chicagotribune--2020-05-04--If you get sick with COVID-19, is your employer liable? As businesses prepare to reopen, worker safe

If you get sick with COVID-19, is your employer liable? As businesses prepare to reopen, worker safety is a priority.

Gov .
JB Pritzker ’ s office said he plans to revive efforts to ensure front-line workers receive workers ’ @ @ @ @ @ sick with COVID-19 , either through administrative rule-making or in the legislature .
The Illinois @ @ @ @ @ unions representing 900,000 workers in the state , including grocery store workers , bus drivers @ @ @ @ @ the opposition by the business groups “ shameful ” and vowed to fight for workers @ @ @ @ @ workers as a way to push their employers to provide safe workplaces .
Dozens of @ @ @ @ @ meat and food processing plants , public transit facilities and other businesses have died as @ @ @ @

Businesses gearing up to return to work as coronavirus lockdowns ease face a minefield of potential liabilities, from age discrimination claims if they hesitate to bring back older employees to disability discrimination claims if they punish anxious workers fearful to come into the office.
But one of their biggest concerns is if employees get sick with COVID-19 and claim they contracted it at work — a costly proposition, employer groups say, at a time businesses are grappling with stalled sales and lost income.
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“For an employer wanting to get back to normal business, this could be the third crisis facing the nation,” said Todd Maisch, head of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. “The first being the health crisis, the second being the economic crisis, the third being years of a liability crisis.”
As federal lawmakers battle over whether to shield employers from pandemic-related lawsuits, a fight is brewing in Illinois over workers’ compensation coverage for COVID-19 illnesses.
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Illinois was the first state in the nation to change its workers’ compensation law to presume workers contracted COVID-19 on the job if they work at businesses deemed essential by the state’s stay-at-home order, such health care, banks and grocery stores. That made it easier for them to get coverage for medical bills, lost wages, long-term impairment and, if they didn’t survive the disease, death benefits for their families.
But business groups concerned about the cost of claims sued, and a judge halted enforcement of the change, saying the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission exceeded its rule-making authority when it approved the emergency amendment.
On Monday the state withdrew the change, reverting to existing law that requires employees to prove that their workplace was the cause of their illness. That can be a high bar given that the highly contagious coronavirus seems to lurk everywhere.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said he plans to revive efforts to ensure front-line workers receive workers’ compensation insurance if they get sick with COVID-19, either through administrative rule-making or in the legislature. The Illinois AFL-CIO, a federation of unions representing 900,000 workers in the state, including grocery store workers, bus drivers and manufacturing employees, called the opposition by the business groups “shameful” and vowed to fight for workers’ compensation protection for front-line workers as a way to push their employers to provide safe workplaces. Dozens of workers at grocery stores, meat and food processing plants, public transit facilities and other businesses have died as the virus spreads.
The Illinois Manufacturers Association, which together with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association brought the lawsuit seeking to halt the amendment, said it would be open to compromise legislation that creates a legal presumption that traditional first responders like nurses and Emergency Medical Technicians sick with COVID-19 contracted it at work. But it shouldn’t be so broad as to cover all essential workers, which could overwhelm the workers’ comp system, said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the manufacturers group.
The state’s original amendment could have cost the workers’ compensation system an additional $66 million to $4.4 billion, according to estimates by the National Council on Compensation Insurance.
Still, Edward Priz, president of Advanced Insurance Management in suburban Riverside, which consults employers on workers’ compensation matters, bemoaned the withdrawal of Illinois’ pioneering law, which he said would have helped many people without good health insurance or paid sick leave. Employers — whose workers compensation rates are based in part on past claims — may have faced higher premiums down the road but most have insurance policies that would have paid the claims, he said.
“I’m dismayed. I am angry,” said Priz, who had submitted a workers’ comp claim for his own employee who fell ill with COVID-19 and was just notified she would not be covered unless she could prove she had contracted the virus at work.
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“We hear all this talk about we’re all in this together, but in one of the concrete ways we could have demonstrated that we are in this together, these employer groups decided to scuttle this vital change,” he said.
The workers’ compensation program, which allows employees to collect benefits for workplace injuries or illnesses without proving their employer was at fault, is generally considered an exclusive remedy, meaning employees are prohibited from filing a civil suit for negligence against their employer.
That arrangement tends to be beneficial for employers because it heads off negligence lawsuits that carry higher damages for pain and suffering, and without it employers could be exposed to a greater cost of litigation, said Jeremy Glenn, an attorney with Cozen O’Connor who represents management in employment cases.
But Maisch contends personal injury lawyers will find plenty of ways to sue companies over worker illnesses. He anticipates a deluge of lawsuits as the state opens up, and hopes efforts succeed at the national level to give employers some legal immunity.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R- Kentucky, has said he wants to include a liability shield for employers in the next coronavirus relief bill, but he faces opposition from the Democratic-controlled House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has said she has no interest in “having any less protection for our workers.”
The Labor Department, following President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep meat processing plants open, said it would consider backing employers in litigation if they demonstrate good-faith attempts to comply with federal safety guidelines issued for the industry.
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is advocating for protection from negligence lawsuits for employers that follow safety guidelines put out by federal and local governments. The threat of lawsuits from employees or customers alleging COVID-19 exposure is the business community’s greatest area of concern, the chamber said.
“It could cause businesses to hesitate when reopening,” said Harold Kim, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. “That’s a problem when it comes to a pathway to economic recovery.”
The chamber’s proposal does not try to shield employers accused of willful or wanton disregard for worker safety, a claim that can be pursued outside of workers’ compensation.
That is the accusation of a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Walmart by the family of Wando Evans, a 51-year-old employee at the retailer’s Evergreen Park store who died of COVID-19 in late March, four days before a co-worker, 48-year-old Phillip Thomas, also died of the disease.
Attorney Tony Kalogerakos, who is representing Evans’ four siblings in the suit, said he has affidavits from employees saying no protections were put in place as the company scrambled to hire people to meet a surge in demand, and workers who complained of symptoms were ignored. He will have to prove the company knew about the underlying conditions and failed to address them, he said.
“With our particular Walmart, they weren’t following any rules,” Kalogerakos said. “They were so overwhelmed with people, they didn’t implement anything at all, it was just a regular day at that Walmart.”
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Kalogerakos believes the Walmart lawsuit is an outlier and most safety claims will be resolved with workers’ compensation if employees can show they got the virus at work, which he doesn’t think should be that challenging because “there’s nowhere else to go. Everything is closed.”
Walmart said it was “heartbroken” by the deaths and takes the issue seriously.
“While it may be impossible to determine where or how someone contracts the virus, we have taken steps across the country to protect our associates and customers, including additional cleaning measures, installing sneeze guards at registers, placing social distancing decals on the floors and limiting the number of customers in a store at a given time,” company spokesman Randy Gargrove said in a statement. “We’ll continue to take steps, such as screening associates, conducting temperature checks, and requiring that associates wear masks or other face coverings at work.”
To protect against lawsuits, attorneys have been advising companies to implement safety measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and state and local authorities.
“If employers can show they took reasonable efforts based on the information available, they will be in a very good spot to defend themselves,” said Antonio Calderone, an attorney with Laner Muchin who represents management in labor and employment cases. In some cases employers have to be sure the safety measures themselves don’t pose other risks to workers, like wearing masks that could interfere with machinery or catch fire.
Employers also have to make employees feel protected, because if workers reasonably believe the office is unsafe and they refuse to return to work, disciplining them could set an employer up for an accusation of retaliation, said Brian Alcala, a labor and employment attorney with Nixon Peabody who represents management.
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“They may be safe, but they also have to believe they’re safe,” Alcala said.
Labor groups want to ensure the measures aren’t superficial. For example, if companies are providing disposable gloves they should make enough available for workers to change them throughout their shifts, said Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO.
They also want “strong, clear, enforceable safety standards" rather than suggested guidelines.
“Standards have accountability,” Drea said. “We’re looking for something with teeth.”
Illinois, by executive order, has provided some standards, such as mandating social distancing and the availability of hand sanitizer for employees and customers. As of Friday masks are mandatory in public indoor spaces and when within 6 feet of another person. The state also recently issued specific guidelines for food and meat processing plants that advise pre- and post-shift screening tests that don’t just rely on temperature checks, as fever is not a consistent symptom.
The Illinois Manufacturers Association says its member companies are implementing social distancing, including staggering shifts, allowing nonessential employees to work from home, and putting up plastic barriers when it’s not possible to keep workers more than 6 feet apart. In some cases they must slow production to comply, Denzler said.
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But the lack of a uniform set of a guidelines across agencies makes it hard to know if they are doing enough.
“One of the most difficult things that employers face are conflicting sets of regulations and opinions,” Denzler said. “There is certainly that fear out there that if I have done everything right, why do I have to defend myself?”
A fundamental problem is that it remains unclear what constitutes a safe workplace in the COVID-19 context, and existing employment laws were not designed to let employers do what they need under the extraordinary circumstances, said Dan Rodriguez, a professor at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law and former dean of the law school.
Providing legal immunity to employers who try to comply with guidelines is “well-intentioned," he said, ”but that’s cold comfort to an employee who feels those guidelines are inadequate to protect them."
State and local authorities must come up with frameworks that offer guidance to employers on how to physically configure their workspaces and other specifics to provide clarity about their responsibilities, so that it doesn’t work itself out in the courts, Rodriguez said.
“What are the duties and obligations in that setting are enormously difficult issues of enormous consequence,” Rodriguez said. “If we don’t figure those out, the economic bounce-back we are all hoping for is not going to happen if employees get sick in massive numbers or employees refuse to come to work in massive numbers.”
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aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-04--Cook County sheriff’s deputy dies of COVID-19

