chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Officials express cautious optimism ahead of reopening plan’s next

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Officials express cautious optimism ahead of reopening plan’s next phase as COVID-19 hospitalizations drop to 6-week low

State officials expressed cautious optimism Tuesday as the four regions in Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plan remained on track to move into the plan ’ s next phase later this week .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said at his coronavirus news briefing that hospitalizations due to COVID-19 , which had been plateauing , have dropped to a six-week low .
The percentage of coronavirus tests returning positive results statewide has dropped from a high of 23 % in late April to an average of 9.2 % over the past seven days , Pritzker said .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 39 additional deaths , bringing the total number of known cases statewide to 113,195 and the death toll to 4,923 .
Dr. Ngozi Ezike said case numbers were lower in recent days , in part , because fewer tests are processed and reported over weekends .
Ezike also said that the week ending in May 16 was the first week where there were fewer deaths than the previous week since the pandemic began .
Earlier on Tuesday , Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced plans to try to train hundreds of people to track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicagoans who ’ ve had contact with someone who ’ s carrying the disease .
Such a large contact tracing program is considered a key way to slow the spread of the virus .
Chicago ’ s Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park , closed since March 14 by the pandemic , has undertaken a round of cost reductions including the layoff of 84 permanent employees .
Also part of the cost reductions : Remaining staff are taking 10 furlough days and graduated pay reductions have been imposed for the majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executives seeing the largest reductions , ” according to a statement emailed to the Tribune Tuesday , which attributed the cuts to “ the financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
” “ Due to decreased attendance as a result of the crisis , we projected a $ 20 million revenue shortfall this year , '' the statement continued .
“ In response , the Museum has already made significant cuts to the non-wage budget .
Despite these steps , we reached a point where reducing our staff was necessary .
We made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s long-term future.
” The MSI had almost 1.4 million visitors last year but has been closed more than a third of 2020 so far .
The MSI made the decision to reduce staff last week .
Read more here .
—Doug George Driver services facilities closed because of the coronavirus crisis will begin to open in June , the Illinois secretary of state ’ s office said Tuesday .
Starting June 1 , Secretary of State Jesse White ’ s reopening plan will begin , with expanded hours at a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news release .
All of the secretary of state departments and offices will open June 1 , according to the release , as well as the Chicago north , south and west facilities that operate Monday through Saturday .
Through July 31 , the facilities will serve only new drivers , those with expired driver ’ s licenses and ID cards , and those seeking vehicle transactions .
On June 2 , suburban facilities and statewide locations outside the Chicago metro area that operate Tuesday through Saturday will open and will similarly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Thompson Center location and Loop Express facility at 69 W. Washington St. will reopen July 1 , according to the news release .
Read more here .
—Morgan Greene 5:50 p.m. : Chicago releases rules for restaurants to reopen , but no date yet The city of Chicago Tuesday released details that restaurants will need to follow to be permitted to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic .
But Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not expound on her announcement Friday that opening could happen some time in June .
Here ’ s a look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ require .
—Joe Gray Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday announced industry-specific rules for the re-opening of restaurants , childcare facilities and some industries as part of phase three of Chicago ’ s re-emergence from the coronavirus stay-at-home order .
Though Lightfoot has said she expects Chicago to take that step in early June , she has not yet announced a date .
“ Our transition to Phase Three of our reopening framework represents a major step for Chicago and our journey to a safe and successful recovery from the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ These new industry guidelines were developed in close partnership with industry leaders in order to provide as clear of a direction as possible on how to keep both employees and customers safe , but our work is far from over.
” Not included are guidelines for re-opening sporting events , bars , religious services , outdoor performances , summer programs and youth activities , the Lakefront , and museums .
Those standards “ will be available later in phase three when those entities are predicted to begin reopening , ” according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at childcare facilities , parents and employees will be expected to wear facial coverings at all times .
Children will only be expected to do so in classrooms .
Restaurants are called on to limit seating to no more than six people per table , limit gatherings to no more than 10 people and space tables six feet apart or take them out of commission if they can ’ t be moved .
Lightfoot last week said the city ’ s reopening “ will be like slowly turning a dimmer switch and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
—John Byrne For Wilmette Village Manager Michael Braiman , the state ’ s recent announcement that Illinois restaurants and bars would likely be able to offer alfresco dining beginning May 29 was welcome news amid a pandemic that has battered both local businesses and the village ’ s municipal budget .
“ We ’ re all really excited to work with our restaurant community downtown and throughout the village , '' Braiman said .
“ Whatever plan we come up with , we want to make sure it works for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other nearby service businesses and shops , too . ''
Braiman and other village officials in neighboring North Shore communities from Evanston up to Glencoe were scrambling this week in response to Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s announcement that the state ’ s bars and restaurants could likely begin to offer limited outdoor seating May 29 .
The date coincides with the anticipated start of Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan , which allows for the re-opening of the state ’ s retail shops , salons , barbershops and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of customers to promote safety and allow for the required social distancing guidelines .
Some local officials are devising plans that would ease restrictions on outdoor dining and give restaurants the ability to expand seating into sidewalk areas or parking lots .
Read more here .
—Karen Ann Cullotta and Kaitlin Edquist 4:30 p.m. : There will be a 24-team playoff if the NHL returns .
And Chicago is among the 10 cities in consideration to host the games .
The NHL announced Tuesday it will abandon the rest of the regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 24 teams instead of 16 if it is able to resume play .
Commissioner Gary Bettman said the decision is not a guarantee that games are coming back .
The NHL and the NHL Players ’ Association must still figure out health and safety protocols and solve other issues , including where to play .
Games are expected to be played without fans in a few locations .
The league has not yet determined those sites , but 10 cities — Las Vegas , Toronto , Chicago , Columbus , Edmonton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Pittsburgh — are in the running for two spots .
The Blackhawks would face the Oilers in a five-game playoff series in their return to play .
Read more here .
—Associated Press Just a few weeks ago , The Radiological Society of North America was undecided about whether it would go ahead as planned with its annual meeting at McCormick Place , an event that brings more than 50,000 people from 137 countries to Chicago .
On Tuesday , the Oak Brook-based trade group pulled the plug on the in-person event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dec. 4 .
Instead , it will offer a virtual event Nov. 29 to Dec. 5 .
In announcing its decision , Dr. James Borgstede , the group ’ s president , said the group “ concluded it would be impossible to safety conduct ” the event in person .
The group , whose history of annual meetings dates back more than 100 years , has canceled the event only twice before — in 1943 and 1945 — and those cancellations were tied to transportation and gas supply issues during and after World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurred as planned , it would have been its 36th consecutive year in Chicago .
Under Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s five-phase plan to reopen the state , conventions can not be held until the final phase of recovery .
Between July and December , McCormick Place had been scheduled to host 67 events with an expected attendance of 781,168 people , generating almost $ 923 million in economic impact , including spending on food and entertainment .
Read more here .
—Mary Ellen Podmolik 2:57 p.m. : Officials express cautious optimism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into reopening plan ’ s next phase State officials expressed cautious optimism Tuesday as the four regions in Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plan remained on track to move into the plan ’ s next phase later this week .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said at his coronavirus news briefing that hospitalizations due to COVID-19 , which had been plateauing , have dropped to a six-week low .
The percentage of coronavirus tests returning positive results statewide has dropped from a high of 23 % in late April to an average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , Pritzker said .
“ The fact that we ’ ve seen these numbers trend in a good direction even after we opened things up in phase two demonstrates the importance of everyday actions , ” the governor said , noting that the loosening of some restrictions on May 1 was accompanied by a new requirement for wearing face coverings in public .
Officials also announced 1,178 new cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional deaths , bringing the total number of known cases statewide to 113,195 and the death toll to 4,923 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Ngozi Ezike said case numbers were lower in recent days , in part , because fewer tests are processed and reported over weekends .
The state ’ s public health labs , which have been working multiple shifts per day for weeks , were able to give staff a day off over Memorial Day weekend , Ezike said .
Ezike said that the week ending in May 16 , there were 780 deaths related to COVID-19 , the first week where there were fewer deaths than the previous week since the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pritzker ’ s “ Restore Illinois ” plan , a wider range of businesses , including retailers , barber shops and salons , would be able to reopen with new safety measures in place .
The Pritzker administration on Sunday outlined industry-specific public health guidelines .
—Dan Petrella 2:35 p.m. : State officials report 1,178 new known cases and 39 more deaths State officials on Tuesday announced 1,178 new known cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional deaths from 17,230 tests conducted in the previous 24 hours , pushing the statewide known case count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The statewide death toll now stands at 4,923 .
1:35 p.m. : The General Assembly adjourned its special pandemic session in the wee hours of a holiday weekend .
Here ’ s what you might have missed .
In a special legislative session called in response to the coronavirus pandemic , state lawmakers debated bills through masks and the Illinois House met on the floor of a downtown Springfield convention center to provide proper social distancing .
The three-day session stretched into four and then into the early morning hours of a fifth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until the fall .
Here ’ s a look at what got done — and what didn ’ t .
—Dan Petrella 1:02 p.m. : Summer camps are canceling and parents are scrambling : the search for sitters who embrace social distancing It ’ s the question that has vexed Chicago-area parents for months : With no school , uncertainty about camps and parents working remotely , who ’ s watching the kids this summer ?
Many families have found themselves scrambling for options to keep children entertained and the coronavirus at bay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitter with her best friends to create a minicamp for the families ’ combined four children between the ages of 3 and 6 .
All four parents have erratic schedules .
Abraham is a nurse in an intensive care unit in a medical system in the northern suburbs , where her husband , Anub , is a doctor .
