chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Coronavirus likely has changed forever the way restaurants are designed — for better and for worse

“ What ’ s happening will force us to reconsider how we can do things better and to be more @ @ @ @ @ Herold , principal of Studio K Creative design firm , whose projects have included Girl @ @ @ @ @ & Ash and GT Fish & Oyster .
“ That ’ s not minimizing how @ @ @ @ @ I believe if you look at it as opportunity , there are a lot of @ @ @

Jennifer Martinez and her boyfriend Omar Zamora, both of Chicago, have lunch in the patio area at The Perch Kitchen and Tap in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The Perch Kitchen and Tap was six weeks into construction when everything Doug Dunlay knew about opening restaurants was thrown into doubt.
Dunlay has owned restaurants in Chicago since 2003, but in a literal matter of days, COVID-19′s swift hammer changed best practices for designing, building and launching them.
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“The world blew up,” he said.
Construction slowed at The Perch for a few days after Gov. J.B. Pritzker shut down the state’s restaurants in mid-March. But it quickly ramped up again with a tweaked vision.
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The Perch added 30% more HVAC ducts “to refresh and filter the air in an efficient and positive way,” Dunlay said. A patio planned for the summer of 2021 was fast-tracked for this summer. A walk-up bar was built facing Division Street so that customers could order drinks without going inside. Touch-free fixtures were added to bathrooms. A hand-washing station was built in the back of the dining room.
The Perch Kitchen and Tap has large HVAC ducts on the ceiling to circulate more air through the restaurant. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Dunlay said the additions were necessary not only for the present, but for the foreseeable future.
“It’s an added cost but even if we miraculously go back to normal by March, I think some people will still be scarred — or newly formed germaphobes — and we want to make sure people feel comfortable,” Dunlay said. “That’s going to be a major component of how and where people want to spend their money.”
For generations, dining out has rarely occupied a second thought. Restaurants have been there and we have flocked to them — all the way to a record $863 billion in 2019 sales, according to an estimate from the National Restaurant Association.
[ Empty downtown office buildings force fast-casual restaurant chains to shrink menus, look to neighborhoods for customers ]
But due to the pandemic and shifting attitudes about health and safety, elements once taken for granted (squeezing into cozy spaces) or rarely given second thoughts (ventilation) will take on greater meaning for perhaps years to come. Restaurants in all directions are left to re-evaluate the mechanics of their operations during the health crisis and beyond.
Some have decided they can’t make it in this new world. When one of Chicago’s forerunners of modern fine dining, Blackbird, announced in June it would not reopen, chef Paul Kahan cited the challenges of operating an “incredibly small, tight dining room.”
Mindy Segal, who sped up plans to close her popular Bucktown restaurant HotChocolate after the pandemic struck, suspects the pre-pandemic dining model driven by large, crowded spaces is finished. COVID-19 and evolving social priorities have likely killed it, she said.
“I feel for people with large restaurants, but there’s something to be said for intimate dining and we need to bring it back,” Segal said. “We were in a bubble and the bubble needed to burst.”
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Restaurants that survive are likely to change and new ones will almost certainly be designed with revised priorities. Some of the changes will be barely perceptible. Others will be glaring. Some changes will be shorter-lived. Others will remain long term.
Think of it like the 9/11 attacks and flying: Nearly 20 years later, most travelers remove their shoes and submit to full body scans. Only ticketed passengers are able to access airport gates. While the attacks didn’t end flying — until the pandemic, millions of people still flew every day — it profoundly changed the experience.
Dining out may travel a similar path: People will inevitably still eat out, but the experience may never quite be the same.
Menus? Those are likely to continue to lose popularity in favor of the suddenly-hot QR codes.
Greater investment in patios and to-go windows are likely here to stay. Curbside pickup could remain a fixture.
Access to hand sanitizer may endure. Pricey ventilation systems are already becoming a means to attract business and windows of all shapes and sizes that can be opened and closed may become a necessity rather than a luxury.
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Dining room design will rely ever more on practicality and flexibility. In some cases fixed, cozy floor plans with immovable furniture may no longer be tenable. In others they’ll be useful.
Before the pandemic, Revolution Brewing had envisioned ripping out six high-back booths from its Milwaukee Avenue brewpub to create more space for congregating near its bar. COVID-19 changed those plans.
“We wanted more standing space so people could huddle together,” said Meg Rutledge, Revolution’s director of retail operations. “Then a switch flipped and that was exact opposite of what we needed.”
The brewery wrapped up its renovation last month. The booths, and the intimate spaces they provided, stayed.
In ways big and small, restaurant operators will need to make similar calculations for the foreseeable future.
“What’s happening will force us to reconsider how we can do things better and to be more deliberate,” said Karen Herold, principal of Studio K Creative design firm, whose projects have included Girl & The Goat, Maple & Ash and GT Fish & Oyster. “That’s not minimizing how horrifying this is. But I believe if you look at it as opportunity, there are a lot of opportunities.”
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New social behaviors will inevitably be considered when building restaurants, Herold said, and long-term changes are inevitable as people become “more mindful of public health and public spaces.”
But there are as many questions as answers about how to proceed.
“This is obviously a hot topic in my office as well as with my clients but my opinion changes with the day,” she said.
Donovan Martinez, left, wipes down booths as Laura Salas wipes down chairs in the dining area at The Perch Kitchen and Tap. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The grand gestures of the moment, such as private outdoor dining pods and Plexiglas between tables, strike her as gimmicks that won’t last.
Communal seating, which was hot 10 years ago, was already fading in popularity; COVID-19 may have driven the final nail in its coffin, she said.
Herold sees larger table sizes and spacing sticking around. Even if 6 feet eventually drifts away as the standard, broader spaces with fewer people packed in will likely remain attractive. She’s long thought that two-tops create an inelegant experience, and that two people should be seated at a table for four; COVID-19 may finally make two-tops fade in popularity.
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The biggest changes, she said, will be twofold: more outdoor space and more to-go windows that allow customers to pick up food without walking inside a restaurant.
“People will do more takeout and delivery and feel more comfortable eating higher end food at the house,” she said. “The whole takeout portion is an opportunity.”
The pandemic will also likely lead to more thoughtful and dynamic outdoor spaces with improved layouts, temperature control, landscaping and furniture: “A much heavier investment in your patio experience instead of treating it as an afterthought, which is most Chicago patios,” she said.
“When people do choose to go out they want more focus on service and cleanliness and on the guest than on how many turns can a restaurant do in a small amount of space,” Herold said. “When people go out for dinner it’s a more deliberate choice and not as automatic anymore.”
R.J. Melman, president of the Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises restaurant chain, said his company has begun investing in ventilation; both RPM Italian and Shaw’s Crab House have added systems costing between $5,000 and $10,000 that clean air with ultraviolet light.
The challenge is communicating the upgrade to customers; Melman said Lettuce can do so with emails and reservation systems, but hasn’t started yet. He didn’t say whether Lettuce Entertain You will continue installing the systems in its approximately 120 restaurants nationwide, about half of which are in Illinois.
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But, he said, priorities have quickly shifted when it comes to building future locations. Flexible spaces have become prized.
“It’s really hard to imagine doing places without robust patios and outdoor spaces,” Melman said. “You realize what a premium it is now and looking at locations that look like that and can be opened up from a physical standpoint, that’s very important to us in the future.”
Higher-end drive-thru could also be explored.
“A lot of drive-thru has thrived during this time,” Melman said. “We’re looking at places that can be drive-thru — they don’t just have to be fast food — and does that make more sense for us?”
Dining rooms will also be reconsidered. While shoehorning diners in may no longer be attractive and every nearby cough may sound a bit louder, it still presents a question: “How do you lay out dining rooms that still have energy but feel spread out enough?” Melman said.
The outdoor patio, right, and large windows at The Perch Kitchen and Tap on Aug. 19, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Flexible floor plans, with the ability to adapt and move furniture, will be key, he said.
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Charlie Vinz, principal at architecture and design firm Adaptive Operations, said he is aware of several restaurants that won’t reopen until they can operate as they used to; in the meantime, they’ll stick with carryout and to-go.
But new restaurants are likely to see subtle changes, he said. While stopgap measures such as Plexiglas between tables, won’t last, “designers could play off that to some extent” going forward, such as “private booths as an extension of barriers between tables.”
Vinz said he wouldn’t be surprised to see other tweaks to the dining experience emerge, including more dynamic pricing based on day of the week and time of day and reservations being the norm at places where they would have been anathema pre-pandemic.
Entire business models may also need to be revisited to accommodate fewer customers, which could result in higher prices. But whether that revised equation will be enough to keep businesses afloat remains to be seen, he said.
“When we sift through the wreckage and see how many places did close or pivot, it’ll be a very different landscape,” Vinz said. “Almost more than any other industry — except maybe for the live arts and music venues — bars and restaurants will have the hardest and longest fallout.”
jbnoel@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Protests erupt after Kenosha police shoot man

Treja Kelley had been hesitant to come forward after witnessing the murder of her 17-year-old cousin .
But she found @ @ @ @ @ stand last year and helped secure a guilty verdict .
Her testimony , though , @ @ @ @ @ head , prosecutors said .
Just a few months after testifying , Kelley was shot @ @ @ @ @ not far from where her cousin had been slain .
She was 18 and pregnant @

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 95 Madison Taft and Black Lives Matter activists march through a Kenosha neighborhood Jan. 5, 2021, after news that no charges will be issued against the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Police in Kenosha shot and wounded Jacob Blake on Aug. 23, 2020, apparently in the back, after responding to a call about a domestic dispute and setting off days of protests, unrest and violence.


