States , ” Williams continued , as the U.S. notched 637,716 coronavirus cases ; 30,826 deaths .
“ The coronavirus is a call to action .
It gives us a chance to make a commitment to do better than we have done in the past .
Call it a ‘ Marshall Plan ’ for disadvantaged communities.
” 11:37 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look like Gov J.B. Pritzker has identified contact tracing as one of the measures necessary to ease the stringent statewide social restrictions , along with expanding diagnostic testing and identifying a treatment for the virus .
During Wednesday ’ s press briefing , Pritzker said he ’ s been in touch with Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker and representatives from the Boston-based nonprofit Partners in Health , who announced a joint initiative earlier this month to deploy 1,000 people to conduct contact tracing in that state .
“ We ’ re looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois , ” Pritzker said .
After identifying a confirmed case , a patient ’ s contacts should be alerted and in some cases isolated or quarantined , according to the World Health Organization .
Contacts should then be monitored for symptoms and tested for signs of infection .
The need for widespread contact tracing is underpinned by an estimate included in a recent report from the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins ’ Bloomberg School of Public Health , which stated that a single person can infect an average of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , can be much larger , as evidenced in a report earlier this month from the Centers for Disease Control that detailed a single “ super-spreader ” in Chicago who passed COVID-19 onto 15 others , killing three .
Read the full story from reporter Tom Schuba here .
10:10 a.m. Rams ’ Brian Allen is 1st NFL player to reveal positive COVID-19 test Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen says he tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago .
Allen is the first active NFL player to acknowledge testing positive during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not hospitalized and is “ feeling good , ” according to a statement issued by the Rams on Wednesday night only after Allen spoke to Fox Sports about his positive test .
Click here for more .
8:50 a.m. Lori Lightfoot and Trevor Noah discuss Chicago ’ s coronavirus response on ‘ The Daily Show ’ “ The Daily Show ” host Trevor Noah loves Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s PSAs .
In fact , he said he initially thought they were too funny to be real .
The comedian gave Lightfoot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comedy Central show Wednesday night .
“ Some of the PSAs that you started releasing were some of the funniest , that I didn ’ t even think were real until I realized they actually came from you , ” said Noah via video call .
His favorite part ?
“ Telling all the kids that are still going out to play basketball : ‘ Your jump shot is not gon na improve , stay home , ’ ” he told the mayor with a smile .
Lightfoot said her PSAs — one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutdown , and another urging Chicagoans to fill out their census forms — were inspired by the viral memes that popped up after she closed down the lakefront , and by her constituents ’ need for entertainment at a time when there are no sports to watch or concerts to go to .
Read the full recap of Lightfoot ’ s appearance here .
7:53 a.m. 5.2 million more seek unemployment aid as US layoffs spread The wave of layoffs that has engulfed the U.S. economy since the coronavirus struck forced 5.2 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , the government reported Thursday .
Roughly 22 million have sought jobless benefits in the past month — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record .
All told , roughly nearly 12 million people are now receiving unemployment checks , roughly matching the peak reached in January 2010 , shortly after the Great Recession officially ended .
In Illinois , 141,049 residents filed for unemployment benefits last week , down from a revised 201,041 filings in the week of April 4 .
In all , 634,625 Illinoisans have filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four weeks .
7:10 a.m. How hard will coronavirus shutdowns hit Illinois ’ economy ?
For weeks , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker has been asked just how bad the state budget shortfall would be in light of a coronavirus outbreak that has devastated the nation ’ s economy and killed nearly a thousand people in Illinois alone .
On Wednesday — at Pritzker ’ s 38th consecutive daily coronavirus briefing — the Democratic governor unveiled the grim projections from his budget office : $ 2.7 billion less revenue than expected for the budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and $ 4.6 billion less revenue for a budget plan for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 .
With short-term borrowing to get through the pandemic , the total shortfall for that Fiscal Year 2021 budget would be $ 6.2 billion , when compared to a spending plan Pritzker released in February .
And the governor made a soft pitch for his pet graduated income tax proposal .
His office says next year ’ s shortfall rises to $ 7.4 billion without it .
Asked whether it ’ s time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pritzker would only say he would argue we need it “ now more than ever.
” Read the full story from Tina Sfondeles here .
6:44 a.m. As coronavirus cases rise , public health experts race to reach Latinos A woman wearing a protective mask walks past a closed children ’ s clothing store in the Hispanic , Little Village in Chicago , Wednesday , April 15 , 2020 .
The first U.S. economic indicators to capture the devastation brought on by the pandemic have begun to arrive , showing a plunge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economic crisis a decade ago .
Dr. Marina Del Rios has lost count of how many coronavirus myths she ’ s had to dispel on social media .
“ I can ’ t tell you how many times I ’ ve had to correct my own family on rumors flying around the internet about how if you do gargles with vinegar or lemon juice and baking soda , that somehow that ’ s going to protect your throat from the entry of the virus , ” she said .
So when a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a bilingual video about the virus , Del Rios , a professor of clinical emergency medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago , quickly said yes — but hit a wall when looking for sources on COVID-19 in Spanish .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “ had plenty of information in English , ” Del Rios said , “ but when you look at the Spanish version of the website and click on a lot of those links , it takes you to a website that ’ s in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Illinois Latino COVID-19 Initiative , a new collective of more than two dozen public health experts and elected officials racing to reach as many people in the state ’ s large Latino community before the virus spreads further .
