chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Pritzker extends stay-at-home order with some modifications that wi

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Pritzker extends stay-at-home order with some modifications that will take effect May 1, as death toll hits nearly 1,700

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Friday announced the state conducted 16,124 tests for the new coronavirus during the previous 24 hours , for the first time surpassing his goal of 10,000 tests in a single day .
“ Surpassing 10,000 tests is a very important milestone , not only because it allows us to isolate more of those who are COVID positive so that they don ’ t spread the infection but also because it moves us in the direction of expanding our surveillance for outbreaks , ” Pritzker said .
Officials also announced a daily high number for known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases announced Friday tops the previous high of 2,049 set just two days earlier and brings the total known case count to 39,658 .
There also were 108 more deaths announced , bringing the death toll to 1,795 , officials said .
The day before , Pritzker extended his statewide stay-at-home order through May 30 , while at the same time requiring people to cover their faces in most public settings and easing some of the restrictions he credits with helping slow the spread of the new coronavirus .
But the basic message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you can .
Some patients with the novel coronavirus suffer a severe immune response that triggers potentially fatal hyperinflammation , studies have shown .
The reaction , named for the body ’ s proteins that attack lung tissue , is known as a “ cytokine storm.
” In response , researchers like Wunderink are racing to see if they can find a way to prevent such a catastrophic chain of events .
Northwestern Medicine in Chicago is testing a drug called sarilumab , which is otherwise used to reduce inflammation in rheumatoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensive care unit , Wunderink and his colleagues have helped treat more than 100 patients on mechanical ventilation .
Early results elsewhere show that many patients do not do well on ventilators , and the drug treatment is an attempt to avoid that last resort .
“ We have no therapy for COVID-19 , per se , ” Wunderink explained .
“ We are managing these patients using what research has shown is the best management for acute respiratory distress syndrome , so that ’ s the best we have to offer.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leman , a third-generation hog farmer in Eureka , Illinois , thinks he can hold out for two more weeks before he resorts to once-unthinkable measures .
With some of the nation ’ s largest slaughterhouses closed due to worker outbreaks of COVID-19 , he can ’ t sell most of his market-ready hogs .
But freshly weaned piglets continue to arrive , crowding his barns .
He ’ s been shuffling pigs around , but there ’ s just not enough space .
“ We can do this for a couple weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to have some tough decisions , '' Leman said .
`` We are going to have to euthanize baby pigs because there will be nowhere for them to go.
” Outbreaks of COVID-19 among workers at major meatpacking plants are causing ripple effects across the supply chain , creating a backlog of livestock at farms in central Illinois and threatening to hike meat prices at supermarkets in Chicago .
Read more here .
—Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz 5:05 p.m. : Illinois reopens golf May 1 but with strict regulations — twosomes only , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to joke they ’ ve been social distancing for years : They hit a weak slice that lands in the right rough while their playing partners hit pull hooks or , once in a blue moon , stripe it down the middle of the fairway .
Pritzker ’ s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity laid out a dozen ground rules Friday afternoon to course operators , who can welcome golfers at 6 a.m. May 1 .
Most restrictions mirror those from other states : Walking only ( no carts ) , tee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no touching of the flagstick , foam in the cups for easy ball retrieval , no food service and clubhouses that will remain closed .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Friday announced the state conducted 16,124 tests for the new coronavirus during the previous 24 hours , for the first time surpassing his goal of 10,000 tests in a single day .
“ Surpassing 10,000 tests is a very important milestone , not only because it allows us to isolate more of those who are COVID positive so that they don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moves us in the direction of expanding our surveillance for outbreaks , ” Pritzker said .
The announcement came the same day the state opened its fifth drive-thru testing facility , the newest one in Rockford .
Officials also announced a daily high number for known cases of COVID-19 .
The 2,724 new cases announced Friday tops the previous high of 2,049 set just two days earlier and brings the total known case count to 39,658 .
Public health officials have attributed the recent spikes in cases in part to increased testing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , bringing the death toll to 1,795 , officials said .
There have been fatalities in 96 of Illinois ’ 102 counties .
2:35 p.m. : Which fabric is best for homemade masks ?
A new study looked at more than 15 common household materials .
Starting May 1 , Illinois will require everyone over age 2 to wear a mask when they can ’ t maintain a 6-foot social distance in public .
N-95 masks , which are in short supply , are best reserved for health care workers , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So what fabric or combination of fabrics is best for homemade masks ?
A new study conducted by University of Chicago professor Supratik Guha and colleagues at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont looked at more than 15 common household fabrics to see which were best for protecting against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 .
More specifically , the study investigated the fabric ’ s filtration efficiencies against the tiny droplets that are how COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses are spread .
The study found the most effective fabrics to be cotton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and satin did not provide as much protection .
Hybrid combinations , such as high thread cotton , along with silk , chiffon or flannel also supplied broad filtration coverage .
Read more here .
—Hannah Herrera Greenspan 2:30 p.m. : A Chicago nurse returned to work after recovering from coronavirus .
His cough came back .
He tested 2 more times and got different results .
Day after day , Daniel Ortiz walks into a hospital and treats patients who are struggling with the coronavirus .
He hoped he wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was , he felt , inevitable .
Ortiz ’ s ordeal started in March , when he was assigned to the COVID-19 unit at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago .
Although escaping exposure felt impossible , he took measures to protect his wife , carefully removing contaminated clothing before entering their home and sleeping on the couch .
“ It felt like somebody was constantly hitting me in the head with a hammer , ” said Ortiz , who returned to work in early April .
At the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work did not include further testing .
Nurses could go back once symptoms subsided after seven days .
“ I go right to the place that got me sick , that took my power , that took everything.
” Ortiz is one of thousands of people working in Illinois health care systems who have been infected with the virus .
Eight have died , according to the state Health Department .
He and other nurses who have tested positive for the coronavirus told the Tribune they worry about getting sick again .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Under new hospital policy , he was tested twice before he could return to work this time .
The first result came back negative .
But on Wednesday , two days later , he tested positive .
Read more here .
—Alison Bowen Aldermen approved Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s coronavirus spending ordinance Friday over the objections of critics who say she ’ s giving herself too much authority to make big purchases using public money without City Council oversight .
The mayor ’ s emergency powers ordinance passed the council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lightfoot had the council meet Friday afternoon to consider the package after opponents used a parliamentary procedure to block it at Wednesday ’ s meeting .
On Wednesday , the mayor had excoriated the five aldermen who stopped the vote as a small group of selfish obstructionists more interested in “ preening in front of the press ” than working to help their constituents who are in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic .
But on Friday , Ald .
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa , 35th , said Lightfoot ’ s failure to include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus funds to protect vulnerable Chicagoans made it unacceptable .
“ With this mayor , we ’ ve seen that you have to get it in writing , ” Ramirez-Rosa said .
The ordinance codifies a set of extraordinary spending powers , many of which Lightfoot already granted herself via a March executive order .
It allows her administration to move money within the city budget and sign contracts under $ 1 million without aldermanic approval if the funds are to be spent in response to the virus.Facing aldermanic pushback last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have her finance team provide weekly reports to the council Budget Committee detailing such spending .
Read more here .
—John Byrne and Gregory Pratt 2:01 p.m. : At least $ 200 million budget gap could hit Cook County government as sales , hotel tax revenue dry up , official says Starting in May , Cook County ’ s forecasted net revenue is expected to begin dropping and spark a substantial budget gap for the 2020 fiscal year , according to a projection from chief financial officer Ammar Rizki .
Plummeting sales tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spell long-term damage to the budget as shopping and tourism numbers deflate amid the COVID-19 outbreak .
Rizki said his “ best-case scenario ” projection is if the statewide stay-at-home order ends as scheduled at the end of May , but the projections could fluctuate greatly.
“ If we ’ re not able to control the pandemic and the economy is in some sort of a suspended state through the summer months , '' Rizki said , `` this is going to get only worse for us.
” Rizki said he fears coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ease once the virus subsides , and warned that “ people are not going to go rush out automatically and start living their daily lives that they used to prior to COVID , despite the pent-up demand.
” Read more here .
—Alice Yin 1:54 p.m. : Chicago police issued more dispersal orders on West Side in early days of stay-at-home order than other parts of the city , including the lakefront Chicago police broke up far more gatherings of people on the West Side than any other part of the city during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ J.B. Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order to curb the spread of COVID-19 , according to official police statistics .
More than half of the 956 reports where Chicago police dealt with “ coronavirus loitering ” across the city in an 11-day period from late March through early April occurred in just one of the city ’ s 22 police districts , the Harrison patrol district on the West Side , according to data on coronavirus dispersals obtained by the Tribune through an open records request .
Read more here .