Her best friends , a doctor and an architect who live a block away , also are busy .
Their original plan was to send their kids , who are best friends , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Skokie , but this year , they opted out .
“ We said , ‘ We ’ re going to need child care when school closes .
Let ’ s split child care and we ’ ll help each other out on our days off , ' '' Abraham said .
The families brought a sitter into their isolated fold .
The sitter moves between the families ’ two houses , depending on the parents ’ harried schedules and the kids ’ quarantine activities .
Sometimes the kids do sleepovers , and almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends , the kids and their sitter will shift from what they call “ pandemic mini-school '' to “ pandemic mini-camp.
” The families hope a summer of activities for their children will keep them away from screens .
“ My parents sent a sandbox , ” Abraham said .
“ At least it ’ s different , because when the kids switch houses , it ’ s not as boring as being trapped in your house for eight weeks .
Now they ’ ve been trapped in two houses for eight weeks.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t the only parents creating “ do-it-yourself ” summer camps that cobbling together activities and hiring “ camp counselors ” who might be a sitter , nanny or an unemployed camp counselor .
Read more here .
—Corilyn Shropshire Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday announced plans to try to train hundreds of people to track the spread of the coronavirus and warn Chicagoans who ’ ve had contact with someone who ’ s carrying the disease .
Such a large contact tracing program is considered a key way to slow the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve had significant contact with those who are sick so they can quarantine themselves before they spread it further .
But it will be difficult to get it up and running as quickly as experts would like , with the city and the state of Illinois moving toward phased re-openings that will bring more residents into close proximity with each other .
The effort to set up a 600-person contact tracing team with many members in city neighborhoods suffering the most from economic hardship , comes with a $ 56 million price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and state money , Lightfoot said .
She ’ s first looking for an organization “ to lead coordination of contact tracing and resource referral efforts across the city , ” her administration said in a news release .
At least 85 % of the funds will then be distributed to “ at least 30 neighborhood-based organizations located within , or primarily serving residents of , communities of high economic hardship , ” according to the city .
Those community groups would be in charge of “ recruiting , hiring and supporting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and referral coordinators to support an operation that has the capacity to trace 4,500 new contacts per day.
” Contact tracers will make $ 20 an hour , and supervisors will make $ 24 an hour , Lightfoot said .
Read more here .
—John Byrne and Hal Dardick 12:23 p.m. : Home Run Inn suburban Chicago factory churns out nearly 80,000 frozen pizzas a day to meet soaring demand during pandemic In early March , Home Run Inn began building up its inventory of frozen pizza at its southwest suburban plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit home .
The family owned company was nonetheless unprepared for the surge in demand , as worried consumers loaded up on the stay-at-home staple before hunkering down for the foreseeable future .
“ It was absolutely crazy , ” said Nick Perrino , 33 , who heads up the frozen pizza division for Home Run Inn .
“ The pandemic had people stocking up on frozen pizza , making sure they had product , just like with toilet paper.
” A 73-year-old pizza empire that grew from a single Chicago tavern , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city and suburbs , and a 60,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Woodridge .
Frozen pizza generates about 75 % of the company ’ s revenue , but with its restaurants limited to pickup and delivery since March , the balance has shifted even more dramatically .
Home Run Inn sells frozen pizza in more than 40 states and is the No .
12 brand in sales nationally , according to IRI , a Chicago-based market research firm .
It is the No .
1 selling frozen pizza in the Chicago area .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d be able to sell double , ” said Perrino , whose grandfather began serving pizza at the family ’ s Little Village tavern in 1947 .
Read more here .
—Robert Channick 12:04 p.m. : Allstate extends its rebate as motorists continue to stay off the roads during the COVID-19 health crisis Allstate said Tuesday it will extend its coronavirus rebate through June 30 , returning a total of roughly $ 1 billion in auto insurance premiums to customers over three months .
Last month , the Northbrook-based insurer introduced its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drivers are on the road as a result of coronavirus state lockdowns .
The firm , one of the first insurers to offer rebates to customers , said at the time that it would return $ 600 million to Allstate , Esurance and Encompass auto policy customers .
Most policyholders received 15 % of their monthly premiums credited back to their accounts in April and May .
With the program ’ s extension , Allstate motorists will continue to receive a 15 % credit through the end of June .
In addition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free identity protection product to June 30 .
Customers who aren ’ t policyholders can also sign up for the service , which is free through the end of the year .
Read more here .
—Abdel Jimenez 11:35 a.m. : Advocate Aurora Health invests in US maker of N95 masks , other PPE A Chicago-area hospital system is one of 15 across the country investing in a major American manufacturer of personal protective equipment , in an effort to reduce reliance on foreign companies and make it easier to acquire PPE in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday that it has partnered with health care improvement company Premier to acquire a minority stake in a major manufacturer of PPE , Prestige Ameritech , that makes surgical and N95 masks among other products .
As part of the deal , Advocate will also buy a certain portion of its masks from Prestige for the next six years .
“ It ’ s clear that over-reliance on foreign manufacturers has been a driving cause of the issues care providers across the country have faced these past two months , ” Advocate Aurora @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news release .
“ By funding domestic production , we intend to change that landscape and create a more diverse , reliable supply chain so that we can keep our workforce safe and healthy and continue to provide high quality care to the communities we ’ re so proud to serve.
” Currently , about 80 % of PPE used by health systems comes from China and Southeast Asia , according to Premier .
Other participating health systems include AdventHealth based in Florida , Adventist Health based in California , Ballad Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona , Baptist Health South Florida , CommonSpirit Health headquartered in Chicago , Genesis Health System in Iowa , Henry Ford Health System in Michigan , McLaren Health Care in Michigan , Riverside Health System in Virginia , St. Luke ’ s University Health Network in Pennsylvania , Texas Health Resources , Universal Health Services Inc. , in Pennsylvania and University Hospitals in Ohio .
This is not the first time Advocate and other hospital systems have tried to take a more active role in the manufacturing of certain products .
Advocate Aurora @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Civica Rx , in which a group of philanthropic organizations and hospitals across the country established a not-for-profit generic drug company in hopes of battling drug shortages and high prices .
—Lisa Schencker Preckwinkle said Tuesday she has vetoed the plan , a move that requires three-fifths of the board ’ s vote to override .
The resolution only passed with a 9-7 vote last week , signifying it is likely killed .
In her veto announcement , Preckwinkle repeated her points made last week when she said she was “ profoundly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed it would contribute to systemic racism that black and Latino communities suffer .
“ I don ’ t see how anyone who understands the endemic nature of racism in this country , and the discrimination that black and brown people have experienced , will assume that this resolution is somehow going to be immune from that discrimination , ” Preckwinkle said .
Preckwinkle also said the resolution violates people ’ s privacy , harkening back to the stigma of the HIV/AIDS epidemic as well as the ongoing fears that immigrants living in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to interactions law enforcement .
The potential for first responders to harass individuals and other concerns may lead to less testing as well , Preckwinkle said .
“ I can not support the release of this information and am wholly disappointed in the decision to dispute the opinions of our public health experts , including the advice provided by CCDPH ’ s medical expert , Dr. Rachel Rubin , ” Preckwinkle wrote in her veto .
Commissioner Scott Britton , D-Glenview , has said the limits of the resolution , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addresses , not names , will ensure there will be no government overreach .
But Rubin retorted last week that the resolution could backfire , as there are scores of residents who may have not sought testing because they are asymptomatic .
“ This is not good public health practice , ” Rubin said .
“ Pushing out addresses to first responders does not help to maintain the safety of the first responders or of the individuals that they 're trying to respond to for aid.
” Commissioner Larry Suffredin , D-Evanston , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he accepts that the resolution is probably defeated .
Now , Suffredin said , he has to focus on the dearth of personal protective equipment that he and other commissioners cited when talking about the need for providing addresses to first responders .
“ It is what it is , ” Suffredin said .
“ We ’ re in the middle of a pandemic .
You don ’ t fight battles that you can ’ t win .
You deal what you can do to help make people safer .
This will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yin 6:55 a.m. : Officials see signs COVID-19 is contained at Cook County Jail , while experts caution measures need to remain in place COVID-19 tests are now standard during the intake process for all new detainees entering Cook County Jail , one of several measures that officials said has helped them turn a critical corner on the pandemic .
At its worst , over a two-month period , the deadly virus infected just over 700 inmates , including seven who died .
Two correctional officers have died , with hundreds also infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversees medical care at the jail , told the Tribune testing data indicates the facility has moved beyond the stage of flattening the curve and into containment , with a positive test rate that is below 10 % .
Read more here .
—Annie Sweeney 6:40 a.m. : Packed pool party gone viral in Missouri earns rebuke from state health director Missouri ’ s health director issued a dire warning Monday after photos and video showed Memorial Day weekend revelers partying close together : The coronavirus is still here , and the spreading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tragic ” results .
One video on social media showed a crammed pool at Lake of the Ozarks , with people lounging and playing close together , without masks .
The lake draws people not only from as far away as Arkansas and Iowa .
Read more here .
—Associated Press 6:30 a.m. : A different Memorial Day in Chicago : Crowds are out , livestreamed ceremonies are in Chicagoans marked Memorial Day in a different way Monday , as local leaders tried to balance paying respect to those who died serving their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules .
Throughout the city and suburbs , parades and solemn ceremonies with large crowds were out , replaced by smaller events streamed online or recorded tributes .
One exception unfolded at Buckingham Fountain in Chicago , where a crowd marked the holiday with a protest against the restrictions .
Read more here .
—Hal Dardick , Sophie Sherry and Stacy St. Clair .
6:20 a.m. : Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announces reopening rules for businesses as Illinois is poised to move to next phase and loosen restrictions With all four regions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ J.B. Pritzker ’ s phased-in reopening plan slated to advance to the next stage Friday , the state rolled out detailed guidance Sunday for what precautions restaurants and bars need to have in place to be able to serve customers outdoors , how manufacturers and some offices can resume operations with restrictions and how barbers can offer those badly needed haircuts .
The industry-specific guidance the state released Sunday for the sectors of the state ’ s economy that will see loosened restrictions in the third phase of the governor ’ s plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to normalcy after more than two months under a stay-at-home order meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus .
Read more here .
—Jamie Munks