• Broncos All-Pro linebacker Von Miller has COVID-19 , is in good spirits “ I ’ m not feeling sick or hurting or anything like that.
” • Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen says he tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago .
He ’ s the first active NFL player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
• The Office of the Chief Judge of Cook County announced Wednesday another employee tested positive for COVID-19 , bringing the number of cases in that office to 17 .
• 24 more COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Chicago Police Department .
• A second member of the Chicago Fire Department has died from the coronavirus , the department announced Wednesday .
Firefighter Edward Singleton , 55 , died Tuesday night from complications of the virus .
• A CTA bus driver with COVID-19 has died , the transit agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee to die of the coronavirus .
• Two more employees at the Cook County Circuit Court clerk ’ s office have tested positive for COVID-19 , bringing the overall total to 18 .
• At least 19 children and two employees at a Chicago shelter for immigrant youth have tested positive for COVID-19 since Friday .
6:07 p.m. EDITORIAL : Let ’ s keep our foot on the gas against the coronavirus , Chicago — it ’ s working The coronavirus stay-at-home order hasn ’ t been easy on Chicago .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the bug could come roaring back .
We know it ’ s tough to be indoors .
We see the economy cratering .
We see the jobs being lost .
Statewide on Thursday , there were some grim numbers , too : Health officials announced that another 125 people had died from the virus .
That ’ s the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in Illinois in a single day .
The state also reported 1,140 confirmed new cases , raising the total to 25,733 .
More than 1,000 Illinoisans have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
J.B. Pritzker for days has signaled some optimism based on the doubling rate of infections slowing down .
And his stay-at-home order is slowing the spread of the virus in Chicago — flattening the curve — City Hall says .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s administration announced Wednesday that the city has seen 9,666 confirmed cases of the coronavirus cases and 347 COVID-19 deaths as of this week .
But the city could have suffered more than 62,000 COVID-19 cases and 2,000 deaths by now had Pritzker not issued his order on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed its parks and lakefront , officials say .
“ [ W ] e do think it ’ s important to let Chicagoans know why staying home is not just a catch phrase , ” Lightfoot said , “ but it ’ s something that we believe is vitally important from a public health standpoint.
” Staying indoors is also the best way we can protect the health of — and stand with — all the police officers , firefighters , nurses , doctors and others risking their lives .
Read the full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
3:41 p.m.
It ’ s just nuts to run ‘ essential workers ’ out of the country during a pandemic The cruelty of President Donald Trump ’ s immigration policies has been in plain view for years .
The shortsightedness of those plans could do a lot of damage to America amid a pandemic .
To fight the coronavirus , we need a reliable workforce in hospitals as well as in the humblest jobs , such as farm work .
It ’ s alarming then that in the coming months America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nursing assistants and other frontline health care professionals because of their immigration status .
And , at a time when migrant farmworkers are putting their health at risk by working and living in dense conditions on farms , the administration wants to lower their wages .
Read more of Marlen Garcia column here .
10:19 a.m. Gullible people during a pandemic are a real danger If nobody can be trusted , you see , the strongman is your only alternative .
That said , conspiracy theorists based in China , the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Only recently , for example , I saw a cheap politician on TV insinuate that hospitals report shortages of protective masks because nurses and doctors are stealing them to sell for profit .
Precisely , I suppose , as that eminence would do , given the chance .
But the real danger during a worldwide pandemic is that frightened people , gullible and easily hoodwinked under the best of circumstances , can be manipulated into blaming the contagion upon a favored enemy : preferably of a different race or religion .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full column by Gene Lyons here .
6:36 a.m .
When farmers plow under crops in a nation of bounty , the tragedy of COVID-19 becomes all the more vivid When , during this pandemic , we see dairy farmers dump milk into ditches and when we see vegetable farmers plow their crops back into the soil , it is tragically obvious that major agricultural markets have dried up .
It is an indication , as well , that our nation faces an unsettling new challenge in getting food to where it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government needs to tackle immediately .
Chicago knows a lot about food .
At our height in the last century , we shipped more than 80 % of the nation ’ s meat supply from processing plants at the city ’ s stockyards .
To this day , Illinois remains a key agricultural state that exports food globally .
But the systems needed to efficiently move food to market , especially perishables , take years to develop .
Private companies are struggling to redesign them during the coronavirus pandemic , especially at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have fallen ill or are afraid to come to work .
Read the full editorial from the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board .

Days after Gov. J.B. Pritzker voiced optimism about the state “bending the curve,” Illinois health officials on Thursday announced the grim reality that 125 more people had died from the coronavirus, marking the highest number of deaths announced in a single day as the statewide toll eclipsed 1,000.
As Chicago and Illinois grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, here’s what else happened in the city and around the state.
News
8:56 p.m. ‘I feel like I lost the battle for my husband,’ widow of dead Cook County Jail detainee says
Andy Grimm/Sun-Times
Nickolas Lee was struggling to breathe, much less hold up his end of the conversation as he talked on the phone with his wife Saturday night from a Stroger Hospital bed.