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Man shot overnight on Eisenhower Expressway does not have life-threatening injuries, police say

The shooting happened about 2:15 a.m. on the outbound lanes near Ashland Avenue , according to a statement from state @ @ @ @ @ shot multiple times and he was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition but officials @ @ @ @ @ considered life-threatening .

Illinois State Police troopers investigate a shooting that occurred on the outbound Eisenhower Expressway near Ashland Avenue in the early hours of Aug. 24, 2020, in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
One man was seriously injured after a shooting that occurred on the Eisenhower Expressway early Monday, according to Illinois State Police, which is investigating.
The shooting happened about 2:15 a.m. on the outbound lanes near Ashland Avenue, according to a statement from state police. One man was shot multiple times and he was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition but officials said his injuries were not considered life-threatening.
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Police diverted outbound traffic at Ashland Avenue about 4:10 a.m. and ramps to Interstate 290 were closed from Paulina Street to Damen Avenue, with traffic returning at Western Avenue, officials said.
Anyone who witnessed the shooting should call state police at 847-294-4400.
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Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Why a Chicago police officer’s accidental death struck a chord with Chinese Americans: ‘A lot of res

Why a Chicago police officer’s accidental death struck a chord with Chinese Americans: ‘A lot of residents feel so vulnerable’

Friends say Meng , a 22-month department veteran , had been working 12 straight days of 12-hour shifts during June @ @ @ @ @ wife were found unresponsive in their Albany Park home on June 10 .
Dangerous levels @ @ @ @ @ in the home and his car was still running inside the attached garage , according @ @ @

A person walks by the former Won Kow Restaurant on Wentworth Avenue in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood on July 16, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
In a summer of pandemic and unrest, the accidental death of Chicago police Officer Xu Meng resonated deeply among those of Chinese descent here and across the country.
A hardworking father and husband. One of their own.
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And a cop at a time when the community felt threatened by rising anti-Chinese hate and were depending more and more on officers such as Meng, even as police nationwide were being widely scrutinized for brutality.
A fundraiser for Meng’s family was carried widely on Chinese social media and has collected more than three times what was sought.
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“Chinatown, because it’s so isolated, a lot of times people are more like, ‘We need to protect our own,’ ” community organizer Consuela Hendricks said. “A lot of residents feel so vulnerable.”
When Meng, 36, died in early June, the South Side neighborhood had suffered through months more of lost revenue than other business sectors, had grieved after two recent homicides, had faced racial backlash from the pandemic and was bracing for a summer of protests and possible looting.
Chicago police Officer Xu Meng at the Asian Law Enforcement Association picnic in an undated photo. (Henry Lai)
Friends say Meng, a 22-month department veteran, had been working 12 straight days of 12-hour shifts during June protests when he and his wife were found unresponsive in their Albany Park home on June 10. Dangerous levels of carbon monoxide were found in the home and his car was still running inside the attached garage, according to investigators.
Meng and his wife were taken to Swedish Hospital in critical condition. Meng died, but his wife survived. Their 5-year-old son was at day care at the time.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office determined Meng died of carbon monoxide poisoning and ruled his death an accident. According to organizers of the fundraiser, his family believes Meng was so exhausted by his work that he forgot to turn off the car.
Meng’s funeral and the Police Department’s ceremony for fallen officers were held in early July, but donations continue to pour in from across the globe. The association set a goal of $50,000, but as of last week around $179,000 had been collected.
Henry Lai, a Chicago police officer and president of the Asian American Law Enforcement Association, center, and other members load cars with boxes of food to help Chicago's Asian American population outside the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels on May 12, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Many of the donations are small, $20 or $50. People have expressed not only sorrow for the family but praise for police officers.
Henry Lai, the head of the police association that spearheaded the fundraiser, believes the overwhelming response is “the result of all the community work we’ve been building over the years, it’s not overnight. All the hard work we have done, they appreciate it.”
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Hendricks said this trust is built on close relationships with police officers through personal friendships and participation in Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy meetings.
Lai noted that members of the association come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and speak the languages of Asian neighborhoods across the city. “They see us, they feel comfortable, they trust us,” he said. “I think they know they’re safe when they see us.”
This includes when Chinatown’s shops saw a drop in business in February as some people blamed Asian Americans for the pandemic and sometimes openly attacked them. Members of Lai’s association helped deliver food to senior citizens afraid to leave their homes.
An empty Wentworth Avenue in the normally bustling Chinatown neighborhood of Chicago on April 1, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The same month, two men of Chinese descent were killed in a robbery in Chinatown. Hundreds attended vigils for the slain men, some wearing shirts and holding signs that read “Asian Lives Matter.”
The fundraiser for Meng’s family blamed his death on his “extreme fatigue and exhaustion from serving and protecting our community from criminals, looters and rioters,” referring to the June protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
During this time, a neighborhood watch group and a local gun club patrolled the Chinatown area, according to another community activist, Angela Lin. She said residents feared the street protests would be like the 1992 Los Angeles uprisings following Rodney King’s death when the Koreatown neighborhood was burned.
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“There was a lot of action of working with the police, people arming themselves to do what they said was protect Chinatown,” Lin said. “There were a lot of pictures that I saw of Chinese community members and leaders with police.”
Angela Lin, right, and Consuela Hendricks, two organizers confronting anti-Blackness in various neighborhoods across the city including Chinatown, McKinley Park and Pilsen, near Washington Park in Chicago on July 26, 2020. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
On the GoFundMe page, Meng was described as a hardworking family man, which resonated with many Chinese Americans, according to David Wu, board president of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community.
But Wu said the community is “not always good at speaking out and has always been hopeful that just working hard, serving our family, serving our communities, doing well at work is good enough.”
This has left some in the community feeling frustrated, according to Lin. “They believe Asian American issues are overlooked,” she said.
Lai agreed: “Everybody talks about everybody else except us.”
That frustration is reflected in some of the feelings about Meng’s death, with some going as far as “saying no one’s marching for him,” Hendricks said.
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In challenging times, Chinese Americans rallied to support Meng and each other. Hendricks and Lin said they hope to see the community come together to support other communities as well.
Through their non-profit People Matter, Hendricks and Lin lead discussions about racism and provide social services to underserved populations, inspired by their own experiences and observations. One of their projects is called “Tackling Anti-Blackness in the Chinatown Community.”
They said they hope the initiative will improve relations between Chinatown and its neighbors.
“Communities of color should give it a try, they should work together,” Lin said. “In the past when they work together, they do win.”
chao@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened on Aug. 22-23 with COVID-19 in the Chicago are

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened on Aug. 22-23 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

