chicagotribune--2020-04-25--Column: Could Chicago use Seattle’s ideas to keep more green spaces and paths open, yet safe?

I say “ wonders ” because I ’ m no expert on the best ways to fight this crazily contagious @ @ @ @ @ are .
I ’ m glad to have a mayor who listens to the experts @ @ @ @ @ did the right thing at the end of March when she closed Chicago ’ s @ @ @ @ @ .
Her move sent the message that this virus is serious , that congregating can @ @ @ @ @ need to stay home .

A sign showing a parking lot at Green Lake Park is closed due to the coronavirus outbreak on April 10, 2020, in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren / AP)
In recent days, new barricades have popped up as fast as dandelions around the lakefront parks where I often walk. And just as fast, certain runners and walkers have found a way to breach those barriers.
That blue Chicago P.D. sawhorse that says “DO NOT CROSS”? A mere suggestion. The slatted wooden fence? Not so hard to squeeze past or knock down. The netted fence? A pain in the butt, but all obstacles can be overcome by a person desperate to exercise.
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I say this not as someone who defies the barricades or endorses that defiance, but as a witness to this behavior and a realist who wonders if it isn’t time for a different approach to outdoor exercise.
I say “wonders” because I’m no expert on the best ways to fight this crazily contagious coronavirus. Few of us are. I’m glad to have a mayor who listens to the experts, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot did the right thing at the end of March when she closed Chicago’s lakefront and The 606 trail. Her move sent the message that this virus is serious, that congregating can be deadly, that we need to stay home.
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At the same time, it’s remained OK to go outside for exercise and so legions of us have, a liberty that is creating new problems.
When Lightfoot closed the lakefront, the adjacent parks were officially closed too, but in reality they remained open, at least on long stretches of the North Side where I take walks. Lately that has changed.
As the weather has gotten warmer, the parks have grown more congested, and as congestion grows, more barricades have appeared. Some went up just this week.
Theoretically they’re there to keep all the walkers, runners and cyclists from getting too close to each other. In practice, however, the exercisers get squeezed closer together on shrinking territory — except for those who defy the barriers.
As summer nears, Chicago is going to need a clearer way of dealing with exercisers. For some ideas, it’s worth looking at Seattle.
Seattle is different from Chicago in many ways, but it has been hit hard by the virus and it’s full of people who love to be outdoors. Like Chicago and so many other places, it’s juggling the best ways to keep people healthy.
On Easter weekend, as a precaution against big gatherings, Seattle closed its major parks. But last weekend, those parks reopened — with a new set of city guidelines.
At the heart of the guidelines are two words: Keep moving. No picnics, barbecues, group sports. No hanging out on park benches. To fortify the message, the city is posting hundreds of new signs, many of which say:
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KEEP IT MOVING!
Walking, running, biking, and passing through.
Crowded parks lead to closed parks. Do your part!
At the city’s major parks, the parking lots are closed, a deterrent to travel and congregating. At two big parks with loop trails, the paths are now open only to pedestrians, meaning no bicycles. One path is now one-way only. Last weekend two streets were closed to cars, with more “Stay Healthy” streets to come.
And in what may be the most notable feature of Seattle’s approach, the major parks now have social distancing ambassadors.
I know. So Seattle. So not Chicago. And yet.
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The ambassadors aren’t police. They can’t enforce or arrest. What they can do is teach and remind.
“We really want to keep our parks open so folks have places to get outdoors,” an ambassador might say to people who are out and about. “We can only do that if people use the space safely.”
Or: “The last thing we want is to have our parks be the cause of more people getting sick. You may have the virus and never know it — but you can spread it to others.”
To people who aren’t complying, ambassadors might introduce themselves and offer a reminder of the 6-foot rule. Some of have decorated 6-foot poles to demonstrate.
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They might remind people that there are other parks where it’s easier to keep a healthy distance. Or that coming earlier in the day may reduce crowds. That if you had to come by car, it’s too far.
So far, says Rachel Schulkin, communications manager for Seattle Parks and Recreation, it’s working.
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“What we hear from our social distancing ambassadors is people say: ‘Thank you. I’m so glad you’re out here,’ ” she says.
In every city, dealing with the coronavirus is an act of improv in every realm. Decisions are made day by day, week by week. There’s no formula, no handbook.
Keeping the lakefront closed continues to make sense to me — the path is narrow, the beach is an invitation to party — but closing the adjacent parks? Maybe we should keep them open and follow Seattle’s lead with big, clear signs and a message of “Keep it Moving.”
Social distancing ambassadors optional.
mschmich@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-25--Chicagoans cope with another month at home: closing a pancake house, missing students and setting up

Chicagoans cope with another month at home: closing a pancake house, missing students and setting up routines

Despite Pritzker ’ s repeated encouragement to be “ all in ” on the order , Illinois enters this next @ @ @ @ @ virus as a truly bifurcated state , a population split into those who are fighting @ @ @ @ @ .
With each passing day , the two sides drift further apart as they deal @ @ @ @ @ struggles .

Steve Johnson, Alice Yin, Deanese Williams-Harris, Peter Nickeas, Stacy St. Clair