“I told him a lot of people are beating this thing, and he was going to be one of them,” Cassandra Lee-Greer told her high school sweetheart.
The 42-year-old, who had been transferred to Stroger from the Cook County Jail just six days earlier, died Sunday morning.
Lee ended up in jail in February for a 2018 armed robbery — a case he thought he had a good shot of beating.
But in March, he noticed two detainees on his tier had the flu-like symptoms that sounded like what his wife had been telling him were telltale signs of an illness spreading across the globe. A few days later, he came down with a sore throat. Chills, muscle aches and a loss of sense of smell and taste followed. He tested positive for COVID-19. A week later, he was transported from the jail’s Cermak medical facility to Stroger, where he died of cardiac arrest likely caused by complications related to coronavirus.
He was the third Cook County Jail detainee to die after contracting COVID-19.
Reporter Andy Grimm has the full story.
8:13 p.m. Abbott Labs’ touted rapid COVID-19 test not widely available around Chicago, Sun-Times finds
The Abbott ID NOW test for COID-19 uses a portable, toaster-sized machine to search for a small section of the virus’ genome in a sample. Provided
Abbott Laboratories’ ID NOW test for COVID-19, which can display a positive result in as little as five minutes and a negative result in 13 minutes, has been lauded by President Donald Trump as “a whole new ballgame” in expanding testing for the disease.
But it’s still not widely available in Chicago and the suburbs, a Chicago Sun-Times survey found.
Though the Lake County company won’t say where the recently approved tests have been distributed, the University of Chicago hospitals, Rush University Medical Center, University of Illinois Health, AMITA Health and Physicians Immediate Care said they have Abbott’s rapid tests at some of their locations.
And Walgreens has said it has the Abbott rapid test at its drive-through testing sites in Austin and Bolingbrook.
The Advocate Health chain of hospitals said it does not have the Abbott rapid test.
A Northwestern Memorial Hospital spokesman would not say whether Northwestern has the rapid test. Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood and NorthShore University HealthSystem didn’t respond to requests for information.
Read the full story by Stephanie Zimmerman.
7:50 p.m. Medical examiner confirms 74 more COVID-19 deaths, bringing Cook County toll to 784
The Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed 74 more coronavirus-related deaths Wednesday, raising the county’s total to 784.
The adults’ ages ranged from 39 to 97, the medical examiner’s office said. Cook County makes up about 73 percent of the 1,072 deaths across Illinois.
Read more from the Sun-Times wire here.
7:02 p.m. Public health expert: ‘Marshall Plan’ needed to redress coronavirus race disparities
The coronavirus pandemic has turned a light on long accepted inequities like the segregation that has created pockets of poverty and violence on Chicago’s South and West sides, requiring nothing short of a “Marshall Plan” to redress them, according to a leading public health expert.
“Many Americans are shocked by the data emerging from multiple cities showing the disproportionate over-representation of African Americans — and in some cities Latinos as well — in terms of COVID-19 mortality,” lauded social scientist David R. Williams, of Harvard University, said Wednesday in a teleconference by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the country’s largest public health philanthropy.
“The striking disparities we are seeing are not the fault of individuals, families and communities that are experiencing them. Instead, they reflect longstanding policies that have created pervasive social and economic inequalities in the United States,” Williams continued, as the U.S. notched 637,716 coronavirus cases; 30,826 deaths.
Read the full story by Maudlyne Ihejirika.
6:34 p.m. COVID-19 test result mix-up puts family at risk
Joslyn Ewing-Brown believes she and her two children were put at risk after Roseland Community Hospital mistakenly told her she had tested positive for the deadly virus COVID-19.
That positive test actually was from her mother, whose name is Joslyn Ewing. And Ewing-Brown wouldn’t find out about the mix-up for a full day.
Ewing-Brown was told by the hospital she couldn’t be around her children and she should immediately self-quarantine. They also suggested a family member look after her kids in the meantime, so her mother — the person who actually had tested positive — came to get her two grandsons.
“My kids were having a blast at their grandma’s for that whole day, they were hugging and embracing her, not knowing that she was the one actually sick,” Ewing-Brown said. “This is really scary.”
Read the full story by Manny Ramos.
6:30 p.m. UChicago announces tuition freeze, but students still threaten payment strike
Citing the coronavirus pandemic and its “profound” impact on University of Chicago students and their families, school officials have announced a freeze on the overall rate students pay for tuition, housing and fees.
But students who are threatening to refuse to pay tuition when it’s due at the end of the month — who previously asked for the rate to be cut in half — say the school’s efforts don’t go far enough.
In a letter to students sent earlier this week, university officials said there would be no increase “in the combined total” of tuition, housing and fees for college students for the 2020-2021 school year and that a “detailed breakdown of charges for each area will be finalized in the next few weeks.”
“The University of Chicago remains deeply committed to ensuring that students from every background, regardless of financial need, can find a home here,” Provost Ka Yee C. Lee and Dean of the College John Boyer wrote in the letter. “We recognize the economic pressure currently felt by many College students and families. The University will continue to do what it can to support its community during this unprecedented time.”
Reporter Matt Hendrickson has the full story.