State officials announced Monday that a series of stricter regulations will be implemented this week in Will and Kankakee counties at restaurants , bars and casinos to slow the spread of COVID-19 , after that region reached a threshold for positivity rate that triggers the move .
Come Wednesday , there will be no indoor service for bars or restaurants , outside bar and food service must close at 11 p.m. , and gatherings are capped at 25 people or 25 % of the overall room capacity .
Casinos also must close at 11 p.m. , and are limited to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come after the region that includes Will and Kankakee counties in Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plan posted an 8 % test positivity rate for three consecutive days , becoming the second of the state ’ s 11 regions , as defined by the plan , to be sent backward from the Phase 4 plans that are widely in place throughout the state .
Earlier on Monday , health officials reported 1,612 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and eight additional deaths .
That brings the state ’ s total to 221,790 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : CPS will charge thousands in tuition for virtual prekindergarten this fall — day care not included When it meant a 10-hour school day with social interaction and field trips for their children , the Theis-Brigells and many other families decided high-quality public prekindergarten was worth about $ 1,500 a month .
But now that Chicago Public Schools will continue remote learning until at least November , parents are having a harder time justifying the cost when it means they ’ ll also have to monitor their 3- and 4-year-olds , or pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ re paying for the child care , really , when you do the tuition-based program , ” said Maddy Brigell , who is keeping her 4-year-old in the program at Disney II Magnet School so as not to lose the seat in case schools reopen next quarter .
But if the COVID-19 pandemic causes classrooms to stay closed , the family isn ’ t planning to continue .
6:15 p.m. : ‘ One and done ’ : IHSA announces fall sports will be limited to regional geographic competition instead of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be “ one and done ” this season when it comes to postseason competition .
The Illinois High School Association board of directors met virtually Monday and approved a plan for a modified postseason state series that will feature a single round of regional geographic competition in boys and girls golf , boys and girls cross country , girls swimming and diving , and girls tennis .
The competition will be held the week of Oct. 19-25 , with the majority of events expected to be held on Saturday , Oct. 24 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have 77 false positive COVID-19 tests from the same lab ?
Several NFL teams had their weekends disrupted by false positive COVID-19 tests that the league traced to the same New Jersey BioReference laboratory .
The Bears had nine positive tests from players and coaches that turned out to be false positives .
And according to reports around the league , the Jets , Vikings , Steelers , Bills , Browns , Packers , Eagles , Lions , Patriots and Giants also had spikes in positive tests , with many confirming Sunday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the lab examine 77 positive tests from 11 teams , and all came back negative upon retesting .
Here ’ s what we know — and what we don ’ t .
—Colleen Kane and Dan Wiederer Doctors at the University of Illinois at Chicago on Monday began giving vaccination shots to volunteers as part of a clinical trial of one of the new COVID-19 vaccine candidates .
The university is taking part in a trial of a vaccine being developed by Massachusetts-based Moderna in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the body to create a non-harmful piece of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 , in order to launch the body ’ s natural immune response to the disease .
The Moderna vaccine is just one of several vaccine candidates that have shown enough promise to enter Phase 3 trials , which are focused on evaluating how safe and protective they are .
People who still want to volunteer can sign up via UIC ’ s online registry or the national registry at coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org .
4:55 p.m. : Illinois scales back reopening in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threshold reached State officials announced Monday that a series of stricter regulations will be implemented this week in Will and Kankakee counties at restaurants , bars and casinos to slow the spread of COVID-19 , after that region reached a threshold for positivity rate that triggers the move .
Come Wednesday , there will be no indoor service for bars or restaurants , outside bar and food service must close at 11 p.m. , and gatherings are capped at 25 people or 25 % of the overall room capacity .
Casinos also must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited to 25 % capacity .
The stricter rules come after the region that includes Will and Kankakee counties in Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plan posted an 8 % test positivity rate for three consecutive days , becoming the second of the state ’ s 11 regions , as defined by the plan , to be sent backward from the Phase 4 plans that are widely in place throughout the state .
Other rules for bars include requirements for outdoor bar patrons to be seated at tables outside that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congregating at bars , and a reservation requirement for each party .
Once the new rules take effect Wednesday , they will be in place for 14 days .
They do not apply to schools , however .
After the 14-day period , if the region ’ s coronavirus metrics don ’ t improve , the state may crack down further .
If the positivity rate declines to 6.5 % by the end of that two-week period , the region can return to the Phase 4 rules under Pritzker ’ s reopening plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June .
The Metro East region became the first last week to have stricter regulations imposed by the state .
4:50 p.m. : A week after opening for in-person classes , Loyola Academy closes due to COVID-19 cases Just one week after Loyola Academy students returned to the Wilmette high school ’ s campus , officials said Monday they are closing for two weeks after several students tested positive for COVID-19 .
Officials say they believe the students likely contracted the virus at social gatherings off-campus .
As of the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the private Catholic high school had tested positive for COVID-19 , and 63 students were in quarantine for issues related to exposure , travel or symptoms , officials said in a statement on the Loyola website .
“ While none of the cases have been linked to in-person instruction , we now believe off-campus social exposures are greater than first reported , ” Loyola Academy Principal Charlie Heintz said in a Sunday statement posted on the high school ’ s website .
In another weekend of enforcement , the City of Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Consumer Protection shut down four more businesses , including two restaurants , after investigators found them in violation of COVID-19 safety guidelines .
All of the businesses were closed for one night and allowed to reopen the following day .
BACP ’ s enforcement team investigated 83 places and issued 12 citations this weekend .
Since June 3 , it has investigated 1,366 establishments and issued citations to 92 businesses .
For teachers , starting a new school year is never easy .
But this year , teaching remotely is adding its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic , many school districts across the country have shifted to virtual learning in the fall , including Chicago Public Schools and many Chicago-area suburban districts .
So how are teachers getting ready for Zoom classes ?
What do their setups look like ?
We asked teachers around Illinois to send us photos of their remote-learning work stations .
See them here .
—Hannah Herrera Greenspan ( Updated 12:56 p.m. ) 9:19 a.m. : Zoom says it ’ s fixed problem behind massive outages The popular videoconferencing platform Zoom experienced widespread outages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for many students nationwide , with users unable to join calls .
The company said that it began receiving reports of disruptions around 9 a.m. Eastern time .
It resolved the issue around 11:30 a.m. , it reported on its status page .
12:53 p.m. : After COVID-19 had Kingston Mines singing the blues , the family takes steps to reopen Lincoln Park ’ s Kingston Mines , one of Chicago ’ s oldest and most beloved blues nightclubs , originally shuttered because of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order .
It ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has yet to open its doors like others in the city .
After their father ’ s death just over two years ago , the family was left with little money to run the business .
When COVID-19 first closed their doors , Donna said they had tried to do delivery for the first few weeks , but they didn ’ t have enough orders to keep going .
“ We ’ d get maybe two orders one day and then no orders for three days — and we had all this food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d make a batch of gumbo and end up having to throw it out.
” At present — due to lack of income and never-ending water and insurance bills — the pair said they ’ re in debt .
“ We ’ re living on borrowed money and GoFundMe , and that ’ s it , ” Lisa said .
On Monday , Illinois public health officials reported 1,612 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and eight additional deaths .
That brings the state ’ s total to 221,790 cases and 7,888 fatalities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should wear masks at times to slow coronavirus spread , WHO says Just as millions of children are heading back to school , the World Health Organization says those aged 6 to 11 should wear masks in some cases to help fight the spread of coronavirus .
The recommendations presented Monday follow the widespread belief that children under 12 are not considered as likely to propagate the virus as much as adults .
Children in general face less severe virus symptoms than do adults , with the elderly the most vulnerable to severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions about whether children aged 6 to 11 should wear masks should consider factors like whether COVID-19 transmission is widespread in the area where the child lives ; the child ’ s ability to safely use a mask ; and adult supervision when taking the masks on or off .
10:55 a.m. : Coronavirus has changed forever the way restaurants are designed — for better and for worse For generations , dining out has rarely occupied a second thought .
Restaurants have been there and we have flocked to them — all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 sales , according to an estimate from the National Restaurant Association .
But due to the pandemic and shifting attitudes about health and safety , elements once taken for granted ( squeezing into cozy spaces ) or rarely given second thoughts ( ventilation ) will take on greater meaning for perhaps years to come .
Restaurants in all directions are left to re-evaluate the mechanics of their operations during the health crisis and beyond .
Some have decided they can ’ t make it in this new world .
When one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine dining , Blackbird , announced in June it would not reopen , chef Paul Kahan cited the challenges of operating an “ incredibly small , tight dining room.
” Restaurants that survive are likely to change and new ones will almost certainly be designed with revised priorities .
Some of the changes will be barely perceptible .
Others will be glaring .
Some changes will be shorter-lived .
Others will remain long term .
9:46 a.m. : First case of coronavirus reinfection confirmed in Hong Kong Researchers in Hong Kong are reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
“ An apparently young and healthy patient had a second case of COVID-19 infection which was diagnosed 4.5 months after the first episode , ” University of Hong Kong researchers said Monday in a statement .
The report is of concern because it suggests that immunity to the coronavirus may last only a few months in some people .
And it has implications for vaccines being developed for the virus .
The 33-year-old man had only mild symptoms the first time and no symptoms this time around .
The reinfection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trip to Spain , the researchers said , and the virus they sequenced closely matched the strain circulating in Europe in July and August .
This year ’ s calendar was a Halloween-lover ’ s dream : Oct. 31 falls on a Saturday , and Chicago ’ s costume shops , haunted houses and candy companies were gearing up for a blowout season of spooky thrills .
So what happens when the scariest thing on Halloween isn ’ t ghouls , witches or zombies , but the prospect of trick-or-treating in the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not going to be what it has been , ” said George Garcia , owner of Fantasy Costumes , who has been selling costumes in the Portage Park neighborhood for more than half a century .
“ We waited six years to get Halloween on a Saturday , and now this.
” Headed into a Halloween unlike any other , towns are weighing whether to announce trick-or-treating hours while haunted house operators determine if there ’ s any way to make a room packed with screaming teens safe .
Costume shops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflatable costumes and trick-or-treating bags that promote social distancing .
“ With everything going on , people are going to be looking for a little bit of escape or relief , ” Garcia said .
6:30 a.m. : Illinois Republicans sense momentum against Democrats but uncertain how to deliver their message In the age of COVID-19 and a variety of fits and starts , the Republican National Convention that kicks off Monday will be held largely in a virtual digital setting just as the recently completed Democratic convention .
Unlike the Democratic convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay home as former Vice President Joe Biden was nominated for president , Republicans are allowing 336 delegates to actually go to the host city , representing the 50 states , plus territories .
Illinois GOP State Chairman Tim Schneider and Richard Porter , the state ’ s Republican National Committeeman , will attend .
Demetra Demonte , the state ’ s Republican National Committeewoman , had planned to go but opted out for family health reasons .
That leaves the rest of the 67-member delegation , all pledged to President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s March 17 primary results , in a bit of quandary .
Unlike the state ’ s Democrats , who met virtually for a rally session before each night ’ s prime-time festivities , the state GOP delegation ’ s schedule has become a work in progress .
“ I have no idea what to expect , ” said Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady of Bloomington , an at-large delegate .
“ I ’ ll be getting together with some colleagues to watch the convention and we ’ ll talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no idea what to expect out of this , given the framework.
” Other delegates said they are attempting to organize convention “ watch parties ” and Porter , en route to Charlotte , said “ you can put together Zoom meetings in 15 minutes , so I do think at the end of the day there will be some of that.
” 6:15 a.m. : Trump announces plasma treatment authorized for COVID-19 , a treatment that has had inconclusive results President Trump on Sunday announced emergency authorization to treat COVID-19 patients with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a breakthrough , ” one of his top health officials called “ promising ” and other health experts said needs more study before it ’ s celebrated .
The announcement came after White House officials complained there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump ’ s reelection chances .
On the eve of the Republican National Convention , Trump put himself at the center of the FDA 's announcement of the authorization at a news conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier for some patients to obtain the treatment but is not the same as full FDA approval .
The blood plasma , taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies , may provide benefits to those battling the disease .
But the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works , when to administer it and what dose is needed .
Here are five things stories from the weekend related to COVID-19 .