At least one Cook County correctional officer , Sheila Rivera , 47 , has died from COVID-19-related causes .
After @ @ @ @ @ they were investigating whether another officer , Antoine Stewart , also died of the novel @ @ @ @ @ County medical examiner ’ s office later determined he died of unrelated natural causes , @ @ @ @ @ s public case archive and its tally of confirmed COVID-19 deaths , which does not @ @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
A 25-year veteran of the Cook County sheriff’s office died Sunday of complications due to COVID-19.
Deputy Richard O’Brien was most recently assigned to the Civil Process Division in Skokie, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office. He was known to be a “highly motivated and dedicated professional.”
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He learned he had leukemia in January, and it wasn’t a surprise to his colleagues that he continued to work after his diagnoses, the statement said.
“Deputy O’Brien was devoted to his family and loved spending quality time with them,” the statement said, adding he had a wife and three children. “He lived his life with a positive attitude, even during the most challenging times.”
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His death is considered to be in the line of duty, and the sheriff’s office will advocate that his family receives the benefits from that designation, the statement said.
At least one Cook County correctional officer, Sheila Rivera, 47, has died from COVID-19-related causes. After Rivera died, authorities said they were investigating whether another officer, Antoine Stewart, also died of the novel coronavirus, but the Cook County medical examiner’s office later determined he died of unrelated natural causes, according to the office’s public case archive and its tally of confirmed COVID-19 deaths, which does not include Stewart.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-05-03--First Chicago-area farmers market opens under new coronavirus rules with 2-block-long lines

About 105 people maximum at a time , an average of three customers for each of the 35 vendors in @ @ @ @ @ allowed into the market .
White pop-up tents ringed the square , with a counterclockwise @ @ @ @ @ forget the spinach , or want to comparison shop for scallions , you can circle @ @ @ @ @ moving .
More vendors will be added to the middle as the season progresses .
@ @ @ @ @ high-volume preorders , could be found with plants , bread and organic produce outside the @ @ @

Vendors chose produce for customers and bagged it themselves, instead of allowing patrons to touch the vegetables. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
The day after protesters rallied against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, on the weekend Smithfield reopened a hog slaughterhouse in Monmouth following a White House executive order, the first Chicago-area farmers market opened quietly for the season under new coronavirus rules.
The downtown Evanston farmers market kicked off the outdoor season Saturday with a two-block line around the market and some rural vendors scared about coming into the city.
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“The line was two blocks long because everybody was social distancing,” said Myra Gorman, market manager. “I asked people who were in line, and it only took them 12 minutes to get in.”
The line ebbed and flowed, at times disappearing at the market, which was open from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., under 75-degree sunny, blue skies. Palatine also launched its farmers market Saturday.
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“We had almost 2,300 people come,” said Gorman. “The weather was beautiful. People were patient and followed the rules. They were just so happy to be out of their houses and back at the market.”
Even with familiar sightings of spiky green leeks poking out of wrinkled canvas totes, the market worked differently due to the pandemic. Gorman was stationed at the entrance and exit tent doing the clicker count to manage how many people came in.
“Occasionally I had to shoo away people who came without a face mask,” she said.
The city of Evanston requires face coverings on all people working in or patronizing essential businesses, superseding the state requirement that went into effect Friday. Farmers markets have been declared essential businesses by state order. The city of Evanston market tent sold face masks for $2 each.
“Some people did buy the masks and other people looked at me and walked away,” said Gorman.
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About 105 people maximum at a time, an average of three customers for each of the 35 vendors in the main square, were allowed into the market. White pop-up tents ringed the square, with a counterclockwise flow encouraged. If you forget the spinach, or want to comparison shop for scallions, you can circle back, but just keep moving. More vendors will be added to the middle as the season progresses. Three more vendors, with high-volume preorders, could be found with plants, bread and organic produce outside the main square.
Market managers from Ravinia, Winnetka, Oak Park and Chicago also visited, taking pictures and talking to some of the vendors, “seeing how they felt about the new ways that we were doing things,” said Gorman.
“We did have to manage some of the vendor lines, because they got to be pretty long,” she added. “It took a lot longer to shop at each vendor.”
The first rule of the new farmers market: Don’t touch the food.
“We had to run the whole market deli-style rather than like a self-serve produce department,” said Todd Nichols, manager and second-generation owner of Nichols Farm & Orchard in Marengo. The family farm grows fruits and vegetables, often featured on restaurant menus around Chicago. “The clientele wasn’t allowed to touch the product at the market until purchase so we took orders, bagged and sent it on its way. It really makes you appreciate how much labor people contribute by bagging their own produce.”
While Nichols is used to starting market days at 2:30 a.m., and managing five markets on Saturdays at the height of the season for 14-hour days, the first market under the new rules left him exhausted.
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“I had four people working with me, and normally that’s enough to handle that level of traffic,” he said. “It worked pretty well, but I could’ve easily had six or more to keep it moving well.”
Nichols had spinach, scallions, lettuce, and a lot of crops out of the greenhouse, including some tomatoes and plants. “A relatively very small number of crops compared to what we have mid-season,” he said. “We sold everything we had. It was more than average, but it was harder work than average.”
He was not one of the vendors scared about coming into the city.
“We have people in the city almost every day,” said Nichols. “We had four trucks out delivering and the market. We’re doing a lot of home deliveries, which has been booming for us. It’s good filler for all that we’ve lost in our restaurant sales. We’ll deliver anywhere.”
Despite the boom, he’s not giving up the grueling farmers markets.
“Markets are really important for us,” said Nichols. “They’re a big interaction with the public. One thing I could say about today was that it was less interactive than ever. I have clientele at the market that I’ve known my entire life, and I had to be short with them.
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“We were hospitable, but I’m sure that it felt less than cozy to some people, because it was so important to keep moving along,” he said.
“We try to market in multiple directions, and that’s key to our survival,” said Nichols. “If we were a contracted grower to one food service company, we’d be plowing under our crops and really be in trouble. Having the flexibility of direct marketing, embracing online and home delivery, has been huge in the last month. And CSAs are really quite big this year, more than ever.” (CSAs, community supported agriculture, are subscriptions to a farmers harvest, usually weekly.)
“We’ve lost at least a dozen markets in May,” he said. “We bought three trucks and fully embraced the fact that home delivery is a big thing. COVID pushed me to make me embrace more online sales and virtual farmers markets. There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re still supporting local farms.”
One of the newest vendors at the market is not a farmer, but no stranger to the city, or overcoming heartbreaking challenges.
“We’re a barbecue company,” said Heather Bublick co-owner of Soul & Smoke in Evanston, with chef and husband D’Andre Carter. “We’ve primarily been catering, but we’ve become a virtual restaurant lately.”
One of the other new rules at farmers markets: no cooking or eating on site.
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“We were going to do cooked-to-order brisket hashes and egg dishes, more brunchy fare,” said Bublick. “Now we’re doing preorder pickups with pulled pork, brisket and ribs. With the produce you get at the farmers market, you can go home and have lunch.”
The couple only had four preorders, available through Tock, on the first day. “It’s OK,” said Bublick laughing. “I know it was hard for people to figure things out. They didn’t know they had to preorder, and not just walk up.”
Soul & Smoke, and the couple’s catering company, Feast & Imbibe, have been busy, however.
“We started our community meal program right out of the gate,” said Bublick. Since March 16, they’ve served over 5,000 meals to the community. “The majority of our list is comprised of families from (Evanston and Skokie School) District 65 from lists the school social workers send to us. We’ve been delivering meals to them. We partnered with World Central Kitchen and The Trotter Project to feed Englewood and a lot of area hospitals.
“We provide meals almost every day to Evanston Hospital,” she said. “To the emergency department, ICU and respiratory.
“We’ve sent the NICU a bunch too,” said Bublick. “They call it the ISCU, Infant Special Care Unit.”
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The couple and their toddler daughter Max spent weeks in the unit with their infant son at the beginning of the year. “He was 7 weeks old when he got sick,” said his mother. “He was 9 weeks when we left the hospital.” Avery Carter died Jan. 21.
“I felt the coronavirus was like a personal attack,” said Bublick. “I had about a week where I had a complete breakdown.”
Soul & Smoke plans to be at the market next week and all season.
“I really hope that people feel it’s a safe place they can go to support local farmers and small businesses instead of big giant companies,” said Bublick.
Downtown Evanston Farmers Market; Oak Avenue and University Place, Evanston; 847-448-8045, facebook.com/EvanstonMarkets
Nichols Farm & Orchard; 2602 Hawthorn Road, Marengo; 815-236-1615; nicholsfarm.com
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Soul & Smoke; 1601 Payne St., Evanston; 847-491-9744; soulandsmoke.com
This article has been changed to remove a characterization that protesters against the governor’s stay-at-home policy were Illinois Nazis.


chicagotribune--2020-05-05--Daywatch: COVID-19 deaths hit two-week low in Illinois, United Airlines slashing jobs and Chicago la

Daywatch: COVID-19 deaths hit two-week low in Illinois, United Airlines slashing jobs and Chicago lands James Beard Award nominations

Though the federal government has cleared the antiviral drug remdesivir to treat some COVID-19 patients , don ’ t expect @ @ @ @ @ routine use anytime soon .
The emergency use authorization granted Friday by the Food and @ @ @ @ @ to be given to patients with COVID-19 only if they are severely ill — with @ @ @ @ @ % or lower , or otherwise requiring supplemental oxygen .