—Jeremy Gorner Sangamon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued a temporary restraining order Thursday blocking the rule following a lawsuit filed by the Illinois Manufacturers ’ Association and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association this week against emergency amendments adopted by the Illinois Workers ’ Compensation Commission .
More than two dozen business groups supported the lawsuit .
Read more here .
—Associated Press A Illinois nursing home industry group criticized the state ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic and warned that outbreaks in homes are likely worse than has been reported and the numbers will grow more dire .
Speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Illinois , Citadel Healthcare CEO Jonathan Aaron said on a video conference call with reporters that the state ’ s expanded testing efforts at nursing homes were “ belated and off to a slow start.
” He called for “ coordinated widespread testing ” and said “ a comprehensive plan for COVID-19 in nursing homes is long overdue.
” Aaron , who oversees 11 facilities , also questioned the effectiveness of pre-shift temperature screening for nursing home employees , saying it wouldn ’ t stop an asymptomatic worker from spreading the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official account of the spread of the disease at a Joliet home where 24 residents and employees have died .
State officials on Sunday started posting information on cases and deaths at homes online after sustaining criticism about holding back the information .
Aaron warned that those figures likely undercount cases because of delays in reporting and different reporting practices across the state .
He noted that the state is only periodically updating the data it shares publicly , and he said the next update will bring a “ surge ” in cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call came in the wake of complaints from nursing home workers that managers are not providing adequate gear and training while failing to share information on outbreaks .
Aaron said his peers in the industry were being blamed unfairly .
“ We have done everything we can to secure PPE .
We have literally scoured the globe , ” he said .
“ We are paying astronomical amounts of money .
We are being price-gouged.
” 11:53 a.m. : Is it crazy to launch a restaurant during the pandemic shutdown ?
North Shore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success That was the question facing Paul Bumbaco , Jeff Hoobler and Kris Walker , the group behind BWB Rocks , a new fast casual restaurant in North Shore , as they had already made plans to open before the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down .
11:49 a.m. : Trump signs $ 484 billion stimulus bill to aid employers and hospitals under stress from the coronavirus pandemic President Donald Trump signed a $ 484 billion bill Friday to aid employers and hospitals under stress from the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy .
The bill is the latest effort by the federal government to help keep afloat businesses that have had to close or dramatically alter their operations as states try to slow the spread of the virus .
Over the past five weeks , roughly 26 million people have filed for jobless aid , or about 1 in 6 U.S. workers .
Read more here .
—Associated Press 11:44 a.m. : New executive order by Pritzker waives some graduation requirements for high school seniors , 8th graders The Friday order suspends Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete “ certain courses ” in order to get a high school diploma .
It applies specifically to students unable to finish the coursework because of suspension of in-person classes due to COVID-19 .
Seniors also won ’ t be denied credit for apprenticeships , vocational classes or technical education courses that count toward graduation requirements but are also affected by coronavirus measures .
For a similar number of eighth graders , the order suspends the requirement that they show comprehensive knowledge of U.S. history before advancing to high school .
Of more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school support and administrator preparation programs , about half were in the process of completing student teaching or internships , hoping to work in schools starting in the fall , according to the order .
Discussion of the possibility took place at a recent Library Board meeting , held remotely online , after board members heard possible scenarios that could decrease revenue for the library in the coming months .
“ Nobody wants to talk about it , but I think senior staff has to get together to see if furloughs have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Smith .
“ We need to see that model sooner than later .
I know , it ’ s ugly , unpleasant to discuss.
” Read more here .
—Steve Lord 10:47 a.m. : After reported BBQs and picnic gatherings , parking lots at ‘ too popular ’ Cook County Forest Preserves to be closed during weekend , Preckwinkle says With a month to go before the start of summer , parking lots in six nature preserves will be closed on Fridays , Saturdays and Sundays , Preckwinkle announced in a press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Elk Grove Village , Maple Lake in Willow Springs , Palos Forest Preserve in Willow Springs , Catherine Chevalier Woods in Chicago , LaBagh Woods in Chicago and Bunker Hill in Niles .
The decision was necessitated by “ repeated violations ” of the statewide ban on large gatherings during weekends at those Cook County Forest Preserve District sites , Preckwinkle said .
“ Unfortunately , we ’ ve seen that on warm weekend days , these locations are too popular.
” Preckwinkle said .
“ There ’ s too many visitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines to fight COVID-19.
” Those violating the rules include people hauling in barbecue grills and sitting in picnic tables with groups who were “ clearly ” not part of their household , forest preserves General Superintendent Arnold Randall said .
Read more here.—Alice Yin Ramadan will look different this year , particularly for men used to centering their lives in mosques during the holy month .
But many Muslims who are women , mothers , disabled or older are used to having a remote or distracted holy month .
“ I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the men was saying that usually , he ’ d break his fast in the evening and then run off to pray at the masjid .
And now he ’ d have to stay home , help clean up , and then pray with the family , ” said Sara Sadat , who lives in Lisle and works as a village trustee .
“ And his wife on the call was laughing and saying , ‘ I ’ ve been doing that forever !
’ ” Read more here .
—Nausheen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle illness alone — a consequence of visitor restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic — the staff are figuring out how to use technology to connect them to loved ones .
The charity arm of the Chicago Cubs has been delivering meals to front line healthcare workers in recent weeks , specifically focusing on hospitals and clinics that are more in need on the South and West sides , including UIC .
Dr. Terry Vanden Hoek , chief medical officer , said the charity asked him after a meal delivery if the hospital needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to successfully navigate a virtual job search .
Step one : Wear pants .
With hiring freezes , furloughs , stay-at-home orders and more than 26 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits over the last five weeks , the coronavirus pandemic may not be the best time to find a new job .
But career experts say you can get hired now , and despite enhanced unemployment benefits , those who have been laid off might not want to spend their time watching Netflix until the stay-at-home order is lifted .
There may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ markets that wouldn ’ t have been possible before COVID-19 .
So update your resume , arrange your home office for a good video interview and , experts advise , don ’ t forget to wear pants .
Read more here .
—Robert Channick 6:30 a.m. : Mayor Lori Lightfoot to preside over City Council meeting after opponents blocked COVID-19 emergency spending powers Mayor Lori Lightfoot will take another stab Friday at getting the Chicago City Council to pass extraordinary spending measures to respond to the COVID-19 crisis after opponents used a parliamentary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote on the proposal .
Five aldermen used the parliamentary procedure to automatically defer Lightfoot ’ s emergency powers ordinance until the next City Council meeting .
But opponents ’ victory in stopping what they see as mayoral overreach may be short-lived .
After the vote was put off , the mayor immediately set a new online meeting for 1 p.m. Friday to vote on the measure ; Wednesday ’ s meeting had been set to be the City Council ’ s first full online meeting in history , after aldermen met last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Aldermen opposed to the measure say the mayor is grabbing too much power and failing to take steps to protect economically vulnerable Chicago residents .
The proposal had passed Tuesday at the council Budget Committee by a 23-10 vote , just three votes shy of a majority of the full 50-member City Council .
So the fight could be largely symbolic and come to an end Friday afternoon with Lightfoot victorious .
—Chicago Tribune staff 5 a.m. : Unexpected ripple effect of COVID-19 : Important work to restore parts of Cook County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall , crews started work on a $ 2.5 million project to restore woodlands in a more than 500-acre Forest Preserves site near Orland Park .
They removed non-native trees and brush throughout the winter to preserve resources for the natural trees and bring sunlight to the forest floor at the ecologically valuable land at Tinley Creek Ravines .
Now , the restoration work in Orland Park and elsewhere across Cook County is halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
An unexpected ripple effect of the pandemic , weeds will creep unabated across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Preserve District , meaning the county may need to expend more funds and manpower to get rid of the extra weed growth when life returns to normal .
As a result , some land projects will lose ground as the state ’ s stay-at-home order that began in March will be extended to the end of May .
Read more here .
—Madeline Buckley A southern Illinois state lawmaker filed a lawsuit Thursday against Gov .
J.B. Pritzker for extending the state ’ s stay-at-home order in an effort to stem the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Darren Bailey of Xenia claims in the lawsuit filed in Clay County Circuit Court that Pritzker has exceeded his authority and is violating the civil rights of the state ’ s residents .
Pritzker on Thursday extended his stay-at-home order through May 30 as the highly contagious COVID-19 continued to infect thousands in the state .
`` Enough is enough ! ''
Bailey said in a statement .
`` I filed this lawsuit on behalf of myself and my constituents who are ready to go back to work and resume a normal life.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ relaxed the decree to allow for some outdoor activities and many previously barred surgeries and medical treatments .
It allows some retailers to reopen to fill online or pickup orders .
The governor is requiring face coverings in public for anyone older than 2 , both indoors and outside in circumstances in which the recommended 6-foot social distance can ’ t be maintained .
“ We are in possibly the most difficult parts of this journey , ” Pritzker said .
“ I know how badly we all want our normal lives back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make that happen right now , I would , but this is the part when we have to dig in.
” Bailey said the power and authority Pritzker wields in the current crisis `` calls for an immediate review and reconsideration of legislative intent.
” —Associated Press Here are five things that happened Thursday that you need to know : Here are five things that happened Wednesday that you need to know : Here are five things that happened Tuesday that you need to know : Here are five things that happened Monday @ @ @ @ @ @