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois Public Health officials on Sunday reported 1,893 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six additional deaths.
That brings the state’s total to 220,178 cases and 7,880 fatalities. There were 54,351 tests reported, a day after the state set another testing record with 56,766 tests.
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If Illinois doesn’t bring its steadily rising coronavirus numbers down quickly, it is among the areas of the country facing a “perfect storm” of risk factors for transmitting the highly contagious disease this fall, according to a Philadelphia medical research center that is tracking COVID-19 in hundreds of counties nationwide.
State health officials on Friday said 20 counties are now considered at a warning level for COVID-19, and that cases of the virus connected to schools are beginning to be reported.
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Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Public Health acknowledged Friday that the agency did not investigate nursing home complaints of neglect and abuse for nearly 3½ months during the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement came a month after the the agency fire the state’s top nursing home regulator without explanation and disciplined another.
Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
With late summer cases stubbornly high, Illinois faces a ‘perfect storm’ of COVID-19 risk this fall, researcher says
If Illinois doesn’t bring its steadily rising coronavirus numbers down quickly, it is among the areas of the country facing a “perfect storm” of risk factors for transmitting the highly contagious disease this fall, according to a Philadelphia medical research center that is tracking COVID-19 in hundreds of counties nationwide.
The combination of some schools returning to in-person instruction, Labor Day travel and cooler fall weather would all be piled on top of a steady uptick in Illinois’ statewide test positivity rate over the last several weeks, said Dr. David Rubin, director of the PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“What worries me is if you have that big reservoir of circulating cases and then you get some of those colder fall days that start to come, and then you’re also returning kids to universities and schools and the mixing goes up in the community, it’s just kind of like a perfect storm,” Rubin said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. “You set yourself off on the wrong foot as we go into what’s going to be a difficult fall and winter.”
Rubin’s warning about the fall and winter echoes what other experts have been predicting for months. The state has endured a late summer uptick in a number of metrics, with daily case counts topping 2,000 several times in August, for the first time since late May. The statewide seven-day average test positivity rate stood at 4.3% as of Thursday, only a month after it had been whittled down to 3%.
That uptick could be particularly poorly timed heading into fall, when Rubin predicts the wave of the pandemic in the U.S. will shift back north. Read more here. —Jamie Munks
Trump announces plasma treatment authorized for COVID-19, a treatment that has had inconclusive results
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced emergency authorization to treat COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma — a move he called “a breakthrough,” one of his top health officials called “promising” and other health experts said needs more study before it’s celebrated.
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The announcement came after White House officials complained there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump’s reelection chances.
On the eve of the Republican National Convention, Trump put himself at the center of the FDA's announcement of the authorization at a news conference Sunday evening. The authorization makes it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment but is not the same as full FDA approval.
The blood plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies, may provide benefits to those battling the disease. But the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it and what dose is needed.
In a letter describing the emergency authorization, the chief scientist for the FDA, Denise Hinton, said: “COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing, well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months.”
But Trump had made clear to aides that he was eager to showcase good news in the battle against the virus, and the timing allowed him to head into his convention with momentum. He and aides billed it as a “major” development and used the White House briefing room to make the announcement. Read more here. —The Associated Press
Great Wolf Gurnee water and adventure park reopening with masks requirements, temperature checks
With a smaller staff, half the capacity and new safety measures, Gurnee’s Great Wolf Lodge is set to reopen Monday, allowing families into its water park and adventure area for the first time in five months after the coronavirus forced it to close.
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“With all of the guidance that the government and CDC has given, we feel confident that we’re able to open safely to our pack and our guests,” said Nadine Miracle of Grayslake, the Gurnee location’s general manager.
In addition to the advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the resort and indoor water park can learn from the experience of sister properties and observations of other facilities in the region.
Nearby Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, an outdoor water park, opened about a month ago with thermal imaging scans and masks required outside of the pools and waterslides. The Six Flags Great America theme park remains closed. In Wisconsin Dells, where Great Wolf has another location, the well-known Noah’s Ark Waterpark, which is outdoors, closed after two employees tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a story published by The Associated Press. It will not reopen until next year, according to the park’s website.
Great Wolf Lodge Illinois in Gurnee will be limited to about 50% of its capacity, with only 208 rooms in use at the 414-room property. Read more here. —Karie Angell Luc, Lake County News-Sun
Unemployment benefits: Here’s who will get Trump’s $300 boost in coronavirus aid and when
Two weeks have passed since President Donald Trump announced that he would sidestep a congressional stalemate to deliver $400 in extra weekly benefits to tens of millions of unemployed Americans — a short-term fix meant to replace the $600-a-week emergency federal supplement that expired last month.
Since then, as more details of the plan — known as Lost Wages Assistance — have emerged, so have problems with finding the funding and getting it to the hands of those who need it. What is now clear is that the federal supplement is $300 a week, not $400. And by Thursday, only one state, Arizona, had started paying out.
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Here is what we know. —The New York Times
COVID-19 testing returned 9 positive cases for the Bears — but it was later determined all were false positives
The Chicago Bears pushed back Sunday’s morning practice to the afternoon after Saturday’s COVID-19 tests indicated nine players or staff members were positive — results that later proved to be false positives.
“This morning we learned yesterday’s Covid-19 testing identified nine players/staff as positive,” the club said in a statement. “We followed additional NFL-NFLPA testing protocol and confirmed all nine results as false positives. Out of an abundance of caution, we postponed this morning’s practice to this afternoon.”
The team was scheduled to begin practice at 9:20 a.m. An updated schedule indicates practice will now start at 1:30 p.m. The team is scheduled to have a day off from practice on Monday. About an hour after a security guard at the front of Halas Hall turned away media after 8 a.m., the league released a statement revealing testing irregularities for other teams. Read more here. —Brad Biggs
Lake County charter fishing operators continue recovering financially from COVID-19 closures; ‘People were afraid to come fishing’
Shuttered during the weeks that are typically the busiest of warm weather fishing season, Lake Michigan charter boat captains are still hoping to recapture revenue lost to COVID-19 before the cool weather arrives.
“People were afraid to call,” said charter captain Rich Boren of Wadsworth who operates Renegade Charters at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor, located in Illinois Beach State Park. “People were afraid to come fishing.”
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May is typically the busiest month of their fishing season, but the pandemic created by the coronavirus changed that. And Winthrop Harbor-based captains said it was especially hard because they couldn’t even access their boats when Illinois Beach State Park closed for social distancing safety measures imposed by state order, said charter captains Josh Slawkin of Hinsdale and Caleb Weiner of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Read more here. —Karie Angell Luc, Lake County News-Sun
Saturday
House approves bill to reverse USPS changes, send $25 billion to boost agency ahead of election
With heated debate over mail delays, the House approved legislation in a rare Saturday session that would reverse recent changes in U.S. Postal Service operations and send $25 billion to shore up the agency ahead of the November election.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi had recalled lawmakers to Washington over objections from Republicans who dismissed the action as a stunt. President Donald Trump railed against mail-in ballots, including in a Saturday tweet, and urged a no vote. He has said he wants to block extra funds for the Postal Service.
“Don’t pay any attention to what the president is saying, because it is all designed to suppress the vote,” Pelosi said at the Capitol.
Pelosi called the Postal Service the nation’s “beautiful thread” connecting Americans and said voters should “ignore” the president’s threats.
The daylong session came as an uproar over mail disruptions puts the Postal Service at the center of the nation’s tumultuous election year, with Americans rallying around one of the nation’s oldest and more popular institutions. Millions of people are expected to opt for mail-in ballots to avoid polling places during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Read more here. —The Associated Press
17 additional deaths and 2,356 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday
Illinois health officials on Saturday announced 2,356 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 17 additional fatalities and the statewide death toll to 7,874 since the start of the pandemic.
Officials reported 56,766 new tests in the last 24 hours. That total represents another statewide testing record. The statewide seven-day positivity rate stands at 4.3%.
Since the start of the pandemic, 218,285 people in the state have been infected, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. 3,649,685 tests have been performed in total.
Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
Naperville reports bumps in cases, hospitalizations
Naperville had 198 active cases of COVID-19 on Aug. 19, the highest number reported since the pandemic started in March, according to data on the city’s coronavirus dashboard.
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The number eclipsed the record 164 active cases registered on May 24 and had remained below that number until this month, data shows. The low point was June 28, when there were just 47 known active cases.
Since then, however, the active case numbers have been going back up, breaking the record on Aug. 14 when there were 177 cases and topping it again two days later with 198, data shows.
Active cases are those in which the person has had the virus for 14 days or less, meaning they are believed to be infectious and able to pass it to others, according to the dashboard.
The number of patients being treated for the virus at Edward Hospital in Naperville has also been slowly creeping back up. After having just four people hospitalized for treatment on July 27, the number was 14 on Aug. 21, the hospital reported.
According to the most recent data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, DuPage County is seeing a 4.4% test positivity rate and Will County is seeing 7.1% test positivity.
Read more here. —Erin Hegarty
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In case you missed it...
How Notre Dame could be a cautionary tale for other college campuses trying to reopen
As the university outside South Bend, Indiana, scrambled to shift classes online for at least two weeks in an effort to salvage in-person learning this semester, its predicament could be a cautionary tale for other colleges inviting students back this fall. Read more here.
An effective COVID-19 vaccine is the great hope. How do we get there?
As COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, much attention is focused on one great hope: a safe, effective and widely available vaccine that would allow people to again embrace friends, go back to work and ditch that lurking feeling of dread. Getting there won’t be simple. Read more here.
A COVID-19 vaccine still hasn’t emerged — but some are already wary of it
As scientists across the globe race to create a COVID-19 vaccine that is safe and effective, the American public appears sharply divided when it comes to the prospect of getting vaccinated against the new virus, which has so far infected roughly 5.5 million and killed more than 172,000 in the United States. Read more here.
Is Chicago tourism done until 2021?
Chicago’s tourism season may wrap up early as hotels and some city attractions, struggling with fewer visitors and revenue losses, consider shutting down for the remainder of the year. Read more here.
CPS fall plan includes full days of remote and live learning, but prompts CTU grievance
Chicago Public Schools had barely released its fall remote learning plan when the Chicago Teachers Union announced it had filed grievance over the guidance that union President Jesse Sharkey said was made “without imagination or input from teachers.” Read more here.
Back to school: Here’s what some kids are saying
As Chicago’s youths prepare for the upcoming school year, the Tribune asked students of all ages, from across the city and suburbs, how they’re feeling. Here’s what they said.