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday announced 2,341 new known coronavirus cases, along with 46 more deaths, bringing statewide totals to 63,840 known cases and 2,662 deaths
In the U.S., there have been more than 1.1 million people infected as the death toll neared 69,000 on Monday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University
Worldwide, nearly 3.6 million infections and more than 251,000 deaths have been recorded, according to Johns Hopkins University on Monday
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
A technician speaks to people arriving for a COVID-19 test on the first day of testing at Access Health Facility in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood on, May 4, 2020. This site is by appointment only. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday reported the fewest daily deaths related to the new coronavirus in more than two weeks, and also announced fewer people were hospitalized with COVID-19 than a week earlier.
But he cautioned against reading too much into those small positive signs.
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Empty United Airlines ticket machines are shown at the Tampa International Airport Friday, April 24, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. Business at the airport has been at a near standstill due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Chris O'Meara/AP)
United Airlines plans to eliminate more than 3,400 management and administrative positions Oct. 1 as the airline reels from the coronavirus pandemic that has brought air travel to an almost standstill. Chicago, United’s hometown, could be especially hard-hit.
Dr. Gregory Huhn, an infectious disease physician at Stroger Hospital, is shown May 4, 2020, outside Cook County Health in Chicago. Huhn headed up Stroger's participation in a remdesivir trial run by the drug company Gilead. (Raquel Zaldivar / Chicago Tribune)
Though the federal government has cleared the antiviral drug remdesivir to treat some COVID-19 patients, don’t expect it to be put into routine use anytime soon. The emergency use authorization granted Friday by the Food and Drug Administration allows the drug to be given to patients with COVID-19 only if they are severely ill — with blood oxygen levels at 94% or lower, or otherwise requiring supplemental oxygen.
Natalie D'Ambrogia and her dog, Belle, pop out of the sunroof as she celebrates her decision to go to Indiana University's Kelley School of Business on senior Decision Day at Barrington High School on May 1, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Drive through, drive in or tune in to graduation ceremonies for the class of 2020. But expect no person-to-person transfer of diplomas, hugs or handshakes. The Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health have provided new guidance for holding ceremonies while the coronavirus pandemic continues, with creative suggestions for recognizing graduates while adhering to social distancing mandates.
Can a school grading system put into place because of the coronavirus shutdown be unfair even if no student can get an F? CPS critics say yes. Here’s why.
Chef Jason Hammel of Lula Cafe, was named among the nominees for Best Chef: Great Lakes. He is pictured at Marisol, where he is also chef. (Kristen Norman / Chicago Tribune)
Monday was supposed to be the day of the James Beard Foundation Awards, when the winners in the Restaurant and Chef Awards category were to be announced at a black-tie gala in Chicago. But the coronavirus shutdown postponed — well, everything. And so the JBF picked Monday to announce the award nominees, a list that, under ordinary circumstances, would have been issued weeks ago.


chicagotribune--2020-05-05--Can a school grading system in which no one gets an F still be unfair? Yes, CPS critics say.

“ For a student to retain their 3rd quarter A , they must continue to perform exceedingly well on their @ @ @ @ @ at least that grade , despite not having the support and instruction they normally would @ @ @ @ @ the group argues .
“ ...
Under the guidelines , if a student with a @ @ @ @ @ a 70 , they are awarded a C and their GPA will presumably benefit .
@ @ @ @ @ student with a 3rd quarter 90 falls to an 89 , they are given a @ @ @ @ @ latter student earns a higher grade than the former , but the latter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ ”

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)
A grading system designed to reward Chicago Public Schools students for their work while providing them flexibility during the coronavirus school shutdown is nonetheless getting called unfair.
Under new CPS guidance, students who can’t or don’t participate in remote learning will get “incomplete” grades on their final report cards. No Fs will be handed out; students can only raise, not lower, their letter grades; and those who lack internet access won’t get letter grades at all.
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But critics, including the Chicago Teachers Union, say the plan doesn’t give every student the same opportunity to improve their marks.
People line up to pick up laptops for remote learning outside Richardson Middle School in Chicago on April 14, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
“The CPS grading policy creates a two-tier system where students with digital access can receive grades if it’s in their favor, and students without digital access only have a right to a passing grade or an ‘incomplete,’” said Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey. “This still allows for great inequity, and represents separate and unequal conditions in our district."
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Meanwhile, district leaders are also recommending policies that would waive some high school graduation requirements and promote all elementary school students to the next grade in the fall, regardless of performance. Those elements still require approval from the Board of Education, which has been briefed on the proposals.
District officials said they aimed to create a fair approach to grading, grade promotion and graduation requirements while schools remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With remote learning taking place for the remainder of the academic year, the district created an equity-focused grading plan that allows students to improve their grades while ensuring their academic standing isn’t harmed due to circumstances beyond their control,” CPS CEO Janice Jackson said in a statement.
Though the grading guidance varies slightly between the elementary and high school levels, students of all ages can only improve their grades during the fourth quarter of the school year. Students who performed as well or better than in the third quarter will get letter grades, and no students will be flunked.
Students who participate in remote learning but don’t maintain or improve their grades will receive a “pass”; those who don’t do the work or don’t finish it satisfactorily will receive an “incomplete” and “will be prioritized for summer school, if it is determined that summer school can be held this year,” according to CPS. High school seniors with incompletes will have opportunities to make up the missed credits, which they must do before they receive diplomas.
Students who lack digital access but turn in paper packets of their work will also be graded on a pass/incomplete system.
If the school board approves the plan, CPS will also temporarily waive high school grade promotion requirements that don’t involve academic credit, including service learning, SAT testing, a Constitution test, computer science and financial literacy.
“We are waiving certain promotion and graduation requirements for our seniors and juniors, who are particularly impacted by the uncertainty of this crisis," Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade said in the announcement. “No student is prepared to have their school year end in this manner but with these measures, we hope to eliminate barriers to graduation for students who have worked hard for the past four years.”
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McDade told the Tribune that CPS officials looked at how other districts around the country were handling remote grading, and listened to local parents and educators.
A student who had a lower passing grade such as a C in the third quarter “has an opportunity during this remote learning to significantly improve their grade,” with flexibility to redo or make up assignments, McDade said.
However, that only works for students with computers and internet at home.
“We have taken into consideration all of the options ... and determined credit or pass is the most equitable option for students completing packets,” McDade said.
Sharkey praised the elimination of failing grades, something he said the teachers union “fought passionately for,” but criticized other parts of the new grading policy.
“Giving a mark of 'incomplete’ to students and requiring summer school will be perceived as the equivalent to a failing grade, and CPS shouldn’t be giving the impression of failure for students who cannot participate in school during a pandemic,” he said.
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Thousands of students are still without a computer or internet, and their needs should drive the policy, he said.
Walter Payton College Prep junior Bella Watts, 17, studies honors pre-calculus at home in Chicago on May 4, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Walter Payton College Prep junior Bella Watts, 17, said she and many of her friends were surprised by the new grading policy.
“It seems as if, if you don’t have that (digital) access, then you’re automatically going to get a passing grade," she said. “Though the intention of the passing grade is that it’s not negatively going to affect you, I think all students should have the opportunity to achieve a passing grade or a letter grade if they would like to.”
Watts said she’d advocate for everyone to get the best grade possible, whether that’s a letter or a pass. Taking a “pass” in one or more classes will put more weight on other grades and could discourage students from taking on more challenging classes in the future, she said.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s helping anyone’s performance,” Watts said. “A lot of us were satisfied with the policy they had put out a few weeks ago and expected a continuation of that policy.”
Under the third-quarter grading policy, which also caught many teachers by surprise, students were graded based on work done before the switch to remote learning, with any work done during the remote period only counted if it improved a grade.
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Gregory Goodman, a social studies teacher at Lindblom Math and Science Academy in Englewood, previously told the Tribune he thought opt-in grades would have made more sense for third quarter. On Twitter on Friday, he made a similar case for fourth quarter, detailing scenarios in which a student may prefer a grade to a pass or a pass to a grade. “Let’s say I have a kid who earned an F in (the third quarter) and raised their grade to a D in (the fourth quarter),” he wrote. “Current policy is this student would have a D. Seems like it would be beneficial for them to choose a (pass) instead.”
Scn 3: Let's say I have two students who earned Bs. One dropped from an A to a B and now has a P. The other rose from a C to a B and now has a B. Both students performed similarly, but the B is going to look better on a transcript than a P. One of these students gets punished. 4/ — Gregory Goodman (@gregrgoodman) May 1, 2020
The editorial boards of student papers at three selective enrollment high schools – the Lane Warrior, Payton Paw Print and Whitney Young Beacon – published a joint editorial asking CPS to reconsider the grading policy.
Lane Tech students and Warrior editors Finley Williams, 17, and Toby Straus, 18, said they also created a petition and graphics about “why CPS’s new grading policy hurts everyone" after commiserating over the new guidance. Williams posted the images to her Instagram page, garnering more than 2,000 likes.
“For a student to retain their 3rd quarter A, they must continue to perform exceedingly well on their assignments and assessments, earning at least that grade, despite not having the support and instruction they normally would when in class,” the students argue. “... Under the guidelines, if a student with a 69 raises their grade to a 70, they are awarded a C and their GPA will presumably benefit. If the grade of another student with a 3rd quarter 90 falls to an 89, they are given a ‘pass’ — the latter student earns a higher grade than the former, but the latter’s GPA does not improve.”
Further, they state, “even if a student without internet access completes their bi-weekly packets and masters the class’ material, they can only be awarded a ‘pass,’ resulting in no positive impact on their GPA, despite their work.”
Student activists who organized as Chi Student Pandemic Response are also pushing back, tweeting at CPS leaders and the mayor and sharing the graphics.
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Among their petition’s demands: an official statement that all CPS schools adopt a system allowing all students to pass the school year and opt-in to letter grades.
Please check this out!
We are not done with our work & will continue pushing @chipubschools to introduce a new policy that will actually put #ChiStudentsFirst. pic.twitter.com/aZtjSgkbe8 — Chi Student Pandemic Response (@StuPandemicResp) May 2, 2020
At the beginning of each school year, teachers assess students’ abilities and how much they slid over the summer, McDade said. With so much time away from classrooms now, “of course it’s going to have an impact” on learning, she said, one reason leaders are prioritizing summer school for students who get incompletes.
Teachers may also have to review previously covered material in the fall, McDade said.
For now, she said CPS is planning both in-person and virtual options for summer school, keeping a close eye on guidance from state health officials and medical professionals.
“We want to be prepared so we’re considering both, because of the uncertainty of the time that we’re in,” McDade said.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-05--McHenry drive-in theater to reopen this weekend under new exception to state’s coronavirus shutdown

