chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Wisconsin man who triggered violent Madison protest will plead guilty to extortion

That same day he and another man visited the State Street bar with the stereo and were escorted out by @ @ @ @ @ the bar the next day with the same man and another , complained about how @ @ @ @ @ before and demanded free food and beer to make up for it .
He suggested @ @ @ @ @ the place down if the owners didn ’ t comply , saying police let protesters @ @ @ @ @

The base of a statue of Col. Hans Christian Heg, a Union Civil War colonel who fought for the end of slavery, after the statue was torn down by protesters during demonstrations in Madison, Wis., on June 23, 2020. Crowds outside the Wisconsin State Capitol tore down two statues and attacked a state senator amid protests following the arrest of a Black man who shouted at restaurant customers through a megaphone while carrying a baseball bat. (Emily Hamer/Wisconsin State Journal )
MADISON, Wis. — A Black man whose arrest triggered a violent protest in Madison will plead guilty to extorting a local business in a deal with federal prosecutors.
The Wisconsin State Journal reported Friday that 29-year-old Devonere Johnson has agreed to plead guilty to one of two extortion counts. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the other count and recommend a sentence of time-served and two years on supervised release. Each count carries a maximum 20-year sentence.
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Johnson had been in jail since he was arrested in June. On Oct. 1, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker released him to 24-hour house arrest pending trial.
No date for a plea hearing has been set.
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Johnson was arrested on June 23 outside The Coopers Tavern on the state Capitol square. According to state and federal court documents, he had threatened the owners of that tavern and the owner of another bar on State Street.
Brandishing a baseball bat and a portable stereo, Johnson and another man went into The Coopers Tavern on June 22 and demanded the owner give him money through Venmo or he would smash the tavern’s windows.
That same day he and another man visited the State Street bar with the stereo and were escorted out by police. He returned to the bar the next day with the same man and another, complained about how he was treated the day before and demanded free food and beer to make up for it. He suggested he would have protesters burn the place down if the owners didn’t comply, saying police let protesters do what they want.
Workers board up street-level windows near the West Washington entrance to the Capitol in Madison, Wis., on June, 24, 2020, the morning after protesters tore down statues of Forward and a Union Civil War colonel. (Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal)
Downtown Madison was in the midst of a series of protests over George Floyd’s death at the time. Floyd, who was Black, died on Memorial Day after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes.
Johnson’s arrest spurred a protest that night that turned violent, with demonstrators pulling down two statutes outside the Capitol and assaulting a state senator on the Capitol lawn.
Johnson still faces a state charge of threatening to injure or accuse a person of a crime, as do the two other men, Gregg James and William Shanley.


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--1 dead, at least 4 wounded in city shootings as weekend begins

When the victim attempted to enter his vehicle that was parked in a driveway belonging to another resident , that @ @ @ @ @ an argument ensued , which led to a gun being pulled and the victim being @ @ @ @ @

An unidentified man in his 30s was discovered fatally wounded early Saturday morning in Humboldt Park neighborhood, and at least four others were wounded in shootings since 3:45 p.m. Friday, Chicago police said.
About 3:15 a.m. Saturday, officers responding to a call of shots fired in the 1400 block of North Harding Avenue found a victim described as in his late 30s lying facedown with several gunshot wounds to the body, police said.
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The man was taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later, police said.
About 11:15 p.m. Friday, a 34-year-old man suffered a wound to his stomach after entering his vehicle that was parked in a driveway that belonged to a different resident in the Montclare neighborhood, police said.
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When the victim attempted to enter his vehicle that was parked in a driveway belonging to another resident, that person approached the man and an argument ensued, which led to a gun being pulled and the victim being shot, police said.
The victim was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was listed in good condition. The shooter was taken into custody, and a gun was recovered from the scene, police said.
In other shootings overnight:
About 10:30 p.m. Friday, a 33-year-old man was shot in the 5100 block of West Chicago Avenue in the South Austin neighborhood. Police said the victim was standing outside his vehicle when a dark-colored vehicle approached and someone opened fire. The man was shot in the right finger and buttocks, and was dropped off at Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said.
About 7:50 p.m., a 28-year-old man was shot in the 7900 block of South Saginaw Avenue in the South Chicago neighborhood. Police said the victim was approached by a gunman on foot who opened fire, striking the victim in the leg and ear. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was listed in good condition.
About 3:45 p.m., a male victim whose age was unknown was shot in the 4700 block of West Jackson Boulevard in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. Police said the victim suffered a wound to the right arm and was taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment.
dawilliams@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Madigan, billionaires clash in record-shattering $10.7 million Illinois Supreme Court contest that t

Madigan, billionaires clash in record-shattering $10.7 million Illinois Supreme Court contest that threatens court’s Democratic majority

One scenario Republicans are mulling is that the six justices ― three from each party ― would deadlock on a @ @ @ @ @ the court evenly balanced .
That could come in handy if a politically charged issue @ @ @ @ @ boundaries , comes before the high court during the next two years .
The final @ @ @ @ @ of taking control of the court would be to win the Kilbride seat outright against @ @ @ @ @ .

Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride’s bid to retain his seat this fall has emerged as a high-stakes, record-setting expensive campaign that Republicans are trying to make a referendum on embattled House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Billionaire conservatives, state GOP leaders and a dark money group are blanketing voters’ mailboxes with full-color attack ads that portray the justice as a Madigan puppet, citing the speaker’s large campaign contributions to Kilbride’s election efforts dating back to 2000.
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One mailer describes the justice as “Mike Madigan’s captain on the Illinois Supreme Court” and depicts the speaker wearing a baseball shirt that says “coach” with a whistle around his neck. Another features the two as tuxedo-clad James Bond-style secret agents, with Kilbride holding a bag festooned with a dollar sign representing Madigan’s money. There’s even a four-page faux newspaper that attempts to taint Kilbride with 14th Ward Ald. Edward Burke’s corruption scandal.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride appears at the opening of the new Will County Courthouse in Joliet on Oct. 9, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
It’s not a good time to be tied to Madigan, whose political and government operation is under intense federal scrutiny as part of an investigation that’s already resulted in ComEd admitting it sought to influence legislation by giving Madigan allies jobs and contracts.
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Kilbride, a 67-year-old onetime labor lawyer from Rock Island, said the millions of dollars in campaign funds he received from the Madigan-controlled Illinois Democratic Party have played no role in his past judicial rulings.
“Just a bunch of crap,” said Kilbride, who dismissed the Republican-backed hit pieces as out-of-order “mudslinging.”
In an interview, Kilbride said he wants voters to judge him “thoughtfully and fairly” and not based on negative flyers with “misrepresentations of the truth.”
The outcome of the contest is critical to both parties: Democrats want Kilbride to succeed in his retention effort so they can preserve a 4-3 majority on the high court. Republicans see defeating Kilbride as their best hope to eventually try to be in charge of the state’s high court for the first time in more than half a century and break the Democrats’ grip on all three branches of state government.
An attack ad mailer depicts Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride with House Speaker Michael Madigan wearing a baseball shirt that says “coach” with a whistle around his neck. (Citizens for Judicial Fairness campaign)
An attack ad mailer depicts Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride with House Speaker Michael Madigan as James Bond-style secret agents. (Citizens for Judicial Fairness campaign)
Kilbride needs the approval of 60% voters to win retention to a third 10-year term. No opponent runs in a retention contest.
While the 3rd Judicial District contest has statewide implications, it will be decided by voters in 21 counties that stretch from Will and Kankakee to Peoria and Rock Island. It’s a swath of Illinois that backed Republican Donald Trump in 2016 and favored then-Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018.
“It won’t be easy, but it’s a district that, if Republicans got out and voted ‘no’ against Kilbride, against his retention, I think we could knock him out of the box,” said former U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, a Peoria Republican who served as Democratic President Barack Obama’s transportation secretary.
On the ground, Republicans are pitching the Kilbride race as a chance to vote against Madigan, who at election time answers only to voters in his heavily Democratic Southwest Side House district every two years since 1970.
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James Nowlan, a former GOP lawmaker who chairs the anti-Kilbride committee Citizens for Judicial Fairness, asks political audiences in towns such as Carthage, Monmouth and Utica if they ever wished they could vote against Madigan.
“They almost come out of their chairs with applause," he said. “And I say, ‘This year you can (vote against Madigan). You can vote against Tom Kilbride.'”
The war continues
The Kilbride retention fight is a continuation of Madigan and Democratic special interests battling wealthy Republicans who backed Rauner’s anti-union, pro-business agenda.
The biggest anti-Kilbride money has come from billionaire Citadel hedge fund owner Ken Griffin, who has given $4.5 million, including $2.5 million reported Thursday night; and packing materials mogul Richard Uihlein, who added $1 million, including $500,000 reported Friday night. Both were key Rauner donors, though Uihlein later broke with the governor.
Griffin and Uihlein also oppose Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s push for a graduated-rate income tax amendment — another political crosswind that Kilbride foes think will bring out voters who will oppose both the amendment and the justice.
A $200,000 donation from a dark-money group called the Judicial Fairness Project gave the anti-Kilbride forces a jump-start. The group’s registered agent is attorney John Fogarty, the Chicago-based general counsel for the Illinois Republican Party. Fogarty declined to identify the donors.
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Paperwork filed with the secretary of state showed the group’s board of directors includes two members of the Republican state central committee and the former head of the Illinois Republican County Chairmen’s Association. Listed as the incorporator was Nick Klitzing, a former state GOP executive director.
Two years ago, Democrats decried Klitzing for the political dirty trick of impersonating a college newspaper reporter on a press phone call with Democratic congressional candidate Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. Klitzing could not be reached for comment on his anti-Kilbride efforts.
The Judicial Fairness Project does not fall under laws that require prompt disclosure of specific individuals who gave to the group, and the lack of transparency leads to public cynicism, said campaign finance expert Kent Redfield.
“It does nothing to build faith in judicial institutions and the public sense that the political system works in a fair way,” said Redfield, a professor emeritus based at the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride at the opening of the new Will County Courthouse in Joliet on Oct. 9, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Another $75,000 sent to Nowlan’s group comes from the Republican State Leadership Committee’s Illinois political action committee, which is affiliated with a Washington-based group that’s received contributions over the years from ADM, Boeing, FMC Corp. and Koch Industries.
In addition to the flood of flyers, anti-Kilbride forces aired a TV ad telling voters to “defeat Mike Madigan’s favorite judge.”
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Kilbride recently countered with an ad in which he looks into the camera and says he has been “attacked harshly, repeatedly and falsely. I’m here to tell you flat out: These attacks are lies and distortions.”
A narrator then says Kilbride is under attack by out-of-state dark money because he refuses to let greedy corporations and predatory insurance companies own our courts."
Madigan’s help
Madigan doubles as state Democratic chairman, and one of his most farsighted successes was pouring nearly $700,000 in state Democratic Party funds late in a 2000 race to help Kilbride defeat a Republican opponent and flip the seat to the Democratic column.
Ten years later, Kilbride was up for retention and Madigan infused nearly $1.5 million in Democratic Party funds into the justice’s campaign. Kilbride received under 66% of the vote, a low enough level of support that anti-Kilbride forces believe he is vulnerable now.
On Tuesday, Madigan poured $550,000 into Kilbride’s retention, putting his total support to Kilbride over the years to $2.6 million in party funds alone.
That contribution came after Kilbride had indicated he wouldn’t take Madigan’s money. “We’re not going to accept one penny — and I say this respectfully — (from) Speaker Madigan or any of his entities,” Kilbride said on Oct. 2, WBEZ reported.
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Asked by the Tribune before the latest contribution if he anticipated support from Madigan or the Democratic Party, Kilbride said, “As far as I’m concerned, we’re not coordinating.”
Kilbride said he would make himself available for follow-up questions, but he did not on Wednesday. Instead, a spokesman issued a statement to questions about Madigan’s contribution.
“To further maintain his impartiality, (Kilbride) has no role in fundraising — all such decisions are made by his treasurer — and no knowledge of the donors to his retention committee nor of those to the opposition committee,” spokesman Ryan McLaughlin said. “Justice Kilbride is proud to have support from Republicans, Democrats and Independents, and to have been endorsed by a bipartisan group of law enforcement leaders and police officers from across the district.”
One factor that’s different this time around for Kilbride is that Madigan has been under a harsh spotlight since federal prosecutors implicated him over the summer in the ComEd jobs-for-favors bribery scandal. The power company admitted it sought to influence legislation by giving Madigan allies jobs and contracts. Madigan repeatedly has denied wrongdoing.
Kilbride also has received millions of dollars from the speaker’s allies in big labor, teacher unions and the trial lawyer community. A growing number of groups have made six-figure contributions after Kilbride lent his campaign $110,000 on Sept. 11, a move that removed campaign contribution limits in the contest.
Of the first eight law firms that gave Kilbride $100,000, seven of them previously gave to Madigan-controlled funds. To date, Kilbride has received more than $300,000 from the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association, two of at least seven major unions that have given Kilbride $100,000 or more for his current retention bid.
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All told, the pro- and anti-Kilbride sides have put in nearly $10.7 million through Friday night. That’s a new contributions record for a state Supreme Court contest in Illinois, breaking the previous high-water mark of $9.38 million in 2004.
“It’s a stunning amount,” said Redfield, the campaign finance expert.
The issues
The makeup of the state Supreme Court is crucial because justices rule on everything from the constitutionality of laws to legislative maps that help decide who controls the General Assembly.
Nowlan, who chairs the anti-Kilbride political committee, is particularly miffed that Kilbride authored a 2016 decision that threw out a proposed amendment that attempted to neutralize the politics when legislative district boundaries are redrawn once a decade.
“I really think he sold his soul to the devil with that opinion,” Nowlan said.
Madigan was opposed to taking away mapmaking from politicians, and Kilbride’s 4-3 Democratic majority opinion drew a searing dissent from then-Republican Justice Robert Thomas, who wrote: “The Illinois Constitution is meant to prevent tyranny, not to enshrine it.”
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Even so, Thomas has endorsed his Democratic colleague for retention, calling Kilbride a “conscientious jurist.” Despite their differences, Thomas said he “never saw” Kilbride make judgments based on Madigan’s influence or on Democratic politics.
In attack brochures, the anti-Kilbride forces also hammered the justice for joining a 4-3 bipartisan opinion that allowed an Illinois Federation of Teachers lobbyist — a former Madigan staffer ― to get a taxpayer-supported teachers pension after substitute teaching at a grade school for only one day.
The lobbyist now gets nearly $80,000 a year from the teacher retirement system — plus almost $35,000 annually more from a separate state pension system for his time on the speaker’s staff.
In another pension case, Kilbride is taking heat for writing the 2015 opinion that a high-profile public retirement system overhaul was unconstitutional because it violated the standard that retiree benefits could not be reduced once they were put in place. Kilbride noted the court agreed unanimously and that Madigan, a chief proponent of the pension law, came out on the losing side.
Republican Ty Fahner, a former Illinois attorney general who fought to uphold the pension law, strongly disagreed with Kilbride’s opinion but still backs him for retention. “I found that (opinion) to be disappointing but certainly not partisan one way or the other,” Fahner said.
If Kilbride wins and serves another term, it would give him 30 years on the high court, a feat no one has achieved since full terms were set at 10 years in the 1960s. He would come close to the state’s longest-tenured justice, Thomas Browne, who served for 30 years and two months ending in 1848, according to historical court records.
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If Kilbride loses his retention bid, the court’s remaining six justices would seek to find an interim appointment until a replacement could be elected in two years.
One scenario Republicans are mulling is that the six justices ― three from each party ― would deadlock on a temporary Kilbride replacement and keep the court evenly balanced. That could come in handy if a politically charged issue, such as redrawing legislative boundaries, comes before the high court during the next two years. The final step in the Republican hope of taking control of the court would be to win the Kilbride seat outright against a Democratic opponent in 2022.
Besides the Kilbride race, there are two other state Supreme Court contests on the Nov. 3 ballot.
The Trump factor may play a role in the open-seat, 5th District race in far southern Illinois territory that has trended increasingly more Republican. The contest pitting Democratic Appellate Justice Judy Cates of Swansea and Republican Appellate Court Justice David Overstreet of Mount Vernon has grown contentious.
Cates even endorsed the idea that she and Overstreet should face off at a turkey shoot campaign event to show who is the better shot. Overstreet’s campaign chairman dismissed the idea, saying Cates was simply trying to woo conservative Democrats and Republicans in an area where hunting has great appeal.
In Cook County, appointed Democratic Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. is running unopposed for a full term to replace the late Justice Charles Freeman.
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rlong@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @RayLong


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Oct. 23 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