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Sabine Beechum adjusts a balloon as she celebrates her 6th birthday with friends and family driving past her Hyde Park home in Chicago on Memorial Day, May 25, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois officials expressed cautious optimism Tuesday as the state’s four regions remained on track to move into the next phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan later this week.
At a news briefing Tuesday, the governor and Dr. Ngozi Ezike laid out a series of positive developments, including hospitalizations due to COVID-19 dropping to a six-week low and the percentage of tests returning positive results statewide falling to just above 9% over the past seven days.
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“Barring some catastrophe in the next four days,” Pritzker said, a wider range of businesses will be able to reopen Friday under new industry-specific public health guidelines his administration issued Sunday.
Later on Tuesday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced industry-specific rules for the re-opening of restaurants, childcare facilities and some industries as part of phase three of Chicago’s re-emergence from the stay-at-home order. Though Lightfoot has said she expects Chicago to take that step in early June, she has not yet announced a date.
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[ When can Illinois reopen? Check our daily charts on where each region stands. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:15 p.m.: Closed Museum of Science and Industry lays off 84 employees
Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park, closed since March 14 by the pandemic, has undertaken a round of cost reductions including the layoff of 84 permanent employees.
Also part of the cost reductions: Remaining staff are taking 10 furlough days and graduated pay reductions have been imposed for the majority of the staff, with “senior executives seeing the largest reductions,” according to a statement emailed to the Tribune Tuesday, which attributed the cuts to “the financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Due to decreased attendance as a result of the crisis, we projected a $20 million revenue shortfall this year," the statement continued. “In response, the Museum has already made significant cuts to the non-wage budget. Despite these steps, we reached a point where reducing our staff was necessary. We made these decisions to protect the Museum’s long-term future.”
The MSI had almost 1.4 million visitors last year but has been closed more than a third of 2020 so far. The MSI made the decision to reduce staff last week. Read more here. —Doug George
5:55 p.m.: Illinois driver’s license offices to open in June with limited services
Driver services facilities closed because of the coronavirus crisis will begin to open in June, the Illinois secretary of state’s office said Tuesday.
Starting June 1, Secretary of State Jesse White’s reopening plan will begin, with expanded hours at a number of locations and limited services, according to a news release.
All of the secretary of state departments and offices will open June 1, according to the release, as well as the Chicago north, south and west facilities that operate Monday through Saturday. Through July 31, the facilities will serve only new drivers, those with expired driver’s licenses and ID cards, and those seeking vehicle transactions.
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On June 2, suburban facilities and statewide locations outside the Chicago metro area that operate Tuesday through Saturday will open and will similarly serve a limited group of customers.
The Thompson Center location and Loop Express facility at 69 W. Washington St. will reopen July 1, according to the news release. Read more here. —Morgan Greene
5:50 p.m.: Chicago releases rules for restaurants to reopen, but no date yet
The city of Chicago Tuesday released details that restaurants will need to follow to be permitted to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. But Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not expound on her announcement Friday that opening could happen some time in June. Here’s a look at what the the broad rules will require. —Joe Gray
5:30 p.m.: Lightfoot releases guidelines for phase 3 of city’s reopening plan
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday announced industry-specific rules for the re-opening of restaurants, childcare facilities and some industries as part of phase three of Chicago’s re-emergence from the coronavirus stay-at-home order.
Though Lightfoot has said she expects Chicago to take that step in early June, she has not yet announced a date.
“Our transition to Phase Three of our reopening framework represents a major step for Chicago and our journey to a safe and successful recovery from the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis,” Lightfoot said in a news release. “These new industry guidelines were developed in close partnership with industry leaders in order to provide as clear of a direction as possible on how to keep both employees and customers safe, but our work is far from over.”
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Not included are guidelines for re-opening sporting events, bars, religious services, outdoor performances, summer programs and youth activities, the Lakefront, and museums. Those standards “will be available later in phase three when those entities are predicted to begin reopening,” according to the release.
Among the guidelines at childcare facilities, parents and employees will be expected to wear facial coverings at all times. Children will only be expected to do so in classrooms.
Restaurants are called on to limit seating to no more than six people per table, limit gatherings to no more than 10 people and space tables six feet apart or take them out of commission if they can’t be moved.
Lightfoot last week said the city’s reopening “will be like slowly turning a dimmer switch and not flipping a light switch.“ Read more here. —John Byrne
5 p.m.: North Shore officials, restaurant owners prepare for potential return of outdoor dining
For Wilmette Village Manager Michael Braiman, the state’s recent announcement that Illinois restaurants and bars would likely be able to offer alfresco dining beginning May 29 was welcome news amid a pandemic that has battered both local businesses and the village’s municipal budget.
“We’re all really excited to work with our restaurant community downtown and throughout the village," Braiman said. “Whatever plan we come up with, we want to make sure it works for all of our restaurants, and works for the other nearby service businesses and shops, too."
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Braiman and other village officials in neighboring North Shore communities from Evanston up to Glencoe were scrambling this week in response to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s announcement that the state’s bars and restaurants could likely begin to offer limited outdoor seating May 29.
The date coincides with the anticipated start of Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan, which allows for the re-opening of the state’s retail shops, salons, barbershops and other non-essential businesses, but limits the number of customers to promote safety and allow for the required social distancing guidelines.
Some local officials are devising plans that would ease restrictions on outdoor dining and give restaurants the ability to expand seating into sidewalk areas or parking lots. Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta and Kaitlin Edquist
4:30 p.m.: There will be a 24-team playoff if the NHL returns. And Chicago is among the 10 cities in consideration to host the games.
The NHL announced Tuesday it will abandon the rest of the regular season and go straight into the playoffs with 24 teams instead of 16 if it is able to resume play.
Commissioner Gary Bettman said the decision is not a guarantee that games are coming back. The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association must still figure out health and safety protocols and solve other issues, including where to play.
Games are expected to be played without fans in a few locations. The league has not yet determined those sites, but 10 cities — Las Vegas, Toronto, Chicago, Columbus, Edmonton, Dallas, L.A., Minnesota, Vancouver and Pittsburgh — are in the running for two spots.
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The Blackhawks would face the Oilers in a five-game playoff series in their return to play. Read more here. —Associated Press
3:47 p.m.: Radiologists group pulls November meeting — and 50,000 attendees — from Chicago
Just a few weeks ago, The Radiological Society of North America was undecided about whether it would go ahead as planned with its annual meeting at McCormick Place, an event that brings more than 50,000 people from 137 countries to Chicago.
On Tuesday, the Oak Brook-based trade group pulled the plug on the in-person event that was scheduled for Nov. 29 to Dec. 4. Instead, it will offer a virtual event Nov. 29 to Dec. 5.
In announcing its decision, Dr. James Borgstede, the group’s president, said the group “concluded it would be impossible to safety conduct” the event in person.
The group, whose history of annual meetings dates back more than 100 years, has canceled the event only twice before — in 1943 and 1945 — and those cancellations were tied to transportation and gas supply issues during and after World War II. If the meeting had occurred as planned, it would have been its 36th consecutive year in Chicago.
Under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s five-phase plan to reopen the state, conventions cannot be held until the final phase of recovery.
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Between July and December, McCormick Place had been scheduled to host 67 events with an expected attendance of 781,168 people, generating almost $923 million in economic impact, including spending on food and entertainment. Read more here. —Mary Ellen Podmolik
2:57 p.m.: Officials express cautious optimism as state remains on track to move into reopening plan’s next phase
State officials expressed cautious optimism Tuesday as the four regions in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan remained on track to move into the plan’s next phase later this week.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at his coronavirus news briefing that hospitalizations due to COVID-19, which had been plateauing, have dropped to a six-week low. The percentage of coronavirus tests returning positive results statewide has dropped from a high of 23% in late April to an average of 9.2% over the past seven days, Pritzker said.
“The fact that we’ve seen these numbers trend in a good direction even after we opened things up in phase two demonstrates the importance of everyday actions,” the governor said, noting that the loosening of some restrictions on May 1 was accompanied by a new requirement for wearing face coverings in public.
Officials also announced 1,178 new cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional deaths, bringing the total number of known cases statewide to 113,195 and the death toll to 4,923.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said case numbers were lower in recent days, in part, because fewer tests are processed and reported over weekends. The state’s public health labs, which have been working multiple shifts per day for weeks, were able to give staff a day off over Memorial Day weekend, Ezike said.
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Ezike said that the week ending in May 16, there were 780 deaths related to COVID-19, the first week where there were fewer deaths than the previous week since the pandemic began.
“I am hopeful that this fact is the beginning of a downward trend,” Ezike said.
In the third phase of Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” plan, a wider range of businesses, including retailers, barber shops and salons, would be able to reopen with new safety measures in place. The Pritzker administration on Sunday outlined industry-specific public health guidelines. —Dan Petrella
2:35 p.m.: State officials report 1,178 new known cases and 39 more deaths
State officials on Tuesday announced 1,178 new known cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional deaths from 17,230 tests conducted in the previous 24 hours, pushing the statewide known case count to 113,195 since the pandemic began. The statewide death toll now stands at 4,923.
1:35 p.m.: The General Assembly adjourned its special pandemic session in the wee hours of a holiday weekend. Here’s what you might have missed.
In a special legislative session called in response to the coronavirus pandemic, state lawmakers debated bills through masks and the Illinois House met on the floor of a downtown Springfield convention center to provide proper social distancing.
The three-day session stretched into four and then into the early morning hours of a fifth day, Sunday, before lawmakers adjourned until the fall. Here’s a look at what got done — and what didn’t. —Dan Petrella
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1:02 p.m.: Summer camps are canceling and parents are scrambling: the search for sitters who embrace social distancing
It’s the question that has vexed Chicago-area parents for months: With no school, uncertainty about camps and parents working remotely, who’s watching the kids this summer?
Many families have found themselves scrambling for options to keep children entertained and the coronavirus at bay.
Skokie resident Rebecca Abraham hired a sitter with her best friends to create a minicamp for the families’ combined four children between the ages of 3 and 6.
All four parents have erratic schedules. Abraham is a nurse in an intensive care unit in a medical system in the northern suburbs, where her husband, Anub, is a doctor. Her best friends, a doctor and an architect who live a block away, also are busy.
Their original plan was to send their kids, who are best friends, to summer camp at the park district in Skokie, but this year, they opted out.
“We said, ‘We’re going to need child care when school closes. Let’s split child care and we’ll help each other out on our days off,'" Abraham said.