Dehn said he was taking all the precautions that had been suggested to him previously by state officials , and @ @ @ @ @ be allowed to watch the movie from the beds of pickup trucks or the back @ @ @ @ @ will then be required to wear masks if doing so or going to the bathrooms @

Scott Dehn sits on his movie-inspired pickup truck at the McHenry Outdoor Theater drive-in on April 22, 2010, in McHenry. Dehn has worked at the drive-in for the last 20 years and bought it in February 2020. He plans to open May 1. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
A drive-in movie theater owner in far northwest suburban McHenry said he plans to reopen Friday after getting the go-ahead to open despite the Illinois coronavirus business shutdown.
Illinois Department of Public Health officials confirmed the McHenry Outdoor Theater may open under updated guidance issued Saturday by the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
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“Drive-in movie theatres can operate on a limited basis,” the guidelines state. “Cars must be parked in every-other spot to ensure a minimum six-foot distance between cars. Patrons are not allowed to sit outside of their vehicles to view the movie.”
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In addition, the rules state, “To the extent possible, reservations and payments for the theatre should be made in advance online or over the phone… concessions should be ordered online or over the phone and be available for curbside pickup. Restrooms should have sufficient soap and hand sanitizer, and shall be regularly sanitized. Drive-in theatres should also follow the social distancing guidelines set forth in the order.”
Outdoor speakers hang on bright red poles at McHenry Outdoor Theater on April 22, 2010, in McHenry. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Owner Scott Dehn said he was thrilled to reopen after his hopes of doing so May 1 were dashed when Gov. J.B. Pritzker extended his closure order from April 30 to the end of May.
Dehn said he was taking all the precautions that had been suggested to him previously by state officials, and more so. Viewers will be allowed to watch the movie from the beds of pickup trucks or the back hatches of cars, but will then be required to wear masks if doing so or going to the bathrooms.
“I’m excited, but I’ve learned to temper that,” Dehn said. “I was told yes, then I was told no.”
The theater will play a family-friendly prehistoric double feature, “The Flintstones” and “Jurassic Park.” Lest viewers be tempted to go to the concession stand to get themselves a treat, workers will deliver all food to the cars.
The box office will open by 6:30 p.m., and Dehn expects to be sold out by 7 p.m.
Normally, viewers show up early and eat and drink or play catch or Frisbee in the parking lot before the movies, and pets are allowed. This time, patrons must stay in their vehicles except to go to the restrooms, so there will be none of that. But Dehn said he can dream: “Someday.”
Lauren Huffman, spokeswoman for the agency that wrote the guidelines, said in an email, “Drive-in theaters like this one are permitted to operate based on their unique ability to ensure people safely social distance inside their vehicles.”
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State Rep. Tom Weber, a Republican from Lake Villa, said many theater-goers were disappointed by its closing, and looking forward to the reopening.
“We used to take our kids in their pajamas,” he said. “It’s a great place for the family. People need to get a little release. It’ll be ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.”


chicagotribune--2020-05-05--Ida B. Wells receives Pulitzer Prize citation: ‘The only thing she really had was the truth’

“ The only thing she really had was the truth , ” Duster said Monday , noting that Wells ’ @ @ @ @ @ admirers should not minimize what she overcame .
“ And she used journalism as a @ @ @ @ @ what was going on , but she used her skill as a journalist , to @ @ @ @ @ , to impact social change .
”

A photo shows Ida B. Wells-Barnett with her son Charles Aked Barnett, circa 1917-1919. On display at the Harold Washington Library Center in Chicago in 2015, the photo was on loan from the University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center, Ida B. Wells Papers. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Ida B. Wells, the investigative journalist, civil rights crusader and legendary Chicagoan, received a Pulitzer Prize citation as part of this year’s annual awards.
The honor, announced Monday by the board of the Pulitzer Prizes, is a testament to Wells’ long-standing work and contributions to the country, said Michelle Duster, the great-granddaughter of Wells.
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“The only thing she really had was the truth,” Duster said Monday, noting that Wells’ life was not easy and admirers should not minimize what she overcame. “And she used journalism as a tool to not just report what was going on, but she used her skill as a journalist, to the best of her ability, to impact social change.”
Wells believed that if she could get the truth to the public, she could change attitudes and laws, Duster said. “So she had a very specific purpose for her journalism. And it’s amazing that what she did is appreciated today.”
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The news was still sinking in a few hours after the announcement, Duster said, but it was “no small thing.”
Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells, stands in front of Wells' former home at 3624 South King Drive in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood in 2018. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
The board awarded the posthumous special citation for Wells’ “outstanding and courageous reporting on the horrific and vicious violence against African Americans during the era of lynching.”
As a journalist, Wells, also known by Wells-Barnett, reported on the racist lynchings of black men, sorting through statistics and uncovering fabrications.
She was born into slavery in 1862 in Mississippi but built a towering legacy as an activist, leader of women’s suffrage and political strategist in Chicago, where she also ran a settlement house on the South Side to assist African Americans with housing and social services.
“I learned at an early age that my great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells, was a force to be reckoned with,” Duster wrote in a Tribune flashback.
But Wells’ legacy was long overlooked. Historians, activists and ordinary people fought for years to shed light on Wells’ stories, eventually seeing their efforts pay off with renewed prominence. In Chicago, Wells’ name ended up on a downtown thoroughfare. The New York Times published her obituary as part of its “Overlooked” series.
A portrait of Ida B. Wells, circa 1920. (Chicago History Museum / Getty Images)
Duster said she has noticed the resurgent interest in Wells’ work, including from journalists looking to Wells’ techniques, “who are trying to cut through some of the noise.”
The second edition of Wells’ autobiography will be released next week, Duster said, with a new foreword by Eve Ewing and an afterword from Duster. She’s also hopeful a monument in Wells’ honor, designed by Richard Hunt, will happen this year.
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At the 2019 renaming of Congress Parkway in Wells’ honor, the Tribune reported that journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones — also a Pulitzer recipient Monday for “The 1619 Project” — reflected on Wells’ legacy.
“Can you imagine a black woman at that time, going into territory where a black man or woman had literally been strung up and lynched and asking questions about why this was and what happened?” Hannah-Jones said. “She did this because she understood that the people that committed the murders wrote the reports.”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 10 Michelle Duster, center, the great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells, is embraced by Ald. Sophia King (4th), right, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel stands nearby during a ceremony to unveil the renaming of Congress Parkway to Ida B. Wells Drive at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago on Feb. 11, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Hannah-Jones noted that, at the time of Wells’ death in 1931, “she was the most famous black woman in the world.”
“And yet it takes until 2019 to get a street named in her honor in the city where she is buried. I think that speaks to the way we have always erased the contributions of black women in this country,” Hannah-Jones said. “It is Ida’s time.”
The Pulitzer citation comes with a bequest of at least $50,000, with recipients to be announced at a later date.
Duster said she hopes the funds honor Wells by helping others, especially the next generation of leaders.
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The 2020 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced Monday afternoon by Pulitzer Administrator Dana Canedy in an online video stream. The complete list of winners is available here.


chicagotribune--2020-05-03--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened May 2-3 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

The governor has said large gatherings pose a public health risk to communities in which they occur , and encourages @ @ @ @ @ that services be canceled or held online during the stay-at-home order .
A revision late @ @ @ @ @ s order , after the lawsuit was filed , added “ free exercise of religion @ @ @ @ @ activity to the order , but limits religious gatherings to 10 people or fewer , @ @ @ @ @ all gatherings laid out in the order .