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 announced Thursday he will extend his stay-at-home order into late May, with some modifications that will take effect May 1, including a requirement for people to wear a face covering or mask when in a public space where they can’t maintain a six-foot distance from other people and a phased re-opening of state parks.
Retail stores not designated as non-essential businesses will also be able to reopen to fulfill phone and online orders for curbside pick-up and delivery, under the new order. Greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries, and animal grooming services will also be able to reopen. Employees and customers must wear face coverings, under the new order.
Advertisement
Officials reported 1,826 new known cases on Thursday. There have now been 36,934 cases since the start of the outbreak. With 123 more fatalities also reported, the death toll stands at 1,688, officials said.
[ 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 on April 23 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Advertisement
9:30 p.m.: McHenry drive-in theater’s plans to reopen May 1 are shelved after Pritzker extends stay-at-home order in Illinois
Drive-in movies were an essential part of Scott Dehn’s life growing up. Not only did he take in films with family and friends at the McHenry Outdoor Theater, but he got a job there, and ended up buying the operation in February — just before the state closed all movie theaters.
Devastated by the closure order due to the coronavirus, Dehn came up with a plan to open for business May 1, the day after the stay-at-home order was set to expire. He decided to allow cars only in every other space and keep people in their vehicles to maintain social distancing.
A buzz over the opening built on Facebook, where dozens of drive-in fans thanked him for giving them a chance to get out for a little fun. Dehn said he even had gotten early encouragement from officials in the state’s Small Business Development Centers, one of whom offered advice on how to do it safely.
But Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday extended his stay-at-home order, which also kept closed most businesses, through the end of May.
State officials told Dehn by email that he cannot open because the theater is not an essential business. Defeated, Dehn gave up his dream of showing movies anytime soon, saying he did so with “a very heavy and saddened heart.” Read more here. — Robert McCoppin
9:08 p.m.: Illinois officials say the state is hitting its COVID-19 peak — and that’s actually good news
For weeks, Illinois officials have said the state has been “bending the curve” on the COVID-19 pandemic’s rate of growth. Now the state’s leaders say they think Illinois is reaching the peak, based on models by Illinois researchers that officials unveiled Thursday. Read more here. — Joe Mahr
8:35 p.m.: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives Illinois golf courses the all-clear to reopen May 1 under ‘strict safety guidelines’ amid the coronavirus pandemic
Like finding a ball that was thought to be lost off the tee, Illinois golfers got some good news Thursday: Courses may open May 1 under “strict safety guidelines.”
What are those guidelines? They had not been spelled out as of 8 p.m. Thursday. Read more here. — Teddy Greenstein
Advertisement
8:05 p.m.: Worker became ‘super spreader’ at Joliet nursing home where 26 people died
After the coronavirus shut down dining rooms at nursing homes, a maintenance worker at Symphony of Joliet took it upon himself to order, assemble and install personal dining tables in more than 40 rooms.
Tragically, though the worker had no symptoms, it was discovered later that he was carrying the COVID-19 virus. By visiting those rooms and through his physical exertion, officials at the nursing home believe, he became a “super spreader” and infected many of the residents.
As soon as administrators learned the worker had the virus, they relocated the exposed patients and other workers to another floor. Regardless, 24 residents and two workers — one of them the maintenance worker — died of the disease. Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
6:50 p.m.: Illinois wants all shoppers to wear masks at the grocery store. Enforcing that rule is trickier.
Customers and employees will have to start wearing masks in Illinois stores starting May 1 under the modified stay-at-home order Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday.
Major chains like Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, CVS and Walgreens say they have already mandated all store employees wear masks or facial coverings. Enforcing the same rule for customers can be more challenging.
Approaches have varied in suburbs that have already adopted similar rules. Some grocery stores in suburbs that require masks be worn in public say they are turning away shoppers who arrive bare-faced. Others say confronting customers could put employees’ safety at risk. Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
Advertisement
6:20 p.m.: Long-term care facilities in DuPage now account for 83 of county’s overall total of 118
Twelve more people with coronavirus in DuPage County have died, all of them from long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, officials said Thursday.
That makes 83 deaths attributed to long-term care facilities, out of 118 overall in the county. That includes 10 at Chateau Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook, as well deaths as 34 other such businesses. Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
6:05 p.m.: Doctors give tips on telling COVID-19 from seasonal allergies
As captive Chicagoans focus on COVID-19, allergy sufferers have an added layer of worry: Pollen counts for both trees and grass have yet to peak in Illinois and they’re hoping their congestion and cough don’t mean something more serious.
Figuring out when allergy season starts has gotten harder in recent years because of long cold spells in spring, which have led to an overlap of different kinds of pollen that trigger allergies. At the same time, the Illinois stay-at-home order may be triggering allergies for people stuck in the house with pets. But while allergies and the novel coronavirus show some of the same symptoms, experts say there are ways to tell which people are experiencing.
Those who have known allergies to either tree or grass pollen — they tend to trigger the similar symptoms, said Dr. Rachna Shah, Loyola Medicine’s allergy expert — can expect itchy eyes and nose, sneezing and a runny nose. Some can develop headaches, nasal congestion and postnasal drip.
In some cases, allergies also can lead to or exacerbate asthma, a disease that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says can put people at higher risk for more severe COVID-19.
Advertisement
Dr. Sharmilee Nyenhuis, an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago with expertise in allergies and asthma, said there can be some overlap in the symptoms of allergies and the new coronavirus. But the ones that do overlap aren’t common for those suffering from the new coronavirus. Read more here. —Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas
5:05 p.m.: COVID-19 deaths in Southland top 100 for third consecutive week
For a third straight week, more than 100 Southland residents are confirmed to have died of COVID-19 complications, according to a Southtown analysis.
At least 378 south and southwest suburban residents — 257 in South Cook County and 121 in Will County — have died of complications from the virus since March 19, according to data from the Cook County medical examiner’s office and Will County public health officials.
The South Cook County patients who died — 137 men and 120 women — hailed from 47 different communities and range in age from a 19-year-old Riverdale man to a 108-year-old Evergreen Park nursing home resident.
At least one resident at 43 south and southwest suburban nursing homes has died of COVID-19, and 26 nursing homes have had multiple residents die, according to data provided by state public health department and the medical examiner’s office. Read more here. —Zak Koeske
4:54 p.m.: Judge allows Green and Libertarian candidates on Nov. 3 ballot without normal petition-gathering process due to pandemic
A federal judge on Thursday issued an order that allows presidential, vice presidential and U.S. Senate candidates for the Green and Libertarian parties on Illinois’ Nov. 3 general election ballot without the normal petition-gathering process, which the judge called a “nearly insurmountable hurdle” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Advertisement
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer also ruled that most other independent and third-party candidates for lower offices can collect signatures electronically and will need to get only 10% of the previously required signatures to get on the ballot. The deadline for getting the signatures, which will not have to be notarized, was extended from June 22 to Aug. 7 under Pallmeyer’s order.
“The combined effect of the restrictions on public gatherings imposed by Illinois’ stay-at-home order and the usual in-person signature requirements in the Illinois Election Code is a nearly insurmountable hurdle for new party and independent candidates attempting to have their names placed on the general election ballot,” Pallmeyer wrote.
4:21 p.m.: Federal judge hears testimony in ongoing lawsuit over the response to COVID-19 at Cook County Jail
The assistant director of the Cook County Jail testified in federal court Thursday that more than 175 tiers in the sprawling facility have been transitioned to single-cell housing to help stem the rapid spread of coronavirus that so far has killed six inmates and a correctional officer.
In addition to putting more prisoners in cells by themselves, jail officials have stepped up social distancing measures by spray painting Xs on the floors to try to keep detainees six feet apart, said Mike Miller, the executive director of the Cook County Department of Corrections.
They’ve instructed inmates to spray down showers with disinfectant after use, handed out writing tablets and puzzle books to keep detainees occupied, and threatened those who violate social distancing protocols with loss of phone time or even the privilege of using the microwave, Miller testified via a video link in U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly’s courtroom.
When officials with the Chicago Department of Public Health and the federal Center for Disease Control toured the jail complex last week, they were stunned by what they saw, according to Miller.
Advertisement
“One of them told me, ‘I can’t believe how well you guys are doing,’” Miller testified. “It was phenomenal.”
His testimony came as part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by the Loevy and Loevy law firm and the MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University alleging Sheriff Tom Dart has failed to stop a “rapidly unfolding public health disaster” at the jail, which has been identified as one of the nations’ leading hot spots for COVID-19 infections.
As of Wednesday, six detainees have died after contracting COVID-19 at the jail, according to the sheriff’s office. Another 231 inmates currently have the virus, 18 of whom are hospitalized. Hundreds of others have tested positive and have since recovered.
Also, 173 correctional officers who work at the jail are currently positive for COVID-19. One officer has died of the disease, the sheriff’s office said.
Earlier this month, Kennelly rejected an emergency request by plaintiffs in the suit to order the release of hundreds of medically vulnerable detainees due to the pandemic threat. Kennelly did, however, grant a temporary restraining order forcing Dart to comply with strict sanitation and testing measures. Read more here. —Megan Crepeau and Jason Meisner
3:44 p.m.: Pritzker says hospitals can begin to resume some elective surgeries May 1
Some elective surgeries in Illinois may soon resume, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday as he extended and modified the state’s stay-at-home order.
Advertisement
The Illinois Department of Public Health will issue guidance to surgical centers and hospitals allowing certain elective surgeries for non-life threatening conditions, starting on May 1, the governor’s office said.
In order to restart elective surgeries, facilities will have to meet certain criteria including having appropriate personal protective equipment, enough space for COVID-19 patients and the ability to test elective-surgery patients to make sure they don’t have the illness.
In recent weeks, hospitals in Illinois have canceled elective surgeries to ensure they had enough resources to handle surges of COVID-19 patients.
Those cancellations have left many patients with important but non-emergency health needs waiting for treatment, and have hit hospitals’ bottom lines hard.