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The families brought a sitter into their isolated fold. The sitter moves between the families’ two houses, depending on the parents’ harried schedules and the kids’ quarantine activities.
Sometimes the kids do sleepovers, and almost always eat meals together. Once school ends, the kids and their sitter will shift from what they call “pandemic mini-school" to “pandemic mini-camp.” The families hope a summer of activities for their children will keep them away from screens.
“My parents sent a sandbox,” Abraham said. “At least it’s different, because when the kids switch houses, it’s not as boring as being trapped in your house for eight weeks. Now they’ve been trapped in two houses for eight weeks.”
Abraham and her friends aren’t the only parents creating “do-it-yourself” summer camps that cobbling together activities and hiring “camp counselors” who might be a sitter, nanny or an unemployed camp counselor. Read more here. —Corilyn Shropshire
1 p.m.: Lightfoot announces search for organization to lead Chicago’s virus contact tracing effort
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday announced plans to try to train hundreds of people to track the spread of the coronavirus and warn Chicagoans who’ve had contact with someone who’s carrying the disease.
Such a large contact tracing program is considered a key way to slow the spread of the virus by promptly warning people who’ve had significant contact with those who are sick so they can quarantine themselves before they spread it further.
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But it will be difficult to get it up and running as quickly as experts would like, with the city and the state of Illinois moving toward phased re-openings that will bring more residents into close proximity with each other.
The effort to set up a 600-person contact tracing team with many members in city neighborhoods suffering the most from economic hardship, comes with a $56 million price tag, to be funded using federal and state money, Lightfoot said. She’s first looking for an organization “to lead coordination of contact tracing and resource referral efforts across the city,” her administration said in a news release.
At least 85% of the funds will then be distributed to “at least 30 neighborhood-based organizations located within, or primarily serving residents of, communities of high economic hardship,” according to the city.
Those community groups would be in charge of “recruiting, hiring and supporting a workforce of 600 contact tracers, supervisors, and referral coordinators to support an operation that has the capacity to trace 4,500 new contacts per day.”
Contact tracers will make $20 an hour, and supervisors will make $24 an hour, Lightfoot said. Read more here. —John Byrne and Hal Dardick
12:23 p.m.: Home Run Inn suburban Chicago factory churns out nearly 80,000 frozen pizzas a day to meet soaring demand during pandemic
In early March, Home Run Inn began building up its inventory of frozen pizza at its southwest suburban plant, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to hit home.
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The family owned company was nonetheless unprepared for the surge in demand, as worried consumers loaded up on the stay-at-home staple before hunkering down for the foreseeable future.
“It was absolutely crazy,” said Nick Perrino, 33, who heads up the frozen pizza division for Home Run Inn. “The pandemic had people stocking up on frozen pizza, making sure they had product, just like with toilet paper.”
A 73-year-old pizza empire that grew from a single Chicago tavern, Home Run Inn operates nine restaurants in the city and suburbs, and a 60,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Woodridge. Frozen pizza generates about 75% of the company’s revenue, but with its restaurants limited to pickup and delivery since March, the balance has shifted even more dramatically.
Home Run Inn sells frozen pizza in more than 40 states and is the No. 12 brand in sales nationally, according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm. It is the No. 1 selling frozen pizza in the Chicago area.
“If we could make double, we’d be able to sell double,” said Perrino, whose grandfather began serving pizza at the family’s Little Village tavern in 1947. Read more here. —Robert Channick
12:04 p.m.: Allstate extends its rebate as motorists continue to stay off the roads during the COVID-19 health crisis
Allstate said Tuesday it will extend its coronavirus rebate through June 30, returning a total of roughly $1 billion in auto insurance premiums to customers over three months.
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Last month, the Northbrook-based insurer introduced its “Shelter-in-Place Payback” program because fewer drivers are on the road as a result of coronavirus state lockdowns. The firm, one of the first insurers to offer rebates to customers, said at the time that it would return $600 million to Allstate, Esurance and Encompass auto policy customers. Most policyholders received 15% of their monthly premiums credited back to their accounts in April and May.
With the program’s extension, Allstate motorists will continue to receive a 15% credit through the end of June. In addition, Allstate extended the sign-up period for its free identity protection product to June 30. Customers who aren’t policyholders can also sign up for the service, which is free through the end of the year. Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
11:35 a.m.: Advocate Aurora Health invests in US maker of N95 masks, other PPE
A Chicago-area hospital system is one of 15 across the country investing in a major American manufacturer of personal protective equipment, in an effort to reduce reliance on foreign companies and make it easier to acquire PPE in the future.
Advocate Aurora Health announced Tuesday that it has partnered with health care improvement company Premier to acquire a minority stake in a major manufacturer of PPE, Prestige Ameritech, that makes surgical and N95 masks among other products. As part of the deal, Advocate will also buy a certain portion of its masks from Prestige for the next six years.
Advocate did not disclose the amount of its investment.
“It’s clear that over-reliance on foreign manufacturers has been a driving cause of the issues care providers across the country have faced these past two months,” Advocate Aurora president and CEO Jim Skogsbergh said in a news release. “By funding domestic production, we intend to change that landscape and create a more diverse, reliable supply chain so that we can keep our workforce safe and healthy and continue to provide high quality care to the communities we’re so proud to serve.”
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Currently, about 80% of PPE used by health systems comes from China and Southeast Asia, according to Premier.
Other participating health systems include AdventHealth based in Florida, Adventist Health based in California, Ballad Health based in Tennessee, Banner Health in Arizona, Baptist Health South Florida, CommonSpirit Health headquartered in Chicago, Genesis Health System in Iowa, Henry Ford Health System in Michigan, McLaren Health Care in Michigan, Riverside Health System in Virginia, St. Luke’s University Health Network in Pennsylvania, Texas Health Resources, Universal Health Services Inc., in Pennsylvania and University Hospitals in Ohio.
This is not the first time Advocate and other hospital systems have tried to take a more active role in the manufacturing of certain products. Advocate Aurora also joined an effort last year, called Civica Rx, in which a group of philanthropic organizations and hospitals across the country established a not-for-profit generic drug company in hopes of battling drug shortages and high prices. —Lisa Schencker
10:45 a.m.: Preckwinkle vetoes COVID-19 address-sharing with first responders, a first in her tenure
In the first veto of her administration, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Tuesday moved to block a controversial resolution to share with 911 dispatchers the addresses of individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Cook County Board members narrowly approved the resolution last week following an emotional debate about the measure’s intention to safeguard front-line workers versus fears it would violate individuals’ privacy and civil rights. While the measure was only a recommendation, the Cook County Department of Public Health had said it would follow the address-sharing practice because of the board’s instructions.
Preckwinkle said Tuesday she has vetoed the plan, a move that requires three-fifths of the board’s vote to override. The resolution only passed with a 9-7 vote last week, signifying it is likely killed.
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In her veto announcement, Preckwinkle repeated her points made last week when she said she was “profoundly disappointed” the resolution passed because she believed it would contribute to systemic racism that black and Latino communities suffer.
“I don’t see how anyone who understands the endemic nature of racism in this country, and the discrimination that black and brown people have experienced, will assume that this resolution is somehow going to be immune from that discrimination,” Preckwinkle said.
Preckwinkle also said the resolution violates people’s privacy, harkening back to the stigma of the HIV/AIDS epidemic as well as the ongoing fears that immigrants living in the country without legal permission face when it comes to interactions law enforcement. The potential for first responders to harass individuals and other concerns may lead to less testing as well, Preckwinkle said.
“I cannot support the release of this information and am wholly disappointed in the decision to dispute the opinions of our public health experts, including the advice provided by CCDPH’s medical expert, Dr. Rachel Rubin,” Preckwinkle wrote in her veto.
Commissioner Scott Britton, D-Glenview, has said the limits of the resolution, which expired in 60 days and only shares addresses, not names, will ensure there will be no government overreach. But Rubin retorted last week that the resolution could backfire, as there are scores of residents who may have not sought testing because they are asymptomatic.
“This is not good public health practice,” Rubin said. “Pushing out addresses to first responders does not help to maintain the safety of the first responders or of the individuals that they're trying to respond to for aid.”
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Commissioner Larry Suffredin, D-Evanston, said Tuesday although he had voted yes, he accepts that the resolution is probably defeated. Now, Suffredin said, he has to focus on the dearth of personal protective equipment that he and other commissioners cited when talking about the need for providing addresses to first responders.
“It is what it is,” Suffredin said. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic. You don’t fight battles that you can’t win. You deal what you can do to help make people safer. This will stand.” Read more here. —Alice Yin
6:55 a.m.: Officials see signs COVID-19 is contained at Cook County Jail, while experts caution measures need to remain in place
COVID-19 tests are now standard during the intake process for all new detainees entering Cook County Jail, one of several measures that officials said has helped them turn a critical corner on the pandemic. At its worst, over a two-month period, the deadly virus infected just over 700 inmates, including seven who died. Two correctional officers have died, with hundreds also infected.
But Dr. Connie Mennella, who oversees medical care at the jail, told the Tribune testing data indicates the facility has moved beyond the stage of flattening the curve and into containment, with a positive test rate that is below 10%. Read more here. —Annie Sweeney
6:40 a.m.: Packed pool party gone viral in Missouri earns rebuke from state health director
Missouri’s health director issued a dire warning Monday after photos and video showed Memorial Day weekend revelers partying close together: The coronavirus is still here, and the spreading of illnesses could have “long-lasting and tragic” results.
One video on social media showed a crammed pool at Lake of the Ozarks, with people lounging and playing close together, without masks. The lake draws people not only from as far away as Arkansas and Iowa. Read more here. —Associated Press
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6:30 a.m.: A different Memorial Day in Chicago: Crowds are out, livestreamed ceremonies are in
Chicagoans marked Memorial Day in a different way Monday, as local leaders tried to balance paying respect to those who died serving their country while also respecting the coronavirus-driven stay-at-home rules.
Throughout the city and suburbs, parades and solemn ceremonies with large crowds were out, replaced by smaller events streamed online or recorded tributes. One exception unfolded at Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, where a crowd marked the holiday with a protest against the restrictions. Read more here. —Hal Dardick, Sophie Sherry and Stacy St. Clair.
6:20 a.m.: Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces reopening rules for businesses as Illinois is poised to move to next phase and loosen restrictions
With all four regions of the state as defined under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s phased-in reopening plan slated to advance to the next stage Friday, the state rolled out detailed guidance Sunday for what precautions restaurants and bars need to have in place to be able to serve customers outdoors, how manufacturers and some offices can resume operations with restrictions and how barbers can offer those badly needed haircuts.
The industry-specific guidance the state released Sunday for the sectors of the state’s economy that will see loosened restrictions in the third phase of the governor’s plan provides a glimpse at a gradual return to normalcy after more than two months under a stay-at-home order meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Read more here. —Jamie Munks