6:07 p.m. CPS wrong to send 3rd quarter report cards amid pandemic, Chicago Teachers Union says
The Chicago Teachers Union on Thursday was highly critical of Chicago Public Schools’ decision to forge ahead with third quarter report cards despite students’ learning having been severely disrupted the past month while schools closed because of the coronavirus.
The union strongly chimed after frustrated teachers and parents took to social media to air their concerns about an announcement that CPS would end the academic quarter and finalize grades as previously scheduled.
Many called it another sign of inequity hurting the most under-resourced students in the district. Though CPS is working to distribute 100,000 laptops and tablets to students who need them, tens of thousands are still without computers this week as the grading quarter comes to a close.
CPS’ schedule had reflected an end to the third quarter Thursday, with an institute day for teachers Friday and report cards to be picked up at schools next week. Lots of students, parents and teachers assumed that would change given the ongoing struggles with launching remote learning. But the only ch ange, the district announced in a letter to families Thursday, was that report cards would be mailed home instead.
Reporter Nader Issa has the full story.
5:29 p.m. Lightfoot hints strongly that in-classroom school year is over
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday hinted strongly that the in-classroom school year is over for Chicago Public School students and their counterparts across the state, but said the final decision is up to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and she would like to be part of that discussion.
Pritzker’s original stay-at-home order was to expire April 7. He already has extended it once — until April 30 — and has hinted for days about a second extension deep into May.
Meanwhile, governors in several other states — and New York City Mayor Bill DiBlasio — have ordered their public school buildings closed for the rest of the academic year.
Against that backdrop, Lightfoot was asked about the possibility that Illinois school buildings also would remain closed.
“We have not had that conversation yet with the governor. Although we are hearing that he may make some kind of announcement later this week,” the mayor said.
“Certainly, we’d love to be in conversation with the governor and his team about that before any announcement happens.”
Reporters Fran Spielman and Nader Issa have the full story.
5:03 p.m. Illinois sees biggest spike in coronavirus deaths — 125 — as toll tops 1,000
Fran Spielman / Sun-Times file
Illinois health officials on Thursday said 125 more people have died from the coronavirus, marking the highest number of deaths announced in a single day as the statewide toll eclipsed 1,000 lives lost.
There were also 1,140 newly confirmed cases, bringing the state’s tally of total positive cases to 25,733.
In total, 1,073 people have died from the coronavirus in Illinois. The virus also spread to another county, with 90 of 102 counties reporting positive cases.
The grim daily death toll is a reminder the state might not have reached its peak, although Gov. J.B. Pritzker has for days signaled some optimism based on the doubling rate of infections slowing down. Hospitals are also not yet at capacity, and officials said Chicago’s ICU beds this week went from just 16% of beds available, to 24%.
Read the full story from reporter Tina Sfondeles.
4:45 p.m. Trump unveils phased approach to reopening economy
WASHINGTON — New White House guidelines outline a phased approach to restoring normal commerce and services, but only for places with strong testing and seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases.
President Donald Trump unveiled his administration’s plans to ease social distancing requirements on a call Thursday with the nation’s governors. The new guidelines are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit locations.
Places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phased gradual reopening of businesses and schools, with each phase lasting at least 14 days, meant to ensure that the virus outbreak doesn’t accelerate again.
Read the full report and guidelines here.
4:08 p.m. Layoffs and pay cuts are now striking more white collar jobs
WASHINGTON — First, it was bars, restaurants, hotels. And clothing stores, movie theaters, entertainment venues. And countless small businesses, from bookstores to barber shops.
Now, the record-setting flood of layoffs unleashed by the viral outbreak is extending beyond the services industries that bore the initial brunt and are still suffering most. White collar employees, ranging from software programmers and legal assistants to sales associates and some health care workers, are absorbing layoffs or salary cuts. So are workers in other occupations, like construction and real estate.
The mounting toll of job losses resulted last week in 5.2 million new applications for unemployment benefits, the Labor Department said Thursday. That raised the total number of laid-off workers in the month since the virus all but shut down the economy to 22 million — by far the worst run of U.S. job losses on record.
“There really is no industry that is immune from the effects of the outbreak,” said Daniel Zhao, senior economist at job listings website Glassdoor, said.
Employee discussions of layoffs on Glassdoor have jumped 47% among information technology firms and 64% in finance, Zhao said. Such discussions have nearly doubled among workers in health care. That’s no longer surprising: Many doctors’ offices and other health providers have cut back on nonessential procedures, and some are shedding jobs.
Read the full report here.
3:41 p.m. Anyone showing mild COVID-19 symptoms can now get tested. Here’s where to go.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday that anyone displaying even mild symptoms consistent with COVID-19 now qualifies for testing in Illinois.
During his daily press briefing, Pritzker noted that the state has increased both its capacity to conduct and process tests. As a result, the state’s criteria for testing have been updated to include all patients showing signs of infection, even if they haven’t received a doctor’s orders.
“This will apply to our state-run drive-thru testing centers, and it is guidance that we will now be offering to providers, all across the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said whilea advising those with mild symptoms to call health care providers before showing up to get a test.
Last week, state officials took over two drive-thru sites that are being manned by members of the Illinois National Guard and were previously supported by the federal government. In addition to those sites on the Northwest Side and in McLean County, another drive-thru site opened this week at a vehicle emissions testing station in Markham.