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association has estimated that Illinois hospitals are now losing about $1.4 billion a month because of canceled surgeries and fewer non-COVID-19 patients. A number of hospitals in the Chicago area, including Lurie, Mount Sinai, Holy Cross, Weiss, West Suburban and Loyola University Medical Center have instituted employee furloughs in recent weeks to help them deal with financial challenges. —Lisa Schencker
3:28 p.m.: Alderman calls for City Council to meet twice monthly to respond faster to coronavirus crisis
The Chicago City Council should meet twice as often during the coronavirus stay-at-home order to act faster on plans to deal with the emergency, an alderman said Thursday.
Advertisement
North Side Ald. Andre Vasquez, 40th, said he will introduce a plan to the council this week to require the body to have twice-monthly meetings during the pandemic, instead of meeting once a month as usual.
Vasquez pointed to ordinances brought forward this week by colleagues to set caps on the fees collected by food delivery services during the stay-at-home order and to require Chicagoans to wear masks in public as ideas that need a swifter response.
“We clearly have the capability to do this, so if it helps us act more quickly, let’s do it,” Vasquez said. Read more here. —John Byrne
3:01 p.m.: Pritzker announces he will extend stay-at-home order, with some modifications that will take effect May 1
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday he will extend his stay-at-home order into late May, with some modifications that will take effect May 1, including a requirement for people to wear a face covering or mask when in a public space where they can’t maintain a 6-foot distance from other people and a phased re-opening of state parks.
Retail stores not designated as non-essential businesses will also be able to reopen to fulfill phone and online orders for curbside pick-up and delivery, under the new order. Greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries, and animal grooming services will also be able to reopen. Employees and customers must wear face coverings, under the new order.
“We now have what we didn’t have two months ago, an understanding of what COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations and ventilator and ICU usage look like every day in Illinois,” Pritzker said, presenting data that he’s basing his decisions on.
Advertisement
Pritzker addressed projections that Illinois will not see its peak in the COVID-19 pandemic until next month, after models previously projected an April peak.
A pushed-out peak “is the best indicator that we are flattening the curve,” Pritzker said.
“That’s what you’re aiming to do, slow down the rate of transmission, which leads to a slower rate of increase over a longer period of time,” Pritzker said. “Hence, a later and lower peak, pushing the peak further down the line might not sound like good news, but I promise you, it saves lives.”
The modified executive order will require businesses deemed “essential” to provide face-coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain six feet of social distance, and will impose occupancy limits for essential businesses and other measures including shift-staggering and operating only essential lines for manufacturers.
Pritzker said his administration is finalizing steps for “safely moving toward reopening in phases.”
“We are making progress building out testing and launching our contract tracing initiative,” he said.
Advertisement
Pritzker said he will be giving more details on that in the coming days. —Jamie Munks
3 p.m.: Remote learning could be the ‘new normal’ — even into fall, Chicago leaders say
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said local leaders are “making sure we’re truly prepared” in case the school shutdown continues in the fall.
In-class instruction is now halted through the end of the academic year. But both the mayor and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson have both acknowledged there’s a possibility that schooling might not be back to normal in the fall.
“We don’t know that at this stage, but I think one of the things all of us are thinking about, and obviously CPS is as well, is ‘what if?’ and making sure we’re truly prepared,” Lightfoot said Thursday. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt and Hannah Leone
2:53 p.m.: Feds pressure Potbelly, Ruth’s Chris, other public companies to give back small-business loans
Big public companies that received loans under a government program intended to help small businesses devastated by the coronavirus outbreak could be forced to return it.
The Small Business Administration issued an advisory Thursday clearly aimed at companies like restaurant chains Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Potbelly that received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. The guidelines imply that unless a company can prove it was truly eligible for a loan, the money should be returned by May 7. Read more here. —Associated Press
Advertisement
2:45 p.m.: 1,826 new COVID-19 cases, 123 additional deaths
Officials reported 1,826 new known cases on Thursday. There have now been 36,934 cases since the start of the outbreak. With 123 more fatalities also reported Thursday, the death toll stands at 1,688, officials said. —Chicago Tribune staff
2:41 p.m.: A Fourth with no fireworks? Some suburban towns have already had to cancel for Independence Day
The Memorial Day Parade and Chicago Blues Fest have been scrapped. No ruling yet on Taste of Chicago but it’s hard to think about. Next in line for what’s shaping up to be a quiet Chicago summer? The question of what will happen with fireworks for the Fourth of July, both in the city and the displays put on in the suburbs.
In Chicago, a decision will come from Navy Pier, the city’s go-to spot for fireworks since the city last put on its own display in 2010.
But the logistics of what it takes to put on a show, along with other factors such as the Illinois shelter-in-place order extending and Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recent warnings about the summer, mean some of those decisions to cancel are being made now. Read more here. —Doug George
2:13 p.m.: Nearly empty of regular commuters, CTA trains are now carrying essential workers and the homeless, 'a recipe for disaster’
Advocates for the homeless have seen an increase in people sheltering on trains during the health crisis, and the CTA has received more complaints about the issue.
It has heightened concerns that homeless people, many of whom have health problems, are on trains with essential workers like medical personnel and grocery store clerks who may have been exposed to the virus.
Advertisement
As the economic impact of stay-at-home orders grows and more people find themselves out of work, experts worry the ranks of the homeless may grow, making the situation worse. Read more here. —Mary Wisniewski
1:53 p.m.: Target extends temporary pay raises as online sales surge. Some workers call for more protection from COVID-19.
Target is extending temporary raises of $2 an hour for store employees as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to fuel a surge in online shopping and dramatic shifts in what shoppers are buying.
Sales in Target stores have been down slightly since early February, but online sales more than doubled as customers in many parts of the country stocked up while staying home as much as possible, Target said Thursday.
Overall, sales online and at stores open at least 13 months are up more than 7% so far in its fiscal quarter that began in February, according to a news release from the retailer.
Even with the shift to online shopping, some workers say the health and safety precautions Target is taking don’t go far enough, and that temporary raises aren’t enough to compensate them for the risk. Employees are planning a mass sickout on May 1, according to a statement posted by employee activist group Target Workers Unite. Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
1:40 p.m.: Lightfoot launches COVID-19 economic recovery task force
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has enlisted the help of former President George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff in launching an economic recovery task force to help guide the city’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Advertisement
Lightfoot announced the COVID-19 Recovery Taskforce outside the water tower downtown as a nod to the city’s resilience and recovery from the Great Chicago Fire.
“We are the great American city of Chicago," Lightfoot said. "We must be a model for the rest of the nation on how to move forward and we will be.”
Lightfoot will co-chair the task force with former White House Chief of Staff Sam Skinner.
There also will be working groups dedicated to Policy and Economic Stimulus, Mental and Emotional Health, Marketing and Business Development, Regional Coordination, and Economic Change Study.
The committees include political and business heavy hitters, including Mellody Hobson, co-CEO of Ariel Investments; Bob Reiter, the Chicago Federation of Labor’s president; Evelyn Diaz, President of the Heartland Alliance; Karen Freeman Wilson, president and CEO of the Urban League of Chicago; Daniel Cronin, DuPage County board chair, and Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County board president.
“As Chicago goes, so does the entire Chicagoland region and very much vice versa,” Lightfoot said.
Advertisement
The task force’s work will include creating a plan to help residents coping with grief, fear and loss, address COVID-created unemployment, keep Chicago a hotspot for tourism and events, and making sure recovery efforts “are aligned across multiple jurisdictions,” the mayor’s office said. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
1:14 p.m.: No youths test positive for COVID-19 at Cook County’s Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, officials say
Of the 88 youths tested for COVID-19 in Cook County’s Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, none were positive for the disease, according to the Chief Judge’s office.
The office conducted preemptive testing in the detention center’s general population this week after seven JTDC employees had confirmed infections.
Three juvenile detainees have tested positive, but had not been admitted into the general population at the time of their tests. There were 160 youths housed at the center as of Thursday. Ten of them have been ordered released by a judge but remain in custody since state child-welfare officials have not yet found places for them to live. —Megan Crepeau
1 p.m.: Aurora COVID-19 testing site reaches capacity by 12:30 p.m. on first full day open
On its first official day open on Thursday, the new Aurora coronavirus testing site reached full capacity by 12:30 p.m., officials said.
The fourth state-run drive-through COVID-19 testing facility had a line of people in 97 vehicles waiting to be tested when it opened at 8 a.m. Thursday, Aurora police spokesman Paris Lewbel said.
Advertisement
Cars snaked through the parking lot of the site outside the Chicago Premium Outlets mall off of Interstate 88 in Aurora. The mall temporarily closed on March 19 due to the pandemic.
The site is run by the Illinois National Guard and opened Wednesday as part of a statewide effort to respond to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms can be tested at the site for free and do not need a doctor’s note, officials said. Health care workers and first responders can be tested regardless of symptoms. Read more here. —Megan Jones
12:22 p.m.: Gov. J.B. Pritzker expected to extend Illinois’ stay-at-home order into late May, sources say
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to announce Thursday that he will extend a statewide stay-at-home order into late May, sources said.
The directive is set to expire April 30, but Pritzker’s action would extend it another 30 days, sources said.
Pritzker has said he planned to make changes to the stay-at-home order and that restrictions will continue to be needed to curb the spread of the virus. Read more here. —Jamie Munks, Gregory Pratt and Dan Petrella
Advertisement
11:14 a.m.: Furloughs and layoffs for workers at Sinai hospitals
Sinai Health System is furloughing about 150 caregivers, reducing hours for another 200 and laying off about two dozen other workers, the system announced Thursday.
“As a result of cancellations and increased costs to care for COVID patients, like every other health system, Sinai is experiencing serious financial challenges,” Karen Teitelbaum, president and CEO of Sinai Health System, said in a news release. “It has meant drastic changes to every part of our daily operations including services, supplies, scheduling, security, food service, maintenance and finance.”
The system, which runs Mount Sinai, Holy Cross and Schwab Rehabilitation hospitals, is now losing about $10 million a month because of canceled elective surgeries and higher costs for care of COVID-19 patients, system leaders said.