chicagotribune--2020-05-26--The Spin: Lightfoot announces contact tracing effort | Kinzinger calls out Trump in tweet | Preckwin

The Spin: Lightfoot announces contact tracing effort | Kinzinger calls out Trump in tweet | Preckwinkle uses her 1st veto as County Board president

According to the constitution , to get the issue before voters , it needs “ at least 15 % of @ @ @ @ @ governor in the preceding gubernatorial election , with at least 100 signatures from each of @ @ @ @ @ ” It also needs the signatures from at least 20 members of the House and @ @ @ @ @ , and no more than half can be from the members of the same party @ @ @ @ @ 74-44 and the Senate by a 40-to-19 margin .

Mayor Lori Lightfoot today announced Chicago’s newest effort to ramp up coronavirus contact tracing efforts — a key factor in the city’s and state’s phased reopening plans.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today vetoed a controversial resolution that commissioners approved last week that would have had public health officials sharing the addresses of coronavirus patients with paramedics and other first responders. Preckwinkle called the plan “extraordinarily bad.”
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And, while many were tuned out for a coronavirus pandemic-altered Memorial Day weekend, Illinois lawmakers were busy late Saturday into Sunday morning. A $40 billion maintenance-level state budget and legislation aimed at making a Chicago casino more attractive to potential investors topped lawmakers’ finished work.
Welcome to The Spin.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during his daily coronavirus pandemic briefing at the Illinois State Capitol on May 20, 2020. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.
If you went to bed before midnight Saturday, you would have missed the General Assembly’s grand finale to its emergency pandemic session. The legislature’s work included the passage of a $40 billion state budget, an expansion of vote-by-mail and legislation to sweeten the tax structure for potential investors in a Chicago casino.
Don’t fret if you missed it. The Tribune’s Jamie Munks, Rick Pearson and Dan Petrella were there with in-depth coverage.
“In a special legislative session called in response to the coronavirus pandemic, state lawmakers debated bills through masks and the Illinois House met on the floor of a downtown Springfield convention center to provide proper social distancing. The three-day session stretched into four and then into the early morning hours of a fifth day, Sunday, before lawmakers adjourned until the fall.” Read the rest of Petrella’s recap here.
In historic pandemic-driven special session, Illinois lawmakers pass budget and clear path for Chicago casino — From Pearson, Munks and Petrella.
Illinois lawmakers send Gov. J.B. Pritzker $40 billion maintenance budget that relies heavily on federal funding — From Munks and Petrella.
Illinois legislators pass bill sought by Mayor Lori Lightfoot that could bring Chicago casino closer to reality — From Munks and Petrella.
Illinois legislators overwhelmingly approve bill allowing bars and restaurants to sell cocktails for pickup and delivery — From Petrella.
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Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan wins latest round in suit alleging sham candidates — From Ray Long.
A person holds a sign reading "Fire Pritzker" while attending a Reopen Illinois rally in Chicago's Grant Park on May 25, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
From Stacy St. Clair: "At a Memorial Day rally in front of Buckingham Fountain, a crowd protested Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order as an affront to the freedoms that service members have died defending. The well-received speeches, though, frequently veered into plugs for online learning courses or political futures.
"State Rep. Darren Bailey, R- Xenia, who is locked in a legal battle with the governor over the order, urged onlookers to get involved in their local government and flood the phone lines of their elected officials.
"The crowd, which held signs saying ‘F-U-J-B’ and ‘Fire Pritzker,’ called on Bailey to run for governor. He told the audience it was ‘time to replace career RINOs,’ a pejorative term for Republicans who aren’t considered conservative enough.
“'If God opens a door, I’ll go through that door,' Bailey said as the crowd erupted in cheers. ‘But it’s going to take a lot of work.’" Read the rest here.
Republican state representative trying to start Pritzker recall effort: State Rep. Allen Skillicorn announced his intentions Tuesday to circulate a petition aimed at long-shot effort to recall Gov. Pritzker over his handling of the state’s unemployment system during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Skillicorn, an East Dundee Republican, cited the troubles that have beset the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s website as huge numbers of people file for unemployment benefits.
“The governor has had ample time to fix this website,” Skillicorn said. “I called him out on it, and nothing has been addressed nor has there been a plan presented to fix the problems. Enough is enough. The incompetence cannot continue.”
Skillicorn also contends that Pritzker has overstepped his authority as governor in fighting the coronavirus.
According to the constitution, to get the issue before voters, it needs “at least 15% of the total votes cast for governor in the preceding gubernatorial election, with at least 100 signatures from each of at least 25 separate counties.” It also needs the signatures from at least 20 members of the House and 10 members of the Senate, and no more than half can be from the members of the same party. Democrats lead the House 74-44 and the Senate by a 40-to-19 margin.
Pritzker was asked about Skillicorn’s efforts at his news conference this afternoon.
“When it became clear that we were going to see a rush of applications, we acted as quickly as we could with a system that, frankly, you can’t just snap your fingers and replace,” Pritzker said of the IDES’ website system. “You have to be, as I have often said, you’re building the plane while trying to fly it and you’re trying to fly it while putting a million passengers on board — an almost impossible job but one that IDES has handled as best it could.”
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Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle waits to speak about the coronavirus economic recovery plan April 23, 2020, at the Historic Water Tower. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
"In the first veto of her administration, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Tuesday moved to block a resolution to share addresses of COVID-19 individuals with 911 dispatchers, the latest blow to a controversial practice at the center of a debate on protecting first responders at the cost of individuals’ civil liberties.
“Cook County Board members narrowly approved the resolution, which only applies to suburban Cook County, last week following a heated discussion about the effects of the measure on black and Latino communities. While the resolution was only a recommendation, the Cook County Department of Public Health had said it will follow the address-sharing practice because of Preckwinkle’s instructions.” — Alice Yin has the story.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot wears a mask as she prepares to speak about coronavirus recently at the Historic Water Tower in Chicago. Lightfoot has at times personally enforced the Chicago social distancing orders. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune)
"Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday announced plans to try to train hundreds of people to track the spread of the coronavirus and warn Chicagoans who’ve had contact with someone who’s carrying the disease.
“Such a large contact tracing program is considered a key way to slow the spread of the virus by promptly warning people who’ve had significant contact with those who are sick so they can quarantine themselves before they spread it further.” — Read more here from the Tribune’s John Byrne and Hal Dardick.
Mayor scolds new police superintendent after Chicago sees most violent Memorial Day weekend in five years: ‘Whatever the strategy is, it didn’t work. … We have to do better’: Jeremy Gorner and Paige Fry have the story here.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot releases guidelines for phase 3 of city’s reopening plan: Read more here from Byrne and Dan Petrella.
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Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., speaks to the media March 6, 2019, at the White House in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger this weekend called on President Donald Trump to stop touting a conspiracy theory about the death of one of TV pundit Joe Scarborough’s interns when he was a member of Congress.
Kinzinger, a Channahon Republican, on Sunday responded to a Trump tweet, writing: “Completely unfounded conspiracy. Just stop. Stop spreading it, stop creating paranoia. It will destroy us.”
According to the AP, the body of Lori Kaye Klausutis, 28, was found in Scarborough’s Fort Walton Beach, Florida, congressional office on July 20, 2001. She had an undiagnosed heart condition, fell and hit her head on her desk at work, said her husband, Timothy J. Klausutis.
Her husband subsequently asked that Twitter remove Trump’s tweets suggesting Scarborough, now a fierce Trump critic, murdered her. “My request is simple: Please delete these tweets,” Timothy J. Klausutis wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
Completely unfounded conspiracy. Just stop. Stop spreading it, stop creating paranoia. It will destroy us. https://t.co/XgDl6LmANb — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) May 24, 2020
While Twitter did not alter the president’s tweets on that topic, the social media platform did add “a warning phrase to two Trump tweets that called mail-in ballots ‘fraudulent’ and predicted that ‘mail boxes will be robbed,’” among other things, the AP reported.
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chicagotribune--2020-05-26--East Garfield Park shooting leaves 1 dead, 3 wounded