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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)
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Sunday that over the last 24 hours, there were 63 new deaths confirmed in Illinois, for a total of at least 2,618 confirmed deaths. There were 2,994 new known cases, for a total of 61,499 total cases.
As Chicagoans and Illinoisans continued to flock outside during a warm spring weekend, Pritzker on Sunday again reminded Illinois residents to continue practicing social distancing during the pandemic.
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He urged local governments and police departments to help enforce the state’s stay-at-home guidelines.
“There’s no other way for us to do it,” he said, “we need the public to comply with the stay-at-home rule. Because that is how we’ve been defeating coronavirus.”
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[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
[ From closing schools to stay-at-home order, here's how Illinois' coronavirus response compares with other states ]
Here’s a recap of what happened May 2-3 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
2:35 p.m.: 2,994 new known COVID-19 cases, 63 new deaths in state
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Sunday that over the last 24 hours, there were 63 new deaths confirmed in Illinois, for a total of at least 2,618 confirmed deaths. There were 2,994 new known cases, for a total of 61,499 total cases.
As of midnight, 4,701 people in Illinois were hospitalized with coronavirus. Of those patients, 1,232 were in intensive care units and 759 were on ventilators, Pritzker said.
Illinois tested 19,417 people over the last 24 hours, the highest total yet, the governor said.
The governor reported Sunday that 97 of 102 counties in Illinois have coronavirus cases.
As Chicagoans and Illinoisans continued to flock outside during a warm spring weekend, Pritzker on Sunday again reminded Illinois residents to continue practicing social distancing during the pandemic.
“People need to follow the rules,” the governor said. “People will get sick if they don’t follow the rules.”
He urged local governments and police departments to help enforce the state’s stay-at-home guidelines.
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“There’s no other way for us to do it,” he said, “we need the public to comply with the stay-at-home rule. Because that is how we’ve been defeating coronavirus.”
Pritzker also reminded young people that even if they do not get sick, or contract a mild case of coronavirus, they are putting older relatives and friends, or those they know who have medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus, at risk. –Patrick O’Connell
11:50 a.m.: First Chicago area farmers market opens under new coronavirus rules with two-block long lines
The day after some protested Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the stay-at-home order, on the weekend Smithfield reopened a hog slaughterhouse in Monmouth following a White House executive order, the first Chicago area farmers market opened quietly for the season under new coronavirus rules.
The downtown Evanston farmers market kicked off the outdoor season Saturday with a two-block line around the market, and some rural vendors scared about coming into the city.
“The line was two blocks long because everybody was social distancing,” said Myra Gorman, market manager. “I asked people who were in line and it only took them 12 minutes to get in.”
The line ebbed and flowed, at times disappearing at the market which was open from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., under 75-degree sunny blue skies. Palatine also launched its farmers market Saturday. Read more here. –Louisa Chu
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11:20 a.m.: Church that sued state over stay-at-home order says it’s holding services Sunday
A rural Illinois church planned Sunday to hold services just days after it filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, contending his executive actions were discriminatory against religious practices.
The Beloved Church, a roughly 80-person congregation in the northwest Illinois town of Lena in Stephenson County, announced in a news release it would provide masks and hand sanitizer to worshippers, and families would be situated six feet a part to respect social distancing recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The planned service comes three days after the Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based conservative public interest law firm, filed a lawsuit on the church’s behalf. The suit alleges Pritzker, law enforcement and public health officials have “intentionally denigrated Illinois churches and pastors and people of faith by relegating them to second-class citizenship.”
The governor has said large gatherings pose a public health risk to communities in which they occur, and encourages parishioners across Illinois to request that services be canceled or held online during the stay-at-home order. A revision late Thursday in the governor’s order, after the lawsuit was filed, added “free exercise of religion” as a permitted essential activity to the order, but limits religious gatherings to 10 people or fewer, in line with limits on all gatherings laid out in the order.
Lena’s police chief and Stephenson County officials have said they would not enforce Pritzker’s executive order, according to the release. Officials with the sheriff’s office said Lena police had jurisdiction over the church and police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read more here. –Jeremy Gorner
10:45 a.m.: Mayor Lori Lightfoot turns over Instagram account to local musicians to raise money for artists during pandemic
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Instagram account may look – and sound – a little different on Sunday.
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Lightfoot and her wife, Amy Eshleman, invite Chicagoans to join them on the social media platform each Sunday in May for performances by local musicians to benefit the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund, according to a news release from Lightfoot’s office. The fund was launched by Lightfoot and Eshleman because the COVID-19 pandemic is having “an enormous economic impact on Chicago’s local arts community,” the statement said. Read more here. –Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas
10 a.m.: DuPage County mayors want governor’s permission to reopen businesses before May 30, Naperville’s Steve Chirico says
A group of DuPage County mayors and managers plan to send a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker requesting that DuPage County businesses be allowed to open before the end of May, Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico said.
A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t make sense for the state because the coronavirus pandemic is not affecting all parts of Illinois same way, said Chirico, president of the DuPage County Mayors and Managers Conference.
“We’re encouraging an opening sooner than June 1 based on the different paces communities are experiencing COVID-19,” Chirico said.
The mayor has been vocal in his desire to reopen Naperville before May 30, which is the expiration date for the governor’s most recent stay-at-home and nonessential business shutdown order extensions. Read more here. –Erin Hegarty
10 a.m.: More than 100 cases of COVID-19 reported at Geneva nursing home
More than 100 residents and staff at a Geneva nursing home have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the most cases of the virus at any single Kane County long-term care facility, new state figures show.
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The nursing home, Bria of Geneva, is also reporting 18 residents who have died of the virus, according to nursing home figures provided to The Beacon-News. That number, too, marks the highest number of deaths associated with the virus at any Kane County nursing home.
Bria of Geneva Medical Director Phil Branshaw said the number of residents who had contracted the virus skyrocketed within days of the first resident testing positive. He attributed the current high numbers in part to widespread testing at the nursing home, which he said took place soon after learning the first resident had tested positive.
"You didn’t know you had a problem until it literally was blown up all over the facility,” he said.
Bria is among 13 long-term care facilities in Kane County reporting cases of COVID-19, state figures made public Friday show. They include six facilities in Aurora and three in Elgin. Read more here. –Sara Freishtat
7:30 a.m.: New coronavirus testing site opens today in Waukegan
A new community based COVID-19 drive-through testing site will open Sunday in Waukegan.
Approximately 60 Illinois National Guard soldiers will operate the facility, which can perform up to 500 tests per day, seven days a week, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
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Testing is free to anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
Lake County has the third-highest population of positive COVID-19 cases in the state, Illinois officials have said. Read more here. –Yadira Sanchez Olson
May 2
‘We are never getting out of this,’ if residents keep having house parties, Lightfoot says
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Saturday warned "we are never getting out of this" if residents continue flouting stay-at-home orders by having house parties.
Lightfoot made the comments in an impassioned speech on a West Side street corner near the site of a house party officials said was planned for Saturday night near Springfield Avenue and Adams Street, in the East Garfield Park neighborhood.
The Chicago Police Department broke up several house parties across the city on Friday night, Lightfoot said, and police learned of at least six more planned for Saturday night — including the one near the spot where Lightfoot spoke. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
Warm weather leads to more warnings about social distancing from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot
An early May Saturday with temperatures in the 70s brought crowds of people outside to enjoy the sunshine and stern reminders from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot that social-distancing requirements remain in place, no matter the weather.
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“Because people think it’s summer, it’s warm out, I can do whatever I want, I’m young, it’s not going to affect me," the mayor said at a late afternoon news conference on the West Side. "It does, it will, and we will make sure you are in compliance.
"And please, folks, you’ve got to stay home, and save lives.”
Chicago police Superintendent David Brown was with Lightfoot and warned that officers will crack down to stop parties where crowds gather. Towing cars, issuing citations and making arrests are all “on the table,” he said.
Asked at his daily coronavirus news briefing earlier Saturday afternoon about the importance of social distancing as warm temperatures arrive, Pritzker said, “That’s still what people need to do."
He also reiterated that "face coverings are vital for people to wear, in fact it may be the most important thing you can do to save other people’s lives.” Read more here. —Robert McCoppin and Madeline Buckley
2,450 new known COVID-19 cases, 105 additional deaths
Illinois officials reported 2,450 additional known coronavirus cases Saturday, a day after the state marked the first time that more than 3,000 new cases were announced in a day, and bringing the total to 58,505. Officials also announced 105 additional deaths, for a total statewide death toll of 2,559.
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Arwady issues a warm-weather warning: ‘I am a little worried...It’s a beautiful day and people are out’
Chicago’s top health official said Saturday she worries people eager to get outdoors and enjoy the pleasant weather this weekend could counteract the progress against the COVID-19 pandemic made through social distancing efforts.
“We’ve been making progress in terms of seeing that curve flattening, but we are not seeing it decreasing,” Dr. Allison Arwady said Saturday morning on her daily Facebook live-streaming event. “We’re close there, but there was a reason to extend the stay-at-home order. And I am a little worried because I was out today ... it’s a beautiful day and people are out.”
As of Saturday morning, the city reported a total of 22,744 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 962 deaths, Arwady said. Though the rate of infection has slowed, she cautioned the state has not yet seen its peak and will need to keep restrictions in place for some time.
Dr. Allison Arwady, director of the Chicago Department of Public Health, on March 26, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
The city’s new numbers represent an increase of 1,238 new diagnoses and 30 additional deaths since yesterday, Arwady said. The figures have risen, in part, as more testing becomes available, Arwady said.
Another measure the city tracks was also going the wrong direction: cell phone data, which shows the movement of residents, indicates people have been more active outside their homes in the last 24 hours. That could be tied to weather, which brought sunshine yesterday and is expected to reach 75 degrees Saturday.
“I’m worried because we need to get on the other side of this curve,” Arwady said. “We’re not going to see that peak until sometime in May, and the more we have new infections, the more we have people out and about and not abiding by the stay-at-home order, the longer that peak gets pushed.” Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
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Health department provides guidance on how General Assembly could get back to work in Springfield
The Illinois Department of Public Health provides a glimpse at measures legislative leaders could take to reconvene at the Capitol, in a document that includes recommendations to limit the number of people entering the statehouse and to require temperature checks upon entry.
Several weeks of the General Assembly’s spring session have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, and no timeline for reconvening has been announced, even as a growing number of Republican lawmakers is pushing for the General Assembly to return to the State Capitol in Springfield.
The statewide stay-at-home order considers the state legislature and other governmental bodies “essential,” and does not bar them from meeting. Read more here. —Jamie Munks
Farmers markets will open in Chicago area, but most are delayed and are adopting distancing rules
The outdoor farmers market season in Chicago traditionally kicks off on the first Saturday of May at Green City Market. The crown jewel of organic produce transforms a grassy corner of Lincoln Park into a see-and-be-seen event with chefs and lakeside residents mingling among ramps and rhubarb. It’s more a community gathering than simply a means to gather food.
Not this year. Although Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared farmers markets among essential businesses in his original stay-at-home order, opening day for Green City Market, and most farmers markets around Chicago and surrounding suburbs, have been postponed due to the pandemic.
Right now we are hoping for the end of May with social distancing and other precautions,” said Melissa Flynn, executive director of Green City, by email. “I am waiting on answers from DCASE and the Chicago Park District.”
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The coronavirus uncertainty rule holds some exceptions when it comes to farmers markets. Two openings in the suburbs mark the calendar on May 2. Social distancing, though, will revert the events from raucous gatherings with dogs, baby strollers, musicians, flowers and crafts back to a focus on the food. Read more here. —Louisa Chu
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chicagotribune--2020-05-06--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Pritzker announces five-phase plan to reopen state as officials rep