Mount Sinai had about 50 COVID-19 patients and Holy Cross had 36 as of Thursday. About 90% of the regular ICU beds at Mount Sinai and all of the regular ICU beds at Holy Cross were full, said spokesman Dan Regan, though the hospitals have additional surge ICU beds.
The 24 workers being laid off are mostly in management and non-clinical positions and will be offered severance packages. Those who are furloughed are expected to come back to work within 60 days.
The system estimates the changes will help save about $1.5 million. Sinai said it has received about $2.3 million in donations to help it weather the pandemic, as well as about $4.9 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and $29.6 million in early Medicare payments. The early payments must be paid back.
Advertisement
Sinai joins a growing number of Chicago-area hospitals furloughing employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as they struggle with losses from canceled elective surgeries and reduced visits from other types of patients.
Lurie Children’s Hospital announced temporary pay cuts and furloughs for employees Monday. Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago, West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park and MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn have also instituted furloughs.
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association estimates that hospitals statewide could now be losing about $1.4 billion a month because of canceled elective surgeries and fewer visits by other patients. —Lisa Schencker
9:55 a.m.: Looking for a job? Here’s a list of places that are hiring right now in Chicago
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a historic number of job losses, with 26 million people now unemployed in the United States in the five weeks since the outbreak began. In Illinois, more than 737,000 people have filed unemployment claims, leaving many struggling to find work.
Here’s a list of major businesses that are hiring right now in the Chicago area. —Chicago Tribune staff
9:52 a.m.: Chicago’s warm-weather businesses prepare for the worst as coronavirus shutdowns are extended
April 1 was the magic date for Tony Zarcone, owner of The Freeze in Logan Square. Whatever happened — rain, snow, or shine — that was when he would open his doors for the season.
Advertisement
Instead, cases of ice cream destined for soft serve machines are sitting in Zarcone’s freezer. Orders for meat and bread have been canceled.
“I visit the store and I say a prayer,” Zarcone said. “I remember the good old days, when the lines were long … and everybody was smiling. And it’s all come to a halt.”
The coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses in almost every industry to search for lifelines that might help recoup months of lost revenue. But for seasonal businesses like ice cream shops and garden centers that make most of their sales in warm-weather months, the future is even more uncertain. Read more here. —Ally Marotti
9:48 a.m.: New $310 billion for PPP small-business loans likely already gone, banks say
The more than $300 billion set aside to replenish the emergency loan program for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic is likely already all spoken for, banking industry groups said Wednesday.
The initial $349 billion set aside for the Paycheck Protection Program ran out on April 16, after being available for less than two weeks. The Senate has approved an additional $310 billion for the program, which the House of Representatives is expected to vote in favor of it Thursday.
But banking groups say the volume of applications already sent to the Small Business Administration makes it likely that much, if not all, the new money will go to those already in the queue. Any new applicants would likely miss out on this funding round.
Advertisement
“The majority if not all of the funding Congress is considering right now is already exhausted,” said Nick Simpson, a spokesman with the Consumer Bankers Association. Read more here. —Associated Press
9:45 a.m.: 19 people who went to polls on election day in Wisconsin contracted coronavirus, but ties uncertain, officials say
State health officials said 19 voters and poll workers in April’s spring election tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus afterward, but caution they can’t say for certain whether election exposure was the cause.
“We are not able to say that their exposure was necessarily at the polls because they are all people who could have had exposure in other places,” Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk said. “We have correlation — they voted and they were at the polls — but we do not have causation.”
The disclosure comes after a precipitous increase of 225 COVID-19 cases in a single day, the most in the state so far, as state health officials tied nearly 150 coronavirus cases to a Green Bay meatpacking plant on Wednesday. Read more here. —The Wisconsin State Journal
9:35 a.m.: Coronavirus pandemic creates suicide risk. ‘This could last years’
After years of a steady climb in suicide deaths, prevention advocates worry there could be a mental health fallout from the coronavirus pandemic for years to come.
Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are also risk factors for suicide, experts say, including prolonged isolation, a down economy with massive job losses, and an uptick in domestic violence.
Advertisement
That could lead to more suicides in the coming months, or even years, said Jonathan Singer, associate professor of social work at Loyola University Chicago and president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Association of Suicidology. Read more here. —Kate Thayer
8:17 a.m.: New Illinois unemployment claims top 100,000 as 4.4 million Americans file for jobess aid
More than 4.4 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week as job cuts escalated across an economy that remains all but shut down, the federal government said Thursday.
In Illinois, unemployment insurance claims dropped, but still topped 100,000. For the week ended April 18, 102,736 people in the state filed initial claims for benefits, down 38,424 from the previous week’s 141,160. In the comparable week a year ago, 8,209 Illinois residents sought benefits. Read more here. —Associated Press
8:15 a.m.: Hidden coronavirus outbreaks spread through Chicago, other major cities far earlier than Americans knew, researchers say
Hidden outbreaks of coronavirus were spreading almost completely undetected in Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle long before testing showed that each city had a major problem, according to a model of the spread of the disease by researchers at Northeastern University who shared their results with The New York Times.
Even in early February — while the world focused on China — the virus was not only likely to be spreading in multiple U.S. cities, but also seeding blooms of infection elsewhere in the United States, the researchers found.
In mid-February, a month before New York City schools were closed, New York City and San Francisco already had more than 600 people with unidentified infections, and Seattle, Chicago and Boston already had more than 100 people, the findings estimate. By March 1, as New York confirmed its first case, the numbers there may already have surpassed 10,000.
Advertisement
From these primary travel hubs and a few other cities, the model shows, the disease was then spread to other locations in the United States. Read more here. —The New York Times
7:15 a.m.: At least 20 Chicago suburbs are requiring face coverings in public. Here’s the list.
On Thursday, Evanston joined more than a dozen suburbs requiring that masks or face coverings be worn in public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Evanston order goes into effect at 8 a.m. and requires “all persons working in or patronizing essential businesses and operations ... to wear cloth face coverings,” according to the town’s Facebook page.
The order does list some exceptions, including children under the age of 2, “anyone who has trouble breathing, or anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the covering without assistance. Please get a note from your medical provider if your medical condition requires you to not wear a face covering.”
As for outdoor exercise like walking or running or biking, “as long as you are practicing strict social distancing (6+ feet apart) with people outside your household, you do not need to wear a face covering while engaging in a permissible outdoor physical activity.” Read more here, including list of other suburbs.
6:50 a.m.: City to hold first online town hall on COVID-19 aimed at slowing spread of virus in majority black communities
The city’s task force on the coronavirus in minority communities and a South Side community group will hold an online town hall Thursday afternoon as part of the city’s strategy to fight “the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on African American communities,” according to the city.
Advertisement
The town hall, being hosted by community group South Shore works, is the first of three to be held in communities hard-hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak: South Shore, Auburn Gresham and Austin, according to a news release from the mayor’s office.
The city’s Racial Equity Rapid Response Team, formed to try to slow the spread of the virus, is working with South Shore Works, the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation and Austin Coming Together on its strategy in those three neighborhoods.
Each online town hall “will provide targeted information to residents, while also allowing the (response team) to listen to the concerns of community members and advise on how to navigate during these unprecedented times,” according to the news release.
Thursday’s event will be held online at South Shore Works’ Facebook page. It was slated to start at 5:30 p.m.
About 60% of the approximately 500 people in the city whose deaths have been linked to COVID-19 have been black, despite black residents making up 30% of the city’s population. Check back for updates. —Chicago Tribune staff and Associated Press
6 a.m.: McHenry drive-in theater owner making plans to reopen May 1. Extension of stay-at-home order would nix that idea.
Devastated by the closure order due to the coronavirus, new owner Scott Dehn came up with a plan to reopen the McHenry Outdoor Theater – which he just bought in February – for business May 1, the day after the stay-at-home order is set to expire. He decided to allow cars only in every other space, and keep people in their vehicles to maintain social distancing.
Advertisement
A buzz over the opening built on Facebook, where dozens of drive-in fans thanked him for restoring a feeling of normalcy. Dehn said he even got encouragement from officials in the state’s Small Business Development Centers, one of whom offered advice on how to do it.
But when asked about the plans, the Illinois Department of Public Health replied flatly, “Under the Stay-At-Home Order, movie theaters, including drive-ins, are considered non-essential and should remain closed.” Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
6 a.m.: For decades Chicago’s lunchtime dining room, Manny’s now fights for new business during coronavirus pandemic
Less than two months ago, if you wanted to find the biggest and busiest lunchtime rush in the city, it would have been hard to beat the one that gathered most days at Manny’s. Founded in 1942, this South Loop cafeteria normally serves heaping portions of corned beef, matzo ball soup and other deli classics to Loop workers, politicians, local celebrities and anyone else with a hankering for an over-sized sandwich, with a potato pancake on the side.
But due to the coronavirus pandemic and the closing of all restaurant dining rooms, these days there’s no hum, clang of utensils, or conversation sounding off the walls at Manny’s. “Obviously, it’s pretty quiet,” says fourth-generation co-owner Dan Raskin in a phone interview. “We are still open for customers, and have curbside and delivery options, but business is down like 70 percent.”
Raskin says that some of his biggest losses came from canceled events. “Corporate events, wedding rehearsals, conventions — all of those orders were canceled,” says Raskin.
Which doesn’t mean Raskin isn’t trying. “I have been personally doing everything possible to get more business,” says Raskin. “I’m not a give up kind of person. I’m going to get scrappy and do what I can.” Read more here. —Nick Kindelsperger
Advertisement
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Wednesday, April 22
Here are five things that happened Wednesday that you need to know:
Tuesday, April 21
Here are five things that happened Tuesday that you need to know:
Monday, April 20
Here are five things that happened Monday that you need to know:


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--McHenry drive-in theater’s plans to reopen May 1 are shelved after Pritzker extends stay-at-home ord

McHenry drive-in theater’s plans to reopen May 1 are shelved after Pritzker extends stay-at-home order in Illinois

A buzz over the opening built on Facebook , where dozens of drive-in fans thanked him for giving them a @ @ @ @ @ a little fun .
Dehn said he even had gotten early encouragement from officials in @ @ @ @ @ Business Development Centers , one of whom offered advice on how to do it safely @

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)
Drive-in movies were an essential part of Scott Dehn’s life growing up. Not only did he take in films with family and friends at the McHenry Outdoor Theater, but he got a job there, and ended up buying the operation in February — just before the state closed all movie theaters.
Devastated by the closure order due to the coronavirus, Dehn came up with a plan to open for business May 1, the day after the stay-at-home order was set to expire. He decided to allow cars only in every other space and keep people in their vehicles to maintain social distancing.
Advertisement
A buzz over the opening built on Facebook, where dozens of drive-in fans thanked him for giving them a chance to get out for a little fun. Dehn said he even had gotten early encouragement from officials in the state’s Small Business Development Centers, one of whom offered advice on how to do it safely.
A car enters the McHenry Outdoor Theater on Sept. 24, 2011, in McHenry. "American Graffiti" and "The Blues Brothers" were the featured films that night. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
But Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday extended his stay-at-home order, which also kept closed most businesses, through the end of May.
Advertisement
State officials told Dehn by email that he cannot open because the theater is not an essential business. Defeated, Dehn gave up his dream of showing movies anytime soon, saying he did so with “a very heavy and saddened heart.”
He wrote that he wasted thousands of dollars and his employees’ time preparing to open for naught. He added that he would not have booked upcoming “stay-in-car” graduations had he known how state officials would respond.
“We’ll be back,” he concluded. “One way or another.”
Until Thursday, Dehn had been going ahead with plans to reopen with a “prehistoric” weekend of family-friendly movies, “The Flintstones” and “Jurassic Park.”
In preparation for opening, Dehn posted online a long list of precautions that he said some may think of as “overkill.”
Vehicles were to park in every other space to maintain a distance of 10 to 12 feet apart, limiting capacity to about 300 cars instead of the usual 750. Patrons would not be allowed to sit outside their vehicles.
The concession stand was to be closed, but would make deliveries to cars via golf cart, similar to restaurants that are allowed to deliver to homes.
Every other stall in restrooms would be closed, toilets would have seat guards and employees would clear and disinfect restrooms at least every 15 minutes. There also would be additional hand-washing stations and an attendant to limit the number of people inside.
Advertisement
Radios would still be rented but wiped down nightly. And masks and gloves would be available to workers and the public.
“I want everyone to feel confident that this is the safest, most sanitary way to not just enjoy a movie during these difficult times, but to actually enjoy being outside on a beautiful Spring/Summer/Fall night,” Dehn wrote. “With everything that we’ve been going through? We deserve at least that.”
Dehn said he previously contacted McHenry County’s health department, and was referred to the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. He shared an email chain with officials from that department’s Small Business Development Center.
In one email, an official referred Dehn to the McHenry office and wrote in an email, “My take is that I think your precautions are great and I’m sure patrons will appreciate them.”
Mark Butler, manager of the Small Business Development Center at McHenry County College, recommended several precautions to Dehn, including the toilet guards, hand sanitizer and masks.
“I wish you the best,” he wrote. “I know folks will be ready to get out of their house and see a movie come May.”
Advertisement
Outdoor speakers hang on bright red poles at McHenry Outdoor Theater. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Butler could not be reached for comment. The emails were written in early April, before Pritzker extended the stay-at-home order.
Other businesses that allegedly stayed open despite the state shutdown got a harsh response. Earlier this month, the city of Chicago threatened $10,000 fines for some 500 such operations.
Asked about potential future violations, state officials said the shutdown would be enforced by Illinois State Police.
Regardless of when it reopens, the McHenry theater remains an icon of a bygone era, the last remaining drive-in in the Chicago area, after the closing of the Cascade drive-in in West Chicago last year.
Whatever happens, Dehn said it’s important to someday restore simple common pleasures like watching a movie together.
“Everybody seems to be chomping at the bit for any shred of normalcy,” he said. “It’s such an American institution. I could probably do a puppet show on the screen and get a crowd.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Worker became ‘super spreader’ of coronavirus at Joliet nursing home where 26 people died, officials

Worker became ‘super spreader’ of coronavirus at Joliet nursing home where 26 people died, officials say, and it shows need for more testing

Once initial testing confirmed infections at the home , the officials said , state health officials advised to stop testing @ @ @ @ @ had symptoms as if they had the virus .
That approach , though , ignored @ @ @ @ @ have had the virus but showed no symptoms , like the maintenance worker .

After the coronavirus shut down dining rooms at nursing homes, a maintenance worker at Symphony of Joliet took it upon himself to order, assemble and install personal dining tables in more than 40 rooms.
Tragically, though the worker had no symptoms, it was discovered later that he was carrying the COVID-19 virus. By visiting those rooms and through his physical exertion, officials at the nursing home believe, he became a “super spreader” and infected many of the residents.
Advertisement
As soon as administrators learned the worker had the virus, they relocated the exposed patients and other workers to another floor. Regardless, 24 residents and two workers — one of them the maintenance worker — died of the disease.
That account came in a letter from Symphony Care Network CEO David Hartman to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and was verified by Dr. Alexander Stemer, who oversees the nursing home chain’s response to the pandemic.
Advertisement
Once initial testing confirmed infections at the home, the officials said, state health officials advised to stop testing and to treat everyone who had symptoms as if they had the virus. That approach, though, ignored all the people who may have had the virus but showed no symptoms, like the maintenance worker.
Testing of all residents and workers could have revealed who had the virus so they could have been separated and saved lives, Stemer said.
Now, anyone who enters the Joliet facility for the first time must be tested, Stemer said. But a nationwide shortage of tests has left most nursing homes without the capacity to test everyone, he said, leaving many residents and workers vulnerable.
“Our entire nation is woefully short of testing materials,” Stemer said. “We need to test our staff all at once, every patient and every new patient. To conquer this, we’re going to need to do that.”
That call for comprehensive testing was echoed by Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents more than 14,000 nursing homes.
“We feel like we’ve been ignored,” he said. “Certainly now that the emphasis has gone away from hospitals to where the real battle is taking place in nursing homes, we should be at a priority level one.”
Meanwhile, Symphony of Joliet reported that it is taking “massive” precautions, taking the temperatures of staff and residents twice a day, disinfecting high-touch surfaces 12 times a day, and mandating personal protective equipment like masks and gloves.
Symphony operates 28 nursing homes in four states, according to its website.
Advertisement
To improve transparency, in addition to one-to-one communication, Symphony officials say they will soon roll out video, email and website briefings for patients and families.
Officials also called for the Illinois National Guard to help nursing homes administer tests, as it is doing at a drive-thru center in Aurora.
Nearly one-quarter of all coronavirus deaths in Illinois have occurred at nursing homes, in part because many residents are elderly and have medical conditions that make them vulnerable, such as heart or lung problems or diabetes.
On Monday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker called for testing of all residents and staff at nursing homes that have yet to report a single case. The goal, he said, is “to identify early the presence of COVID-19 in a facility and isolate those cases before widespread transmission.”
This week, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced it expected to deliver testing material to at least a dozen homes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Nursing home workers complain they face COVID-19 outbreaks without information or even training on w

Nursing home workers complain they face COVID-19 outbreaks without information or even training on wearing masks

In response to questions , Ron Nunziato , CEO of Extended Care Consulting , sent a statement on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ not had shortages of protective gear and had implemented a hazard pay program for “ @ @ @ @ @ positive residents and any persons under investigation for this virus.
” The home was “ @ @ @ @ @ from federal and state health authorities and enacted symptom screening and cleaning , he said @

Burbank Rehabilitation Center employees and representatives of SEIU hold a news conference outside the center on April 23, 2020, to protest a lack of PPE equipment inside the center. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
A certified nursing assistant said she got no training on how to wear a mask while working at a south suburban nursing home, leaving her unsure whether the blue side or the white side should face out.
“I just put on two of them and just … pray for the best,” said Shaundria Foster, who said she works at Prairie Oasis in South Holland.
Advertisement
Her complaint was one of many aired Thursday in an online conference call organized by her union, SEIU Healthcare, which represents workers including nursing assistants, housekeepers and janitors. Amid a wave of COVID-19 outbreaks plaguing nursing homes around the state, workers called for better access to protective equipment and training on how to use it, more information from their managers and hazard pay for the risks they’re taking.
Michelle Gilbert, who identified herself as a certified nursing assistant at Burbank Rehabilitation Center, said she had the coronavirus and a supervisor pressed her to return to work before she was ready, which she refused to do.
Advertisement
“I think that it’s wrong to try to pressure people to come back to work when they’re sick,” she said.
Sharon Lake, a certified nursing assistant who said she also works at Burbank, reported she learned of patients with COVID-19 from an overheard conversation at the facility.
“The management needs to communicate with the staff, and let us know what’s going on in the facility and also if there’s positive people, we need to know that,” she said.
She added, “Everyone in our facility is at risk and we deserve to be paid accordingly to that.”
In response to questions, Ron Nunziato, CEO of Extended Care Consulting, sent a statement on behalf of Burbank saying the home had not had shortages of protective gear and had implemented a hazard pay program for “staff that work with COVID-19 positive residents and any persons under investigation for this virus.” The home was “proactive” and followed guidance from federal and state health authorities and enacted symptom screening and cleaning, he said.
“Our first priority has and will always be our residents’ health, safety and wellbeing. We also recognize the importance of the health and welfare of our staff,” he stated.
State figures released Sunday showed that six cases and three deaths had been reported at the Burbank facility.
The site listed seven cases and one death at Prairie Oasis. A spokeswoman for that home could not be reached for comment.
Advertisement
Beyond the homes noted in the conference call Thursday, Greg Kelley, president of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, said a broad survey of members drew an overwhelming response from workers who said they had inadequate protective gear and were not getting good information from managers. But he added that understaffing, poor pay and lack of equipment are long-standing issues.
“This is not a new problem in nursing homes,” he said. “Unfortunately, this pandemic has brought it home and residents are dying, our members are dying and getting sick.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Gov. J.B. Pritzker extends ‘modified’ Illinois stay-at-home order through May 30