chicagotribune--2020-08-25--Daywatch: Kenosha police shooting spurs unrest, Illinois scales back reopening in 2 counties and Hal

Daywatch: Kenosha police shooting spurs unrest, Illinois scales back reopening in 2 counties and Halloween at risk from COVID-19

This year ’ s calendar was a Halloween-lover ’ s dream : Oct. 31 falls on a Saturday , and @ @ @ @ @ , haunted houses and candy companies were gearing up for a blowout season of spooky @ @ @ @ @ when the scariest thing on Halloween isn ’ t ghouls , witches or zombies , @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of a pandemic ?

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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On Monday, state health officials reported 1,612 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and eight additional deaths. That brings the state’s total to 221,790 cases and 7,888 fatalities.
Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan divides the state into 11 regions. Here’s a breakdown of what it means.
COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area.
Activists protest outside of the Kenosha County Courthouse following last night's police shooting of Jacob Blake on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020 in Kenosha, WI. Community members are asking for transparency and communication from local police about the incident. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Jacob Blake, who was shot by a police officer in Kenosha on Sunday, grew up in Evanston as part of a family with deep ties to local community activism.
A video of the shooting appears to show an officer firing several shots as Blake, 29, is turned away. The shooting has touched off protests and unrest in the town not far from the Wisconsin-Illinois border.
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Police fire tear gas at hundreds of protesters during 2nd night of unrest in Kenosha after police shooting of Black man
In this file photo, Gov. J.B. Pritzker steps up to speak during a news conference at the University of Chicago's Harper Center on July 23, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
State officials announced Monday that a series of stricter regulations will be put in place this week in Will and Kankakee counties at restaurants, bars and casinos to slow the spread of COVID-19, after that region reached a threshold for positivity rate that triggers the move.
Donald Trump Jr., speaks as he tapes his speech for the first day of the Republican National Convention from the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020 (Susan Walsh/AP)
Republicans predicted a national “horror movie” should President Donald Trump lose in November, flinging out dark warnings on Monday’s opening night of their scaled down national convention.
Analysis: 5 key takeaways from the first night of the RNC, including Trump showing he will be an omnipresent convention presence
Colin Theis and his wife Maddy Brigell play with their son Quinn 6, and their daughter Charlotte outside their home. They're among parents faced with a tough choice of keeping their child in a prekindergarten program that costs thousands but will be virtual this fall. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Now that Chicago Public Schools will continue remote learning until at least November, parents are having a harder time justifying the cost when it means they’ll also have to monitor their 3- and 4-year-olds, or pay someone else to watch them.
Maricruz Ferreira glues hair onto a Donald Trump mask Aug. 20, 2020, at Zagone Studios in Melrose Park. Zagone has been making Halloween masks and costumes in the Chicago area for more than 40 years. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
This year’s calendar was a Halloween-lover’s dream: Oct. 31 falls on a Saturday, and Chicago’s costume shops, haunted houses and candy companies were gearing up for a blowout season of spooky thrills. So what happens when the scariest thing on Halloween isn’t ghouls, witches or zombies, but the prospect of trick-or-treating in the middle of a pandemic?


chicagotribune--2020-08-25--Driver critically injures bicyclist in collision, police say

The crash occurred five minutes past midnight in the 7800 block of South Vincennes Avenue in the West Chatham neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ .
The man sustained head and body injuries and was taken to the University of @ @ @ @ @ condition .