Those three sites can now run a total of 1,800 tests a day, according to Pritzker, who said two more sites would soon be added.
Check out our updated map of COVID-19 testing sites in the Chicago area.
— Tom Schuba
3:09 p.m. CTA, Pace and Metra to receive $1.4 billion in federal stimulus money
Federal stimulus funds totaling $1.4 billion will be shared by the CTA, Pace and Metra, regional transit officials announced Thursday.
The CTA will receive $817.5 million, Pace will get $112.8 million and Metra will get $479.2 million — all in the form of reimbursements for operating costs. The money will be provided through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
More immediately, the Regional Transportation Authority — the region’s umbrella transit organization — allocated $35 million to be divided among CTA, Pace and Metra in the estimated amount that each agency lost in fares in the month of March due to the pandemic.
Reporter Mitch Dudek has the full story.
2:23 p.m. WHO says there’s no need to disinfect your mail
Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Is it safe to open mail and packages during the pandemic?
There is no evidence that COVID-19 is spreading through mail or parcels, according to the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most of it is spread from droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, which are inhaled by people nearby.
Health experts say the risks are very low that COVID-19 will remain on envelopes or packages and infect anyone who handles them.
The agency still recommends you wash your hands after handling packages. Read more here.
1:56 p.m. Lightfoot extends reprieve for motorists, businesses until June 1
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday extended until June 1 her decision to stop ticketing, booting and towing illegally parked vehicles — except for public safety reasons — to ease the burden on Chicagoans whose jobs and paychecks have been impacted by the coronavirus.
The temporary reprieve for motorists was to expire April 30, the same day Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s revised stay-at-home order is due to expire unless, as expected, it is extended once again.
The city’s new June 1 go-easy deadline will include a temporary suspension of late fees and defaults on payments plans for utility bills, parking and red light tickets, booting and other non-safety related violations.
There is no parking meter holiday. Motorists are still required to feed the meter boxes. But, City Hall will make no attempt to collect overdue debt and no interest will accumulate on existing payment plans. The ultimate penalty of booting vehicles has been suspended.
City Hall reporter Fran Spielman has the full story.
1:22 p.m. Coronavirus has hit the federal jail, so R. Kelly is asking for release — again
A little more than a week after a federal judge in New York denied his bid for release, R&B singer R. Kelly is again asking that judge to let him out of Chicago’s federal jail, where the coronavirus now appears to be spreading.
Though the Federal Bureau of Prisons has officially confirmed only one case of coronavirus among the inmates at Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, the head of Chicago’s federal defender program and other local defense attorneys say the number has risen to six.
Kelly’s new motion cites the same number, and it alleges the MCC “has not even engaged in any systematic testing of its detainees — unless and until they have exhibited symptoms of the virus — despite the well-known close and crowded conditions at that facility.”
The 53-year-old singer is the MCC’s most high-profile inmate. He’s been held there since his arrest last summer, while facing indictments in Chicago and Brooklyn. Judges in both court districts have rebuffed previous requests for release from Kelly.
Read the full story from Jon Seidel.
12:23 p.m. City offers free mental health resources for medical personnel and first responders
The City of Chicago has partnered with mental health providers and area hotels on a collection of resources for medical personnel and first responders on the front lines battling the COVID-19 crisis.
“You’ve got the city’s back and we’ve got yours,” concludes a quote from Mayor Lori Lightfoot at the top of the web page addressed to health care workers.
Available services include free virtual support groups provided by NAMI-Chicago, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness; free individual and group psychotherapy provided by the Chicago Department of Public Health; directions on how to obtain free childcare through Sittercity via the Child Care Assistance Program for essential workers; and information on the availability of hotel rooms for front-line workers who need to be quarantined outside of their homes.
Assuring the safety of health care workers who are at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 has been challenging across the U.S. as states contend with shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE) like masks and gloves. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Tuesday found that between 10% and 20% of U.S. coronavirus cases are health care workers, though they tended to be hospitalized at lower rates than other patients.
Click here to visit the city’s health care worker resource site.
12:10 p.m. Public health expert: ‘Marshall Plan’ needed to redress coronavirus race disparities
The coronavirus pandemic has turned a light on long accepted inequities like the segregation that has created pockets of poverty and violence on Chicago’s South and West sides, requiring nothing short of a “Marshall Plan” to redress them, according a leading public health expert.
“Many Americans are shocked by the data emerging from multiple cities showing the disproportionate over-representation of African Americans — and in some cities Latinos as well — in terms of COVID-19 mortality,” lauded social scientist David R. Williams, of Harvard University, said Wednesday in a teleconference by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, the country’s largest public health philanthropy.
“The striking disparities we are seeing are not the fault of individuals, families and communities that are experiencing them. Instead, they reflect longstanding policies that have created pervasive social and economic inequalities in the United States,” Williams continued, as the U.S. notched 637,716 coronavirus cases; 30,826 deaths.
“The coronavirus is a call to action. It gives us a chance to make a commitment to do better than we have done in the past. Call it a ‘Marshall Plan’ for disadvantaged communities.”
Read more from Sun-Times reporter Maudlyne Ihejirika.
11:37 a.m. What contact tracing in Illinois might look like
Gov J.B. Pritzker has identified contact tracing as one of the measures necessary to ease the stringent statewide social restrictions, along with expanding diagnostic testing and identifying a treatment for the virus.