A 19-year-old man was shot in the left hand and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition , according @ @ @ @ @ to Mount Sinai was a male of unknown age who was shot in the right @ @ @ @ @ was in critical condition .
Another male whose age was unknown was taken to a @ @ @ @ @

Members of the Chicago Police Department examine a car with bullet holes at the scene where four people were shot, one fatally, in the 5600 block of North Hamlin Avenue on May 26, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
One man was killed and three others were wounded in a shooting Tuesday afternoon in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, according to police.
Shortly after 3:30 p.m., a person was selling an item on the corner in the first block of North Hamlin Avenue when someone in a red vehicle fired shots.
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A male whose age was unknown was shot in the right shoulder and side and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
A 19-year-old man was shot in the left hand and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, according to police. Also taken to Mount Sinai was a male of unknown age who was shot in the right shoulder and left calf and was in critical condition. Another male whose age was unknown was taken to a hospital in good condition.
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In a separate Tuesday shooting in the Gresham neighborhood, a 15-year-old boy was wounded, police said. About 3:15 p.m. in the 1300 block of West 80th Street, the boy was standing on the sidewalk when a man approached and shot him in the leg, police said. The boy was taken to the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition.
No one was in custody and detectives were investigating.
The shootings follow violence over the Memorial Day weekend, the deadliest in five years, in which at least 10 people were shot to death over the long weekend and 40 others were wounded.


chicagotribune--2020-05-26--Mayor scolds new police superintendent after Chicago sees most violent Memorial Day weekend in five

Mayor scolds new police superintendent after Chicago sees most violent Memorial Day weekend in five years: ‘Whatever the strategy is, it didn’t work. … We have to do better’

She noted that federal agents who usually work with officers “ have been on the sideline now for weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ really aren ’ t taking a lot of criminal cases .
That ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ jails that are effectively closed to new persons , so we have officers that are @ @ @ @ @ arresting people who are absolute drivers of violence , and they ’ re cycling in @ @ @ @ @ , out of the court system , in 24 to 48 hours .
”