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Pritzker announces five-phase plan to reopen state as officials report 176 more fatalities — the highest daily death toll yet

The display seemed to resonate with scores of students , parents and families coming to terms with virtual ceremonies and @ @ @ @ @ graduates this spring .
While many schools have vowed to hold graduations next year , @ @ @ @ @ officials allow , the cancellations delivered another blow to students who held out hope they @ @ @ @ @ before entering the next phase of life .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
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)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday announced a five-phase plan to reopen Illinois based on public health data and regional health care availability. The plan is based on “regional healthcare availability” and divides the state into four regions.
“Each of the regions could move through the phases of reopening at different times,” Pritzker said.
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The governor said the state is now in the second phase. Pritzker said the fifth and final phase — when large events and conventions will be allowed — won’t start until “a vaccine or highly effective treatment” is widely available, or new cases are eliminated over a sustained period.
Meanwhile, state officials reported the highest number of COVID-19 fatalities in a 24-hour period yet, announcing 176 additional deaths. The statewide death toll now stands at 2,838. Officials also announced 2,122 new known cases, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 65,962.
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[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
[ From closing schools to stay-at-home order, here's how Illinois' coronavirus response compares with other states ]
Here’s a recap of what happened May 5 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:05 p.m.: 30-year-old Addison man stricken by COVID-19 discharged after 44 days in Elmhurst Hospital
It started in mid-March with a cough Jonathan Davila couldn’t shake. The 30-year-old from Addison thought he was suffering bronchitis, but eight days later, when he began to have trouble breathing, he checked into Elmhurst Hospital and was diagnosed with COVID-19.
He wouldn’t leave for another 44 days.
That’s about four times longer than the median stay for people hospitalized for the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is among the longest stays Elmhurst Hospital has recorded among its more than 200 COVID-19 patients.
Such a lengthy and perilous stay — Davila was on a ventilator for about three weeks — for a young and otherwise healthy patient illustrates the capricious and mysterious nature of the disease, said Dr. Phillip Cozzi, a pulmonary disease physician who treated Davila. Read more here. —John Keilman
6:43 p.m: COVID-19 canceled graduation, so proud parents rent billboard to celebrate son’s doctorate from University of Chicago
There might not be caps and gowns or in-person embraces at commencement ceremonies this year, but Brandon Truett’s parents wanted to find an alternative way to celebrate his achievements.
Truett, who recently defended his dissertation on Zoom for the University of Chicago’s English department, checked his phone this weekend and saw a surprise message from his family. It showed their latest gesture to mark the occasion: a billboard, in their South Carolina hometown, featuring a photo of Truett so everyone would know he earned his doctorate.
“It was kind of amazing to see my dad find an innovative way to mark the achievement in a public way,” Truett said Tuesday. “A commencement is a very public way of watching everyone cross the stage in all the regalia, which we can’t do right now.”
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The display seemed to resonate with scores of students, parents and families coming to terms with virtual ceremonies and changes to festivities for college graduates this spring. While many schools have vowed to hold graduations next year, or as soon as health officials allow, the cancellations delivered another blow to students who held out hope they would be able to return before entering the next phase of life.
After Truett, 30, tweeted the billboard photo Tuesday morning, more than 80,000 people shared or interacted with the post by the afternoon. Truett, who usually reserves Twitter for professional messages, said he was overwhelmed by the response and that his dad, who arranged the surprise, “was over the moon.”
In his post, Truett noted the complicated emotions that some new graduates might be experiencing during the pandemic. On a lighter note, he also pointed out a nearby sign for Bojangles, a beloved regional restaurant chain, in the background of the photo.
“It felt weird, maybe even futile, to celebrate my achievement at home, esp as the pandemic exacerbates an already vanishing job market,” he wrote. “But, I gotta say, this ostentatious display of support from my Dad, who didn’t graduate high school, has got me feeling proud of myself today.” Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
6:36 p.m.: Nearly 300 died of COVID-19 in immediate north and west suburbs; Des Plaines reports highest number of deaths with 40, followed by Niles with 39
The number of people dying of COVID-19 in local suburbs continued to grow this week. Seventeen north and west suburbs (listed below) reported a total of 229 deaths related to COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March, according to data from the Cook County Department of Public Health and the county Medical Examiner’s Office.
Greater Des Plaines had the highest number of COVID-19 deaths, with 40 reported as of May 5. The village of Niles followed with 39 deaths, according to county data. Des Plaines had the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the area as well, with 874 reported as of May 5, according to the health department.
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Cicero remained the Cook County suburb with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, jumping from 899 on April 28 to 1,325 on May 5, according to the Cook County Health Department. There were 27 deaths reported in the west suburb, the department said. Read more here. —Jennifer Johnson
6:30 p.m.: DuPage sheriff criticized for holding parade at same time people are being told to avoid large groups
A parade organized by the DuPage County sheriff is drawing criticism for packing hundreds of participants into a parking lot at the same time the governor is urging people to avoid congregating in large groups.
Sheriff James Mendrick said he knew immediately he was going to take some heat when he arrived Sunday afternoon at the staging area of the family-friendly Cruise for Kids parade. The event, intended to offer something "fun for the kids” during the coronavirus pandemic, included 400 first-responder vehicles, big rigs and muscle cars driving through neighborhoods in West Chicago and Carol Stream.
State Rep. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, said a relative showed her photos of the staging location with people standing side-by-side without masks, and she questioned the scope of the parade while the governor is asking people to stay at home.
“This is wholly unacceptable,” Villa said. Read more here. —Suzanne Baker
5:15 p.m.: GOP congressmen ask Pritzker to seek federal aid for state’s pork producers to help dispose of euthanized hog carcasses
Illinois’ five Republican congressmen asked Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday to seek federal emergency funds for a state pork production industry in “crisis mode” due to the coronavirus.
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The money would go in part to pay for the safe disposal of hundreds of thousands of euthanized hog carcasses.
“More than 750,000 hogs are produced a week and many have no market as restaurants and schools remain closed due to statewide closures mandated by your administration,” the letter said.
“Combined with temporary processing facility closures, this will result in producers euthanizing many hundreds of thousands of market-ready hogs. The financial impact of these decisions on hog producers, many of which are small, family-owned business, will be devastating for years to come.”
The letter added that “if not conducted properly, the disposal of so many animal carcasses presents a potential danger to public health and safety.”
The letter was sent by U.S. Reps. John Shimkus of Collinsville, Rodney Davis of Taylorville, Mike Bost of Murphysboro, Darin LaHood of Peoria and Adam Kinzinger of Channahon. The other 13 members of Illinois’ House delegation are Democrats
The Republicans said money from Washington is available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but only if a governor makes a request. They said the funds would support a “critical infrastructure industry” and “ensure those carcasses are disposed in a manner that protects the public health and safety, and ensures that financial assistance is provided to producers in covering disposal costs.”
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The governor’s office said that while the state and pork industry are taking steps to prepare for the need to euthanize hogs, “federal resources to put plans into action are absent.”
Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said the state has received no formal guidance from FEMA on potential funding. And she said the U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it doesn’t have the authority to “provide indemnity, financial resources or boots-on-the-ground assistance because animals are nondiseased,” though the state made such a request earlier this month.
“What is needed is a thoughtful and coordinated federal response to provide the guidance and pathway to receive emergency financial resources to address this crisis,” she said. —Rick Pearson
5 p.m.: At the meat counter, Chicago shoppers face buying limits, higher prices, fewer choices as coronavirus stresses supply
Chicagoans looking to fire up their grills should prepare for higher meat prices and restrictions on how many chops, steaks or burgers they can buy.
COVID-19 outbreaks at meat processing plants across the country continue to disrupt how much product is making its way to grocery stores and butcher shops, despite large facilities beginning to resume operations on a presidential order to stay open during the pandemic.
Some stores said they are limiting the number of meat products customers can buy or raising prices as they struggle to get their usual selection. Read more here. —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
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3: 50 p.m.: Status of festivals and large-scale events uncertain after Pritzker’s announcement
Following Gov. Pritzker’s comments about large-scale events such as music festivals only happening after a vaccine or highly effective treatments being widely available, spokespersons for Lollapalooza (late July), Pitchfork (mid July), Riot Fest (September) all declined immediate comment. Park District spokespersons also did not immediately respond to the Tribune about Taste of Chicago (July) or the Air and Water Show (August).
Ravinia, the Grant Park Music Festival, Blues Fest and Gospel Fest have all been canceled for 2020. —Chicago Tribune Staff
3:04 p.m.: Pritzker lays out regional, five-phase plan to reopen state
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday laid out a regional, five-phase plan to reopen the state based on public health data and health care availability in different parts of the state.
The plan divides the state into four regions, which could enter different phases of reopening at different times.
The final phase — “Illinois restored” — won’t come until a vaccine or highly effective treatment becomes widely available. Festivals, conventions, and all businesses and schools would reopen.
“Until we have a vaccine or an effective treatment or enough widespread immunity that new cases fail to materialize, the option of returning to normalcy doesn’t exist,” Pritzker said at his briefing Tuesday.
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To varying degrees, the entire state is already in Phase 2 of the plan, labeled “flattening,” which allows for nonessential retail businesses to reopen for curbside pickup and delivery and for additional outdoor activities like golf and boating to resume under social distancing guidelines. These new rules took effect Friday.
The earliest a region can move to the third phase is May 29, Pritzker said.
The state Department of Public Health will be tracking the four regions based on a number of metrics, which will be available online so the public can track it, Pritzker said.