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)
OK, campers. Rise and shine.
And don’t forget your booties. Because it’s cold out there today.
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It’s just another Groundhog Day in Illinois, where Gov. J.B. Pritzker has extended the stay-at-home order another 30 days to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As its earliest conclusion, the state will have been grounded for 10 weeks, a once unimaginable time frame in which people will continue to lose loved ones, lose jobs and, in some cases, lose patience.
The extended order, however, will look slightly different from the previous one. And so will we.
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Golf courses and state parks will open again. Nonessential stores can offer curbside pickup. Some elective medical procedures will resume.
Pritzker loosened the previous restrictions on one condition: Everyone must cover their faces in public, unless they are younger than 2 or medically unable to do so.
[ Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order will remain in place through May 30. But changes are coming. Here’s what you need to know. ]
Despite Pritzker’s repeated encouragement to be “all in” on the order, Illinois enters this next phase of life under the virus as a truly bifurcated state, a population split into those who are fighting bankruptcy and those fighting boredom. With each passing day, the two sides drift further apart as they deal with their own very real struggles.
“We have become a divided nation,” said Tammy McCarthy, an Aurora restaurant owner. “It feels like neither side can understand the other’s point of view anymore because we’re not experiencing this moment the same way."
McCarthy, who owns the popular Double Yolk restaurant off Butterfield Road and Farnsworth Avenue, decided to keep her business open for carryout orders after the governor issued a statewide ban on inside dining March 16.
Without the post-church crowd on Sundays, it has been a financially devastating time. She says she has lost money every week since, including $20,000 in perishable food that she bought prior to Pritzker’s directive and ended up donating.
[ Illinois reopens golf May 1 but with strict regulations — twosomes only, no carts and no practice putting ]
Faced with the extended order, she cut back her employees’ hours Friday. She has promised the rest of the staff that she’ll try to keep the breakfast joint open until May 15. After that, McCarthy intends to close and doubts she’ll be able to reopen after the ban lifts.
“I’m going to lose my business," McCarthy said as her voice choked with tears and other complicated emotions. “I don’t want to seem bitter or like I don’t care about other people — because I care a lot — but this is costing me everything.”
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Dena Dodd Perry gardens in the backyard of her Lake Forest home as her dog Haven hangs out, April 24, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
For Dena Dodd Perry, a wellness blogger, author and yoga instructor in Lake Forest, the stay-at-home order extension was no surprise. With a background in industrial engineering, she says she followed the projections and knew additional time would be needed to slow the spread.
Establishing routines has been key to making the extraordinary situation work for her family: an accounting firm partner husband now working at home, two sons back from college and a daughter in high school.
[ Illinois wants all shoppers to wear masks at the grocery store. Enforcing that rule is trickier. ]
To augment regular family meals, “we order out for a local dinner every Friday and sometimes Sunday,” said Perry, 51, who blogs at denadodd.com and whose book, “Detoxelicious,” covers food, fitness and mindfulness. The kids get chore assignments every Saturday morning, and she has Zoom meetings on Friday evenings with her three siblings and 87-year-old father in Detroit.
Wednesdays at noon, she teaches online yoga classes through vivayalive.com — a practice she had quit awhile back, but realized was a perfect thing to start up again when the state began closing things down, she said.
“It’s just getting used to the new normal,” Perry said.
Pritzker acknowledged the toll his orders have taken on Illinois residents, saying it was a difficult, but necessary, decision given the projections he has seen. The state confirmed 2,724 new cases Friday and 108 more deaths, bringing the total to 39,658 positive tests and 1,795 people dead.
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The numbers only bolster Woodridge resident TeRhonda McGee’s belief that Pritzker made the right decision when he extended the order.
“I’m grateful the governor actually cares about people and their well-being,” said McGee, who works for the American Medical Association in Chicago and has been doing her job from home since March 17. “I really feel everything should have been shut down for a solid two weeks, with the exception of hospitals.”
During the extra month at home, McGee said she will continue to take online courses in project management and Microsoft, as well as catch up on work. She also has taken advantage of twice-a-week meditation exercises her employer offers.
“It really helps with the stress of what is happening around us," she said.
Tiffany Man, the youth outreach director at the Pui Tak Center in Chinatown, witnesses the stress every day. She has heard from many neighborhood families who are suffering because restaurants, one of the community’s main industries, are suffering.
“I do have families telling me that they are worried about next month’s rent,” Man said. “Even if the shelter-in-place is lifted soon, they don’t foresee that (both parents) would be able to get jobs right away.”
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Mary Pappalardo, who lives in South Chicago Heights, was furloughed from her job at an eye doctor’s office in mid-March. She was able to file for unemployment before others started reporting delays and has had no problems in the weeks she’s been out of work.
“I’m not naive to the fact there are people struggling, but I think that for all of us to survive, it’s worth it,” she said. “I’m much more comfortable staying home and sucking it up and not doing anything for a month … to possibly live.”
She passes the time with Netflix, home workouts, jogging and long walks with her 10-year-old beagle, Gus.
“(Gus) enjoys that,” she said. “It’s a month, hopefully. For the time being, it’s 30 more days to keep people safe. I’m more than happy to do my part and stay home.”
Malcolm Elliott stands at the Hermitage Park Fieldhouse on April 24, 2020, in Chicago. Elliott was planning to work for the Chicago Park District park, but that is now uncertain because of the extension of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Before the pandemic, Malcolm Elliott’s sanctuary was his local park clubhouse, where he volunteered as a tutor about three times a week. Since March, the 20-year-old hasn’t been able to catch up with the children who came to Hermitage Park in Englewood with questions about homework, and left him with laughter and a sense of fulfillment.
Elliott understands the need to socially distance, especially given the way the virus is devastating neighborhoods on the South and West sides, but that knowledge doesn’t fill the hole in his life since volunteering was suspended.
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“Stay-at-home for another month is really messing with me because I can’t continue to do what I continue to do on a regular basis,” Elliott said. “I look forward to seeing the faces that I’m used to seeing because I miss everybody that I volunteer with.”
Antioch resident Remi Ivanovas also is growing restless. A Lithuanian immigrant, he started his own business, Remi Painters, in 1999 and has had steady work until the pandemic hit. Now, customers no longer want people in their homes. He has struggled to find jobs the past two months.
On the bright side, he’s been working on kitchen and bathroom projects his wife has been “asking me to do for several years.” The projects not only earn him domestic points, they also allow him to give some of his crew work.
“But from another side,” Ivanovas said, “I have four kids. To pay the bills when you have no income, this is a problem."
He thought he’d be back at work in mid-April, like the governor’s initial order suggested. With at least five more weeks of a stay-at-home winter ahead, he hopes the weather warms up so he can find some exterior work.
“It’s really tough,” he said. “It’s scary.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Illinois surpasses Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 10,000-test goal, sets new single-day record for known cases

Illinois surpasses Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 10,000-test goal, sets new single-day record for known cases with more than 2,700

He added that Illinois now has 112 public testing locations statewide , including 22 locations in Chicago , nine in @ @ @ @ @ in the west suburbs , five in the northwest suburbs and 10 in the north @ @ @ @ @ at these sites are free and open to the public .
There are also private @ @ @ @ @ testing to their own patients , he said .

CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois saw new one-day highs for both the number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and the number of tests conducted, surpassing for the first time Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s long-stated goal of 10,000 daily COVID-19 screenings, officials said Friday.
“Surpassing 10,000 tests is a very important milestone, not only because it allows us to isolate more of those who are COVID-positive so that they don’t spread the infection but also because it moves us in the direction of expanding our surveillance for outbreaks,” Pritzker said at his daily news briefing.
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[ Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order will remain in place through May 30. But changes are coming. Here’s what you need to know. ]
In the last 24-hour period 16,124 tests were conducted across Illinois, Pritzker said, a number made possible by a more stable supply chain for testing materials, more sites collecting specimens, and relaxed standards for who can get screened.
Officials attributed the record number of new cases announced Friday — 2,724, topping the previous high of 2,049 set just two days earlier — in part to increased testing capacity. There have now been 39,658 known cases of COVID-19 statewide since the outbreak began.
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Contactless drive-thru COVID-19 testing is conducted in a parking lot at 1606 N. Mobile Ave. in Chicago on Thursday, April 23, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
With 108 more fatalities also announced Friday, the death toll stands at 1,795. There have been coronavirus-related deaths in 96 of Illinois’ 102 counties, officials said.
Pritzker said he believes the increased level of testing will be sustainable over the long term and that the state needs to continue pushing to test even more people.
“This isn’t enough,” he said. “And so the idea here is we’ve got to keep going. And we will.”
[ Chicagoans cope with another month at home: closing a pancake house, missing students and setting up routines ]
Pritzker reiterated that continuing to test more people for the virus, isolating those who test positive and effectively figuring out who else they might have infected will be crucial to easing his stay-at-home order, which a day earlier he extended through May 30, with some modifications.
Beginning May 1, retailers who aren’t classified as “essential” businesses will be allowed to reopen to fulfill orders for outside pickup and delivery. Some state parks will reopen, as will golf courses, under social distancing guidelines. But anyone older than 2 years old who can’t maintain 6 feet of distance from others while out in public will be required to wear a face covering, unless they are unable to for medical reasons.
Drive-thru COVID-19 testing is conducted in a parking lot at 1606 N. Mobile Ave. in Chicago on Thursday, April 23, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The governor said local officials are welcome to keep more stringent requirements in place, but any attempt to make restrictions more lax “would be a violation of the stay-at-home rule."
“I have enforcement mechanisms available to me, but I would look forward to not having to use them," he said.
Further changes to the statewide order will “come as soon as we possibly can,” Pritzker said, adding that he hopes “it could occur before the end of May.”
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“In order to get to the next phase, we really need to get to our peak and begin to move downward,” he said.
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Officials said Thursday that models show Illinois may be nearing a peak in coronavirus cases.
Of the more than 16,000 tests announced Friday, about 17% were positive for COVID-19, Pritzker said, “well below our cumulative average of over 21%."
“It’s too early to say whether this is the result of expanded testing criteria versus an indicator of flattening the curve,” he said. “But it’s a positive sign nonetheless that more people are getting tested and there’s a lower ratio of positives.”
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said the state is particularly focused on continuing to increase testing at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, efforts that officials highlighted earlier in the week after the state released the first data on nursing home cases and deaths.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
Ezike said the state had delivered testing materials to 37 long-term care facilities in the past week, some with ongoing outbreaks and others without a single reported case.
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“Our hope is that by testing staff and residents in the long-term care facilities located in areas with high levels of community transmission, we can detect cases earlier and potentially before an outbreak occurs,” she said.
Free COVID-19 testing is conducted at the Chicago Premium Outlets mall in Aurora on Thursday, April 23, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois — along with the rest of the country — had struggled with mass testing in the earlier weeks of the pandemic. Obstacles to effective testing included a national shortage of working tests and supply chain problems hindering access to testing materials like swabs and chemical reagents.
Pritzker has also routinely criticized the Trump administration for failing following through on pledges pledging to coordinate mass testing.
State officials have recently overcome many of these supply chain issues, with local universities assisting in access to critical testing materials like swabs. Pritzker said those supplies have allowed state-owned labs to more than double their daily output in the past week.
Pritzker last week widened once-restrictive testing guidelines to allow anyone with COVID-19 symptoms to be tested, even without a previously required doctor’s order. And Illinois has added new state-managed drive-up locations in west suburban Aurora and Rockford, bringing the total number of these sites to five.
He added that Illinois now has 112 public testing locations statewide, including 22 locations in Chicago, nine in the southwest suburbs, three in the west suburbs, five in the northwest suburbs and 10 in the north suburbs. The COVID-19 tests at these sites are free and open to the public. There are also private health care providers that offer testing to their own patients, he said.
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dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
eleventis@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Officials report 2,724 new known COVID-19 cases in the biggest dail

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Officials report 2,724 new known COVID-19 cases in the biggest daily increase to date as state surpasses testing goal for 1st time