Officials examine a car with bullet holes at the scene where four people were shot, one fatally, on Hamlin Avenue just north of Madison Street on May 26, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot publicly scolded her new police superintendent Tuesday for not coming up with a good enough strategy to contain violence over the Memorial Day weekend, the deadliest in five years, though she acknowledged the department is facing its greatest challenge in decades.
“While I know that there was a lot of energy and coordination among a variety of groups, what I said to the superintendent this morning is this was a fail,” Lightfoot said. “And whatever the strategy is, it didn’t work … This weekend’s violence was out of control.”
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At least 10 people were shot to death and at least 40 others were wounded by gunfire over the long weekend, despite a statewide stay-at-home order and a plan by Superintendent David Brown to step up patrols and better coordinate their deployment across the city.
The death toll nearly matched the long holiday weekend of 2015 when 12 people were killed. Last year, seven people were fatally shot and 36 others were wounded.
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Lightfoot said department brass were “hard at work and looking at the data,” adding, “I have a meeting with them later this afternoon. But we have to do better. We cannot have weekends in the summer turn into a bloodbath.”
Yo I seen HUNDREDS of ppl at millennium park and and pics of even more at the parks on the north side. Outside, no masks, no social distancing, enjoying themselves. Please stop sending large groups of militarized police into our neighborhoods exclusively https://t.co/mnAUSCsevy — Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 25, 2020
Despite her harsh words, Lightfoot said she understood this was “one of the most difficult times” for the department in the 20-plus years she’s followed it.
She noted that federal agents who usually work with officers “have been on the sideline now for weeks. We have the courts that really aren’t taking a lot of criminal cases. That’s a problem. We have the jails that are effectively closed to new persons, so we have officers that are risking life and limb and arresting people who are absolute drivers of violence, and they’re cycling in and out of the jail, out of the court system, in 24 to 48 hours.”
“The Police Department really is effectively on its own in fighting (for) public safety across the city,” Lightfoot continued. “And we have officers, and I understand this, who are concerned themselves with getting COVID and whether or not they’re going to be sick themselves or take that to their family members. So this is probably one of the most difficult times for policing that we’ve experienced in this city.”
Hours earlier, at a separate news conference, Brown called the violence “nothing short of alarming” and “unacceptable.” Still, he said he was not discouraged going into the summer months, typically the most violent time of year in Chicago.
I have seen a widely shared video of an incident in the 007th District. We will continue to investigate the incident to ensure proper tactics were used—ensuring constitutional rights are protected—and that CPD officers are wearing face coverings to maintain public health. — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 25, 2020
“My resolve (hasn’t) been shaken at all in making Chicago the safest city in the country, and neither should yours,” Brown said as he was flanked by other top officers at police headquarters. “We are committed and dedicated to making this city the safest in the country. This was a challenging weekend. But we are not shaken. We are not going to ... give up on our city.”
The weekend’s shootings began within hours after Brown spoke to reporters on Friday about his plans to contain the violence, which included a new “summer operations center” that would rely on police cameras and other technology to deploy officers where needed.
Those plans, however, depended on different staffing levels than in the past. “We did not utilize the normal 1,000 additional officers,” Brown said. “We had several hundred that were dedicated and coordinated a little bit better with (the summer operations center). ... But the level of officers ... was different than previous years.”
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More than 1,000 people have been shot this year in Chicago, about 100 more than this time last year, according to data compiled by the Tribune.
Brown said the weekend shootings stemmed from disputes between rival gang factions, as well as clashes involving the sale of drugs. He said the coronavirus outbreak, which prompted the stay-at-home order more than two months ago, has made people eager to spend time outdoors and likely added to the violence.
“People are feeling restless after being cooped up for weeks,” said Brown.
Chief of Operations Fred Waller, one of Brown’s top deputies, told reporters that police responses to the violence and the dispersals in places like Englewood and in the downtown area — where a group demanded that businesses reopen during the pandemic — showed how officers were where they were needed during the long holiday weekend.
“As you can see, our officers were busy in all parts of the city this weekend,” Waller said. “Yes, we need to do better. And we will do better.”
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Lightfoot indicated morale problems may be worsening the department’s problems on the street.
During her news conference, she noted that many officers were dissatisfied when they were sent from the bureau of organized crime — which includes covert narcotics units and officers who do long-term gang investigations — to uniformed patrol assignments. This was part of the reorganization plan of former interim Superintendent Charlie Beck.
Just last week, Brown demoted to the rank of lieutenant two top-ranking organized crime unit officials, Ronald Kimble, who was commander of the narcotics unit, and William Bradley, deputy chief of the entire bureau, law enforcement sources said. One of the sources said Kimble’s demotion to lieutenant in the Rogers Park patrol district occurred after Lightfoot became dissatisfied with him during a meeting with top police brass.
“They’re used to being by themselves as a separate organization, frankly with not a lot of accountability,” Lightfoot said. “I’ve been asking for a year, ‘What do they do?’ And they haven’t been able to demonstrate what they’re doing to really significantly aid in the crime fight.
“So what’s happened over the last couple of weeks is these officers have either been taken out of plainclothes, put into uniform and back in the districts under the control of district commanders and deputy chiefs. Or, if they’re staying in plainclothes, they have to be actively involved in supporting district efforts at crime suppression,” Lightfoot continued. “They don’t like that, and I get that.”
In the midst of the weekend shootings, a viral video showed a scuffle between police officers and a large gathering on the South Side on Sunday night that caught the attention of everyone from Chance the Rapper to Lightfoot.
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Officers were called to the 7000 block of South Lowe Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood to disperse a crowd that had gathered on the street. The video shows a chaotic scene as officers struggled to break up the crowd, grabbing some of the people and chasing off others.
During the incident, an officer saw a man take a handgun and put it in front of a car before running south on Lowe, according to police. Police chased him down and arrested him. Sedrick Monroe, 42, was charged with one count of being an armed habitual criminal. Police said a loaded Glock handgun was recovered.
Not long afterward, officers responded to a “10-1” call — an officer needing immediate assistance — when shots were fired in the area.
Jaquan Hayden, 21, of Homewood, was arrested about 10:45 p.m. in the 7000 block of South Lowe Avenue after he was seen grabbing his waistband and running through a vacant lot, police said. After a short chase, he was taken into custody and a loaded revolver was recovered.
He is facing charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest, police said. He did not have a valid firearm owner’s identification card or concealed carry license.
Two officers were taken to a hospital in good condition for minor injuries, police said. It was unclear what their injuries were.
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Chance the Rapper shared the video and asked the city to “stop sending large groups of militarized police into our neighborhoods exclusively.” He noted that photos had been posted of large gatherings in North Side neighborhoods and in the downtown area without similar police action.
Lightfoot tweeted that she was aware of the video and said, “We will continue to investigate the incident to ensure proper tactics were used — ensuring constitutional rights are protected — and that CPD officers are wearing face coverings to maintain public health.”
Brown said the video from the Englewood incident highlighted how officers are facing challenges on two fronts: fighting violence and getting the public to adhere to the stay-at-home order.
“Officers were challenged with saving lives,” Brown said, reacting to the video. “Because (these) crowds spread the virus. While at the same time there were guns and shots fired in that crowd and our officers had to take action to save lives of people in the crowd that may have been victims of the shots that were being fired . ... We recovered two guns that were in the crowd. ... It’s a twofold challenge that happened.”
Lightfoot said police enforcement should be the last resort to ensure social distancing, but “for the greater good, when absolutely necessary, we will — no matter which neighborhood large crowds are gathering in.” She added that police responded to dozens of reports of social distancing violations across the city, from Lincoln Park and Humboldt Park to Andersonville and Auburn Gresham.
The Englewood district, where the scuffle occurred, logged two fatal shootings over the weekend, the second most gun homicides in the city. The West Side’s Harrison district, one of the most violent in the city, had the most with three. Five other districts — Morgan Park, Grand Crossing, Shakespeare, Gresham and Calumet — all had one homicide each.
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Three teenagers were shot over the weekend, including 16-year-old Darnell Fisher, who was killed Saturday night in the Washington Park neighborhood. Police took someone in custody for a weapons charge, but the person was released about 4 a.m. Sunday because prosecutors denied charges.
A 15-year-old boy was shot in the face, chest and abdomen early Saturday in the South Shore neighborhood and taken to a hospital in critical condition. A 15-year-old girl was grazed in the leg by a bullet early Monday in the West Pullman neighborhood while sitting on a porch.
The tally of shootings doesn’t include an attack in which four people were stabbed at 9:15 p.m. Sunday after an argument erupted with tenants of a Gresham apartment building in their backyard, police said. A 46-year-old woman took out a knife and stabbed three men before someone stabbed her, police said. They were all taken to hospitals with injuries that were not life-threatening. Charges were pending against the woman.
The last homicide of the weekend was about 8:30 p.m. Monday in the 2800 block of West Wilcox Street in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side, police said. Two men, 45 and 52, were standing on the sidewalk when someone in a white sedan fired shots at them, police said.
The younger man was shot in the head and torso. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The older man was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in good condition with a gunshot wound to the left leg, police said. No arrests have been made.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-05-26--Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle vetoes ‘extraordinarily bad’ plan to share coronavirus-

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle vetoes ‘extraordinarily bad’ plan to share coronavirus-positive addresses with first responders, a first in her tenure

“ That 's terrible public policy , ” Preckwinkle said in a Tuesday interview .
“ I ca n't remember @ @ @ @ @ the last 10 years that I felt strongly enough to veto .
… The idea @ @ @ @ @ this pandemic , we would pursue a course of action , which I think it @ @ @ @ @ , was not something I was willing to accept .
”

In the first veto of her administration, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Tuesday moved to block a resolution to share addresses of COVID-19 individuals with 911 dispatchers, the latest blow to a controversial practice at the center of a debate on protecting first responders at the cost of individuals’ civil liberties.
Cook County Board members narrowly approved the resolution, which only applies to suburban Cook County, last week following a heated discussion about the effects of the measure on black and Latino communities. While the resolution was only a recommendation, the Cook County Department of Public Health had said it will follow the address-sharing practice because of Preckwinkle’s instructions.
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Then in a reversal on Tuesday, Preckwinkle issued a veto, which requires three-fifths of the board’s vote to override. But since the resolution only passed with a 9-7 vote last week, it is likely killed.
“That's terrible public policy,” Preckwinkle said in a Tuesday interview. “I can't remember anything in the course of the last 10 years that I felt strongly enough to veto. … The idea that in the midst of this pandemic, we would pursue a course of action, which I think it's extraordinarily bad public policy, was not something I was willing to accept.”
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During a call with reporters Thursday, Preckwinkle had taken a lighter stance, saying the Cook County Department of Public Health will comply because “this is a legislative process, and I respect that legislative process.”
Commissioner Scott Britton, D-Glenview, who introduced the resolution, said he will let the veto stand.
“While I am disappointed the president vetoed, the president and I want to protect our first responders and we will work together on making sure they have all the (personal protective equipment) they need going forward,” Britton wrote in a Tuesday statement.
Britton said last week the limits of the resolution, which expires in 60 days and only shares addresses, not names, will ensure there will be no government overreach. CCDPH co-administrator Dr. Rachel Rubin retorted the resolution could backfire, as there are scores of residents who may have not sought testing because they are asymptomatic.
Rubin echoed Preckwinkle’s ire for the resolution Tuesday, adding she was blindsided that nine commissioners approved it.
“I wasn't quite sure what to expect,” Rubin said. “I was surprised at the vote and very disappointed.”
In her veto announcement, Preckwinkle reiterated her points made last week when she said she was “profoundly disappointed” the resolution passed because she believed it would contribute to the systemic racism that black and Latino communities suffer.
Preckwinkle also said the resolution violates people’s privacy, harking back to the stigma of the HIV/AIDS epidemic as well as the ongoing fears that immigrants living in the country without legal permission face when it comes to interactions with law enforcement. The potential for first responders to harass individuals and other concerns may lead to less testing as well, Preckwinkle said.
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“I cannot support the release of this information and am wholly disappointed in the decision to dispute the opinions of our public health experts, including the advice provided by CCDPH’s medical expert, Dr. Rachel Rubin,” Preckwinkle wrote in her veto memo.
Although commissioner Larry Suffredin, D-Evanston, voted yes, he said Tuesday he accepts that the resolution is defeated. Now, Suffredin said, he has to focus on the dearth of PPE that he and other commissioners cited when talking about the need for providing addresses to first responders.
“It is what it is,” Suffredin said. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic. You don’t fight battles that you can’t win. You deal with what you can do to help make people safer. This will stand.”
Preckwinkle defended the county’s distribution of PPE on Tuesday, saying the Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security’s Emergency Operations Center has been passing out supplies to suburban first responders from the beginning. But she said President Donald Trump’s administration has hampered those efforts.
“As a result of not just the pandemic, which is a catastrophe, but the chaotic and inept and — I’m running out of adjectives — response of the federal government has been really disturbing and has I’m sure contributed to the magnitude of the crisis that we face,” Preckwinkle said.
The resolution also drew admonishment from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who said commissioners “voted to capitulate to ignorance and bigotry” in a tweet last week promising the city would never follow suit.
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Today, to my great astonishment and disappointment, nine members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to capitulate to ignorance and bigotry by voting to force the disclosure of the addresses of every patient who has tested positive for COVID-19. — Mayor Lightfoot #StayHomeSaveLives (@chicagosmayor) May 22, 2020
Much of the last week’s board meeting’s public comment section centered around the address-sharing resolution, with suburban villages, police departments and fire departments urging the practice amid PPE shortages, and dozens of individuals and civil rights groups, including the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, saying it would lead to harm.
“We laud Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s veto today — elevating long-term public health concerns over a short-term false sense of security,” ACLU of Illinois Executive Director Colleen Connell said in a statement. “By creating lists of those who test positive to share with law enforcement and other first responders, the county may have discouraged many in Cook County from seeking testing and treatment. This fear will be especially pronounced in communities of color.”
Riverside police Chief Tom Weitzel said he was “shocked” at the veto because he feels address-sharing is necessary given past PPE shortages — a nightmare he fears will return without a vaccine available. Although the department now has safe reserves of PPE, Weitzel once had to borrow from the Riverside Fire Department, he said.
“She made this big swipe across all law enforcement,” Weitzel said about Preckwinkle’s remarks that law enforcement may abuse the data. “This veto is the first in her history as long as she’s been president, and that speaks volumes.”
The emotional toll of responding to a known coronavirus location is also heftier than the public realizes, Weitzel said, and any information can help prepare officers.
“Most police officers would rather respond to an armed robbery or a barricade situation because they trained and they know what’s in front of them,” Weitzel said. “This situation is a virus you can’t see, you can’t smell. You don’t know if it’s there.”
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However, there is still a possibility that address-sharing supporters could see victory in the courts. Although a northwest suburban 911 dispatch system failed in its bid to force Cook County to share addresses of coronavirus patients after a judge denied its temporary restraining order, the village of Lincolnwood was granted a motion to intervene. The judge set another hearing for early June.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-26--Illinois driver’s license offices to open in June with limited services