A driver hit a 33-year-old bicyclist early Tuesday while making a left turn on the South Side, according to Chicago police.
The crash occurred five minutes past midnight in the 7800 block of South Vincennes Avenue in the West Chatham neighborhood, according to Chicago police. The man sustained head and body injuries and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition.
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The driver remained on scene and provided a statement to officers, police said. No citations were issued.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-08-25--Protesters, cops clash for second night as Kenosha remains in national spotlight after police shooti

Protesters, cops clash for second night as Kenosha remains in national spotlight after police shooting of Jacob Blake

“ If you see the video , it wasn ’ t anything big , ” he said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ him .
They could have done anything other than shoot that man .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not going to get better until everybody decides to say something , not @ @ @ @ @ protesting and rioting .
Everybody ’ s got to speak .
”

John Keilman, Dan Hinkel, Genevieve Bookwalter

Madison Taft and Black Lives Matter activists march through a Kenosha neighborhood Jan. 5, 2021, after news that no charges will be issued against the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Protesters and police clashed again Monday night in Kenosha in the wake of an officer shooting a Black man, and authorities remained tight-lipped even as national attention focused on the city just north of the Wisconsin border.
Kenosha residents woke up Monday morning to burned-out cars, broken glass and damaged buildings following clashes Sunday with police that were touched off by the shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake. Video appeared to show an officer firing several shots as Blake was facing away from the cop. Blake was hospitalized in serious condition.
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Monday afternoon, police in riot gear blasted pepper spray at an agitated crowd gathered near the door to a government building that people had ripped from its hinges.
Authorities were preparing for potential further unrest at night, and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers summoned 125 National Guard members to monitor the city. Kenosha County officials announced an 8 p.m. curfew for the more urban eastern portion of the county.
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By early evening, several hundred protesters had gathered in downtown Kenosha, under the watch of cops in riot gear.
As night fell, the crowd facing down Kenosha County sheriff’s officers at the courthouse grew more confrontational, heaving a barrage of water bottles, fireworks and other objects at the officers.
Police announced over a loudspeaker shortly after the 8 pm curfew that it was an unlawful assembly. Some officers fired rounds of tear gas into the crowd, which retreated to the park across the street but did not disperse.
Protesters chanted, “No justice, no peace.”
Blake has deep ties to the Chicago area. His family has been in and around Evanston for generations, his uncle, Justin Blake, told the Tribune. His grandfather, Jacob Blake Sr., served as pastor of Ebenezer AME Church in Evanston and was a local leader in the civil rights movement, according to Chicago Tribune archives.
Sunday’s shooting was the latest to galvanize outraged demonstrators who have spilled into the streets repeatedly in the three months since George Floyd died beneath the knee of a Minneapolis cop. Like other controversial uses of force, this one was captured on a harrowing video shared widely online even as authorities said little about the circumstances of the shooting.
The confrontation unfolded as police responded to a call of a domestic incident about 5 p.m. Sunday in Kenosha, a former auto manufacturing hub of 100,000 people about 60 miles north of Chicago.
In the footage shared online, Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of an SUV to the driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and appears to open fire while Blake has his back turned.
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Seven shots can be heard, though it isn’t clear how many struck Blake or how many of the officers fired. During the shooting, a woman can be seen jumping up and down in the street as she screams.
The three officers at the scene were placed on administrative leave, standard practice in shootings by police, while the Wisconsin Department of Justice investigates. Authorities did not disclose the identities of the officers involved or say whether they believed Blake was armed.
Court records show Blake has a pending criminal case that started last month. Records indicate Kenosha County prosecutors charged Blake on July 6 with third-degree sexual assault, trespassing and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse. An arrest warrant was issued for Blake the following day. The records contain no further details and do not list an attorney for Blake.
Evers quickly condemned the shooting Sunday night.
“While we do not have all of the details yet,” the governor said in a statement, “what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.”
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden joined Evers in criticizing the shooting. In a statement released by his campaign, Biden said, “The nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force.”
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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted, “I am deeply disturbed by the video capturing part of the incident. I urge civil & criminal authorities to pursue an immediate & thorough investigation of the shooting.”
Republicans and the police union alleged a rush to judgment, reflecting the deep partisan divide in Wisconsin, a key presidential battleground state.
“As always, the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident,” Pete Deates, president of the Kenosha police union, said in a statement.
Wisconsin’s Republican Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke cautioned the public and elected officials against “racing towards judgment,” given how few details were known.
“The frustration & anger that many in our communities are feeling must be met with empathy, but cannot be further fueled by politicians’ statements or actions that can stoke flames of violence,” Steineke tweeted.
Activists spent Monday in Kenosha’s streets calling for, among other things, the prosecution of the officers involved. Just before noon, protesters gathered in the neighborhood where the shooting happened before marching downtown. Clyde McLemore of the Lake County, Illinois, chapter of Black Lives Matter said he had spoken with Blake’s family and attorney, who told him the man’s condition improved overnight in a local hospital.
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“He hasn’t left this earth,” McLemore said. “He’s doing good. A lot better than expected.”
Tyrone Muhammed, of the Chicago-based group Ex-Cons for Community and Social Change, said before the march began that unrest will continue as long as cops hurt those they’re sworn to protect.
“It’s going to be a bloodbath at some point,” he said. “If wise and sensible people don’t get a grip on this, it’s going to spread to something else. We can’t continue to allow the police in our communities to kill us without some reaction.”
The protests grew tense in the midafternoon after a news conference authorities had scheduled for a local park was abruptly switched to a government building after dozens of protesters arrived. Angry that they were denied entrance, people tore one of the building’s doors off its hinges as Mayor John Antaramian addressed reporters.
“The door’s broken, it’s no longer secure!” a police official shouted as Antaramian continued to speak.
A stream of officers wearing black riot gear swept through the news conference to confront the protesters and used pepper spray to repel them from the door.
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The news conference resumed in a windowless interior room. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, whose agency is investigating the shooting, said he wanted the inquiry to move “swiftly” but emphasized that speed would come second to meticulousness.
“It is vital that we get as full and thorough an investigation as possible so we can achieve justice in this case,” he said.
Blake’s uncle, Justin Blake, described him as “a lively young man” with “a hell of a personality.” Jacob Blake attended Evanston Township High School and played football and basketball, and he moved to the Kenosha-Racine area a few years ago for a job and his family, his uncle said.
On Monday near the scene of the shooting, a 32-year-old man who gave his name as Darnell said he and his wife had gotten up early to clean up the mess, including Blake’s blood. He didn’t witness the shooting but called Blake “a good dude” who didn’t cause trouble.
“If you see the video, it wasn’t anything big,” he said. “It was just the police and him. They could have done anything other than shoot that man. It’s bad, and it’s not going to get better until everybody decides to say something, not just us that’s protesting and rioting. Everybody’s got to speak.”
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents family members in several high-profile police shootings, said he had been retained by Blake’s family.
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Sunday’s violence came two weeks after a man shot a Kenosha police officer and fled. The officer’s injuries were not life-threatening, and police arrested the alleged shooter a few days later in Gary.
Another Kenosha police shooting in 2004 has driven controversy and change in Wisconsin in the years since. An officer fatally shot 21-year-old Michael Bell Jr. after he struggled with police trying to arrest him during a traffic stop. Local authorities found the shooting justified, but Bell’s father, Michael Bell Sr., criticized the investigation. The father lobbied for the adoption of a Wisconsin law that now requires outside agencies to investigate police shootings.
Michael Bell Sr. told the Tribune Monday he hopes to learn more about the details of what happened Sunday but was disturbed by the video.
“I think the shooting looked horribly bad,” he said.
John Keilman reported from Kenosha. Genevieve Bookwalter is a Pioneer Press reporter. Tribune reporters Megan Crepeau and Kelli Smith and The Associated Press contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--IHSA announces fall sports will be limited to regional geographic competition instead of a state tou

IHSA announces fall sports will be limited to regional geographic competition instead of a state tournament

“ If they announce anything that ’ s different than that , it might be a pleasant surprise .
I @ @ @ @ @ less advised that it would be good to use Oct. 17 as the date for @ @ @ @ @ turns out , we ’ ll take it as it floats in .
”