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

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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)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday announced the state conducted 16,124 tests for the new coronavirus during the previous 24 hours, for the first time surpassing his goal of 10,000 tests in a single day.
“Surpassing 10,000 tests is a very important milestone, not only because it allows us to isolate more of those who are COVID positive so that they don’t spread the infection but also because it moves us in the direction of expanding our surveillance for outbreaks,” Pritzker said.
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Officials also announced a daily high number for known cases of COVID-19. The 2,724 new cases announced Friday tops the previous high of 2,049 set just two days earlier and brings the total known case count to 39,658. There also were 108 more deaths announced, bringing the death toll to 1,795, officials said.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
[ From closing schools to stay-at-home order, here's how Illinois' coronavirus response compares with other states ]
Here’s a recap of what happened on April with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
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7:50 p.m.: Pandemic exposes inconsistent, incomplete data on COVID-19 cases in Illinois
On a busy stretch of Cermak Road in Cicero, a nine-story nursing home towers over a collection of shops and — by one measure — also looms as one of the state’s biggest hot spots for COVID-19.
Called City View Multicare Center, the massive nursing home by last Sunday afternoon had tallied at least 38 cases of COVID-19 among residents and employees, with six deaths. Cicero officials obtained the figures from the home and posted them on the town’s website.
But if residents had gone to the state’s online lookup tool for nursing homes to check on cases, they’d have seen a far different numbers for City View: just two deaths and — inexplicably — a single case.
Cicero Fire Chief Dominick Buscemi said he’s not sure why the state’s figures are so low. “It was a shock to us, too,” he said.
The disparity is a glaring example of a broad problem facing Illinois as it battles the pandemic: inconsistencies and omissions in the data it is collecting on COVID-19 cases. Read more here. —Joe Mahr
7 p.m.: How Chicagoans are coping with another month at home
Despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s repeated encouragement to be “all in” on the stay-at-home-order, Illinois enters this next phase of life under the virus as a truly bifurcated state, a population split into those who are fighting bankruptcy and those fighting boredom. With each passing day, the two sides drift further apart as they deal with their own very real struggles. Read more here.
6:15 p.m.: Northwestern testing drug to help treat a ‘storm’ inside the body caused by COVID-19
Some patients with the novel coronavirus suffer a severe immune response that triggers potentially fatal hyperinflammation, studies have shown. The reaction, named for the body’s proteins that attack lung tissue, is known as a “cytokine storm.”
“A storm is a good way to describe it,” Northwestern Medicine’s Dr. Richard Wunderink said. “It can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome, … essentially flooding the lungs.”
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In response, researchers like Wunderink are racing to see if they can find a way to prevent such a catastrophic chain of events. Northwestern Medicine in Chicago is testing a drug called sarilumab, which is otherwise used to reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.
As medical director of the intensive care unit, Wunderink and his colleagues have helped treat more than 100 patients on mechanical ventilation. Early results elsewhere show that many patients do not do well on ventilators, and the drug treatment is an attempt to avoid that last resort.
“We have no therapy for COVID-19, per se,” Wunderink explained. “We are managing these patients using what research has shown is the best management for acute respiratory distress syndrome, so that’s the best we have to offer.” Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
5:40 p.m.: Higher meat prices, fewer choices at supermarkets as slaughterhouses close over COVID-19 cases. For farmers, ‘some tough choices’ ahead.
Chad Leman, a third-generation hog farmer in Eureka, Illinois, thinks he can hold out for two more weeks before he resorts to once-unthinkable measures.
With some of the nation’s largest slaughterhouses closed due to worker outbreaks of COVID-19, he can’t sell most of his market-ready hogs. But freshly weaned piglets continue to arrive, crowding his barns. He’s been shuffling pigs around, but there’s just not enough space.
“We can do this for a couple weeks yet, but then we’re going to have some tough decisions," Leman said. "We are going to have to euthanize baby pigs because there will be nowhere for them to go.”
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Outbreaks of COVID-19 among workers at major meatpacking plants are causing ripple effects across the supply chain, creating a backlog of livestock at farms in central Illinois and threatening to hike meat prices at supermarkets in Chicago. Read more here. —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
5:05 p.m.: Illinois reopens golf May 1 but with strict regulations — twosomes only, no carts and no practice putting
Golfers like to joke they’ve been social distancing for years: They hit a weak slice that lands in the right rough while their playing partners hit pull hooks or, once in a blue moon, stripe it down the middle of the fairway.
Now as part of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “strict safety guidelines,” social distancing will become mandatory on Illinois’ 683 golf courses.
Pritzker’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity laid out a dozen ground rules Friday afternoon to course operators, who can welcome golfers at 6 a.m. May 1.
Most restrictions mirror those from other states: Walking only (no carts), tee times spread out to 15 minutes, no touching of the flagstick, foam in the cups for easy ball retrieval, no food service and clubhouses that will remain closed.
Illinois officials, though, have taken things further with this line: “Players shall be grouped in twosomes.”
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So no threesomes or foursomes, the most common-sized group. Read more here. —Teddy Greenstein.
2:46 p.m.: Illinois surpasses single-day testing goal for 1st time
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday announced the state conducted 16,124 tests for the new coronavirus during the previous 24 hours, for the first time surpassing his goal of 10,000 tests in a single day.
“Surpassing 10,000 tests is a very important milestone, not only because it allows us to isolate more of those who are COVID positive so that they don’t spread the infection but also because it moves us in the direction of expanding our surveillance for outbreaks,” Pritzker said.
The announcement came the same day the state opened its fifth drive-thru testing facility, the newest one in Rockford.
Officials also announced a daily high number for known cases of COVID-19. The 2,724 new cases announced Friday tops the previous high of 2,049 set just two days earlier and brings the total known case count to 39,658. Public health officials have attributed the recent spikes in cases in part to increased testing.
There also were 108 more deaths announced Friday, bringing the death toll to 1,795, officials said. There have been fatalities in 96 of Illinois’ 102 counties.
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Officials said Thursday that models show Illinois may be reaching a peak in coronavirus cases. —Dan Petrella
2:35 p.m.: Which fabric is best for homemade masks? A new study looked at more than 15 common household materials.
Starting May 1, Illinois will require everyone over age 2 to wear a mask when they can’t maintain a 6-foot social distance in public. N-95 masks, which are in short supply, are best reserved for health care workers, who come into direct contact with COVID-19 patients. So what fabric or combination of fabrics is best for homemade masks?
A new study conducted by University of Chicago professor Supratik Guha and colleagues at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont looked at more than 15 common household fabrics to see which were best for protecting against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. More specifically, the study investigated the fabric’s filtration efficiencies against the tiny droplets that are how COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses are spread.
The study found the most effective fabrics to be cotton, natural silk and chiffon; synthetic silk and satin did not provide as much protection. Hybrid combinations, such as high thread cotton, along with silk, chiffon or flannel also supplied broad filtration coverage. Read more here. —Hannah Herrera Greenspan
2:30 p.m.: A Chicago nurse returned to work after recovering from coronavirus. His cough came back. He tested 2 more times and got different results.
Day after day, Daniel Ortiz walks into a hospital and treats patients who are struggling with the coronavirus. He hoped he wouldn’t test positive for the virus. But it was, he felt, inevitable.
That fear came true, not once, but twice.
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Ortiz’s ordeal started in March, when he was assigned to the COVID-19 unit at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. Although escaping exposure felt impossible, he took measures to protect his wife, carefully removing contaminated clothing before entering their home and sleeping on the couch.
Still, a coronavirus test in late March came back positive.