“ These changes are what the data says we can offer the people of Illinois without risking so much viral @ @ @ @ @ again become , or potentially become , overrun , '' Pritzker said .
`` That @ @ @ @ @ to see crowds and people violating the order or breaking the rules , I will @ @ @ @ @ restrictions .
I am hopeful that we will not need to do that .
”

Jamie Munks, Dan Petrella, Lisa Schencker, Gregory Pratt

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)
The stay-at-home order in Illinois that now runs until at least May 30 will require people to cover their faces in most public settings but will also allow some businesses and state parks to reopen and free golfers to get back to the links.
It will also permit hospitals to again offer some types of elective surgeries, giving relief to patients whose procedures had been put on hold because of the pandemic.
Advertisement
The order’s basic message, though, remains the same: stay home, if you can.
[ Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order will remain in place through May 30. But changes are coming. Here’s what you need to know. ]
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, flanked by experts at his daily briefing in Chicago on Thursday, pointed to charts showing that if the statewide stay-at-home order was lifted, it would result in a “second wave” of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
Advertisement
“The projections are clear: if we lifted the stay-at-home order tomorrow, we would see our deaths per day shoot into the thousands by the end of May, and that would last well into the summer. Our hospitals would be full, and very sick people would have nowhere to go," Pritzker said.
“People who otherwise might have won their fight against COVID would die, because we wouldn’t be able to help them through. No amount of political pressure would ever make me allow such a scenario for our state,” the governor said.
Illinois has been under a statewide stay-at-home order since March 21, at which point the state had reported 753 confirmed cases of COVID-19 spread across 26 counties and six people had died.
[ Illinois wants all shoppers to wear masks at the grocery store. Enforcing that rule is trickier. ]
On Thursday, officials reported 1,826 new known cases, and there have now been 36,934 cases in 96 of the state’s 102 counties since the start of the outbreak. With 123 more fatalities also reported, the death toll stands at 1,688, officials said.
The standing order was set to expire April 30. The new order will take effect May 1, and among several changes is a requirement that anyone over 2 years old who can medically tolerate it wear a mask or some other sort of face covering while in a public place where they can’t stay the recommended 6 feet from others.
Garden centers, greenhouses and nurseries will be allowed to reopen as essential businesses with requirements for staff and customers to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing.
Animal grooming services can also reopen May 1, and retail stores that are not designated as essential businesses under the current order will also be able to start taking orders by phone and online for pick-up and delivery.
[ Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives Illinois golf courses the all-clear to reopen May 1 under ‘strict safety guidelines’ amid the coronavirus pandemic ]
The state Department of Natural Resources will implement a phased-in reopening of state parks for hiking, boating and fishing with no more than two people. Golf will be permitted under guidelines from the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and when social-distancing requirements are followed.
Advertisement
“These changes are what the data says we can offer the people of Illinois without risking so much viral transmission that our hospitals will again become, or potentially become, overrun," Pritzker said. "That said, if we start to see crowds and people violating the order or breaking the rules, I will need to bring back these restrictions. I am hopeful that we will not need to do that.”
In addition, certain elective surgeries for non-life threatening conditions that have been on hold will be able to move forward. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Thursday the department will roll out more details in the coming days.
The state health department did not say when the guidance might be released, but criteria for restarting elective surgeries will include having appropriate personal protective equipment, having enough space for COVID-19 patients and the ability to test elective surgery patients for COVID-19.
[ Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot enlists former President George H. W. Bush’s White House chief of staff in launching COVID-19 economic recovery task force ]
Elective surgeries include an array of procedures for conditions that aren’t immediately life threatening but often must be addressed, such as repairing certain types of hernias, bariatric surgeries and joint replacements.
The University of Chicago Medical Center has already started to ramp up what doctors are calling “medically necessary time-sensitive” surgeries, said Dr. Jeffrey Matthews, surgeon in chief at University of Chicago Medicine.
Advocate Aurora Health said in a statement that it is “extending existing restrictions” on elective surgeries and non-urgent outpatient visits through May 15 but will explore lifting restrictions in communities without many cases of COVID-19.
Advertisement
Cancellations of elective surgeries to ensure there was enough room for COVID-19 patients during the public health crisis have both left patients waiting and hit hard hospitals’ bottom lines. The Illinois Health and Hospital Association has estimated that Illinois hospitals are now losing about $1.4 billion a month because of canceled surgeries and fewer non-COVID-19 patients.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 103 Air travelers with and without face masks use a moving walkway toward their gates at Midway International Airport in Chicago on April 19, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Among the experts Pritzker presented Thursday was Nigel Goldenfeld, director of the Institute for Universal Biology at the University of Illinois, who said one of the unknowns is “seasonal forcing” and the question of whether COVID-19 will fade out during the summer months.
“Other coronaviruses do have a seasonal effect, and so we have assumed that COVID-19 will do so, also,” Goldenfeld said.
The University of Illinois models predict that “as we get into the summer months, COVID-19 will tend to be weaker, and maybe even fade away completely. If we are wrong about this, then our predictions will be too optimistic," he said.
But if COVID-19 is affected seasonally, the downside is that the epidemic may ease during the summer months and could later restart, Goldenfeld said.
The presence of people who are infected with COVID-19 but don’t show symptoms could also mean there are more infectious people within the population than the models predict. Another unknown is that it remains unclear if people become immune to the illness after they’ve been infected, he said.
Advertisement
Sergei Maslov, a University of Illinois bioengineering professor, detailed three different scenarios the governor commissioned researchers to consider — one in which the stay-at-home order was never put in place, another in which the order was issued but then relaxed after April 24 and a third in which the order remained in place during the entire simulation period.
“Our calculation shows that the number of deaths would have been about 20 times as high as they are today,” Maslov said. “That means that we would have seen as much as 30,000 deaths or more by this time in the epidemic.”
Relaxing social-distancing guidelines “too early” would start another wave of the epidemic, in which the simulation showed a “drastic” rise in the number of hospital and ICU admissions that could overwhelm the health care system and could erase improvements that have been made in stemming how rapidly COVID-19 has spread across the state, Maslov said.
In the month Illinois has been under a stay-at-home order, residents have been able to put gas in their cars, go to the grocery store and pharmacy, walk their pets and exercise outdoors. Enforcement of the order has largely been left up to local jurisdictions and residents, to police themselves and one another. That will continue when the new rules about wearing face coverings take effect May 1, Pritzker said.
“It’s certainly done at the local level, we’re not encouraging police officers to stop people and arrest them, or take drastic action, we are encouraging certainly everybody to encourage everybody else that they know," Pritzker said. “People should wear a mask, and they should be reminded if they’re not wearing a mask that they’re not.”
The modified executive order will require businesses deemed “essential” to provide face coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain 6 feet of social distance, and will impose occupancy limits for essential businesses and other measures including shift-staggering and operating only essential lines for manufacturers.
Advertisement
Schools will be able to establish procedures for pickup of necessary supplies or student belongings, while dormitory move-outs will be required to follow public guidelines including social distancing.
Pritzker addressed projections that Illinois will not see its peak in the COVID-19 pandemic until next month, after models previously projected an April peak. A pushed-out peak “is the best indicator that we are flattening the curve,” Pritzker said.
“That’s what you’re aiming to do, slow down the rate of transmission, which leads to a slower rate of increase over a longer period of time,” Pritzker said. “Hence, a later and lower peak, pushing the peak further down the line might not sound like good news, but I promise you, it saves lives.”
Republican lawmakers have urged the governor to consider provisions that allow some businesses to reopen with density controls and social distancing. They also urged him to reopen state parks and allow some elective medical procedures, which he said Wednesday he was considering.
Pritzker had a conference call with the state’s four legislative leaders Wednesday evening but didn’t share details about his plans to extend the order, sources said.
Republican leaders in the General Assembly welcomed the parts of Pritzker’s modified order that will allow some state parks to reopen and retailers to begin taking orders for pickup and delivery, steps they and their members had been pushing for.
Advertisement
“While I am pleased with today’s actions, we must do more to restore economic vitality of the state while maintaining the health and safety of our citizens,” House GOP leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said in a statement.
In recent days, Pritzker said he’d considered some region-by-region changes to the order based on case counts and hospital capacity.
Senate Republican leader Bill Brady of Bloomington expressed disappointment that those changes weren’t included in the governor’s announcement.
“Downstate communities, while following the proper social distancing guidelines, are not seeing the same number of cases, but they're suffering just the same economically,” Brady said in a statement.
Pritzker said his administration is finalizing steps for “safely moving toward reopening in phases,” and will be giving more details in the coming days.
He has repeatedly said that among his primary considerations in ultimately reopening the state’s economy is a larger capacity for COVID-19 testing. The governor set a goal for processing 10,000 tests per day in Illinois by a deadline earlier this month that officials have said is essential to understanding how far the highly contagious virus has spread.
Advertisement
Illinois missed that initial deadline Pritzker set and still has not reached the 10,000 tests in a day benchmark.
“We aren’t there yet, but we’re getting closer,” he said. “And then the question I’m certainly thinking about this too: What’s the next goal?”
At an unrelated news conference before Pritzker’s announcement, Mayor Lori Lightfoot praised the governor’s order as appropriate.
“A month ago, in March, we were all thinking this week would be the peak that we would reach, but what I think we have seen now is not so much a peak but a flattening. That’s a good thing, but we don’t know at this point how long it’s going to take not just to flatten but to decrease,” Lightfoot said.
The mayor said she wants to see decreases in hospitalizations, use of ICU beds and other key metrics before the order can be lifted.
“We need to see those realities come into fruition, and we’re just not there yet,” Lightfoot said.
Advertisement
The mayor said the city won’t be ticketing or arresting people for not having face coverings.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Man dead, another critically wounded in shootings in  Golden Gate, East Garfield Park neighborhoods