All of the secretary of state departments and offices will open June 1 , according to the release , as @ @ @ @ @ , south and west facilities that operate Monday through Saturday .
Through July 31 , @ @ @ @ @ new drivers , those with expired driver ’ s licenses and ID cards , and @ @ @ @ @

Driver services facilities closed because of the coronavirus crisis will begin to open in June, the Illinois secretary of state’s office said Tuesday.
Starting June 1, Secretary of State Jesse White’s reopening plan will begin, with expanded hours at a number of locations and limited services, according to a news release.
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All of the secretary of state departments and offices will open June 1, according to the release, as well as the Chicago north, south and west facilities that operate Monday through Saturday. Through July 31, the facilities will serve only new drivers, those with expired driver’s licenses and ID cards, and those seeking vehicle transactions.
On June 2, suburban facilities and statewide locations outside the Chicago metro area that operate Tuesday through Saturday will open and will similarly serve a limited group of customers.
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A driver takes an eye exam at the secretary of state's driver's license facility in the Thompson Center in Chicago on March 27, 2019. The Thompson Center location and Loop Express facility at 69 W. Washington St. will reopen July 1. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The Thompson Center location and Loop Express facility at 69 W. Washington St. will reopen July 1, according to the news release.
Customers and employees at facilities will be required to wear face masks unless a medical condition prohibits safe use, according to the Tuesday news release. Additionally, work stations will have plexiglass dividers, and 6-foot spaces have been taped out for social distancing.
During drive tests, employees will wear face masks and shields, and customers will be required to wear face masks. Seats will be covered in disposable plastic.
There are more than 700,000 expired driver’s licenses and ID cards and 1.9 million expired vehicle registrations, the secretary of state’s office said in the elease.
The secretary of state’s office closed driver services facilities in March, and extended the expiration dates on all state driver’s licenses, identification cards and vehicle registrations through an emergency rule submitted to the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
Illinois residents can still complete some transactions online — like renewing vehicle registration — at www.cyberdriveillinois.com.


chicagotribune--2020-05-26--Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot releases guidelines for phase 3 of city’s reopening plan

The plan for Chicago comes as state health officials announced 1,178 new cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional deaths , @ @ @ @ @ known cases statewide to 113,195 and the death toll to 4,923 .
Illinois Department of @ @ @ @ @ Ezike , the state ’ s top public health official , said case numbers were @ @ @ @ @ in part , because fewer tests are processed and reported over weekends .
Ezike also @ @ @ @ @ in May 16 was the first week with fewer deaths than the previous week since @ @ @ @

Dave Nalezny looks out at the patio of his restaurant Park & Field in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood on May 21, 2020. He hopes restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic will be loosened and he will to be able to open the patio for business during the crucial summer months. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday announced industry-specific rules for the reopening of restaurants, child care facilities and some industries as part of phase three of Chicago’s reemergence from the coronavirus stay-at-home order.
Though Lightfoot has said she expects Chicago to take that step in early June, she has not yet announced a date. Her guidelines come two days after Gov. J.B. Pritzker released his statewide guidelines and said the state is on track to advance to phase three on Friday.
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Lightfoot has the authority to set stricter rules for Chicago than Pritzker’s statewide framework, but she can’t enact looser ones.
“Our transition to Phase Three of our reopening framework represents a major step for Chicago and our journey to a safe and successful recovery from the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis,” Lightfoot said in a Tuesday afternoon news release. “These new industry guidelines were developed in close partnership with industry leaders in order to provide as clear of a direction as possible on how to keep both employees and customers safe, but our work is far from over.”
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[ Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces reopening rules for businesses as Illinois is poised to move to next phase and loosen restrictions ]
Not included are guidelines for reopening sporting events, bars, religious services, outdoor performances, summer programs and youth activities, the lakefront and museums. Those standards “will be available later in phase three when those entities are predicted to begin reopening,” according to the release.
Among the guidelines at child care facilities, parents and employees will be expected to wear facial coverings at all times. Children will only be expected to do so outside their classrooms.
Restaurants are called on to limit seating to no more than six people per table, limit gatherings to no more than 10 people and space tables 6 feet apart or take them out of commission if they can’t be moved.
The plan for Chicago comes as state health officials announced 1,178 new cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional deaths, bringing the total number of known cases statewide to 113,195 and the death toll to 4,923. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the state’s top public health official, said case numbers were lower in recent days, in part, because fewer tests are processed and reported over weekends. Ezike also said that the week ending in May 16 was the first week with fewer deaths than the previous week since the pandemic began.
[ Chicago releases rules for restaurants to reopen, but no date yet ]
Many businesses across Illinois, outside of Chicago, are preparing to reopen at the end of the week as all four regions of the state move into the next phase of Pritzker’s five-phase reopening plan. The governor and Ezike on Tuesday laid out a series of positive developments in the state’s battle with the new coronavirus.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19, which had been plateauing, have dropped to a six-week low. The percentage of tests for the coronavirus returning positive results statewide has dropped from a high of 23% a month ago to an average of just above 9% over the past seven days.
“We seem to have come off the peak,” Pritzker said at his daily press briefing, the first held in person at the Thompson Center in the Loop since he began self-isolating May 11 after a senior staff member tested positive for the virus. Pritzker held in-person briefings last week and over the weekend at the Capitol in Springfield.
“Barring some catastrophe in the next four days,” Pritzker said, a wider range of businesses — including more retailers, barbershops and salons, and gyms and fitness centers — will be able to reopen Friday under new industry-specific public health guidelines his administration issued Sunday.
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[ When can Illinois reopen? Check our daily charts on where each region stands. ]
While a wide range of business will be open in phase three of Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” plan, there will be big adjustments to pre-coronavirus practices. Barbers and hair stylists and their clients will have to wear masks. Stores only will be able to allow in half as many customers at a time. Restaurants will be able to resume outdoor dining, with permission from the local government and with temperature checks for servers before their shifts.
Pritzker and Ezike urged the public to adhere closely to the state’s guidelines to avoid a resurgence as more Illinoisans resume activities that were part of daily life before the virus hit.
“The fact that we’ve seen these numbers trend in a good direction even after we opened things up in phase two demonstrates the importance of everyday actions,” the governor said, noting that the loosening of some restrictions in his statewide stay-at-home order on May 1 was accompanied by a new requirement for wearing face coverings in public.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks at a news conference at City Hall on May 8, 2020, while Dr. Allison Arwady, left, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, listens. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The loosening of coronavirus restrictions in Chicago, however, will come at a slower pace. Lightfoot last week said the city’s reopening “will be like slowly turning a dimmer switch and not flipping a light switch" and said it would come in “early June.”
In most ways the Lightfoot’s guidelines are quite similar to Pritzker’s plan.
One place where they differ is in regard to retailers. Pritzker says retailers can operate at 50% of their normal capacity or five customers per 1,000 square feet. Lightfoot distinguishes between essential retailers, which can go up to 50%, and those deemed nonessential, which must cap the number of people in the store at 25% of normal.
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In Chicago parks, noncontact sports will be allowed in small groups in phase three, which means tennis courts should get unlocked again, but don’t expect those basketball rims to get reinstalled. Playgrounds will stay closed.
Lightfoot also promised enforcement of the new rules.
“In order to support the more than 130,000 estimated Chicagoans who will head back to their places of work in phase three, a robust enforcement strategy, which will be led by the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and (Health Department), will be put in place to keep employers, employees and customers safe,” the mayor’s news release reads in part.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com