“It felt like somebody was constantly hitting me in the head with a hammer,” said Ortiz, who returned to work in early April. At the time, he said, protocol to return to work did not include further testing. Nurses could go back once symptoms subsided after seven days. “I go right to the place that got me sick, that took my power, that took everything.”
Ortiz is one of thousands of people working in Illinois health care systems who have been infected with the virus. Eight have died, according to the state Health Department. He and other nurses who have tested positive for the coronavirus told the Tribune they worry about getting sick again.
Last week, Ortiz’s cough returned. Under new hospital policy, he was tested twice before he could return to work this time.
The first result came back negative. But on Wednesday, two days later, he tested positive. Read more here. —Alison Bowen
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2:25 p.m.: Chicago City Council approves Lightfoot’s coronavirus emergency powers order
Aldermen approved Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s coronavirus spending ordinance Friday over the objections of critics who say she’s giving herself too much authority to make big purchases using public money without City Council oversight.
The mayor’s emergency powers ordinance passed the council by a 29-21 vote following contentious debate. Lightfoot had the council meet Friday afternoon to consider the package after opponents used a parliamentary procedure to block it at Wednesday’s meeting.
On Wednesday, the mayor had excoriated the five aldermen who stopped the vote as a small group of selfish obstructionists more interested in “preening in front of the press” than working to help their constituents who are in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But on Friday, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, said Lightfoot’s failure to include provisions in the ordinance guaranteeing equitable distribution of coronavirus funds to protect vulnerable Chicagoans made it unacceptable. “With this mayor, we’ve seen that you have to get it in writing,” Ramirez-Rosa said.
The ordinance codifies a set of extraordinary spending powers, many of which Lightfoot already granted herself via a March executive order. It allows her administration to move money within the city budget and sign contracts under $1 million without aldermanic approval if the funds are to be spent in response to the virus.Facing aldermanic pushback last week to her proposal, Lightfoot agreed to have her finance team provide weekly reports to the council Budget Committee detailing such spending. Read more here. —John Byrne and Gregory Pratt
2:01 p.m.: At least $200 million budget gap could hit Cook County government as sales, hotel tax revenue dry up, official says
Cook County government could suffer at least a $200 million budget shortfall this year due to lost tax revenue amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Friday projection.
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Starting in May, Cook County’s forecasted net revenue is expected to begin dropping and spark a substantial budget gap for the 2020 fiscal year, according to a projection from chief financial officer Ammar Rizki. Plummeting sales tax revenue from restaurants and other sources could spell long-term damage to the budget as shopping and tourism numbers deflate amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Rizki said his “best-case scenario” projection is if the statewide stay-at-home order ends as scheduled at the end of May, but the projections could fluctuate greatly.“
If we’re not able to control the pandemic and the economy is in some sort of a suspended state through the summer months," Rizki said, "this is going to get only worse for us.”
Rizki said he fears coronavirus’ clampdown on outside life will not ease once the virus subsides, and warned that “people are not going to go rush out automatically and start living their daily lives that they used to prior to COVID, despite the pent-up demand.” Read more here. —Alice Yin
1:54 p.m.: Chicago police issued more dispersal orders on West Side in early days of stay-at-home order than other parts of the city, including the lakefront
Chicago police broke up far more gatherings of people on the West Side than any other part of the city during the early days of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to official police statistics.
More than half of the 956 reports where Chicago police dealt with “coronavirus loitering” across the city in an 11-day period from late March through early April occurred in just one of the city’s 22 police districts, the Harrison patrol district on the West Side, according to data on coronavirus dispersals obtained by the Tribune through an open records request. Read more here. —Jeremy Gorner
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12:39 p.m.: Judge blocks new Illinois workers’ compensation rule that granted benefits to employees who contract COVID-19
A judge has blocked a new Illinois workers’ compensation rule granting benefits to any employee deemed essential who contracts COVID-19, even if working from home.
Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge John M. Madonia issued a temporary restraining order Thursday blocking the rule following a lawsuit filed by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association this week against emergency amendments adopted by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. More than two dozen business groups supported the lawsuit. Read more here. —Associated Press
11:56 a.m.: Nursing home group criticizes state response to COVID-19
A Illinois nursing home industry group criticized the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and warned that outbreaks in homes are likely worse than has been reported and the numbers will grow more dire.
Speaking on behalf of the Health Care Council of Illinois, Citadel Healthcare CEO Jonathan Aaron said on a video conference call with reporters that the state’s expanded testing efforts at nursing homes were “belated and off to a slow start.” He called for “coordinated widespread testing” and said “a comprehensive plan for COVID-19 in nursing homes is long overdue.”
Aaron, who oversees 11 facilities, also questioned the effectiveness of pre-shift temperature screening for nursing home employees, saying it wouldn’t stop an asymptomatic worker from spreading the virus. In fact, that mirrors the official account of the spread of the disease at a Joliet home where 24 residents and employees have died.
State officials on Sunday started posting information on cases and deaths at homes online after sustaining criticism about holding back the information. Aaron warned that those figures likely undercount cases because of delays in reporting and different reporting practices across the state. He noted that the state is only periodically updating the data it shares publicly, and he said the next update will bring a “surge” in cases and deaths.
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Aaron’s conference call came in the wake of complaints from nursing home workers that managers are not providing adequate gear and training while failing to share information on outbreaks. Aaron said his peers in the industry were being blamed unfairly.
“We have done everything we can to secure PPE. We have literally scoured the globe,” he said. “We are paying astronomical amounts of money. We are being price-gouged.”
State officials could not immediately be reached for comment. —Dan Hinkel
11:53 a.m.: Is it crazy to launch a restaurant during the pandemic shutdown? North Shore to-go spot stays on schedule and finds success
How do you host an opening during a mass closing?
That was the question facing Paul Bumbaco, Jeff Hoobler and Kris Walker, the group behind BWB Rocks, a new fast casual restaurant in North Shore, as they had already made plans to open before the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down.
The group pressed on, which elicited some surprise on social media. Read more here. —Adam Lukach
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11:49 a.m.: Trump signs $484 billion stimulus bill to aid employers and hospitals under stress from the coronavirus pandemic
President Donald Trump signed a $484 billion bill Friday to aid employers and hospitals under stress from the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 50,000 Americans and devastated broad swaths of the economy.
The bill is the latest effort by the federal government to help keep afloat businesses that have had to close or dramatically alter their operations as states try to slow the spread of the virus. Over the past five weeks, roughly 26 million people have filed for jobless aid, or about 1 in 6 U.S. workers. Read more here. —Associated Press
11:44 a.m.: New executive order by Pritzker waives some graduation requirements for high school seniors, 8th graders
High-school seniors worried about passing final classes needed to graduate may find relief in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s latest executive order.
The Friday order suspends Illinois School Code requirements that 12th graders successfully complete “certain courses” in order to get a high school diploma. It applies specifically to students unable to finish the coursework because of suspension of in-person classes due to COVID-19.
Seniors also won’t be denied credit for apprenticeships, vocational classes or technical education courses that count toward graduation requirements but are also affected by coronavirus measures.
More than 100,000 Illinois students are getting ready to graduate high school, according to the order.
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For a similar number of eighth graders, the order suspends the requirement that they show comprehensive knowledge of U.S. history before advancing to high school.
It also suspends school code requirements for physical fitness assessments and some foreign language proficiency exams.
In addition, the order eases requirements including performance assessments for student teachers, internships for principal candidates and educators seeking specific licenses, and full-time supervised experience for prospective school psychologists.