Shortly after 11:45 a.m. , the victim was inside his apartment in the 3200 block of West Lexington Street , @ @ @ @ @ the garage area and shot him in the head through the door , police said @

A 36-year-old man was fatally wounded, and a 25-year-old man was left in critical condition following two separate shootings Thursday in the Golden Gate and East Garfield Park neighborhoods, Chicago police said.
Shortly before 5 p.m., officers responded to ShotSpotter technology in the 13200 block of South Rhodes Avenue and found the victim with gunshot wounds to the head and chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Advertisement
Earlier Thursday, a 25-year-old man was critically wounded in a shooting on the West Side in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, police said.
Shortly after 11:45 a.m., the victim was inside his apartment in the 3200 block of West Lexington Street, when two people walked into the garage area and shot him in the head through the door, police said.
Advertisement
The two gunmen fled the scene on foot.
The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
Area North detectives were investigating.


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Prosecutors: Man fleeing police caused violent crash in West Garfield Park that killed passenger

In court , prosecutors said the collision was so horrific that the engine from Moore ’ s car was torn @ @ @ @ @ on the street .
Prosecutors said the incident began when Moore , who was driving @ @ @ @ @ with two passengers , cut off an unmarked police SUV as he exited the parking @ @ @ @ @ liquor store .
The SUV followed Moore ’ s car and tried to curb it @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors said .

A Pill Hill man wanted on a traffic offense sped away from Chicago police in February, leading to a violent high-speed crash that killed one of his passengers and injured three others, including himself, prosecutors said Thursday.
The Feb. 5 crash in the 3800 block of West Lake Street left Mackelin Moore, 49, with a torn aorta in addition to killing Ezell Ricky Island, 54.
Advertisement
Moore, of the 9100 block of South Chappel Avenue, who underwent surgery to repair his heart valve, faced a judge at the Leighton Criminal Court Building for class 3 reckless homicide.
In court, prosecutors said the collision was so horrific that the engine from Moore’s car was torn from the vehicle and landed on the street. Prosecutors said the incident began when Moore, who was driving his blue 2009 Ford Focus with two passengers, cut off an unmarked police SUV as he exited the parking lot of a West Side liquor store. The SUV followed Moore’s car and tried to curb it for a traffic infraction, prosecutors said.
Advertisement
But Moore, who had an outstanding warrant for aggravated DUI, sped away north on Hamlin Avenue, speeding just over 76 mph in a 30-mph zone, authorities said. Moore then sped through a red light on Lake Street and hit a CTA railroad pillar before striking a Dodge Journey, according to prosecutors.
Chicago Fire Department crews had to extricate the victims from Moore’s car. The female front seat passenger suffered a fractured leg, partially amputated ear and numerous other fractures that required a two-week hospitalization, authorities said.
The back seat passenger, Island, suffered a neck injury so severe that it was described as “internal decapitation,” prosecutors said. The driver of the Journey also suffered a dislocated shoulder.
Moore had prior felony and misdemeanor convictions for fleeing and eluding police, as well as convictions for aggravated battery to a police officer and drug possession.
Moore was ordered held on $250,000 bail and scheduled for a hearing May 13.
wlee@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @MidNoirCowboy


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Illinois residents will be required to cover their faces in public starting May 1

Quilter Nancy Krasinski , who lives in far west suburban Elburn , said she has made more than 500 fabric @ @ @ @ @ .
She initially made them as a way to help her niece , an intensive @ @ @ @ @ Coast , prolong the life of her medical masks while treating COVID-19 patients .
Since @ @ @ @ @ them for friends , hospital workers , an Illinois youth center and even employees of @ @ @ @ @

Air travelers with and without face masks use a moving walkway toward their gates at Midway International Airport in Chicago on April 19, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois residents will be required to wear masks in public starting late next week to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker made good on hints that the move was coming.
The cover-your-face news came Thursday as the governor announced a revised stay-at-home order that takes effect May 1 and lasts 30 days. Specifically, he is requiring anyone older than 2 to wear a mask while inside stores. People who cannot cover their faces for medical reasons are exempt.
Advertisement
The coverings do not need to be N95 or surgical masks, which are in short supply for the average person these days. Homemade fabric masks are acceptable, as are the YouTube-inspired T-shirt masks that the governor touted in recent days.
Pedestrians navigate Sherman Avenue on April 23, 2020, in Evanston. Evanston joined other suburbs requiring masks or face coverings to be worn in public. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
“Face coverings work, and we need all Illinoisans to do their part here," Pritzker said at his daily news briefing, where officials announced another 123 COVID-19-related deaths, bringing the total to 1,688.
Advertisement
The directive will require masks whenever maintaining a social distance of 6 feet is not possible. It’s unclear whether people must wear them while walking, running or biking — activities in which participants go for stretches without coming in contact with anyone else but have moments when they are close to others.
The mask requirement was mentioned in a news release but not detailed in full. The Pritzker administration declined to clarify how the new rules would apply to outdoor recreation, saying that more information would be available on the state’s website in coming days.
Rep. Mark Batinick, who had pushed to reopen the state in part by using more face coverings, said he was in support of the new mandate. However, the Republican from Plainfield said he wishes the requirement had been instituted earlier, and that the governor had allowed more businesses to resume operations as part of the extended stay-at-home order.
“I am grateful for the face coverings but wish more small businesses were opening that can use common sense with social distancing,” he said.
Shortly before the governor’s announcement, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told reporters that city police would not arrest anyone for appearing without a face covering in public. Much like the previous stay-at-home order, Pritzker said he does not want to see people fined or arrested for not wearing masks.
“We are not encouraging police officers to stop people and arrest them or take drastic action," Pritzker said. “People should wear a mask and they should be reminded if they’re not.”
Local businesses, however, should enforce the regulations and prohibit anyone from entering their buildings unless they have face coverings, the governor said.
“Private establishments do need to require that people who enter their establishments wear a mask,” he said.
Advertisement
The governor’s order reflects an evolving understanding of the virus, as government officials and researchers nationwide initially downplayed the need for face coverings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not recommend wearing cloth masks in public until early April, when it reversed a previous guidance about their necessity.
The CDC now recommends “simple cloth face coverings” to slow the spread of the virus. The masks are not intended to prevent users from becoming infected, but rather to stop people — particularly those who are asymptomatic — from transmitting it to others.
President Donald Trump first recommended wearing masks on April 3, but stressed the “voluntary” practice should not replace social distancing. The president, 73, immediately clarified that he likely wouldn’t be following the CDC guideline.
Kevin Houston, of Evanston, uses a bandana to cover his face April 23, 2020. Evanston joined other suburbs requiring masks or face coverings to be worn in public. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
At least 20 suburbs, including Evanston, Skokie, Oak Brook and Tinley Park, already issued orders requiring residents to wear masks in public. New York imposed a similar rule last week.
Pritzker’s move codifies a practice many Illinois residents have been adhering to since the virus gained traction in the Chicago area last month.
Lakeview’s Katie Cahnmann said she purchased some fabric masks and has been wearing them outside since the end of March, though they can make it difficult to breath and can be uncomfortable when worn for long stretches.
Advertisement
“I believe everyone should do their part to try to alleviate some of the real dangers to the current state of affairs,” she said.
Quilter Nancy Krasinski, who lives in far west suburban Elburn, said she has made more than 500 fabric masks the past several weeks. She initially made them as a way to help her niece, an intensive care nurse on the East Coast, prolong the life of her medical masks while treating COVID-19 patients. Since then, she has sewn them for friends, hospital workers, an Illinois youth center and even employees of a local meat market.
A retired teacher, Krasinski starts sewing as soon as she wakes up and keeps working through the day as she takes orders and arranges for pickups. She considers the masks, which she gives away for free, her version of the victory gardens planted during both world wars to supplement rations and boost morale.
She wears them when she goes to the store, and supports the governor requiring others to do the same.
“I follow the science,” she said during a phone interview. “If the experts say that masks are helpful, then I support it. The effects of safety measures often go unappreciated because you don’t know what you’ve prevented."
Demand for masks may increase. Each one takes about six minutes to make, though the logistics of setting up delivery take much longer.
Advertisement
“But I’ll keep making as many as I can,” she said. “What else would I be doing right now anyway?”
Chicago Tribune’s Gregory Pratt contributed to this report.