During Wednesday’s press briefing, Pritzker said he’s been in touch with Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and representatives from the Boston-based nonprofit Partners in Health, who announced a joint initiative earlier this month to deploy 1,000 people to conduct contact tracing in that state.
“We’re looking at putting that together for the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said.
After identifying a confirmed case, a patient’s contacts should be alerted and in some cases isolated or quarantined, according to the World Health Organization. Contacts should then be monitored for symptoms and tested for signs of infection.
The need for widespread contact tracing is underpinned by an estimate included in a recent report from the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, which stated that a single person can infect an average of two to three others. That number, however, can be much larger, as evidenced in a report earlier this month from the Centers for Disease Control that detailed a single “super-spreader” in Chicago who passed COVID-19 onto 15 others, killing three.
Read the full story from reporter Tom Schuba here.
10:10 a.m. Rams’ Brian Allen is 1st NFL player to reveal positive COVID-19 test
Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen says he tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago.
Allen is the first active NFL player to acknowledge testing positive during the coronavirus pandemic.
The third-year pro is not hospitalized and is “feeling good,” according to a statement issued by the Rams on Wednesday night only after Allen spoke to Fox Sports about his positive test.
Click here for more.
8:50 a.m. Lori Lightfoot and Trevor Noah discuss Chicago’s coronavirus response on ‘The Daily Show’
“The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah loves Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s PSAs. In fact, he said he initially thought they were too funny to be real.
The comedian gave Lightfoot the compliment during her appearance on the Comedy Central show Wednesday night.
“Some of the PSAs that you started releasing were some of the funniest, that I didn’t even think were real until I realized they actually came from you,” said Noah via video call.
His favorite part? “Telling all the kids that are still going out to play basketball: ‘Your jump shot is not gonna improve, stay home,’” he told the mayor with a smile.
Lightfoot said her PSAs — one encouraging folks to stay home during the shutdown, and another urging Chicagoans to fill out their census forms — were inspired by the viral memes that popped up after she closed down the lakefront, and by her constituents’ need for entertainment at a time when there are no sports to watch or concerts to go to.
Read the full recap of Lightfoot’s appearance here.
7:53 a.m. 5.2 million more seek unemployment aid as US layoffs spread
The wave of layoffs that has engulfed the U.S. economy since the coronavirus struck forced 5.2 million more people to seek unemployment benefits last week, the government reported Thursday.
Roughly 22 million have sought jobless benefits in the past month — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record. All told, roughly nearly 12 million people are now receiving unemployment checks, roughly matching the peak reached in January 2010, shortly after the Great Recession officially ended.
In Illinois, 141,049 residents filed for unemployment benefits last week, down from a revised 201,041 filings in the week of April 4. In all, 634,625 Illinoisans have filed new claims for benefits in the past four weeks.
Read the full report here.
7:10 a.m. How hard will coronavirus shutdowns hit Illinois’ economy?
For weeks, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been asked just how bad the state budget shortfall would be in light of a coronavirus outbreak that has devastated the nation’s economy and killed nearly a thousand people in Illinois alone.
On Wednesday — at Pritzker’s 38th consecutive daily coronavirus briefing — the Democratic governor unveiled the grim projections from his budget office: $2.7 billion less revenue than expected for the budget the state is currently operating under, and $4.6 billion less revenue for a budget plan for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.
With short-term borrowing to get through the pandemic, the total shortfall for that Fiscal Year 2021 budget would be $6.2 billion, when compared to a spending plan Pritzker released in February.
And the governor made a soft pitch for his pet graduated income tax proposal. His office says next year’s shortfall rises to $7.4 billion without it. Asked whether it’s time to abandon his No. 1 policy goal, Pritzker would only say he would argue we need it “now more than ever.”
Read the full story from Tina Sfondeles here.
6:44 a.m. As coronavirus cases rise, public health experts race to reach Latinos
A woman wearing a protective mask walks past a closed children’s clothing store in the Hispanic, Little Village in Chicago, Wednesday, April 15, 2020. The first U.S. economic indicators to capture the devastation brought on by the pandemic have begun to arrive, showing a plunge in retail sales exceeding what happened during the economic crisis a decade ago.
Dr. Marina Del Rios has lost count of how many coronavirus myths she’s had to dispel on social media.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to correct my own family on rumors flying around the internet about how if you do gargles with vinegar or lemon juice and baking soda, that somehow that’s going to protect your throat from the entry of the virus,” she said.
So when a Puerto Rican community group asked her to make a bilingual video about the virus, Del Rios, a professor of clinical emergency medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago, quickly said yes — but hit a wall when looking for sources on COVID-19 in Spanish.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “had plenty of information in English,” Del Rios said, “but when you look at the Spanish version of the website and click on a lot of those links, it takes you to a website that’s in English.”
Del Rios is a member of the Illinois Latino COVID-19 Initiative, a new collective of more than two dozen public health experts and elected officials racing to reach as many people in the state’s large Latino community before the virus spreads further.
Reporter Carlos Ballesteros has the full story.