Of more than 15,000 people currently in educator, school support and administrator preparation programs, about half were in the process of completing student teaching or internships, hoping to work in schools starting in the fall, according to the order.
The order states the Illinois State Board of Education will file emergency rules as needed to make it effective.
ISBE and Chicago Public Schools did not immediately respond to questions. —Hannah Leone
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11:04 a.m.: Aurora Public Library to consider employee furloughs due to pandemic
As the Aurora Public Library deals with financial issues related to the coronavirus crisis, board members are considering furloughing employees.
Discussion of the possibility took place at a recent Library Board meeting, held remotely online, after board members heard possible scenarios that could decrease revenue for the library in the coming months.
“Nobody wants to talk about it, but I think senior staff has to get together to see if furloughs have to happen,” said Library Board President Andrew Smith. “We need to see that model sooner than later. I know, it’s ugly, unpleasant to discuss.” Read more here. —Steve Lord
10:47 a.m.: After reported BBQs and picnic gatherings, parking lots at ‘too popular’ Cook County Forest Preserves to be closed during weekend, Preckwinkle says
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle shut down further chunks of the forest preserves starting Saturday, citing throngs of visitors who are not listening to social distancing guidelines.
With a month to go before the start of summer, parking lots in six nature preserves will be closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Preckwinkle announced in a press conference Friday. They are Busse Woods in Elk Grove Village, Maple Lake in Willow Springs, Palos Forest Preserve in Willow Springs, Catherine Chevalier Woods in Chicago, LaBagh Woods in Chicago and Bunker Hill in Niles.
The decision was necessitated by “repeated violations” of the statewide ban on large gatherings during weekends at those Cook County Forest Preserve District sites, Preckwinkle said.
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“Unfortunately, we’ve seen that on warm weekend days, these locations are too popular.” Preckwinkle said. “There’s too many visitors who are not following critical public health guidelines to fight COVID-19.”
Those violating the rules include people hauling in barbecue grills and sitting in picnic tables with groups who were “clearly” not part of their household, forest preserves General Superintendent Arnold Randall said. Read more here.—Alice Yin
9:58 a.m.: For Chicago-area Muslims without traditional mosque access, a remote Ramadan isn’t a new concept
Helping prepare the iftar meal. Missing going to the mosque at night. Dealing with technical difficulties during prayers.
Ramadan will look different this year, particularly for men used to centering their lives in mosques during the holy month. But many Muslims who are women, mothers, disabled or older are used to having a remote or distracted holy month.
“I was on a Zoom call with friends and one of the men was saying that usually, he’d break his fast in the evening and then run off to pray at the masjid. And now he’d have to stay home, help clean up, and then pray with the family,” said Sara Sadat, who lives in Lisle and works as a village trustee. “And his wife on the call was laughing and saying, ‘I’ve been doing that forever!’” Read more here. —Nausheen Husain and Javonte Anderson
9:49 a.m.: Cubs Charities donates iPads to keep UIC patients connected to families
As hospital patients battle illness alone — a consequence of visitor restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic — the staff are figuring out how to use technology to connect them to loved ones.
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At the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago, more iPads were needed to do so. Cubs Charities answered the call.
The charity arm of the Chicago Cubs has been delivering meals to front line healthcare workers in recent weeks, specifically focusing on hospitals and clinics that are more in need on the South and West sides, including UIC. Dr. Terry Vanden Hoek, chief medical officer, said the charity asked him after a meal delivery if the hospital needed anything else.
“That’s always a nice sentence to hear,” he said.
A member of his staff had just told him of a friend who lost her husband to COVID-19, and noted the man died alone, unable to be with his wife, even over Facetime. The staff member asked Vanden Hoek, “What are we doing at UI Health prevent this from happening?'”
“It’s a good question,” he said.
After consulting with IT staff, Vanden Hoek said he let Cubs Charities know the hospital needed iPads for the patients to communicate with their families. Read more here. —Kate Thayer
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8:42 a.m.: How to successfully navigate a virtual job search. Step one: Wear pants.
With hiring freezes, furloughs, stay-at-home orders and more than 26 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits over the last five weeks, the coronavirus pandemic may not be the best time to find a new job.
But career experts say you can get hired now, and despite enhanced unemployment benefits, those who have been laid off might not want to spend their time watching Netflix until the stay-at-home order is lifted.
There may be opportunities for remote work in distant markets that wouldn’t have been possible before COVID-19. So update your resume, arrange your home office for a good video interview and, experts advise, don’t forget to wear pants. Read more here. —Robert Channick
6:30 a.m.: Mayor Lori Lightfoot to preside over City Council meeting after opponents blocked COVID-19 emergency spending powers
Mayor Lori Lightfoot will take another stab Friday at getting the Chicago City Council to pass extraordinary spending measures to respond to the COVID-19 crisis after opponents used a parliamentary procedure this week to block temporarily a vote on the proposal.
Five aldermen used the parliamentary procedure to automatically defer Lightfoot’s emergency powers ordinance until the next City Council meeting. But opponents’ victory in stopping what they see as mayoral overreach may be short-lived.
After the vote was put off, the mayor immediately set a new online meeting for 1 p.m. Friday to vote on the measure; Wednesday’s meeting had been set to be the City Council’s first full online meeting in history, after aldermen met last week to approve meeting via the web.
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Aldermen opposed to the measure say the mayor is grabbing too much power and failing to take steps to protect economically vulnerable Chicago residents.
The proposal had passed Tuesday at the council Budget Committee by a 23-10 vote, just three votes shy of a majority of the full 50-member City Council. So the fight could be largely symbolic and come to an end Friday afternoon with Lightfoot victorious. —Chicago Tribune staff
5 a.m.: Unexpected ripple effect of COVID-19: Important work to restore parts of Cook County forest preserves put on hold
In the fall, crews started work on a $2.5 million project to restore woodlands in a more than 500-acre Forest Preserves site near Orland Park.
They removed non-native trees and brush throughout the winter to preserve resources for the natural trees and bring sunlight to the forest floor at the ecologically valuable land at Tinley Creek Ravines.
Now, the restoration work in Orland Park and elsewhere across Cook County is halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An unexpected ripple effect of the pandemic, weeds will creep unabated across land maintained by the Cook County Forest Preserve District, meaning the county may need to expend more funds and manpower to get rid of the extra weed growth when life returns to normal.
As a result, some land projects will lose ground as the state’s stay-at-home order that began in March will be extended to the end of May. Read more here. —Madeline Buckley
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9 p.m. Thursday: Southern Illinois lawmaker sues Pritzker for stay-at-home order
A southern Illinois state lawmaker filed a lawsuit Thursday against Gov. J.B. Pritzker for extending the state’s stay-at-home order in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Republican State Rep. Darren Bailey of Xenia claims in the lawsuit filed in Clay County Circuit Court that Pritzker has exceeded his authority and is violating the civil rights of the state’s residents. Pritzker on Thursday extended his stay-at-home order through May 30 as the highly contagious COVID-19 continued to infect thousands in the state.
"Enough is enough!" Bailey said in a statement. "I filed this lawsuit on behalf of myself and my constituents who are ready to go back to work and resume a normal life.”
In the latest order, Pritzker relaxed the decree to allow for some outdoor activities and many previously barred surgeries and medical treatments. It allows some retailers to reopen to fill online or pickup orders. The governor is requiring face coverings in public for anyone older than 2, both indoors and outside in circumstances in which the recommended 6-foot social distance can’t be maintained.
“We are in possibly the most difficult parts of this journey,” Pritzker said. “I know how badly we all want our normal lives back. Believe me, if I could make that happen right now, I would, but this is the part when we have to dig in.”
Bailey said the power and authority Pritzker wields in the current crisis "calls for an immediate review and reconsideration of legislative intent.” —Associated Press
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chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Northwestern testing drug to help treat a ‘storm’ inside the body caused by COVID-19