“Just as public health indicators will tell us when to move forward at any time, they could also signal that we need to move backwards,” Pritzker said.
The third phase, called “recovery,” would come when the number of COVID-19 patients being admitted to hospitals and the number needing intensive-care unit beds is stable or declining. In this phase, manufacturing, offices, retailers, and barbershops and salons could reopen, with capacity limits and other restrictions. Face coverings would still be required.
In the fourth phase — “revitalization” — gatherings of 50 or more would be allowed to resume, restaurants, bars, child care centers and schools would reopen under guidance from state public health officials. Face coverings would still be required, as would social distancing measures. Reaching this phase would require a continued decline in the rate of new infections and hospitalizations. Read more here. —Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella
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2:45 p.m.: 176 additional COVID-19 deaths and 2,838 new known cases reported
State officials on Tuesday reported the highest number of COVID-19 fatalities in a 24-hour period yet, announcing 176 additional deaths on Tuesday. The statewide death toll now stands at 2,838. Officials also announced 2,122 new known cases, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 65,962.
2:42 p.m.: Judge asks state health department to inspect Cicero nursing home where nine residents have died
A Cook County judge Tuesday asked the state department of health to inspect a Cicero nursing home that has endured a severe COVID-19 outbreak that led to the deaths of at least 10 people.
A hearing Tuesday that ended with the request came after the town of Cicero filed a lawsuit Friday against City View Multi-Care Center, the state of Illinois, the state health department and Gov. J.B. Pritzker, alleging the facility and state officials failed to respond appropriately to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It seems obvious to me that an inspection needs to happen to see the actual conditions, and it needs to happen very quickly given the type of outbreak we’re in and the numbers that we’ve already seen,” Judge Alison Conley said during a hearing for a temporary restraining order that would compel the state to intervene and provide some form of assistance.
On Tuesday, Cicero’s lawyers alleged that City View nursing home, 5825 W. Cermak Road, was still not complying with regulations recommended by the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention and rules mandated by the town.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Conley noted that there was a “practical emergency” dimension to the case and said she interpreted the town of Cicero’s request for a temporary restraining order as a plea for help.
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“I don’t read this one as a finger-pointing (temporary restraining order). I read this as a municipality saying: We’re really concerned about these numbers,” she said.
—Javonte Anderson
12:50 p.m.: Demonstrators rally outside Cook County Jail, call for Sheriff Tom Dart’s resignation
About 20 demonstrators rallied outside the Cook County Jail on Tuesday to commemorate the birthday of a man who died in custody after a COVID-19 diagnosis – and to demand Sheriff Tom Dart’s resignation.
“On April 12 of 2020 my husband died, and that’s what we’re here to confront Mr. Dart about,” Cassandra Greer-Lee said to the group of protesters. “... His name was Nickolas Lee, and today he would have been 43.”
Lee was one of six detainees who have died in custody after testing positive for the virus, which has sickened hundreds of detainees and jail staffers in the past few months.
“We are out here to fight. Don’t let another inmate - not only another inmate, your staff is dying now,” Greer-Lee said. “Let’s not lose another life, Mr. Dart, let these people go.”
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The group at first rallied outside an office building on the jail complex that was first built as a medical facility. “Municipal Contagious Disease Hospital” is still emblazoned on its facade. After a while, they moved farther north along California Avenue, in an attempt to catch the attention of detainees behind the walls.
Lee was being held without bail on charges including armed habitual criminal and armed robbery. He had a felony record stretching back two decades. Greer-Lee said she was particularly frustrated that the sheriff’s office noted his convictions in its public statements about his death.
The jail population has dropped dramatically since mid-March. As of Friday, it was down to 4,071.
Dart has repeatedly defended his response to the virus and said he was “ahead of the curve” in recognizing the dangers the growing pandemic in a jail setting. To help alleviate overcrowding, Dart said he’s been working with stakeholders to release detainees who are medically vulnerable or accused of nonviolent offenses. Detainees have been moved to single cells, staffers encourage social distancing in common areas, and inmates were being handed spray bottles to sanitize showers after use, jail officials have said. –Megan Crepeau
12:35 p.m.: Lake County hits grim milestone, topping 100 COVID-19 deaths and almost 2,200 cases, Indiana officials say
Lake County hit a grim milestone Tuesday with over 100 deaths reported from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Six more deaths brought the county’s total to 103, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. Statewide, Indiana reported 1,213 official deaths from the pandemic. Another 113 deaths were suspected, but not diagnosed. It reported 62 new deaths Tuesday.
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The Porter County Health Department reported eight deaths to date, with 285 positive cases. Of those, 14 were hospitalized and 170 recovered.
Since the first case was reported in Indiana on March 6, about 18% of those tested were positive, state figures show. To date, more than 21,000 Hoosiers have tested positive for the virus and the state reports more than 115,000 people have been tested. According to census.gov, the state’s 2019 population was 6.7 million.
Elsewhere to date, LaPorte County and rural Newton County both reported eight COVID-19 deaths. At the Westville Correctional Facility, 157 prisoners have tested positive while 144 recovered, according to the Indiana Department of Corrections statistics posted online. Three prisoners have died to date, it said. Just over 300 prisoners are isolated, while 17 are quarantined. There, 51 staff tested positive for COVID-19, while 47 recovered.
In Lake County so far, 2,161 out of 10,141 people have tested positive, according to the state. In Porter County, the state is reporting more than 2,000 residents have been tested. Read more here. –Meredith Colias-Pete
12:30 p.m.: Several CPS students will join Barack Obama as he headlines a televised prime-time commencement address for the Class of 2020
Former President Barack Obama will deliver a televised prime-time commencement address for the Class of 2020 during an hour-long event that will also feature LeBron James, Malala Yousafzai and Ben Platt, among others.
ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC will simultaneously air the special May 16 at 8 p.m. Eastern along with more than 20 other broadcast and digital streaming partners, according to the announcement Tuesday from organizers.
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Several high school students from Chicago public schools and the Obama Youth Jobs Corps will join, as will the Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, Bad Bunny, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Megan Rapinoe and H.E.R. Read more here. –Associated Press
10:05 a.m.: Chicago schools, local TV stations join up to provide educational programming for children during school shutdown
To supplement remote learning plans for local students, Chicago Public Schools has partnered with local television stations on educational programming during the coronavirus pandemic.
WTTW, WLS, Univision/UniMás, WCIU and subchannels will air educational enrichment programming, including district-provided math, science and language arts content, CPS announced. WTTW, Chicago’s PBS affiliate, has also refocused a digital subchannel on educational material targeting middle-grade students. All of the channels are free and accessible using antenna or cable. A schedule and more information will be posted on the CPS website.
In a statement announcing the arrangements, CPS CEO Janice Jackson thanked the local stations and said it was important to provide educational resources through as many platforms as possible.
Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade also reiterated that while nothing can replace classroom instructional time, “televised enrichment activities can help students supplement their remote learning plans by providing refreshers on key academic skills.”
Donors through the Children First Fund helped pay for the initiative, according to a news release. Participating stations also provided free or reduced air time. –Hannah Leone
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8:40 a.m.: A Chicago woman temporarily shut down her Edgewater bakery to go back to nursing amid the coronavirus pandemic
As the coronavirus spread, Kate Merrill felt a responsibility to shutter her Edgewater bakery temporarily, worried about the health risk to her workers.
“I was feeling sick to my stomach,” said Merrill, who spent two decades in nursing. “If something got spread through our facility, I don’t know how I could handle that. I made the decision to close shop.”
Shortly after, Merrill chatted on the phone with a former nursing colleague. She asked Merrill, “Would you be willing to come back?” Her answer was immediate: “Of course. If you need me, I’ll be there.”
Merrill, 47, is back at Mount Sinai Hospital, where she helps treat coronavirus patients as a member of the surgical intensive care unit. She is one of many former health care workers who have returned to their trained profession during the pandemic. Read more here. –Shannon Ryan
7:30 a.m. Chicago-area charities fighting COVID-19 effects highlight #GivingTuesdayNow
In an effort to drive charitable donations, nonprofits nationwide and in Illinois are highlighting Tuesday as #GivingTuesdayNow on social media.
Giving Tuesday in recent years has been the day in November or December after Cyber Monday—the online equivalent of the post-Thanksgiving Black Friday. This year, charities, including United Way of Metro Chicago, are encouraging people to donate to provide funds for charities during the COVID-19 crisis, more than half a year before the usual date.
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In the Chicago area, a number of charitable funds have been set up to respond to the crisis, the most wide-ranging being the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund.
It’s time to do what our city does best — rally around each other. Make a donation to the #ChicagoCOVIDFund on May 5 to help neighbors experiencing job loss, lack of food, & strains on childcare due to COVID-19. #GivingTuesdayNow #TakeCareChicago pic.twitter.com/6AmhYU55nC — United Way Chicago #TakeCareChicago (@unitedwaychi) May 3, 2020
For a list of other charities helping out during the crisis, check here. — Chicago Tribune Staff
6 a.m.: School grading system put into place because of coronavirus, in which no one gets an F, called unfair by some CPS critics
A grading system designed to reward Chicago Public Schools students for their work while providing them flexibility during the coronavirus school shutdown is nonetheless getting called unfair.
Under new CPS guidance, students who can’t or don’t participate in remote learning will get “incomplete” grades on their final report cards. No Fs will be handed out; students can only raise, not lower, their letter grades; and those who lack internet access won’t get letter grades at all.
But critics, including the Chicago Teachers Union, say the plan doesn’t give every student the same opportunity to improve their marks.
“The CPS grading policy creates a two-tier system where students with digital access can receive grades if it’s in their favor, and students without digital access only have a right to a passing grade or an ‘incomplete,’” said Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey. “This still allows for great inequity, and represents separate and unequal conditions in our district." Read more here. –Hannah Leone
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May 4
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chicagotribune--2020-05-05--Nearly 300 died of COVID-19 in immediate north and west suburbs; Des Plaines reports highest number