Runners exit the starting boxes down a long, sloping field at the start of the Class 2A state meet in boys cross country at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown)
Athletes in fall sports will be “one and done” this season when it comes to postseason competition.
The Illinois High School Association board of directors met virtually Monday and approved a plan for a modified postseason state series that will feature a single round of regional geographic competition in boys and girls golf, boys and girls cross country, girls swimming and diving, and girls tennis.
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The competition will be held the week of Oct. 19-25, with the majority of events expected to be held on Saturday, Oct. 24.
It wasn’t unexpected.
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Prior to the announcement, Chad Clarey didn’t think a traditional playoff format would be forthcoming.
In fact, the coach of defending Class 2A boys cross country champion Kaneland pretty much called what the IHSA would decide for his sport.
“I’m already planning on having Oct. 24 marked on the calendar as my end date, like they announced in July,” Clarey said. “I’m thinking we’re going to have a Class 2A COVID Regional featuring teams from Kane and DuPage counties.
“If they announce anything that’s different than that, it might be a pleasant surprise. I think schools were more or less advised that it would be good to use Oct. 17 as the date for conference meets. However it turns out, we’ll take it as it floats in.”
Chris Muth, Yorkville’s boys and girls cross country coach, has watched his girls team finish second to Naperville North the past four years in the 3A state meet.
“It will be interesting to see how small the regions will be,” Muth said. “Right now, we’re limiting everything to 50 participants, so that’s a maximum of eight teams. That’s a pretty small region.
“It’s the times we live in now. It’s one and done for the state series. We’re grateful for what competition we can get, but it’s obviously disappointing we can’t compete against the best in state.”
Runners jockey to make it to the front of the pack at the start of the Class 3A Libertyville Regional at Adler Park on on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. (Mark Kodiak Ukena / News-Sun)
Craig Anderson, the executive director of the IHSA, again emphasized that the health and safety of athletes, coaches and school communities were the organization’s first priority.
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“Throughout the spring and summer, we looked for ways to reengage student-athletes with their peers and coaches, and our membership has shared countless positive experiences from that initial ‘return to play’ period,” Anderson said. “We have found similar value in being able to conduct fall sports and believe the participants deserve a culminating experience if we can offer it safely.”
Final details for each sport will be released in the coming weeks.
Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
The board did approve a $100 state series entry fee for any school entering a team or individual in any of the fall sports, something that hasn’t happened since the 2004-05 academic year.
Approximately 70% of the IHSA budget is funded by postseason ticket sales.
“The past few months have seen a significant reduction in the IHSA’s income, given the cancellation of the IHSA boys basketball state finals and the entire spring season,” Anderson said. “Financial challenges remain on the horizon in 2020-21 due to the limited number of sports currently classified as low risk by the state, making the chances of conducting full state series tournaments unlikely at this time.”
The board also discussed a bylaw exemption that could allow for participation in club or travel sports during a high school team’s season. It won’t be allowed during the fall and winter seasons.
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The board is seeking more data on the idea for sports that may be affected during the abbreviated seasons for spring (Feb. 15 through May 1) and summer (May 3 through June 26).
High school teams in girls volleyball and boys soccer in the spring and baseball, softball, girls soccer and boys volleyball in the summer could be seriously hampered if athletes aren’t allowed to play both club and high school due to the overlap and the impact with recruiting.
It’s believed many of those high school teams would be affected if athletes were forced to choose between the two, with many likely to opt for their club teams to have a greater chance of receiving a college scholarship offer.


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--North Chicago woman killed trying to break up Waukegan party argument, police say

Based on an investigation , police believe the victim was attending a party when an argument broke out between two @ @ @ @ @ mediate the fight when at least one shot was fired hitting her , the release @ @

Police were searching Monday for a Waukegan man accused of first-degree murder in the shooting of a North Chicago woman who tried to mediate a fight during a party Saturday in the 600 block of McAlister Avenue, according to a news release.
After police responded to the report of a shooting Saturday on McAlister Avenue, they found a woman in the street with a gunshot wound, according to Waukegan police. She was transported to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
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Based on an investigation, police believe the victim was attending a party when an argument broke out between two men. She tried to mediate the fight when at least one shot was fired hitting her, the release said.
After the shot was fired, the victim ran into the street where she was found by officers, according to the release.
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“What this is, is a tragic event,” Waukegan Police Commander Joe Florip said in a telephone interview Monday. “It seems like senseless violence.”
Achley Cruz-Oquendo - Original Credit: News-Sun (Waukegan Police Department / HANDOUT)
The victim is believed to be a North Chicago woman in her 60s, the release said. Police would not release her name or more information on the cause of death until Coroner Howard Cooper performs an autopsy Tuesday.
In the course of their investigation, police obtained a warrant for the arrest of Damar McDonald, 32, of Waukegan, on a charge of first-degree murder, according to the release and Lake County Court records. Police believe he fired the shot that hit the victim. Bond was set at $3 million.
Police also obtained an arrest warrant and are searching for Achley Cruz-Oquendo, 32, of Waukegan, for obstruction of justice, according to the release and court records. Police believe her actions Saturday interfered with the investigation. Her bond was set at $250,000.
Police said in the release McDonald and Cruz-Oquendo are considered “armed and dangerous.” Anyone with information on either individual is asked to call the Waukegan Police Department’s Criminal Investigations “Tip-Line” at 847-360-9001.
“If you see either, please call 911 immediately,” police said in the release.


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Getting up early for the Secretary of State

Looking for a great read without actually having to read ?
These audiobooks have sold the most copies and earned @ @ @ @ @ according to Audible .

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 19 People stand in line for the Chicago Central Illinois secretary of state's facility located inside the Thompson Center in Chicago on June 24, 2021. Some said they arrived as early as 8 a.m. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The wait at Illinois driver's license facilities has gotten longer during the coronavirus pandemic and residents are lining up outside very early in the mornings.


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Cannabis Cup gets underway for the first time in Illinois

“ I ’ ve tried a lot of different things for pain , and it ’ s just exciting to @ @ @ @ @ and see what the best is that I would purchase in the future , ” @ @ @

Nicole Vaughn, 31, of Wonder Lake, exhales Revolution Cannabis Turbo Lemon Cake as she tests products for the Cannabis Cup at her home on Aug. 27, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The Olympics of cannabis is underway in Illinois. The Cannabis Cup, well-known in the weed community as an imprimatur of quality, began Tuesday with the public buying samples to judge.
Previously, the Cup has been held in marijuana strongholds from Amsterdam to Oregon, and featured celebrity judges like Snoop Dogg and Tommy Chong.
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This year, as the competition comes to Illinois for the first time, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sponsor, High Times, is having the public judge the entrants.
Products will be judged in 10 categories, including flower, vape pens, edibles and concentrates. Each category may have a dozen or so entrants, with 200 kits in each category, and each kit costs up to $300.
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The kits are sold at only six dispensaries statewide, including Rise in Niles, Zen Leaf in St. Charles, Moca Modern Cannabis in Chicago and Beyond/Hello in Normal.
Lines ran out the door at some dispensaries selling the kits, High Times Vice President of Content Jon Cappetta said. Shop owners called it their best day since the state first allowed legal recreational sales to adults on New Year’s Day.
Nicole Vaughn, a 31-year-old medical marijuana user in Wonder Lake, shelled out nearly $600 to buy judging kits for smokable flower and pre-rolled joints. She wants to see what strain would be best to treat the debilitating thoracic nerve damage she’s suffered since a car accident in 2018.
Nicole Vaughn, of Wonder Lake, prepares to smoke Revolution Cannabis Turbo Lemon Cake as she tests products for the Cannabis Cup at her home. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
“I’ve tried a lot of different things for pain, and it’s just exciting to try all of these strains and see what the best is that I would purchase in the future,” she said.
She has only about a month to try everything, and takes the job seriously.
“I want to make sure I go in with a clear head, completely sober,” she said, “so I can give it a proper judging for taste, aroma and sensations, so I can rate them all fairly.”
Judging kits were expected to sell out fast. A digitally streamed awards show was scheduled for 4:20 p.m. Sept. 26.
Opponents of marijuana legalization take a dim view of the proceedings as a promotional event for a drug that impairs people’s thought process. Smart Approaches to Marijuana President Kevin Sabet considers it offensive to those who’ve lost loved ones to addiction or to driver-impaired crashes.


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,707 new known COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths reported as researcher

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,707 new known COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths reported as researchers argue for reexamining the 6 feet social distancing guideline

She explained that COVID-19 is a virus spread through droplets , which don ’ t usually travel past 6 feet @ @ @ @ @ in aerosols , like coughing or sneezing , it ’ s still unclear how much @ @ @ @ @ methods .
Researchers created a chart within the report by which people can gauge the @ @ @ @ @ or outdoor gatherings , and whether someone is wearing a mask .
Landon said the @ @ @ @ @ people to calculate risk factors , like how many people are in a room and @ @ @ @ @ from one another .