As medical director of the intensive care unit , Wunderink and his colleagues have helped treat more than 100 patients @ @ @ @ @ results elsewhere show that many patients do not do well on ventilators , and the @ @ @ @ @ to avoid that last resort .

CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Some patients with the novel coronavirus suffer a severe immune response that triggers potentially fatal hyperinflammation, studies have shown. The reaction, named for the body’s proteins that attack lung tissue, is known as a “cytokine storm.”
“A storm is a good way to describe it,” Northwestern Medicine’s Dr. Richard Wunderink said. “It can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome, … essentially flooding the lungs.”
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In response, researchers like Wunderink are racing to see if they can find a way to prevent such a catastrophic chain of events. Northwestern Medicine in Chicago is testing a drug called sarilumab, which is otherwise used to reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.
As medical director of the intensive care unit, Wunderink and his colleagues have helped treat more than 100 patients on mechanical ventilation. Early results elsewhere show that many patients do not do well on ventilators, and the drug treatment is an attempt to avoid that last resort.
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Drive-through COVID-19 testing is conducted in a parking lot at 1606 N. Mobile Avenue in Chicago on April 23, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“We have no therapy for COVID-19, per se,” Wunderink explained. “We are managing these patients using what research has shown is the best management for acute respiratory distress syndrome, so that’s the best we have to offer.”
The research is part of a global clinical trial of more than 1,000 patients sponsored by the drug’s maker, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
The drug is being given to patients with very severe COVID-19 infection who have a high chance of dying or prolonged critical care.
Sarilumab works by blocking an inflammatory cytokine the body makes called interleukin-6.
The randomized, double-blind trial will give 80% of the patients the drug, and 20% an inactive placebo, to test the reaction.
To enter the trial, patients must be hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 that is classified as severe or critical, or who are suffering from multi-organ dysfunction. All patients must have pneumonia and fever.
Because the drug blocks part of the immune response, patients will be tested to guard against them developing any other infections or other side effects.
“We think this will block a fair amount of the inflammation,” Wunderink said. “I think we will have answers before the end of this pandemic.”
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Preliminary phase 2 results checking for a measurement of inflammation called C-reactive protein should be back by the end of April, a Regeneron spokeswoman said. Later results will look for reductions in ventilator use and death.
“The best strategy right now is prevention,” adds Dr. Wunderink. “We want to thank those who are making important sacrifices by social distancing, so we can provide the best care to those in our community who become the most ill.”
rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @RobertMcCoppin


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Illinois officials say the state is hitting its COVID-19 peak — and that’s actually good news

“ A month ago , in March , we were all thinking this week would be the peak that we @ @ @ @ @ I think we have seen now is not so much a peak but a flattening @ @ @ @ @ good thing , but we don ’ t know at this point how long it @ @ @ @ @ not just to flatten but to decrease , ” Lightfoot said .

For weeks, Illinois officials have said the state has been “bending the curve” on the COVID-19 pandemic’s rate of growth. Now the state’s leaders say they think Illinois is reaching the peak, based on models by Illinois researchers that officials unveiled Thursday.
Here’s some more information:
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What do the models say?
Models can look at lots of different things, from new positive test results to hospital bed usage. To estimate the peak, the state showed two models Thursday that look at the number of deaths due to the novel coronavirus.
One model from the University of Illinois suggests that COVID-19 deaths have already peaked in Illinois. The other, by the University of Chicago, projects a peak arriving on May 6, according to data released Friday.
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(Chicago Tribune)
Why now, and not earlier?
The state acknowledged that many projection models — including ones developed by the two universities — had anticipated a peak in early to mid-April.
The reason for the new predictions, experts say, is that the stay-at-home order and social distancing have slowed the spread of the disease. It’s the natural effect of the curve-bending that Chicago officials discussed last week. Cases and deaths have continued to increase, but more slowly.
With the disease taking longer to spread, that means the peak will arrive later — with lower numbers of patients and deaths. A side benefit: Hospitals won’t see a flood of patients all at once, leaving enough beds and ventilators to go around, even if a peak arrives later.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker cites this kind of research as the key reason he issued his stay-at-home order — and why he is keeping it in place.
Pritzker on Thursday cited one calculation that estimated the state would have seen 14 times more deaths if he had not issued the stay-at-home order. It also concluded that if the order were lifted Friday, the state would see a spike nearly that bad by mid-June — a rush of cases that would require far more hospital beds and equipment than the state has.
Peak or plateau?
The governor, Chicago’s mayor and other public health officials have said the “peak” may look more like a plateau that lasts for a few weeks.
Unveiling the charts Thursday, Pritzker pointed to the large variation in the number of deaths each day that are tied to COVID-19. So although the projections offer estimates for each day’s projected deaths, the actual figures will likely fluctuate widely.
“Reality swings up and down, sometimes drastically — a fact that can’t be captured by a simple median line,” he said.
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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, in her earlier daily news conference, sounded a similar theme.
“A month ago, in March, we were all thinking this week would be the peak that we would reach. But what I think we have seen now is not so much a peak but a flattening. That’s a good thing, but we don’t know at this point how long it’s going to take not just to flatten but to decrease,” Lightfoot said.
What’s next?
The governor already has announced that the stay-at-home order will remain in place through May 30, albeit with tweaks starting May 1.
State and Chicago officials say they want to see a sustained drop in cases before they significantly lift restrictions — although public health officials have not released any formula that would indicate when the worst might be over. They said better testing and contact tracing are also needed.
Pritzker said he could make one guarantee: The modeling will change, with more data.
The modelers themselves cautioned that there are many unknowns in their models: Will COVID-19 stick around for the summer or die out in the heat and come back in the fall? With so many infected people not showing symptoms, will they unwittingly spread it faster as restrictions get relaxed? Will people who have gotten the virus develop an immunity, and how fast could that protection starve the virus of new victims?
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Another pledge from city and state officials: If the figures start rising faster, they’ll take more action.
“If you see a second surge of cases in a way that you again overwhelm your health care system, see very large numbers of ill people and death that you’re not able to really handle that, then you have to take a huge step backwards,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, director of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Chicago Tribune’s Gregory Pratt contributed to this report.
jmahr@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Chicago City Council approves Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s coronavirus emergency powers order