The county warning list , which the state Department of Public Health issues weekly , includes Kane , McHenry and Will counties , which all came under stricter state regulations Friday aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus .
As the coronavirus continues to surge in Illinois , and with the state now averaging more than 4,000 positive diagnoses a day over the past week , on Thursday the state anounced a new record high number of newly confirmed daily cases .
That case count of 4,942 tops the previous record of 4,554 new cases set just six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including a renewed prohibition on indoor dining and bar service , took effect in southern Illinois and a wide swath of suburban Chicago .
Meanwhile , days after threatening to roll back restrictions on Chicago businesses if COVID-19 cases continue to spike , Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday by imposed a 10 p.m. curfew on all nonessential city businesses .
In addition , the city will again prohibit indoor service at traditional taverns and brewery taprooms that don ’ t have food licenses , and asked residents to cap any social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the past week , Illinois recorded more than 1,400 new COVID-19 infections among residents in nursing homes , assisted living centers and other large , congregate-care facilities , according to the weekly data released by the state .
That ’ s the highest one-week tally since early June .
The weekly tally was also notably larger than the roughly 1,100 new cases seen the week prior , and the nearly 650 cases in the week before that .
Deaths of residents climbed too : another 131 in the past week .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 96 and 95 deaths , respectively , which already was much higher than the 55 deaths seen three weeks ago .
The latest spike put the death toll in long-term care facilities at 5,019 , accounting for more than half of the total statewide toll of 9,418 COVID-19 fatalities , as of Friday .
7:10 p.m. : CPS , teachers union both say other side won ’ t engage on school reopening plans The Chicago Teachers Union , which has raised serious concerns about plans to resume in-person classes next quarter , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , accusing Chicago Public Schools and Mayor Lori Lightfoot of illegally refusing to bargain over reopening and safety protocols .
“ Our youngest and most medically vulnerable students deserve safety , yet that is exactly what CPS refuses to take steps to document or guarantee , ” said CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates on Friday .
District spokeswoman Emily Bolton , however , said CPS is working with the union and will continue to do so “ in the hopes they engage as productive partners and help us lift up the students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ We are disheartened that CTU continues to obstruct and mislead the public about the necessary planning measures needed to prepare for a potential return to safe in-person learning , ” Bolton said .
As tension builds over the murky plan for next quarter , the union and the district still seem far apart .
Can they find common ground ?
6:35 p.m. : Lake Forest High School teachers say county health department ’ s COVID-19 warning being ignored by school board Despite the Lake County Health Department ’ s recommendation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a surge in COVID-19 cases , Lake Forest High School is currently scheduled to continue delivering some in-person instruction to freshmen and sophomores .
The Thursday decision by District 115 board members to keep the high school open for some in-person instruction was swiftly lambasted by Lake Forest teachers , who expressed dismay that officials were not following the recommendation of the Lake County Health Department that all public and private schools in the county shift to remote learning because of growing COVID-19 infection rates .
“ This is about the safety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community , ” said Becca Schwartz , president of the Lake Forest teachers union , in a Friday statement .
The District 115 board is likely to meet again Oct. 29 , officials said .
School Board President David Lane on Thursday did not rule out a further expansion of remote learning .
“ We hope not to do it , but if the numbers continue to be troubling , we might have to do it , ” Lane said .
“ The medical professionals are saying it ’ s not safe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team that the ( Lake Forest Educators Association ) would expect the district to listen to the county recommendation , ” Schwartz said .
“ As a board , we represent the majority of members of our community in their desire to safely keep as many students in our schools as possible .
Our students and staff have adhered to rigorous and thorough risk mitigation protocols , ” Lane said in the statement .
`` This has resulted in no known in-building transmissions of the virus and proven that it can be done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ High School to spend up to $ 1.3 million on COVID-19 saliva screenings for students , staff In an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus and help keep New Trier High School open for in-person instruction , school officials said Friday they will pay up to $ 1.3 million to conduct COVID-19 saliva screenings for students and staff .
The no bid contract , which officials say is allowed under state code due to the urgency of the services needed during the pandemic , was awarded to Safeguard Screening , LLC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson .
The screenings are currently scheduled to start in mid-November .
Students and staff participating in the voluntary screenings at New Trier will receive kits including small tubes , plastic baggies , bar code stickers and instructions for collecting saliva samples at home , Johnson said .
The high school ’ s campuses in Winnetka and Northfield reopened briefly under a hybrid learning plan earlier this month before shutting down again due to COVID-19 concerns .
The school is expected to remain closed next week , Johnson said .
The quick screening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involves spitting into a tube , placing the tube in a bag and sanitizing the bag before returning it to a drop-off box at the high school , Johnson said .
While the screenings are voluntary , they will be required for any students planning to participate in athletic and in-person extra curricular activities , Johnson said .
4:31 p.m. : On the worst day of the pandemic , the US reported 75,687 new COVID-19 cases .
The nation is almost there again .
That day , arguably the worst of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , set records nationwide .
By the end of that 24-hour period , a staggering 75,687 new cases had been reported around the country , the highest count on a single day over the past seven months .
4:14 p.m. : The price for not wearing masks : Perhaps 130,000 lives through next spring , scientists say Universal mask use could prevent nearly 130,000 deaths from COVID-19 , the illness caused by the coronavirus , in the United States through next spring , scientists reported Friday .
The findings follow an assertion by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s science adviser , that masks are ineffective , in a tweet later taken down by Twitter for spreading misinformation .
On Wednesday , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance recommending mask use in public settings , including public transportation .
A surge of infections , driven in part by neglect of safety precautions , has begun to overwhelm hospitals in much of the nation .
More than 75,000 new cases were reported in the United States on Thursday , the second-highest daily total nationwide since the pandemic began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As people weigh the risks and rewards of getting together with family to celebrate the holidays , experts warn that without significant changes , Chicagoans could be in for a grim winter .
City residents who flocked outside Thursday afternoon to enjoy a warm , sunny day worried about the coming months and talked of scaled-down holiday dinners and traditions that will likely be impossible to follow this year .
“ It just feels really bleak , looking ahead at a whole winter and thinking about the holidays , ” Landon said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it is really tough — there ’ s no way to sugarcoat that.
” Landon and others use the term pandemic fatigue to refer to people tired of hearing and thinking about the dangers of COVID-19 and all the associated changes the virus has thrust on them .
Fatigue has reached a point that even experts admit feeling a general malaise after months of hypervigilance .
As of Friday , parents can schedule an appointment online for children to receive a nasal swab test .
Parents need to provide electronic consent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing locations , where pharmacy workers will guide them on how to administer the test to the child .
The expansion is part of Walgreens ' plan to ramp up its testing program and offer parents and guardians more options as school administrators continue to bring students back to classrooms .
Vehicles in search of open spaces on Friday morning circled a crowded Laraway Road parking lot serving a shopping center that is home to Gina ’ s Teardrop Café in New Lenox .
Customers stood in line under an awning as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become available inside , where every table was packed with people .
New restrictions from Gov .
J.B. Pritzker intended to slow the spread of COVID-19 took effect Friday .
They prohibit indoor dining in Will County and other places where numbers of infections are rising .
The restrictions are designed to improve public health and safety by reducing crowds .
But on Friday at Gina ’ s , they appeared to have the opposite effect .
A throng of customers showed up .
“ We ’ ve got to support our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of New Lenox , who was dining at the counter .
“ They ’ re either going to open for business , or they ’ re going to close permanently.
” 2:27 p.m. : ‘ My students are struggling ’ : Joint pain , migraines , vision impairment and mental health are impacting student wellness during remote learning .
Remote learning has been a challenging adjustment for many students , teachers and parents since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March .
But for students who are spending an inordinate amount of time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top of managing the general anxieties that come with being an adolescent , overall wellness — whether mental , emotional or physical — has , in some cases , been negatively impacted .
According to a recent nationwide study on teacher and student wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic , 46 % of teachers reported encountering student mental health concerns such as anxiety , depression , academic stress , trauma and grief more often than they did before the pandemic .
Teachers also noted their students ' concerns for their external surroundings , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fears that loved ones would be harmed or contract COVID-19 , the study said .
Physical issues from prolonged desk-sitting are also ailing some students .
2:01 p.m. : Chicago-area grocers stock up to ward off shortages as COVID-19 cases rise .
‘ We ’ re always chasing one thing to the next.
’ After being wiped clean of goods like toilet paper , canned food and hand sanitizer at the start of the pandemic , Chicago-area grocery stores and suppliers are stocking up to avert shortages as coronavirus cases rise in Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on lessons learned from the spring to make sure they can meet demand from customers who may once again be preparing to hunker down at home .
If the virus doesn ’ t get under control , the city could see a second stay-at-home order , Lightfoot warned Thursday .
1:16 p.m. : Illinois places half of the state ’ s 102 counties at ‘ warning level ’ for coronavirus resurgence The Illinois health department placed half of the state ’ s 102 counties on a warning list for a resurgence of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,874 newly diagnosed cases statewide and 31 additional deaths .
The county warning list , which the state Department of Public Health issues weekly , includes Kane , McHenry and Will counties , which all came under stricter state regulations Friday aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus .
The Illinois Department of Public Health uses a range of metrics to assess whether counties are placed at the warning level , including new cases per 100,000 people , weekly hospital admissions and emergency room visits and the number of deaths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state-set metrics , it ’ s placed on the warning list .
Illinois health officials on Friday announced 3,874 new known cases of COVID-19 and 31 additional fatalities , bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 364,033 and the statewide death toll to 9,418 since the start of the pandemic .
Officials also reported 82,256 new tests in the last 24 hours .
The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 5.6 % .
Beginning Friday , bars and restaurants in those counties will not be allowed to offer indoor service and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 25 people or 25 % of room capacity instead of the 50 people that had been allowed , among other restrictions , Pritzker said at a press conference Tuesday .
The announcement comes as Pritzker and state health officials warned of increasing COVID-19 positivity rates and hospital admissions across the state .
Justin Macariola-Coad , the interim chief medical officer at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin , said Kane County and the surrounding area are likely experiencing the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19 .
6:54 a.m. : Some Will County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions : ‘ We ’ re not on a fair playing field ’ As restaurants in Will County face another round of COVID-19 restrictions shutting down indoor dining and bar service beginning Friday , some took to Facebook to tell customers their dining rooms would stay open .
Restaurants such as the Stagecoach in Lockport and JBD White Horse Inn in New Lenox both posted messages saying they planned to continue offering indoor dining .
The restaurant owners said they were not making the decision out of spite , but out of necessity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on social distancing and mask wearing to provide a safe , clean environment for customers .
“ Closing our doors is not an option , ” a statement from JBD White Horse Inn read .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker Tuesday announced restrictions banning indoor dining and bar service in Will , Kankakee , DuPage and Kane counties as a result of increasing test positivity rates for COVID-19 .
Pritzker said Thursday he may use the Illinois State Police to issue citations for violators and that he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liquor and gaming licenses for noncompliant restaurants .
5 a.m. : 10-year-old boy survives severe inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 First the otherwise healthy 10-year-old boy complained of a headache and no appetite , followed by a high fever that wouldn ’ t subside with pain relievers .
A few days later , the whites of his eyes turned an eerie shade of red and he became so weak he could no longer walk on his own .
About 2 a.m. April 28 , an ambulance rushed Joshua Smith to University of Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospital , where he would be diagnosed with a Kawasaki-like illness — an uncommon disease marked by a high fever and swelled blood vessels — that had recently surfaced in kids residing in COVID-19 hot spots in Europe and New York .
Joshua ’ s mother recalled praying for her son as she drove behind the ambulance , its flashing red and blue lights intermittently filling the darkness beyond her windshield .
No clinician could immediately explain what had made Joshua grow so ill so quickly .
5 a.m. : As temperatures drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to virtual memberships When the coronavirus pandemic forced gyms and fitness studios to close in March , the owners of indoor cycling studio Spynergy rented out bikes that would otherwise have sat idle , bought audio and video equipment and started figuring out how to teach online .
A camera sits among the bikes , and instructors talk to virtual participants they can see on a screen in addition to riders in the room , said Liza Ritter , who owns Spynergy ’ s Wicker Park studio .
Her mother and aunt own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual classes have helped supplement limited in-person capacity during the pandemic , but Ritter says she ’ s hoping to grow the online business even once those limits lift .
Here are five stories from Thursday related to COVID-19 :