New Cases
Analysis & Commentary
6:07 p.m. EDITORIAL: Let’s keep our foot on the gas against the coronavirus, Chicago — it’s working
The coronavirus stay-at-home order hasn’t been easy on Chicago. But we can’t let up — or the bug could come roaring back.
We know it’s tough to be indoors. We see the economy cratering. We see the jobs being lost.
Statewide on Thursday, there were some grim numbers, too: Health officials announced that another 125 people had died from the virus. That’s the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in Illinois in a single day. The state also reported 1,140 confirmed new cases, raising the total to 25,733. More than 1,000 Illinoisans have died in all.
Despite this, Gov. J.B. Pritzker for days has signaled some optimism based on the doubling rate of infections slowing down. And his stay-at-home order is slowing the spread of the virus in Chicago — flattening the curve — City Hall says.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration announced Wednesday that the city has seen 9,666 confirmed cases of the coronavirus cases and 347 COVID-19 deaths as of this week. But the city could have suffered more than 62,000 COVID-19 cases and 2,000 deaths by now had Pritzker not issued his order on March 21 and had the city not closed its parks and lakefront, officials say.
“[W]e do think it’s important to let Chicagoans know why staying home is not just a catch phrase,” Lightfoot said, “but it’s something that we believe is vitally important from a public health standpoint.”
Staying indoors is also the best way we can protect the health of — and stand with — all the police officers, firefighters, nurses, doctors and others risking their lives.
Read the full editorial from the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board here.
3:41 p.m. It’s just nuts to run ‘essential workers’ out of the country during a pandemic
The cruelty of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies has been in plain view for years. The shortsightedness of those plans could do a lot of damage to America amid a pandemic.
To fight the coronavirus, we need a reliable workforce in hospitals as well as in the humblest jobs, such as farm work.
It’s alarming then that in the coming months America could lose about 29,000 doctors, nurses, nursing assistants and other frontline health care professionals because of their immigration status.
And, at a time when migrant farmworkers are putting their health at risk by working and living in dense conditions on farms, the administration wants to lower their wages.
Read more of Marlen Garcia column here.
10:19 a.m. Gullible people during a pandemic are a real danger
If nobody can be trusted, you see, the strongman is your only alternative.
That said, conspiracy theorists based in China, the United States and elsewhere are catching up fast. Only recently, for example, I saw a cheap politician on TV insinuate that hospitals report shortages of protective masks because nurses and doctors are stealing them to sell for profit.
Precisely, I suppose, as that eminence would do, given the chance.
But the real danger during a worldwide pandemic is that frightened people, gullible and easily hoodwinked under the best of circumstances, can be manipulated into blaming the contagion upon a favored enemy: preferably of a different race or religion.
And that way lies catastrophe.
6:36 a.m. When farmers plow under crops in a nation of bounty, the tragedy of COVID-19 becomes all the more vivid
America has a food problem.
When, during this pandemic, we see dairy farmers dump milk into ditches and when we see vegetable farmers plow their crops back into the soil, it is tragically obvious that major agricultural markets have dried up.
It is an indication, as well, that our nation faces an unsettling new challenge in getting food to where it is needed most — one that the federal government needs to tackle immediately.
Chicago knows a lot about food. At our height in the last century, we shipped more than 80% of the nation’s meat supply from processing plants at the city’s stockyards. To this day, Illinois remains a key agricultural state that exports food globally.
But the systems needed to efficiently move food to market, especially perishables, take years to develop. Private companies are struggling to redesign them during the coronavirus pandemic, especially at a time when some of their own workers have fallen ill or are afraid to come to work.
Read the full editorial from the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-16--‘I feel like I lost the battle for my husband,’ widow of dead Cook County Jail detainee says

Nickolas Lee was struggling to breathe , much less hold up his end of the conversation as he talked on the phone with his wife Saturday night from a Stroger Hospital bed .
“ I told him a lot of people are beating this thing , and he was going to be one of them , ” Cassandra Lee-Greer told her high school sweetheart .
The 42-year-old , who had been transferred to Stroger from the Cook County Jail just six days earlier , died Sunday morning .
Lee ended up in jail in February for a 2018 armed robbery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good shot of beating .
But in March , he noticed two detainees on his tier had the flu-like symptoms that sounded like what his wife had been telling him were telltale signs of an illness spreading across the globe .
A few days later , he came down with a sore throat .
Chills , muscle aches and a loss of sense of smell and taste followed .
He tested positive for COVID-19 .
A week later , he was transported from the jail ’ s Cermak medical facility to Stroger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely caused by complications related to coronavirus .
He was the third Cook County Jail detainee to die after contracting COVID-19 .
“ I feel like I lost the battle for my husband , ” Greer-Lee said Thursday , as she stood across the street from the jail .
“ I never expected my husband to be let out of jail because of [ COVID-19 ] , but I did want him to be kept healthy and breathing.
” Reviewing her phone bill for the past few weeks , Greer-Lee counted 132 calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a jail sergeant ’ s desk line , the jail hospital and others .
She said she warned anyone who would listen that there were sick detainees on Lee ’ s tier , and asked that either they or her husband be moved .
She grew more desperate when she saw the news reports about the first two detainees who died .
“ My husband did not come into the jail with coronavirus .
My husband ’ s death could have been prevented .
I understand there is not room at the jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to make room , ” she said .