Commenting on the chaos at the end of the meeting , Lightfoot said , “ It ’ s important for @ @ @ @ @ of ourselves as elected officials .
Literally on today ’ s broadcast people were watching @ @ @ @ @ I think they saw democracy in action but I think they also saw some things @ @ @ @ @

Jeff Levine, left, attorney with the city's Law Department, and Mark Flessner, Chicago corporation counsel, flank Mayor Lori Lightfoot on April 22, 2020, as she presides over the City Council Zoom meeting from her City Hall office. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Aldermen approved Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s coronavirus spending ordinance Friday over the objections of critics who say she’s giving herself too much authority to make big purchases using public money without City Council oversight.
The mayor’s emergency powers ordinance passed the council by a 29-21 vote following contentious debate. Lightfoot had the council meet Friday afternoon to consider the package after opponents used a parliamentary procedure to block it at Wednesday’s meeting.
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The vote was unusually tight for a signature mayoral initiative. The no votes came from progressive and conservative aldermen from all over the city, with members of the Black and Latino caucuses joining white aldermen in coming out against the plan.
On Wednesday, the mayor had excoriated the five aldermen who stopped the vote as a small group of selfish obstructionists more interested in “preening in front of the press” than working to help their constituents who are in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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But on Friday, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, said Lightfoot’s failure to include provisions in the ordinance guaranteeing equitable distribution of coronavirus funds to protect vulnerable Chicagoans made it unacceptable. “With this mayor, we’ve seen that you have to get it in writing,” Ramirez-Rosa said.
The ordinance codifies a set of extraordinary spending powers, many of which Lightfoot already granted herself via a March executive order. It allows her administration to move money within the city budget and sign contracts under $1 million without aldermanic approval if the funds are to be spent in response to the virus.
Facing aldermanic pushback last week to her proposal, Lightfoot agreed to have her finance team provide weekly reports to the council Budget Committee detailing such spending.
Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, said Lightfoot’s moves to limit the scope of the powers and build in a June 30 end date, unless the council extends it, were key concessions. “I ultimately have faith in Mayor Lightfoot to be judicious with these powers we’re giving her,” Reilly said.
Some aldermen and community groups still accused her of mayoral overreach, saying they worried struggling neighborhoods wouldn’t get enough protection from the virus and that minority-owned businesses would get short shrift on the contracts unless the council had a chance to vet her plans.
On Friday, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, one of the aldermen who blocked the earlier vote, said there also were concerns the Lightfoot administration could enter into problematic short-term borrowing agreements with banks or other shortsighted deals in order to make ends meet as tax revenue plummets during the pandemic.
“In the past, the city has not had a good track record with toxic swap deals and privatizations of things like the parking meters,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “Ultimately, it’s our responsibility as elected officials on the council to help make sure we don’t enter into these kinds of bad deals again.”
Opponents also cited the 2019 teachers union strike as an instance when mayoral power backfired.
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Lightfoot has repeatedly said there’s no time to let the council debate purchases of protective equipment and other contracts in response to the virus, because the city is competing against other government entities and could lose the deals if the city doesn’t act fast.
The normally routine end of the meeting devolved into a protracted online procedural fight. Lightfoot critic Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, asked to speak to the body because his reputation had been impugned, but Lightfoot blocked him from doing so.
North Side Ald. Andre Vasquez, 40th, tried to make a motion to hold the next council meeting in two weeks instead of a month, which led to another argument and roll call vote.
As the chaos dragged on, someone could be heard to yell “This is a total s--- show!” on the livestream.
Asked whether the close vote on her emergency powers signals future problems for her agenda, Lightfoot said she’s focused on fighting the coronavirus.
“What the 29 voted for was to make sure that we continue doing everything we can to keep our residents safe in this time of pandemic and to continue to have a sense of urgency around the measures that are needed to do just that,” Lightfoot said.
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Commenting on the chaos at the end of the meeting, Lightfoot said, “It’s important for us to maintain the dignity of ourselves as elected officials. Literally on today’s broadcast people were watching all over the world. I think they saw democracy in action but I think they also saw some things that are regrettable.”
Aldermen on Wednesday also voted to send back to the Zoning Committee an ordinance that would require old buildings in Chicago to install hard-wired smoke detectors or ones with 10-year batteries. Several council members said they don’t want to burden low-income residents with new costs.
Ald. Sophia King, 4th, introduced an ordinance requiring City Council approval for all ordinances, orders and appointments at any time when the city falls within boundaries of a national disaster.
Vasquez introduced measures requiring the city to provide personal protective equipment to any city workers required to work during a disaster, and to require businesses to provide PPE for essential workers during disasters.
And Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, introduced a resolution calling on Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker to issue orders ensuring continued garbage and recycling pickup during the COVID-19 crisis.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
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