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CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The Illinois health department placed half of the state’s 102 counties on a warning list for a resurgence of COVID-19 on Friday, as officials reported another 3,874 newly diagnosed cases statewide and 31 additional deaths.
The county warning list, which the state Department of Public Health issues weekly, includes Kane, McHenry and Will counties, which all came under stricter state regulations Friday aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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Officials also reported 82,256 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 5.6%.
As the coronavirus continues to surge in Illinois, and with the state now averaging more than 4,000 positive diagnoses a day over the past week, on Thursday the state anounced a new record high number of newly confirmed daily cases.
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That case count of 4,942 tops the previous record of 4,554 new cases set just six days earlier and came as new restrictions, including a renewed prohibition on indoor dining and bar service, took effect in southern Illinois and a wide swath of suburban Chicago.
Meanwhile, days after threatening to roll back restrictions on Chicago businesses if COVID-19 cases continue to spike, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday by imposed a 10 p.m. curfew on all nonessential city businesses.
In addition, the city will again prohibit indoor service at traditional taverns and brewery taprooms that don’t have food licenses, and asked residents to cap any social gatherings at six people starting Friday.
Here’s what’s happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
8:25 p.m.: Illinois hits another sad COVID-19 milestone — 5,000 deaths in long-term care — as cases rise
Illinois long-term care facilities are experiencing their biggest jump in COVID-19 cases in months, as the state passed a tragic milestone: 5,000 deaths among residents.
In the past week, Illinois recorded more than 1,400 new COVID-19 infections among residents in nursing homes, assisted living centers and other large, congregate-care facilities, according to the weekly data released by the state.
That’s the highest one-week tally since early June. The weekly tally was also notably larger than the roughly 1,100 new cases seen the week prior, and the nearly 650 cases in the week before that.
Deaths of residents climbed too: another 131 in the past week. That followed tallies the past two weeks of 96 and 95 deaths, respectively, which already was much higher than the 55 deaths seen three weeks ago.
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The latest spike put the death toll in long-term care facilities at 5,019, accounting for more than half of the total statewide toll of 9,418 COVID-19 fatalities, as of Friday.
Read more here. —Joe Mahr
7:10 p.m.: CPS, teachers union both say other side won’t engage on school reopening plans
The Chicago Teachers Union, which has raised serious concerns about plans to resume in-person classes next quarter, has filed a new unfair labor practice charge, accusing Chicago Public Schools and Mayor Lori Lightfoot of illegally refusing to bargain over reopening and safety protocols.
“Our youngest and most medically vulnerable students deserve safety, yet that is exactly what CPS refuses to take steps to document or guarantee,” said CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates on Friday.
District spokeswoman Emily Bolton, however, said CPS is working with the union and will continue to do so “in the hopes they engage as productive partners and help us lift up the students and families who need our collective support.”
“We are disheartened that CTU continues to obstruct and mislead the public about the necessary planning measures needed to prepare for a potential return to safe in-person learning,” Bolton said.
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As tension builds over the murky plan for next quarter, the union and the district still seem far apart. Can they find common ground?
Read more here. –Hannah Leone
6:35 p.m.: Lake Forest High School teachers say county health department’s COVID-19 warning being ignored by school board
Despite the Lake County Health Department’s recommendation that schools return to remote learning due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, Lake Forest High School is currently scheduled to continue delivering some in-person instruction to freshmen and sophomores.
The Thursday decision by District 115 board members to keep the high school open for some in-person instruction was swiftly lambasted by Lake Forest teachers, who expressed dismay that officials were not following the recommendation of the Lake County Health Department that all public and private schools in the county shift to remote learning because of growing COVID-19 infection rates.
“This is about the safety of our students, our staff and our community,” said Becca Schwartz, president of the Lake Forest teachers union, in a Friday statement.
The District 115 board is likely to meet again Oct. 29, officials said. School Board President David Lane on Thursday did not rule out a further expansion of remote learning.
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“We hope not to do it, but if the numbers continue to be troubling, we might have to do it,” Lane said.
Meanwhile, teachers are continuing to put pressure on officials.
“The medical professionals are saying it’s not safe to stay open. We told the administrative team that the (Lake Forest Educators Association) would expect the district to listen to the county recommendation,” Schwartz said.
In response to Schwartz’s statements, Lane stood by the board’s approach.
“As a board, we represent the majority of members of our community in their desire to safely keep as many students in our schools as possible. Our students and staff have adhered to rigorous and thorough risk mitigation protocols,” Lane said in the statement. "This has resulted in no known in-building transmissions of the virus and proven that it can be done ... "
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta and Daniel I. Dorfman
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5:15 p.m.: New Trier High School to spend up to $1.3 million on COVID-19 saliva screenings for students, staff
In an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus and help keep New Trier High School open for in-person instruction, school officials said Friday they will pay up to $1.3 million to conduct COVID-19 saliva screenings for students and staff.
The no bid contract, which officials say is allowed under state code due to the urgency of the services needed during the pandemic, was awarded to Safeguard Screening, LLC, said New Trier Assistant Superintendent Chris Johnson. The screenings are currently scheduled to start in mid-November.
Students and staff participating in the voluntary screenings at New Trier will receive kits including small tubes, plastic baggies, bar code stickers and instructions for collecting saliva samples at home, Johnson said.
The high school’s campuses in Winnetka and Northfield reopened briefly under a hybrid learning plan earlier this month before shutting down again due to COVID-19 concerns. The school is expected to remain closed next week, Johnson said.
The quick screening process, which is considered non-diagnostic, involves spitting into a tube, placing the tube in a bag and sanitizing the bag before returning it to a drop-off box at the high school, Johnson said.
While the screenings are voluntary, they will be required for any students planning to participate in athletic and in-person extra curricular activities, Johnson said.
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Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
4:31 p.m.: On the worst day of the pandemic, the US reported 75,687 new COVID-19 cases. The nation is almost there again.
July 16.
That day, arguably the worst of the pandemic in the United States to that point, set records nationwide. By the end of that 24-hour period, a staggering 75,687 new cases had been reported around the country, the highest count on a single day over the past seven months.
Now the nation is approaching that record once more.
Read more here. —The New York Times
4:14 p.m.: The price for not wearing masks: Perhaps 130,000 lives through next spring, scientists say
Universal mask use could prevent nearly 130,000 deaths from COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, in the United States through next spring, scientists reported Friday.
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The findings follow an assertion by Dr. Scott Atlas, the president’s science adviser, that masks are ineffective, in a tweet later taken down by Twitter for spreading misinformation. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance recommending mask use in public settings, including public transportation.
A surge of infections, driven in part by neglect of safety precautions, has begun to overwhelm hospitals in much of the nation. More than 75,000 new cases were reported in the United States on Thursday, the second-highest daily total nationwide since the pandemic began. Eight states set single-day case records.
Read more here. —The New York Times
3:39 p.m.: Pandemic fatigue could make cold-weather COVID spike worse. Want a better 2021? Resist risky holiday gatherings.
As people weigh the risks and rewards of getting together with family to celebrate the holidays, experts warn that without significant changes, Chicagoans could be in for a grim winter.
City residents who flocked outside Thursday afternoon to enjoy a warm, sunny day worried about the coming months and talked of scaled-down holiday dinners and traditions that will likely be impossible to follow this year.
“It just feels really bleak, looking ahead at a whole winter and thinking about the holidays,” Landon said. “It just feels really tough, and it is really tough — there’s no way to sugarcoat that.”
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Landon and others use the term pandemic fatigue to refer to people tired of hearing and thinking about the dangers of COVID-19 and all the associated changes the virus has thrust on them. Fatigue has reached a point that even experts admit feeling a general malaise after months of hypervigilance.
Read more here. —Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas and Madeline Buckley
3:09 p.m.: Walgreens lowers age for COVID-19 testing to children 3 and older
Walgreens is expanding COVID-19 testing for children age 3 and older across its 36 testing sites in Illinois.
As of Friday, parents can schedule an appointment online for children to receive a nasal swab test. Parents need to provide electronic consent and must accompany any minor to Walgreens testing locations, where pharmacy workers will guide them on how to administer the test to the child.
Adolescents have the option to administer the test for themselves.
Patients can expect to receive results within 24 to 72 hours, depending on lab capacity, Walgreens said.
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Previously, the Deerfield-based pharmacy retailer offered testing to people 18 and older.
The expansion is part of Walgreens' plan to ramp up its testing program and offer parents and guardians more options as school administrators continue to bring students back to classrooms.
Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
3:06 p.m.: Supporters crowd New Lenox restaurant in defiance of governor’s COVID-19 restrictions
Vehicles in search of open spaces on Friday morning circled a crowded Laraway Road parking lot serving a shopping center that is home to Gina’s Teardrop Café in New Lenox.
Customers stood in line under an awning as a steady rain fell, waiting for seats to become available inside, where every table was packed with people.
New restrictions from Gov. J.B. Pritzker intended to slow the spread of COVID-19 took effect Friday. They prohibit indoor dining in Will County and other places where numbers of infections are rising.
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The restrictions are designed to improve public health and safety by reducing crowds. But on Friday at Gina’s, they appeared to have the opposite effect. A throng of customers showed up.
“We’ve got to support our local businesses,” said Don Smith of New Lenox, who was dining at the counter. “They’re either going to open for business, or they’re going to close permanently.”
Read more here. —Ted Slowik
2:27 p.m.: ‘My students are struggling’: Joint pain, migraines, vision impairment and mental health are impacting student wellness during remote learning.
Remote learning has been a challenging adjustment for many students, teachers and parents since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March. But for students who are spending an inordinate amount of time in front of screens to learn, on top of managing the general anxieties that come with being an adolescent, overall wellness — whether mental, emotional or physical — has, in some cases, been negatively impacted.
According to a recent nationwide study on teacher and student wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic, 46% of teachers reported encountering student mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, academic stress, trauma and grief more often than they did before the pandemic.
Teachers also noted their students' concerns for their external surroundings, such as food and housing insecurity, and fears that loved ones would be harmed or contract COVID-19, the study said. Physical issues from prolonged desk-sitting are also ailing some students.
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Read more here. —Christen A. Johnson
2:01 p.m.: Chicago-area grocers stock up to ward off shortages as COVID-19 cases rise. ‘We’re always chasing one thing to the next.’
After being wiped clean of goods like toilet paper, canned food and hand sanitizer at the start of the pandemic, Chicago-area grocery stores and suppliers are stocking up to avert shortages as coronavirus cases rise in Illinois.
On Thursday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a 10 p.m. curfew on all nonessential city businesses and a prohibition on indoor service at bars without food licenses. Gov. J.B. Pritzker also announced stricter rules for some counties, including DuPage, Kane, Will and Kankakee.
Grocers and food suppliers are leaning on lessons learned from the spring to make sure they can meet demand from customers who may once again be preparing to hunker down at home.
If the virus doesn’t get under control, the city could see a second stay-at-home order, Lightfoot warned Thursday.
Read more here. —Katie Surma
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1:16 p.m.: Illinois places half of the state’s 102 counties at ‘warning level’ for coronavirus resurgence
The Illinois health department placed half of the state’s 102 counties on a warning list for a resurgence of COVID-19 on Friday, as officials reported another 3,874 newly diagnosed cases statewide and 31 additional deaths.
The county warning list, which the state Department of Public Health issues weekly, includes Kane, McHenry and Will counties, which all came under stricter state regulations Friday aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Illinois Department of Public Health uses a range of metrics to assess whether counties are placed at the warning level, including new cases per 100,000 people, weekly hospital admissions and emergency room visits and the number of deaths. If a county reaches two of the state-set metrics, it’s placed on the warning list.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
12:04 p.m.: 3,874 new known COVID-19 cases and 31 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Friday announced 3,874 new known cases of COVID-19 and 31 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 364,033 and the statewide death toll to 9,418 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 82,256 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 5.6%.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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7:15 a.m.: Some suburban counties go back under coronavirus restrictions
DuPage, Will and Kane counties were scheduled Friday to go back under more stringent restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The rollback of reopening came after multiple days in a row of high COVID-19 test positivity rates, sparking concern from restaurant and business owners and pleading by public health and elected officials for residents to take precautions. The changes come a day after much of southern Illinois joined the northwestern part of the state under similar restrictions.
Beginning Friday, bars and restaurants in those counties will not be allowed to offer indoor service and gatherings will be capped at the lower of 25 people or 25% of room capacity instead of the 50 people that had been allowed, among other restrictions, Pritzker said at a press conference Tuesday.
The announcement comes as Pritzker and state health officials warned of increasing COVID-19 positivity rates and hospital admissions across the state. Justin Macariola-Coad, the interim chief medical officer at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, said Kane County and the surrounding area are likely experiencing the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19.
—Chicago Tribune staff
6:54 a.m.: Some Will County restaurants say they will defy new COVID-19 restrictions: ‘We’re not on a fair playing field’
As restaurants in Will County face another round of COVID-19 restrictions shutting down indoor dining and bar service beginning Friday, some took to Facebook to tell customers their dining rooms would stay open.
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Restaurants such as the Stagecoach in Lockport and JBD White Horse Inn in New Lenox both posted messages saying they planned to continue offering indoor dining. The restaurant owners said they were not making the decision out of spite, but out of necessity. They also said they follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on social distancing and mask wearing to provide a safe, clean environment for customers.
“Closing our doors is not an option,” a statement from JBD White Horse Inn read.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker Tuesday announced restrictions banning indoor dining and bar service in Will, Kankakee, DuPage and Kane counties as a result of increasing test positivity rates for COVID-19. Pritzker said Thursday he may use the Illinois State Police to issue citations for violators and that he would, if necessary, seek to revoke liquor and gaming licenses for noncompliant restaurants.
Read more here. —Alicia Fabbre, Daily Southtown
5 a.m.: 10-year-old boy survives severe inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19
First the otherwise healthy 10-year-old boy complained of a headache and no appetite, followed by a high fever that wouldn’t subside with pain relievers.
A few days later, the whites of his eyes turned an eerie shade of red and he became so weak he could no longer walk on his own.
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About 2 a.m. April 28, an ambulance rushed Joshua Smith to University of Chicago Medicine’s Comer Children’s Hospital, where he would be diagnosed with a Kawasaki-like illness — an uncommon disease marked by a high fever and swelled blood vessels — that had recently surfaced in kids residing in COVID-19 hot spots in Europe and New York.
Joshua’s mother recalled praying for her son as she drove behind the ambulance, its flashing red and blue lights intermittently filling the darkness beyond her windshield. No clinician could immediately explain what had made Joshua grow so ill so quickly.
Read more here. —Angie Leventis Lourgos
5 a.m.: As temperatures drop and COVID-19 cases rise, gyms turn to virtual memberships
When the coronavirus pandemic forced gyms and fitness studios to close in March, the owners of indoor cycling studio Spynergy rented out bikes that would otherwise have sat idle, bought audio and video equipment and started figuring out how to teach online.
A camera sits among the bikes, and instructors talk to virtual participants they can see on a screen in addition to riders in the room, said Liza Ritter, who owns Spynergy’s Wicker Park studio. Her mother and aunt own the Winnetka location.
Spynergy’s virtual classes have helped supplement limited in-person capacity during the pandemic, but Ritter says she’s hoping to grow the online business even once those limits lift.
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Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
In case you missed it
Here are five stories from Thursday related to COVID-19:


chicagotribune--2020-10-23--Pandemic fatigue could make a cold-weather COVID-19 spike worse. Want a better 2021? Resist risky ho

Pandemic fatigue could make a cold-weather COVID-19 spike worse. Want a better 2021? Resist risky holiday gatherings, experts say

When it comes to the holidays , people have a tendency to want to look for information that reinforces what @ @ @ @ @ Landon said .
It ’ s called confirmation bias and she ’ s hearing about @ @ @ @ @ patients .
They want someone to say it ’ s OK to celebrate and visit @ @ @ @ @ what we know about how COVID-19 spreads suggests otherwise , she said .

Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, Madeline Buckley

Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
When epidemiologist Dr. Emily Landon started researching coronavirus in January, she told herself if Americans embraced a national plan based on the available science, the worst could be over when summer rolled around.
“By April, I realized it wasn’t going to be better in the summer. So you think, ‘OK, fine, you’re just going to give up 2020 and we’re just going to look forward to next year,’” said Landon, head of infection prevention and control at the University of Chicago Medicine. “Now I feel like it’s going to be half of next year.”
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What changed? Landon pointed to a storm of factors that have led to the current spike in cases in Illinois — which has forced four of 11 regions to revert to stricter protocols — and across the country, with an average of 59,000 new cases daily nationwide. Pandemic fatigue and cooler weather sending many indoors where COVID-19 can more easily be passed from one person to another each play a role.
And as people weigh the risks and rewards of getting together with family to celebrate the holidays, experts warn that without significant changes, Chicagoans could be in for a grim winter.
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City residents who flocked outside Thursday afternoon to enjoy a warm, sunny day worried about the coming months and talked of scaled-down holiday dinners and traditions that will likely be impossible to follow this year.
“It just feels really bleak, looking ahead at a whole winter and thinking about the holidays," Landon said. "It just feels really tough, and it is really tough — there’s no way to sugarcoat that.”
Landon and others use the term pandemic fatigue to refer to people tired of hearing and thinking about the dangers of COVID-19 and all the associated changes the virus has thrust on them. Fatigue has reached a point that even experts admit feeling a general malaise after months of hypervigilance.
People aren’t built to operate on such a high-stress, high-stakes level for such an extended period of time — considering each action as a potentially life and death decision, Landon said. Those who have followed all recommended guidance only to face a third wave about eight months into the pandemic may rightfully feel resentment, she said.
“It’s more fatiguing for the rest of us when you have to fight against this refusal to play by the same rules,” Landon said. “I feel like with this pandemic ... the vast majority want to protect others and there’s a vocal minority that argues about where their rights end and everyone else’s begin."
"If you could just count on everyone else to wear a mask, we wouldn’t be furiously paddling in circles, going nowhere,” she said.
Where we are
“Demanding everyone wear a mask all the time in public isn’t too big of an ask when you consider all we collectively do as a nation to contribute to the greater good,” she said.
Chicagoan Anthony Brown, 28, has seen firsthand the losses from COVID-19. One of his close friends lost his father to the coronavirus this summer. And a relative recently contracted the virus, though thankfully she appears to be getting better.
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So Brown, who wore a mask while working outdoors Thursday, is cautious about letting his guard down.
“It’s been a rough year,” Brown said.
Maintenance worker Anthony Brown does some work at a building near Oz Park in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on Oct. 22, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
He still uses video chats to visit with family members, particularly those who are older and more vulnerable. Going on eight months, though, he really misses their regular presence.
“I’m really concerned,” he said. “I have a lot of family I’d love to see.”
Dr. Michelle Prickett, an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, lamented how long the pandemic has kept people like Brown from their families, saying restrictions were made regionally, piecemeal.
“The issue is here we never really had a national response,” she said. “Nothing was really that consistent.”
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Dr. Michael Lin, an infectious disease specialist and an associate professor at Rush Medical College, echoed Prickett’s concern about the national response to the virus. He said it is “human nature” to grow tired of the restrictions, but that isn’t his primary worry.
“I’m less concerned about fatigue and more about just the scientific disinformation and messaging from the federal government and president,” he said. “I think all of us are on one level or another fatigued, but I’m just concerned that there’s a lot of messaging about how masks don’t work and social distancing is not needed.”
Colder weather pushing people indoors
Ardia Caniquie took the three children she was watching, one of her own and two she babysits, to a playground to take advantage of Thursday’s warmth.
The 43-year-old woman, though, worries about the coming winter.
Ardia Caniquie cares for three children, including one of hers, at Oz Park in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood on Oct. 22, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
“It’s terrible,” she said of the increasingly chilly weather. “We used to take walks every day.”
Urban centers, including Chicago, were hardest-hit early on, but as Illinois saw declines in late spring and early summer, cases began to spike in the South.
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Now, with parts of the country allowing in-person school and some areas experiencing colder weather, the majority of states are battling increasing infection rates — the third wave.
The likelihood of becoming infected at an outside gathering is 20 times less likely than becoming infected indoors, Prickett said. So an increase in indoor socializing can easily lead to a spike in cases.
Although Prickett said gatherings should be avoided, when someone outside your immediate family is coming into your home, she recommends giving each other at least 8 feet of space, along with opening windows — even if it means dining in a parka.
“I’m hearing from patients they just got comfortable and relaxed or let their guard down one time,” Prickett said. “They’re not getting it in the grocery store — they’re getting it in their homes.”
Dr. Susan Casey Bleasdale, an infectious disease physician and associate professor at the UIC College of Medicine, warned Chicagoans about becoming complacent about gatherings of friends and family, cautioning that it’s “socialization that is putting people at risk.”
Even when keeping social circles small, people can still face exposure from others who were in contact with their family and close friends, Bleasdale said.
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“That’s kind of exponential,” she said. “That’s how it can spread.”
What could happen during the holidays?
Experts worry that pandemic fatigue will lead to people ignoring recommendations not to travel or spend the holidays indoors with family if it can be avoided.
“The collective sentiment from everyone is just disappointment on some level because we know what’s coming,” said Prickett. “You get comfortable and that’s not a great place to be, but hypervigilance for months on end isn’t either. There is a balance."
Sandor Hizo, 31, usually spends Thanksgiving with family members working at a food pantry on the Northwest Side, but that tradition is up in the air.
“This year, I don’t know what we’re going to do,” Hizo said, as he played with a dog in a North Side park Thursday afternoon.
Sandor Hizo talks about getting through the COVID-19 pandemic while playing with a dog named Josephine at Oz Park on Oct. 22, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
As of now, he thinks they will prepare some holiday food and drive through the city passing it out. But as cases rise and city restrictions tighten, even that plan is uncertain.
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“Right now we’re taking this one step at a time,” he said.
When it comes to the holidays, people have a tendency to want to look for information that reinforces what they want to hear, Landon said. It’s called confirmation bias and she’s hearing about it more and more from patients. They want someone to say it’s OK to celebrate and visit with family, even when what we know about how COVID-19 spreads suggests otherwise, she said.
In situations where people do gather, Bleasdale says it’s best to stay masked and avoid sharing food or utensils.
“The holidays are going to be a challenge,” she said.
Prickett said that when she began treating her first COVID-19 patients early this year, it felt as though she was preparing to go to war. Everyone was focused on wearing protective gear and taking every precaution. But she has seen the attention to detail slip off as the pandemic has marched on.
“Making these decisions about holidays, we’re just running a risk," Prickett said. “And as much as everyone wants to see their family this year, I’d rather make sure we see them all again next year.”
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kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-10-25--Man shot while sitting in vehicle in Gold Coast, police say

At 6:30 p.m. , the man was in his vehicle in the first block of East Chicago Avenue when a @ @ @ @ @ took out a gun and then fired shots after demanding to take the vehicle , @ @ @

A 26-year-old man was shot Saturday evening in the Gold Coast after a man got into the passenger side of his vehicle and demanded to take the car, according to Chicago police.
At 6:30 p.m., the man was in his vehicle in the first block of East Chicago Avenue when a man entered his vehicle, took out a gun and then fired shots after demanding to take the vehicle, police said.
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The man’s left thigh was grazed by a bullet, and he was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized, police said.
No one is in custody, police said.
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pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-10-25--Man, 30, fatally shot on South Side; 60-year-old man taken into custody, police say

Two people started arguing , and it escalated into a physical fight , police said .
Then one person took @ @ @ @ @ the man in the leg .

A 30-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday night on the South Side after an argument and a 60-year-old man was taken into custody, according to Chicago police.
The shooting occurred about 8:25 p.m. in the 100 block of West Swann Street, police said.
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Two people started arguing, and it escalated into a physical fight, police said. Then one person took out a handgun and shot the man in the leg.
The Chicago Fire Department treated the man at the scene, but he was pronounced soon afterward, police said.
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The suspect stayed at the scene and was taken into custody, police said. Charges are pending.
A weapon wasn’t recovered from the scene, police said.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-10-25--Who is Ken Griffin? And how does he spend all that money?

Ken Griffin is founder and CEO of the hedge fund Citadel and the namesake of the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum @ @ @ @ @ He has been known as the richest person in Illinois since 2013 , when he @ @ @ @ @ Zell on Forbes ’ annual ranking of billionaires .
Forbes calculated his wealth at $ @ @ @ @ @ ranking , making him the 117th-richest person in the world .

Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel, at the hedge fund's office in 2014. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Ken Griffin is founder and CEO of the hedge fund Citadel and the namesake of the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. He has been known as the richest person in Illinois since 2013, when he passed real estate mogul Sam Zell on Forbes’ annual ranking of billionaires. Forbes calculated his wealth at $11.7 billion in its 2019 ranking, making him the 117th-richest person in the world.
In 2020, Griffin has been one of the main people funding opposition forces against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s ballot proposal to shift the state to a graduated income tax.
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How did he make so much money?
Griffin started trading from his dorm room at Harvard University in 1987 at age 19, according to his bio on Citadel’s website. In 1990, he founded Citadel. As of October 2019, the hedge fund said it managed $32 billion in assets. It has offices across the globe, from Chicago to Shanghai.
The financial crisis of 2008 “nearly crippled Citadel,” the Tribune once wrote. The hedge fund barred investors from taking money out of Citadel’s two largest funds from December 2008 through March 2009, according to a Tribune article from the time. But Citadel recovered and set new high-water marks by 2012, according to an interview that year.
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Griffin is also the principal owner of Citadel Securities.
I heard he’s politically active. Who is he backing?
After the financial crisis, Griffin started putting more money into politics and causes, he told the Tribune in that same 2012 interview.
“Government is way too involved in financial markets these days,” he said.
He also argued that America’s richest people need more influence in politics.
"I think (the ultra-wealthy) actually have an insufficient influence," Griffin said. "Those who have enjoyed the benefits of our system more than ever now owe a duty to protect the system that has created the greatest nation on this planet."
He’s mostly donated to Republican candidates and causes — he gave $36 million to Bruce Rauner’s campaigns and $1.7 million to Erika Harold’s run for Illinois attorney general in 2018. He also gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to political funds run by Karl Rove and the Koch brothers, among other causes.
But Griffin has also given locally to Democratic candidates. He’s given nearly $1.29 million to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s campaign funds, and gave $70,000 to Rod Blagojevich.
He threw his cash into the race to replace Emanuel by donating $1 million to Bill Daley’s campaign for mayor in February 2019. Griffin had previously given Bill’s older brother, Mayor Richard M. Daley, more than $162,000.
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In 2020, Griffin has been one of the main people funding opposition forces against billionaire Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s ballot proposal to shift the state from a flat-rate income tax to a graduated tax with rates that increase with income.
So far, Griffin has given the Coalition to Stop the Tax Hike Amendment $53.75 million.
Griffin also slammed Pritzker as “a shameless master of personal tax avoidance" in a recent email obtained by the Tribune, which was verified by a company spokesman.
Amid a flurry of expensive TV ads on both sides, Griffin’s email to approximately 1,000 Chicago employees of Citadel represents a personal escalation of the battle of the two billionaires on the front lines of the issue.
Additionally, Griffin has given $4.5 million, including $2.5 million reported Thursday night, to those opposing the reelection bid for Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride.
The race has emerged as a record-setting expensive campaign that Republicans are trying to make a referendum on House Speaker Michael Madigan.
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Cutouts of Ken Griffin, Gov. Bruce Rauner, and House Speaker Michael Madigan are held up as marchers and activists from diverse communities throughout Illinois begin a two week, 200 mile march from Chicago to Springfield as they rally for a state budget on May 15, 2017. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
What else does he spend his money on?
Griffin has also donated to plenty of nonpolitical causes.
He donated $125 million to the Museum of Science and Industry in October 2019. In exchange, the museum was renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.
In June 2020, Griffin purchased the massive, much admired Jean-Michel Basquiat canvas “Boy and Dog in Johnnnypump” for more than $100 million.
The painting is now hanging in the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago.
He gave $12 million to rehab and expand Chicago’s Lakefront Trail for runners and bikers. He donated $10 million for technology to help the Chicago Police Department in high-crime areas. He gave $3 million to build mini-soccer-fields across Chicago. He’s given $19 million to the Art Institute of Chicago, $16 million to Children’s Memorial Hospital and $10 million to a childhood center in Chicago Heights, among other gifts.
Griffin also recently gave $7.5 million to help support “Chicago Connected," an initiative to provide free high-speed internet to more than 100,000 Chicago students and their families.
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So, uh, where does he live?
That’s more complicated than you’d think! Griffin is considered by most people to be a resident of Chicago, but he’s extremely active in the global real estate market.
In November 2017, he bought the top four floors at 9 W. Walton St. for an estimated $58.75 million, considered at the time to be Chicago’s priciest home sale ever.
In January 2019, he also bought a penthouse apartment in New York City for an eye-popping $238 million. He owns other property in New York, as well as Aspen, Colorado; Palm Beach, Florida; and Hawaii.
That sounds nice. Is he married?
Not any more. In 2015, he settled a divorce with his wife of 12 years, Anne Dias Griffin, just before a high-profile trial on the case began. At issue was a prenuptial agreement, as well as custody of their three kids.
She allegedly found Chicago “unsophisticated” and wanted to raise their children in either San Francisco or New York, according to one court filing. They agreed to shared custody in the settlement.


chicagotribune--2020-10-25--Waukegan mayor: Video of fatal police shooting involving 19-year old will be released after family v

Waukegan mayor: Video of fatal police shooting involving 19-year old will be released after family views it

Williams was behind the wheel of a car , with Stinnette , 19 , in the passenger seat when a @ @ @ @ @ them .
The officer said the car began backing up toward him , and he @ @ @ @ @ safety , according to a police department news release .
Williams , though , said @ @ @ @ @ are the parents of an infant boy , did not do anything that would have @ @ @ @ @ .
Williams was struck in the abdomen and arm , but is expected to recover @

People gather before a prayer vigil for Marcellis Stinnette, 19, on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 at the corner of Helmholtz and MLK Jr. Drive in Waukegan. Stinnette was shot and killed by Waukegan police on Tuesday. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Waukegan’s mayor, standing very near the spot where five days earlier Marcellis Stinnette was shot to death by a city police officer, said Sunday that he intends for the city to release police video from the shooting sometime over the next few days.
At a prayer vigil held in front of the brick building where Stinnette, 19, was shot to death and his girlfriend, Tafara Williams, was wounded, Mayor Sam Cunningham told a crowd that a public release of the video will happen after the families of the couple are first able to view them.
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After the prayer vigil, Cunningham said he intends that the videos are released ahead of a Freedom of Information Act request that carries a Thursday deadline.
Marcellis Stinnette, 19, of Waukegan, was shot and killed by Waukegan police Tuesday. (Family photo) (Family photo)
“We want to beat the FOIA request,” he said.
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The mayor was one of several speakers to address a crowd gathered at the corner of Helmholz and Martin Luther King Jr. avenues for the vigil, the third peaceful public event since the late Tuesday night shooting. In addition to the mayor, police Chief Wayne Walles briefly spoke. The chief’s brief remarks focused on his belief in the value of prayer in what he called “a terrible incident,” and he offered condolences to the families.
The chief fired the police officer Friday, for what the city has called multiple policy violations. The officer, a Hispanic man who had been with the department five years, has not been identified. Cunningham said the officer’s firing had come “with my approval and at my direction.”
Satrese Stallworth, a cousin of Stinnette’s mother, said she had been to Florida to see his parents, who are expected to come to town in the coming days.
She said the city’s quick decision to fire the officer “speaks volumes” and she thanked them for their outreach to the family.
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham speaks during at a prayer vigil for Marcellis Stinnette, 19, on Oct. 25, 2020. Stinnette was shot and killed by Waukegan police. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“The fight has just begun and there’s a lot more work.” Said Stallworth, who asked the crowd to not engage in violent protest, and to remain patient while the investigation proceeds.
“Don’t burn down, don’t destroy, because guess what? They’re being held accountable and they’re already making progress in our favor,” Stallworth said.
State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim on Friday requested the FBI to join the Illinois State Police investigation into the shooting. Nerheim attended the vigil and said he did not have any update on when the investigation may be completed, other than his initial assessment of several weeks.
Williams was behind the wheel of a car, with Stinnette, 19, in the passenger seat when a Waukegan police officer fired at them. The officer said the car began backing up toward him, and he fired in fear of his safety, according to a police department news release. Williams, though, said she and Stinnette, who are the parents of an infant boy, did not do anything that would have caused the officer to shoot. Williams was struck in the abdomen and arm, but is expected to recover.
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The incident began at 11:55 p.m. Tuesday when a Waukegan patrol officer was investigating a vehicle near Liberty and Oak streets, police said. According to a news release, the vehicle fled and another officer saw the vehicle and began to approach it near Martin Luther King Jr. and South avenues, according to the release. That is when the officer fired his semi-automatic weapon, police said.
No weapon was found in the vehicle, according to police. Police have not said what prompted the initial investigation into the vehicle by the first officer.
Officials have not released the name of the officers involved. The officer who fired the fatal shot is described as Hispanic, and the first officer was described as white in a police news release. Both are men with about five years of experience in the Waukegan police department, officials said.
Community members sing during at a prayer vigil for Marcellis Stinnette, 19, on Oct. 25, 2020, in Waukegan. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
In his remarks, Cunningham pointed to his own roots in the southside neighborhood where the shooting happened, and he responded to someone in the audience who criticized him for not appearing at two marches held this week.
“I’m not trying to run away, but I’ve got to tell you, I’ve got to do it in a way that will benefit the entire Waukegan community,” Cunningham said.
He also said that Waukegan’s reaction would be different from other cities around the nation that have been convulsed by the deaths of Black residents by police officers.
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“Let’s keep them focused in all that we do, the steps that we take, and the facts will speak for themselves,” Cunningham said. “Then whatever it may be, we will deal with it together.”
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter for the Lake County News-Sun.


chicagotribune--2020-10-25--Man, 25, faces attempted murder charge in shooting that ended in police chasing, fatally shooting ar

Man, 25, faces attempted murder charge in shooting that ended in police chasing, fatally shooting armed man

A man with a gun and two others jumped out of the car , police said .
Officers fired at @ @ @ @ @ his gun .
He and another man were taken into custody and a second gun @ @ @ @ @ .
A female who fled from the car has not been found .

A Cook County judge denied bail on Sunday for a 25-year-old man accused of shooting and wounding a man Friday in Little Village that ended in officers pursuing a car that was leaving the scene, then fatally shooting one of the armed men who jumped out of the car.
Saul F. Zaragoza, of Berwyn, was arrested as he tried running from his crashed vehicle in the 3700 block of West 26th Street on the West Side around 12:30 p.m. Friday, authorities said, adding that a 9 mm handgun was recovered inside the vehicle. He is charged with attempted first-degree murder.
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Saul Zaragoza (Chicago Police Department)
Zaragoza, who is on parole for an armed robbery conviction, is also facing felony charges of aggravated battery for discharging a firearm and unlawful use of a firearm by a felon, police said.
In court, prosecutors said Zaragoza was the gunman who fired about six shots from the rear passenger seat of his own vehicle at a man as he left his Little Village home. The unidentified victim was grazed by two bullets, including one in the head.
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Hearing the shots, police quickly spotted Zaragoza’s fleeing vehicle and chased it through an alley before it crashed into a utility pole, prosecutors said.
A man ran from the driver’s seat holding a fully loaded .357 Magnum revolver, prosecutors said. When the man kept pointing the gun as he ran away, one of the officers shot the man in the lower back.
The man, identified as 25-year-old Marc A. Nevarez, of Little Village, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Following his arrest, Zaragoza said Nevarez was the gunman who fired on the victim, authorities said. They rejected this version, saying the dead man’s gun was fully loaded, while shell casings found at the scene matched the 9 mm left in the car.
Judge Charles S. Beach II denied Zaragoza bail and approved a petition for violating the terms of his parole.
Responding officers had pursued a Ford Focus that sped from the scene and crashed into a light pole, according to a police statement.
A man with a gun and two others jumped out of the car, police said. Officers fired at the armed man and recovered his gun. He and another man were taken into custody and a second gun was found in the Focus. A female who fled from the car has not been found.
Chicago police Chief of Operations Brian McDermott, speaking to reporters near the scene, would not say if the suspect shot by police had fired at officers.
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The officers involved will be placed on administrative duties for 30 days, as is routine, while the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigates the incident.
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Twitter @MidNoirCowboy
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-10-25--Chicago native Wilton Gregory named first Black cardinal in US

Gregory , 72 , spent much of his early career in Chicago and its suburbs .
He was born in @ @ @ @ @ in 1973 .
He was an associate pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in @ @ @ @ @ St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein and as a master of ceremonies to @ @ @ @ @ Bernardin before being ordained an auxiliary bishop in Chicago in 1983 .

Archbishop Wilton Gregory greets churchgoers in 2019 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. Pope Francis named 13 new cardinals on Oct. 25, 2020, including Gregory, a Chicago native. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)
Pope Francis named 13 new cardinals Sunday, including Chicago native Wilton Gregory, who will become the first Black U.S. prelate to earn the coveted red hat.
“He is well-regarded by the bishops in our country and has proven himself as an individual who can bring people together in a wonderful form of leadership,” Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, said in an interview with the Tribune. “We are really proud that a native of our own archdiocese has been appointed to the College of Cardinals.”
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Gregory first came to the Catholic faith as a student in an archdiocesan grammar school, Cupich added.
Gregory, 72, spent much of his early career in Chicago and its suburbs. He was born in Chicago and ordained a priest in 1973. He was an associate pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Glenview, a professor at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein and as a master of ceremonies to Cardinals John Cody and Joseph Bernardin before being ordained an auxiliary bishop in Chicago in 1983.
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In 1993, he became the bishop of Belleville, Illinois, and went on to become archbishop of Atlanta in 2005. He has been bishop of Washington, D.C., since 2019.
Gregory has also served three times as the head of the U.S. Conference of Bishops.
“With a very grateful and humble heart, I thank Pope Francis for this appointment which will allow me to work more closely with him in caring for Christ’s Church,” Gregory said in a statement issued by the archdiocese.
Cupich said that in Gregory’s years as president of the U.S. Conference of Bishops, he has been at the forefront of moving the church forward in repairing the damage of child sexual abuse and racism.
Amid this summer’s nationwide protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Gregory made headlines for issuing a statement critical of President Donald Trump’s visit to the St. John Paul II National Shrine. That visit came one day after demonstrators were forcefully cleared out for Trump’s visit to an Episcopal church in Washington. Gregory responded that he considered “it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated.”
“There are other Black cardinals from other countries and he will be the first African American to be named to the college of cardinals," Cupich said. "His appointment is about his own talents and it is a great honor for African American Catholics that respect him for his many accomplishments.”
No details were immediately given by the Vatican about the consistory, as the formal ceremony to make the churchmen cardinals is known, in light of travel restrictions involving many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Associated Press contributed.
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Twitter @JessicaVillag


Corrections and clarifications

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Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards .
Everyone in @ @ @ @ @ live up to this code of conduct .
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· A caption in the Nation & World section Sunday was wrong, reversing the identifications of President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
The Tribune regrets the error.
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Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune’s news responsibility and a value shared in all our publications. Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards. Everyone in our newsroom must agree to live up to this code of conduct. Download the file.
To report an error, fill out this form.


chicagotribune--2020-10-25--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area

Among the metrics ( see below ) tracked under guidelines set by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses , and the capacity of hospitals @ @ @ @ @ state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
To assess how different parts of Illinois are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, officials look at the state through the 11 regions of Emergency Medical Services. The city of Chicago is one region, for example, and the rest of Cook County is another.
Among the metrics (see below) tracked under guidelines set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of coronavirus tests that return positive, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses, and the capacity of hospitals to take in new patients.The state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics. (Cases, deaths and tests data is as of Dec. 31).
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus.
• Other Chicago, suburbs and Illinois COVID-19 metrics.
• See how the governor’s plan to manage the regions works.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Created by the Chicago Tribune dataviz team. On Twitter @chitribgraphics


chicagotribune--2020-10-25--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

Search below by street address , ZIP code or city , then click on the map to see the number @ @ @ @ @ state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer .

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
Illinois releases the number of positive COVID-19 cases by ZIP code daily. The map below shows the cumulative cases for each area as well as other analysis of the data.
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Tracking daily Illinois coronavirus deaths, cases and tests.
Search below by street address, ZIP code or city, then click on the map to see the number of confirmed and probable cases. The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer.
Data as of June 10.
The map search tool above works best in Chrome or Firefox and may not perform consistently in Internet Explorer.
Note: Because of a coding error this map was displaying the incorrect rates for new cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 people — the issue should now be resolved.. The Tribune adjusted the data shown on the map below to focus on new cases, those the state tracked in the last 7 seven days. The totals for the entire pandemic are still available, but in the pop-up after tapping or clicking on a ZIP.


chicagotribune--2020-10-25--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 24 new deaths, 4,062 new confirmed cases and 72,097 new test resu

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 24 new deaths, 4,062 new confirmed cases and 72,097 new test results

Illinois announced 4,062 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Sunday for a total of 374,256 .
The state also announced 24 @ @ @ @ @ of 9,505 and 72,097 new test results for a total of 7.27 million .

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.