“ They should have got him away from those two inmates , or got them away from him.
” As of Thursday , 342 other Cook County Jail detainees have tested positive for the virus in one of the largest single-location outbreaks in the U.S. , according to a New York Times analysis .
Sheriff Thomas Dart has defended his staff ’ s response to the outbreak at the jail , which has seen the headcount of detainees fall to record-lows , in part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offenders .
In an impassioned interview this week with WTTW , Dart berated reporting on his handling of COVID-19 precautions as “ inaccurate and irresponsible.
” Inmate advocates have filed a federal lawsuit , seeking expert oversight of the jail ’ s coronavirus precautions .
“ Everything the Cook County Department of Corrections has done since before the virus started spreading in the Chicago area was in an effort to prevent the loss of life due to this deadly virus , ” Dart said in a statement .
“ DOC staff have worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the jail , including aggressive cleaning and disinfecting of all tiers , screening and taking temperatures twice per day of detainees who may have been exposed to the virus , and ensuring that those who are symptomatic are isolated from other detainees.
” Dart ’ s statement also lists the charges Lee was facing , including armed robbery , aggravated unlawful use of a weapon , and aggravated assault of a police officer stemming from the October 2018 incident .
Unmentioned was that , at the time , Lee was on probation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stole more than $ 400,000 from four banks during a 14-month span in 2006-2007 , according to court records .
Lee was moved from Cook County Jail to federal custody for violating probation shortly after the 2018 armed robbery , and only returned to the jail on Feb. 4 — three weeks before the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported at the jail .
Greer-Lee said she didn ’ t know why her husband ’ s criminal records and those of the other two detainees who died at the jail have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That is not even the point , what these men are charged with , ” she said .
“ Yes , my husband made bad choices .
A judge was going to take care of all that .
Did he deserve to die ?
”

Nickolas Lee was struggling to breathe, much less hold up his end of the conversation as he talked on the phone with his wife Saturday night from a Stroger Hospital bed.
“I told him a lot of people are beating this thing, and he was going to be one of them,” Cassandra Greer-Lee told her high school sweetheart.
The 42-year-old, who had been transferred to Stroger from the Cook County Jail just six days earlier, died Sunday morning.
Lee ended up in jail in February for a 2018 armed robbery — a case he thought he had a good shot of beating.
But in March, he noticed two detainees on his tier had the flu-like symptoms that sounded like what his wife had been telling him were telltale signs of an illness spreading across the globe. A few days later, he came down with a sore throat. Chills, muscle aches and a loss of sense of smell and taste followed. He tested positive for COVID-19. A week later, he was transported from the jail’s Cermak medical facility to Stroger, where he died of cardiac arrest likely caused by complications related to coronavirus.
He was the third Cook County Jail detainee to die after contracting COVID-19.
“I feel like I lost the battle for my husband,” Greer-Lee said Thursday as she stood across the street from the jail. “I never expected my husband to be let out of jail because of [COVID-19], but I did want him to be kept healthy and breathing.”
Reviewing her phone bill for the last few weeks, Greer-Lee counted 132 calls to the sheriff’s office, a jail sergeant’s desk line, the jail hospital and others. She said she warned anyone who would listen that there were sick detainees on Lee’s tier and asked that either they or her husband be moved. She grew more desperate when she saw the news reports about the first two detainees who died.
“My husband did not come into the jail with coronavirus. My husband’s death could have been prevented. I understand there is not room at the jail, but in a pandemic, you have to make room,” she said. “They should have got him away from those two inmates, or got them away from him.”
As of Thursday, 342 other Cook County Jail detainees have tested positive for the virus in one of the largest single-location outbreaks in the U.S., according to a New York Times analysis.
Sheriff Thomas Dart has defended his staff’s response to the outbreak at the jail, which has seen the head count of detainees fall to record lows, in part, due to the release of low-risk offenders. In an impassioned interview this week with WTTW, Dart berated reporting on his handling of COVID-19 precautions as “inaccurate and irresponsible.” Inmate advocates have filed a federal lawsuit, seeking expert oversight of the jail’s coronavirus precautions.
“Everything the Cook County Department of Corrections has done since before the virus started spreading in the Chicago area was in an effort to prevent the loss of life due to this deadly virus,” Dart said in a statement. “DOC staff have worked tirelessly to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the jail, including aggressive cleaning and disinfecting of all tiers, screening and taking temperatures twice per day of detainees who may have been exposed to the virus, and ensuring that those who are symptomatic are isolated from other detainees.”
Dart’s statement also lists the charges Lee was facing, including armed robbery, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated assault of a police officer stemming from the October 2018 incident. Unmentioned was that, at the time, Lee was on probation for federal bank robbery charges — he stole more than $400,000 from four banks during a 14-month span in 2006-2007, according to court records. Lee was moved from Cook County Jail to federal custody for violating probation shortly after the 2018 armed robbery and only returned to the jail on Feb. 4 — three weeks before the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported at the jail.
Greer-Lee said she didn’t know why her husband’s criminal records and those of the other two detainees who died at the jail have to be mentioned in every news story.
“That is not even the point, what these men are charged with,” she said. “Yes, my husband made bad choices. A judge was going to take care of all that. Did he deserve to die?”