Nearly 300 died of COVID-19 in immediate north and west suburbs; Des Plaines reports highest number of deaths with 40, followed by Niles with 39

The number of people dying of COVID-19 in local suburbs continued to grow this week .
Seventeen north and west @ @ @ @ @ reported a total of 229 deaths related to COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March @ @ @ @ @ the Cook County Department of Public Health and the county Medical Examiner ’ s Office @

The number of people dying of COVID-19 in local suburbs continued to grow this week. Seventeen north and west suburbs (listed below) reported a total of 229 deaths related to COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March, according to data from the Cook County Department of Public Health and the county Medical Examiner’s Office.
Greater Des Plaines had the highest number of COVID-19 deaths, with 40 reported as of May 5. The village of Niles followed with 39 deaths, according to county data.
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Des Plaines had the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the area as well, with 874 reported as of May 5, according to the health department.
Des Plaines numbers include residents of unincorporated areas in Maine Township and Elk Grove Township that have Des Plaines addresses, the Cook County Department of Public Health said.
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Cicero remained the Cook County suburb with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, jumping from 899 on April 28 to 1,325 on May 5, according to the Cook County Health Department.
There were 27 deaths reported in the west suburb, the department said.
The following shows the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases within 17 North and West suburban Cook County communities as of May 5, with a comparison to the cases reported a week earlier on April 28:
• Des Plaines: 874, up from 666; 40 deaths
• Skokie: 523, up from 419; 20 deaths
• Niles: 450, up from 277; 39 deaths.
• Evanston: 397, up from 324; 11 deaths.
• Glenview: 304, up from 257; 24 deaths
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• Elmwood Park: 242, up from 160; 12 deaths.
• Oak Park: 191, up from 156; 12 deaths
• Franklin Park, 179, up from 111; 6 deaths.
• Park Ridge: 172, up from 149; 21 deaths.
• Morton Grove: 158, up from 127; 7 deaths.
• Norridge: 124, up from 86; 13 deaths.
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• Lincolnwood: 114, up from 95; 19 deaths.
• Northlake: 108, up from 84; 0 deaths.
• Harwood Heights: 73, up from 49; 4 deaths.
• River Grove: 56, up from 46; 2 deaths.
• River Forest: 35, up from 25; 0 deaths.
• Rosemont: 33, up from 30; 0 deaths.
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Updated Cook County health department data can be found at ccdphcd.shinyapps.io/covid19.
jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune


chicagotribune--2020-05-05--COVID-19 canceled graduation, so proud parents rent billboard to celebrate son’s doctorate  from Uni

COVID-19 canceled graduation, so proud parents rent billboard to celebrate son’s doctorate  from University of Chicago

There might not be caps and gowns or in-person embraces at commencement ceremonies this year, but Brandon Truett’s parents wanted to find an alternative way to celebrate his achievements.
Truett, who recently defended his dissertation on Zoom for the University of Chicago’s English department, checked his phone this weekend and saw a surprise message from his family. It showed their latest gesture to mark the occasion: a billboard, in their South Carolina hometown, featuring a photo of Truett so everyone would know he earned his doctorate.
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“It was kind of amazing to see my dad find an innovative way to mark the achievement in a public way,” Truett said Tuesday. “A commencement is a very public way of watching everyone cross the stage in all the regalia, which we can’t do right now.”
The display seemed to resonate with scores of students, parents and families coming to terms with virtual ceremonies and changes to festivities for college graduates this spring. While many schools have vowed to hold graduations next year, or as soon as health officials allow, the cancellations delivered another blow to students who held out hope they would be able to return before entering the next phase of life.
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It felt weird, maybe even futile, to celebrate my achievement at home, esp as the pandemic exacerbates an already vanishing job market. But, I gotta say, this ostentatious display of support from my Dad, who didn't graduate high school, has got me feeling proud of myself today. pic.twitter.com/DqKMN2eXrB — Brandon Truett (@bwtruett) May 5, 2020
After Truett, 30, tweeted the billboard photo Tuesday morning, more than 80,000 people shared or interacted with the post by the afternoon. Truett, who usually reserves Twitter for professional messages, said he was overwhelmed by the response and that his dad, who arranged the surprise, “was over the moon.”
In his post, Truett noted the complicated emotions that some new graduates might be experiencing during the pandemic. On a lighter note, he also pointed out a nearby sign for Bojangles, a beloved regional restaurant chain, in the background of the photo.
“It felt weird, maybe even futile, to celebrate my achievement at home, esp as the pandemic exacerbates an already vanishing job market,” he wrote. “But, I gotta say, this ostentatious display of support from my Dad, who didn’t graduate high school, has got me feeling proud of myself today.”
Brandon’s father, Jimmy, said he started thinking of ways to acknowledge his son after U. of C. announced in April that it could not hold its traditional in-person convocation.
Brandon Truett's family wanted to do something special to celebrate his achievement of earning a doctorate in English from the University of Chicago, even if official commencement ceremonies were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. So his parents arranged to feature him on a billboard in their hometown in Conway, South Carolina. (Brandon Truett/HANDOUT)
Brandon’s mother, Debbie, was planning to attend and watch her son earn his doctorate. After toiling in the program for six years, Brandon had finished his dissertation about literature and visual art in the Spanish Civil War.
Jimmy Truett scouted for billboards in the Chicago area, but the closest one he could find was about 25 miles away from Brandon’s home in the Lakeview neighborhood, he said. He ultimately chose one in their hometown so neighbors, friends and relatives would see Brandon’s accomplishments and reach out to him.
“I’m really proud of him,” Jimmy said. “He’s worked really hard. He’s kept his nose clean and he’s been raised to be a fine young man."
Jimmy Truett, 61, owns an auto repair shop and knew some of the billboard operators from his business, so he was able to work out a deal. The digital billboard sits along Highway 501, a major thoroughfare between Conway and Myrtle Beach. Truett said he passes the sign on his way to work every day and that it will be up for a week.
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“I figured I’d put his name in lights," he said, hoping the billboard makes his son feel special.
The display for Brandon includes a photo of him, wearing thick-rimmed glasses, on one side and large text on the other that says, “Congratulations Dr. Truett! PhD in Eng.” The billboard cycles through a few different advertisements and shows Brandon’s message for about 45 seconds, Truett said.
Though his time as a student is wrapping up, Brandon will remain in Chicago after commencement. In the fall, he begins a two-year teaching fellowship at U. of C., he said.
“It’s really comforting to know I have that,” he said, “because you see so many public announcement from universities about hiring freezes, so it’s really unclear if there will be a job market in the fall at all.”
echerney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-05--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.