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)
Six months into the pandemic, there is talk of reexamining the 6 feet social distancing guideline.
The BMJ released a report on Tuesday arguing 6 feet is only a minimum for safe social distancing. Instead of one official distance, researchers suggested a graded recommendation depending on factors including whether someone is singing versus talking or interacting indoors or outdoors.
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Dr. Emily Landon, executive medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Chicago Medicine, said the paper could be a helpful resource. “I think this is a great chart that sort of gives you an understanding of why we have to keep the 6 feet (rule),” Landon said.
On Thursday, the state Department of Public Health announced 1,707 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 24 deaths. Overall, Illinois has reported 227,334 cases, including 7,977 deaths.
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State-imposed restrictions, including a ban on indoor dining, went into effect Wednesday in Will and Kankakee counties. Less stringent measures have been in place for a week in Metro East, in southern Illinois.
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7 p.m.: U. of I. performs record number of COVID-19 tests in a day — and the next day hits record for number of positive results
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been touting its quick-results saliva test for COVID-19 – and the first days of classes are proving to be a test of the test.
The school reported a record 17,656 tests performed on Monday, the first day of classes. On Tuesday, however, 120 positive results were identified from 15,850 new tests, the highest number found in a single day since the testing program launched in early July.
Because of high demand, the U of I now says results are taking up to 48 hours, rather than being available on the same day as testing. But the school has adjusted its procedures to try to lessen delays and address a relatively high percentage of invalid or inconclusive results.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
6:40 p.m.: New federal COVID-19 testing guidelines have sparked alarm, confusion. But Illinois isn’t adopting them, and Pritzker says Trump is playing politics.
A controversial change to national COVID-19 testing guidelines earlier this week has sparked confusion and alarm across the country — but Illinois leaders have denounced the new recommendations, saying they won’t be adopted locally.
The federal guidance now says people don’t necessarily need to get tested for COVID-19 if they’ve been in close contact with an infected person but have no symptoms, according to a revision to testing guidelines posted Monday on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
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Previously, the CDC had recommended local health agencies test anyone who had been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker criticized the new guidelines as well as President Donald Trump, arguing both were motivated by politics and not science or public health.
“We know that asymptomatic spread is a very real concern and we need everyone who comes into contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 to get tested,” he said in an email. “I know the President doesn’t believe in science and would like to ignore this pandemic, but it’s the job of our medical institutions to uphold science and provide straightforward public health guidance, not bow to political pressure.”
Read more here. —Angie Leventis Lourgos
4:45 p.m.: United Airlines will furlough 2,850 pilots this fall as it faces a sharp decline in travel because of the coronavirus pandemic.
While Chicago-based United still hopes furloughs can be avoided if the federal government gives airlines additional funding to help cover labor costs, “we need to prepare and plan for the future should an extension not be granted,” Bryan Quigley, senior vice president of flight operations, said in a message to pilots Thursday.
Airlines received billions in financial assistance through the federal coronavirus aid package this spring, and in exchange agreed to avoid layoffs before Oct. 1. Though airlines, including United, encouraged employees to retire early or volunteer for leaves of absence, some say they have not been able to avoid involuntary cuts.
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Nearly 1,750 of United’s 13,000 pilots will be furloughed indefinitely Oct. 1 with the opportunity to come back if business allows, according to the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents United’s pilots. Another 572 will be furloughed at the end of October and 531 on Nov. 30.
About 450 pilots opted for the early out program, a form of early retirement that allows them to receive reduced pay for a limited time period until they fully retire, according to the pilots’ union.
“Our ongoing efforts on Capitol Hill, and with management, have never let up and are made more urgent with today’s announcement,” union leaders said in a memo to pilots Thursday
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
4:10 p.m.: Pelosi, White House talks over stalled COVID-19 relief package, but no deal in sight
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows resumed talks Thursday over a stalled COVID-19 aid package, but the outlook for any swift resolution appeared bleak as President Donald Trump’s team and congressional Democrats have been unable to agree on a compromise.
Pelosi said she told Meadows the Democrats would be willing to meet halfway — at $2.2 trillion — a slight reduction from her last proposal before talks collapsed earlier this month. The White House, which has stuck with its initial $1 trillion offer, had no immediate response.
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Read more here. —Associated Press
1:22 p.m.: As COVID-19 rages, US economy is struggling to sustain a recovery
Home sales are booming. Stocks are setting record highs. Industrial production is clambering out of the ditch it fell into early this year.
And yet the U.S. economy is nowhere close to regaining the health it achieved, with low unemployment, free-spending consumers and booming travel, before the coronavirus paralyzed the country in March. Not while the viral outbreak still rages and Congress remains deadlocked over providing more relief to tens of millions of people thrown out of work and to state and local governments whose revenue has withered.
Every week, roughly 1 million new Americans are applying for unemployment benefits — a depth of job insecurity not seen in any single week during the depths of the 2007-2009 Great Recession.
Read more here. —Associated Press
12:15 p.m.: 1,707 new known COVID-19 cases, 24 additional deaths
The Department of Public Health on Thursday announced 1,707 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 24 deaths. Overall, Illinois has reported 227,334 cases, including 7,977 deaths.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
12:05 p.m.: Indiana official advises voters to go early to polls as state adjusts to COVID-19 pandemic
Indiana is expecting as many as 1.3 to 1.8 million mail-in ballots for the November election, Secretary of State Connie Lawson said Wednesday. So far, it has gotten 99,000 absentee ballot requests, compared to 53,000 in 2016, she said.
The U.S. Postal Service is helping local counties to design specialized envelopes, Lawson said. They are working to help prioritize applications and ballots, she said.
“My sage advice would be don’t wait,” Lawson said.
Recommended mailing deadlines are Oct. 19 for absentee ballot applications and Oct. 27 for completed ballots to mail back to the county, she said.
Read more here. —Post-Tribune
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10:30 a.m.: A new report said 6 feet may not be enough for social distance. Here’s what local doctors said.
Six months into the pandemic, there is talk of reexamining the 6 feet social distancing guideline.
The BMJ released a report on Tuesday arguing 6 feet is only a minimum for safe social distancing. Instead of one official distance, researchers suggested a graded recommendation depending on factors including whether someone is singing versus talking or interacting indoors or outdoors.
Dr. Emily Landon, executive medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Chicago Medicine, said the paper could be a helpful resource. “I think this is a great chart that sort of gives you an understanding of why we have to keep the 6 feet (rule),” Landon said.
She explained that COVID-19 is a virus spread through droplets, which don’t usually travel past 6 feet. Although it is detected in aerosols, like coughing or sneezing, it’s still unclear how much transmission is driven by those methods. Researchers created a chart within the report by which people can gauge the level of risk for indoor or outdoor gatherings, and whether someone is wearing a mask. Landon said the report could be helpful for people to calculate risk factors, like how many people are in a room and how far away we stand from one another.
Read more here. —Milan Polk
10:10 a.m.: Abbott to hire 2,000 temporary workers in Gurnee to help make COVID-19 tests
Abbott Laboratories plans to hire 2,000 temporary workers at its Gurnee facility to help make a new, rapid COVID-19 antigen test.
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Many of the positions will not require technical experience and can be filled by workers who can be trained on the job. North suburban-based Abbott did not immediately respond to a question about how long it would need the temporary workers but said in a news release that they’ll be in place for the “foreseeable future.”
The test, which was granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Wednesday, will cost $5 and provide results in 15 minutes. Abbott said it plans to ship tens of millions of the tests in September and expects to ramp that up to 50 million tests a month in early October.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
8:19 a.m.: US jobless claims drop again, but still over 1 million; Illinois unemployment filings rise
Just over 1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the coronavirus outbreak continues to threaten jobs even as the housing market, auto sales and other segments of the economy rebound from a springtime collapse.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of people seeking jobless aid last week dropped by 98,000 from 1.1 million the week before.
Illinois bucked the national trend, reporting the first increase in weekly unemployment claims in many weeks.
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For the week ended Aug. 22, 25,333 people in Illinois filed initial claims for jobless benefits, an increase of almost 3,000 claims from the preceding week.
Nationwide, the number of initial claims has exceeded 1 million every week but one since late March, an unprecedented streak. Before the coronavirus pandemic, they had never topped 700,000 in a week.
Read more here. —Associated Press
7:30 a.m.: Notre Dame hikes security after quarantined students balk
The University of Notre Dame has added security personnel at its COVID-19 quarantine and isolation sites after students were observed leaving the off-campus apartments and hotels in violation of safety protocols, officials said Wednesday.
Notre Dame provides secured rooms off-campus to isolate students who test positive for coronavirus and quarantine those who’ve had close contact with them or are awaiting test results.
University spokesman Dennis Brown told the South Bend Tribune that students under quarantine or isolation agreed to a code of conduct requiring them to remain in their designated rooms. Brown says the university has contracted with two security services to provide eight people to monitor the sites around the clock. He says students who don’t adhere to the code of conduct will face sanctions that could include dismissal.
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In-person classes for Notre Dame’s 12,000 students began Aug. 10. Eight days into the semester the university moved classes online for two weeks after confirmed COVID-19 cases spiked. The university on Wednesday reported 496 cases.
—Associated Press
7 a.m.: Disneyland ready to open as soon as state gives the OK
Disneyland is ready to let the magic begin anew. All it needs is a go-ahead from California officials.
The head of Disney’s theme parks said Disneyland is ready to open once California releases its health and safety guidelines for theme parks, a move that’s been hampered by a more full retreat of cases of the coronavirus.
“As soon as a date and those guidelines are set, I can tell you, we’re ready,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s parks, products and experiences unit, told Roger Dow, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association trade group on Tuesday.
But the time could be getting close: Orange County, where Disneyland resides, was removed on Sunday from a list of counties on California’s monitoring list for coronavirus.
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Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has been fully open since July 15, after closing for nearly four months.
—USA Today
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In case you missed it
Here are five stories from Wednesday about COVID-19: