chicagotribune--2020-09-30--Halloween 2020: Illinois officials release socially distanced trick-or-treating guidelines for those

Halloween 2020: Illinois officials release socially distanced trick-or-treating guidelines for those who ‘choose to gather anyway’

“ IDPH recognizes that some who will choose to gather together anyway , and instead of denying that reality , @ @ @ @ @ recommendations for safer ways to celebrate together in person , ” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Remember , we know what our best tools are : wearing our masks @ @ @ @ @ limiting event sizes , washing your hands , and looking out for public health and @ @ @ @

The Illinois Department of Public Health on Wednesday urged trick-or-treaters to socially distance on Halloween, while cautioning the holiday is best celebrated sans the usual celebrations.
In a news release pointing out that “the safest way to celebrate is to stay home,” IDPH said trick-or-treaters this year should only travel with other members of their household. Both trick-or-treaters and those passing out candy must wear masks and maintain a 6-foot distance at all times. That means the latter group should consider leaving the candy outside.
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“IDPH recognizes that some who will choose to gather together anyway, and instead of denying that reality, we are issuing guidance and recommendations for safer ways to celebrate together in person,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike wrote in a statement. “Remember, we know what our best tools are: wearing our masks, keeping our distance, limiting event sizes, washing your hands, and looking out for public health and each other.”
As for costumes, people will need to add proper face coverings to their getups. A Halloween mask usually doesn’t fit that bill, according to the release. If it’s impossible to breathe with both a cloth and costume mask on, trick-or-treaters must discard the latter one. And people should not eat the candy they collect without washing their hands, the release said.
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Max Clark picks out his candy while trick-or-treating in Wicker Park on Oct. 31, 2019. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
One alternative that health officials suggested was setting up tables with spaced-out candy, so trick-or-treaters can do a lap while maintaining 6 feet of distance, perhaps with reserved time slots.
The release also issued a reminder that haunted houses are prohibited under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s phase four reopening plan, but one-way haunted forests or walks are doable as long as 6-foot distance is maintained. Adult or bar parties have to follow the limit of 50 people or under 50% of the building’s maximum capacity, whichever is fewer. Hay rides also must not exceed the 50% capacity.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--When COVID-19 closed Lurie’s playroom, it took away a refuge for sick children. Staffers improvised

When COVID-19 closed Lurie’s playroom, it took away a refuge for sick children. Staffers improvised to bring toys to them — but they need your help.

Restrictive protocols meant only one parent could come , disrupting the family ’ s long-established routines to make hospital life @ @ @ @ @ alone to and through the city from their home in Zion , no longer able @ @ @ @ @ ’ s dad , Ben Petersen , who would get food and ensure she took @ @ @ @ @ Chase ’ s sister , Brooklynne , 10 , also could no longer come along @ @ @ @ @ she had gotten to know the staff .

Like many 6-year-olds, Chase Petersen loves Legos and pizza.
Unlike others, he has a port in his chest for cancer treatments.
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Diagnosed with langerhans cell histiocytosis when he was 4 months old, Chase has been in and out of hospitals his whole life. When he needed to begin a year’s worth of chemotherapy treatment in January, his mother, Nichole Petersen, took a deep breath. She dreaded forcing him to return to a hospital.
She reminded herself of the bright spots at Lurie Children’s Hospital — the playroom full of toys, the familiar faces of staffers who work hard to brighten his day.
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“He’s always loved the playroom at Lurie’s. That has always been a safe place for him, and for my daughter,” Nichole Petersen said.
Then, the pandemic happened.
Restrictive protocols meant only one parent could come, disrupting the family’s long-established routines to make hospital life easier — she now drove alone to and through the city from their home in Zion, no longer able to juggle tasks with Chase’s dad, Ben Petersen, who would get food and ensure she took care of herself too. Chase’s sister, Brooklynne, 10, also could no longer come along to the hospital, where she had gotten to know the staff.
And the playroom closed. Chase loved it there, where he could select toys he didn’t have at home and engage with art projects kept there.
Chase Petersen, who has been diagnosed with a type of cancer called langerhans cell histiocytosis, holds a stuffed toy duck during his January stay at Lurie Children’s Hospital. (Nichole Petersen)
Nichole Petersen wanted to cry.
“We were only two months into treatment, and then COVID happened, and literally the playrooms are gone. The toys, they’re not just put away — they’re not in the room,” she said. “You don’t realize how much the situation has trickled down to so many areas. There’s so many different facets and layers to the whole COVID thing that people forget.”
Staffers at Lurie worked to improvise — like many hospital workers during the pandemic, they tried to ease the added burdens on families already shouldering so many.
Sara Stewart is a child life specialist. Her role at Lurie includes supporting psychological care, as well as providing emotional and social support, for children, young adults and their families.
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Stewart said the playroom serves as a refuge for children enduring medical procedures from chemotherapy to surgery. It’s a place to escape their room, to find toys and a bit of distraction. Children might make friends there, realizing they are not the only kid to carry around an IV pole.
“The children really thrive,” she said. “They feel like it’s their space; they have control over it.”
Isolating children to their rooms, she said, “makes it even harder to understand that they’re not the only child in the hospital; they’re not the only child going through this. It was really, really hard.”
Chase Petersen holds a stuffed toy duck during a September stay at Lurie Children’s Hospital. (Nichole Petersen)
She and other staffers created packages of toys, for age ranges from preschool to teenagers, that they selected depending on a child’s situation and brought directly to them. The packages include things like Uno, Play-Doh, or scratch art, something really popular among their patients — and a favorite of Chase’s. An Amazon wish list has items that people can buy as donations.
Toys help children process what they are experiencing. For example, a duck the hospital gave Chase has a port like his in its own furry chest. Stewart used the duck, which Chase dubbed Mr. Quackers, to talk about the port he would have during his chemotherapy.
The robotic duck, modeled after the Aflac duck and created by the company to be a companion for cancer patients, comes with emoji disks patients can use to talk through feelings, and can move its head while cuddling with patients.
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“It was such a great distraction for him, because he loves toys, he loves playing with things,” Nichole Petersen said. “He was able to use Mr. Quackers to kind of share. … I think that was really powerful for Chase.”
Stewart and her colleagues found other ways to ease the challenges of COVID-19. Many children now need coronavirus tests before procedures; the staffers work to prepare their young charges, explaining the test — performed with a long Q-tip — and that it will take about 10 seconds.
Stewart tries to give options: Do they want to sit on a parent’s lap or by themselves? Which nostril should they use, and would they like to count to 10 together during the swab? Afterward, they plan something fun, like a game, favorite movie or ice cream.
Recently, the playroom reopened, with hourlong slots children have as appointments. Still, Stewart said, scheduling time can be tough for patients when a procedure can pop up at any time.
So they continue to deliver toys directly.
Chase’s treatment, they hope, will finish in December, just in time for the holidays. In the meantime, he uses the scratch art at the hospital, and he loves coordinating his clothes for a trip — pizza pajamas, pizza underwear. And Mr. Quackers stays with him, whether at the hospital or home.
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“The one thing that has remained the same?” Nichole Petersen said. “We can still bring the duck.”
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--Beloved Chinatown restaurants are opening back up, along with some new additions, just in time for M

Beloved Chinatown restaurants are opening back up, along with some new additions, just in time for Mid-Autumn Fest mooncakes

The new shop has claimed the title as “ Chicago ’ s largest Chinese supermarket , ” which may arguably @ @ @ @ @ warehouse stores have opened to the general public during the pandemic .
88 Marketplace anchors @ @ @ @ @ former factories and warehouses , and is also home to the lovely new Qiao Lin @ @ @ @ @ currently plentiful , yet chaotic , parking on the street and in lots across the @ @

The latest easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Chicago will take effect citywide at 5 a.m. Thursday, but restaurants in Chinatown have been cautiously opening, or returning after months of pandemic-related closures.
Beloved old dumpling houses and new hot pot palaces have been quietly reestablishing the area at a rate perhaps faster than many others in the city. They may be ahead of the curve, since Chinatown was the first Chicago neighborhood hit hard by coronavirus fears.
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It’s just in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival, also on Thursday this year. The Chinese lunar holiday traditionally revolves around mooncakes. Typically sweet and dense, the pastries hold fillings sometimes hiding salted egg yolks. Mooncakes embody symbolism that’s evolved from a mythical love story to a modern democratic revolution.
Wentworth Avenue in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood on July 16, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
You can find mooncakes at Chicago bakeries — including Chiu Quon Bakery, the oldest bakery in Chinatown — supermarkets, and even a new pastry pop-up, Maa Maa Dei. It’s among the notable new openings and reopenings in Chinatown and beyond, listed below alphabetically. Look for Holu House, which has signage up, and the famous Chinese import Haidilao Hotpot coming soon, too.
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88 Marketplace
The new shop has claimed the title as “Chicago’s largest Chinese supermarket,” which may arguably be true, though some warehouse stores have opened to the general public during the pandemic. 88 Marketplace anchors an outlier development of converted former factories and warehouses, and is also home to the lovely new Qiao Lin Hotpot. There’s currently plentiful, yet chaotic, parking on the street and in lots across the road.
2105 S. Jefferson St., 312-846-6962, facebook.com/88MarketplaceChicago
Hing Kee
The beloved home of steamy house-made soup dumplings, also known as xiaolongbao, has reopened. Hing Kee has remodeled inside and out, with new outdoor seating immediately in front of the restaurant in Chinatown Square, plus overflow tables at the Chinese zodiac animal plaza nearby. Remember they offer sushi, too, and the most popular item from the cold counter is their dragon roll, said sushi chef Andy Chen.
2140 S. Archer Ave., 312-808-9538, hingkeechinatown.com
LaoJiuMen Hotpot
A moody new hot pot palace has opened in the strip mall alongside MeetFresh and Hello Jasmine. The dramatic LaoJiuMen Hotpot is a franchise of a Toronto-area restaurant by the same name, said owner Vicky Zhang. The highly designed space offers indoor dining, curbside pickup and rare free parking in an adjacent lot.
2026 S. Clark St., 312-291-8295, instagram.com/hotpot9_chicago
Maa Maa Dei
A new Asian American pop-up lies beyond Chinatown, but makes some of the prettiest mooncakes in town — and snow-skin ones, or sticky rice-wrapped, no less. Maa Maa Dei translates to “not great, just OK.” The hilariously self-deprecating name by chef and baker Jaye Fong seems clearly a spoof, since her recent collaboration with kawaii konbini pop-up Nine Bar looked terrific, too.
Rotating locations including Lakeview and Lincoln Park, instagram.com/maa.maa.dei
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Meet Noodles
An ambitious new noodle house next door to LaoJiuMen, Meet Noodles also has a location in Indianapolis and another to come in Champaign. The modern Meet Noodles hand pulls lamian, from classic wheat to purple yam and even dragon fruit. The huge menu also offers ramen, cumin skewer snacks and colorful bubble teas.
2026 S. Clark St., 312-929-2689, meetnoodleschicago.com
Saint Anna Bakery & Cafe
The old-fashioned bakery is back with baos, milk tea and savory meals, but all to go. Saint Anna removed its indoor seating, which was once the daily hangout for elders and school kids alike. The bakery is still cash only, and worth every actual penny for its silky egg tarts and flaky mini chicken pot pies.
2158 S. Archer Ave., 312-225-3168
Veggie House
The only vegetarian and vegan restaurant in the neighborhood has opened in Chinatown Square. The eclectic Veggie House offers an unusual mix of Chinese-American and Chinese-inspired dishes, from salt-and-pepper tofu to pumpkin spinach crab rangoon. They offer seating inside and out, with the latter dog-friendly.
2109 S. China Place, 312-326-9966, veggiehouseusa.com
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Uni Uni
A new bubble tea shop has been drawing crowds across from the venerable Lao Sze Chuan, which has added outdoor seating along with BonChon and Mango Mango Dessert next door in Chinatown Square. The cute Uni Uni currently offers drinks only, but plans to add a full menu under its Uni Spice menu. The cafe with a unicorn mascot has a walk-up window opening soon, and a sister location in Minneapolis.
2171 S. China Place, 312-539-5253, uni-uni.business.site


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--Wisconsin Republican Party doesn’t want any Bucks or Brewers players or mascots to be at early votin

Wisconsin Republican Party doesn’t want any Bucks or Brewers players or mascots to be at early voting events at their stadiums

“ All of the Bucks ' and Brewers ' athletes and mascots are , of course , beloved of their @ @ @ @ @ at a venue is undoubtedly something of significant value , ” Hitt wrote .
“ @ @ @ @ @ inappropriate for them to be at Miller Park or Fiserv Forum while those venues are @ @ @ @ @ ballot sites .
”

MADISON, Wis. — The chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party warned Milwaukee’s chief elections official that it would be illegal for any Milwaukee Bucks or Brewers players or mascots, including the Brewers' famous racing sausages, to participate in early voting events planned at their stadiums in the days leading up to the election.
The party’s chairman, Andrew Hitt, sent the warning letter to Claire Woodall-Vogg, executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, even though there’s no indication that members of either team planned to be at their venues on Election Day.
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“It seems kind of silly to be worried about racing sausages, but the larger point is the law is pretty clear,” Hitt told The Associated Press by phone on Wednesday.
The letter came days after an attorney representing Republican lawmakers warned the city of Madison that its plan to collect absentee ballots in parks was illegal.
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Milwaukee and Madison are liberal strongholds in the swing state. Strong Democratic turnout in those cities is key to the strategy of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. President Donald Trump’s campaign would benefit from suppressed turnout there.
Republicans in Wisconsin and around the country have been aggressively challenging what they see as any attempt to expand voting opportunities beyond what the law allows. Democrats accuse Republicans of trying to confuse voters and make it more difficult for Democrats to cast ballots.
The Republican National Committee and Wisconsin Republicans on Wednesday were fighting a federal court ruling that will allow absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted for up to six days afterward. Less than two hours after asking a federal appeals court to suspend its ruling allowing the six-day window, the court denied the Republicans' request.
Milwaukee plans to allow for in-person absentee voting at Miller Park and Fiserv Forum between Oct. 20 and Nov. 1. Voters can vote early in person or also return their mailed absentee ballots.
.@Bruter24 wants to get the word out: You can register to vote or request your absentee ballot at Miller Park on Tuesday, September 22 from 2- 7 p.m. CT. Details at https://t.co/t1L3BkIG9z. pic.twitter.com/z2CinDMFUd — Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 19, 2020
When we say “Vote,” you say “Brewers!”
There’s one week left to #VoteBrewers 5x/day at https://t.co/N0nOvTANSI. pic.twitter.com/tnfhkW6r5h — Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 14, 2019
Woodall-Vogg said Wednesday there would be no illegal electioneering at either location. She said the decision to use Miller Park and Fisev Forum as early voting sites was based on finding a safe location to vote during the coronavirus pandemic.
Hitt said he was concerned because a voter registration event at Miller Park on Sept. 22 featured the Brewers' racing sausages, a fan favorite featured at every home game. He cited a state law that defines illegal electioneering as “any activity which is intended to influence voting at an election.”
“All of the Bucks' and Brewers' athletes and mascots are, of course, beloved of their fans, so their presence at a venue is undoubtedly something of significant value,” Hitt wrote. “Consequently, it would be inappropriate for them to be at Miller Park or Fiserv Forum while those venues are in use as alternate absentee ballot sites.”
Tyler Barnes, a spokesman for the Brewers, said there was no plan to have any players or mascots present. The Bucks had no comment.
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There’s a different issue in Madison that doesn’t involve sausages.
The city elections clerk on Saturday sent poll workers to every city park to register voters and accept absentee ballots. Misha Tseytlin, an attorney for Republican state lawmakers, sent a letter to City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl the day before urging her to cancel the event. He said Wisconsin law doesn’t allow it and a judge would likely invalidate any ballots collected in the parks.
The city collected more than 10,000 ballots at the event and plans to do it again this Saturday.
Hitt had a different view of the event, saying he did not think it would be illegal on its face. As long as poll workers follow the law and don’t do things like hand out ballots or sign as a witness without actually seeing the voter fill out the ballot, Hitt said Republicans have no objections and would not sue.
However, Hitt said Republicans have observers in place and if they see a violation “we’ll be in court within minutes to an hour of observing that.”
“As long as they are following the law, we’re not going to cause any trouble,” he said.


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 35 new deaths, 2,273 new confirmed cases and 58,546 new test resu

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 35 new deaths, 2,273 new confirmed cases and 58,546 new test results

Illinois announced 2,273 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Wednesday for a total of 293,274 .
The state also announced 35 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,672 and 58,546 new test results for a total of 5.62 million .

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


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--‘Political propaganda’ or ‘essential public health messages’? Government-sponsored food boxes includ

‘Political propaganda’ or ‘essential public health messages’? Government-sponsored food boxes include a letter from Trump, and some Chicago food pantries are removing it.

The $ 4 billion food box program , funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture , gives contracts to distributors @ @ @ @ @ restaurants and hospitality businesses to purchase fresh food from farmers .
The distributors package the @ @ @ @ @ distribute them to food pantries and other organizations helping to feed people during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ have been sent since the program launched in May , according to the USDA .

Food pantries for months have relied on a government-sponsored food box program to serve a spike in needy families during the pandemic. But the latest batch of boxes includes an item some find unpalatable as the election nears: a letter signed by President Donald Trump.
The letter, printed in both English and Spanish on White House letterhead, highlights the Farmers to Families Food Box program and includes general safety information for preventing COVID-19 transmission.
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It does not mention the Nov. 3 election, but some local food pantries say it’s inappropriate and plan to remove the letter before distributing the boxes to families.
“It is quite unethical and a misuse of government funds,” said Dr. Evelyn Figueroa, executive director of the Pilsen Food Pantry, which plans to remove the letter from the 200 boxes it expects to receive Wednesday. “I find it highly offensive that we have a letter in here that doesn’t add any value and to me it seems very self-promoting.”
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Some of the boxes of food distributed on Sept. 29, 2020 by the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corp. in Chicago came from a federally funded program and contained a letter from The White House bearing the signature of President Donald Trump. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
In the letter, Trump says “safeguarding the health and well-being of our citizens is one of my highest priorities” and "I prioritized sending nutritious food from our farmers to families in need throughout America.”
Figueroa worries including the letter in the box can be construed as a political endorsement, which tax-exempt nonprofits are not allowed to make. The pantry has been distributing flyers encouraging people to vote and complete the census, as well as general public health advice to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but those haven’t been connected to elected officials, she said.
The letter, which this week starting appearing in food boxes being distributed locally, is disappointing after the food box program has proved enormously helpful during the pandemic, especially in the early months when empty grocery store shelves led to a 20% drop in food donations, Figueroa said.
Similar concerns arose when Trump’s name was added to government checks sent out in April to allay the economic blow from the pandemic.
The $4 billion food box program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives contracts to distributors suffering from the closure of restaurants and hospitality businesses to purchase fresh food from farmers. The distributors package the food into family-size boxes and distribute them to food pantries and other organizations helping to feed people during the pandemic. Nearly 100 million boxes have been sent since the program launched in May, according to the USDA.
The program has allowed the Pilsen pantry to provide consistent, high-quality fresh meat, dairy and produce to its clientele, which has grown to 1,000 families per month, from 700 before the pandemic, Figueroa said. It has received 200 boxes per week since May, but only the latest delivery included the letter.
A group of House Democrats in mid-August sent USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue a memo expressing “deep concerns” about “using a federal relief program to distribute a self-promoting letter from the President to American families” close to the election. They suggested the practice could violate the Hatch Act, which prohibits executive branch employees from engaging in some forms of political activities.
Asked to comment this week, the USDA said “politics has played zero role” in the food box program but did not directly address the decision to include the Trump-signed letters.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a statement when news of the letter broke in late July that “I support and applaud the innovative use of the Farmers to Families Food Box program to deliver essential public health messages related to COVID-19."
But some ethics experts are skeptical.
“It sure looks like political propaganda, and if its goal was to affect the presidential election, then it violates the Hatch Act,” said Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis.
She added that the passage of the law was prompted by abuse of Depression-era federal relief programs to help ensure Democrats stayed in power, and “this letter seems like an echo of those past abuses.”
Workers help distribute food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository on Sept. 29, 2020, at the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corp.'s food distribution site in the 7900 block of South Halsted Street in Chicago. Other boxes of food, not those from the GCFD, came from a federally funded program and contained a latter from the White House which bore the signature of President Donald Trump. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The Greater Chicago Food Depository, which connects approved vendors in the program with food pantries and other nonprofits helping feed communities throughout Cook County, said it recently learned that the vendors are required to include the letter in each box. The two vendors approved to serve Cook County in the third round of the food box program, which runs through October, are Produce Alliance in Chicago and Proffer Produce in Missouri.
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While not overtly political, the letter is “inappropriate” coming five weeks before the general election, said spokesman Greg Trotter. The organization is advising its nonprofit partners that they are free to remove the letters before distributing the boxes.
At the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corp., CEO Carlos Nelson said he is disappointed the boxes include the letter, which “reeks of politics.”
The community group has relied on the food boxes as it distributes groceries to 1,000 families per week, a service it did not provide prior to the pandemic, when it was focused on housing and small business support. The demand has proved so great that the organization is establishing a temporary food pantry in the vacant former Save A Lot grocery store at 79th and Halsted streets.
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The organization didn’t have the crew to remove the letters from the food boxes before distributing them Tuesday. Nelson said he expects to field angry calls as a result.
“I imagine that many people that take the time to read the letter will be angry and confused,” Nelson said.
But others don’t think food box recipients will pay the letter any mind.
At the Chosen Tabernacle church in Bronzeville, which receives 150 food boxes a week to distribute to neighborhood families, the Rev. Sandy Gillespie said she initially was “appalled” to learn of the letter, which she called “a shameless plug.”
But her group will not be removing the letters from the boxes before its Thursday distribution because it is too labor intensive and not worth the effort, she said.
The church, which has been engaged in get-out-the-vote efforts not only for the federal but also local and state elections, does not serve a community that would likely be swayed by perceived overtures by Trump, Gillespie said.
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aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives an update on COVID-19

Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker provides an update on the state ’ s response to the coronavirus in a briefing @ @ @ @

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chicagotribune--2020-09-30--Hair loss. Memory problems. Strange rashes. COVID-19 patients report a litany of symptoms outside of

Hair loss. Memory problems. Strange rashes. COVID-19 patients report a litany of symptoms outside official criteria, some persisting for months.

“ Please be safe , ” she said .
“ Please take care of yourself .
Please wear the mask @ @ @ @ @ us who have COVID and are still having symptoms .
And those people who lost @ @ @ @ @ wearing a mask really worth it ?
We all don ’ t know what this @ @ @ @ @

Julie Sciascia-Van Horn was hospitalized with COVID-19 in early April, suffering from some of the typical flu-like symptoms associated with the virus since its discovery: fever, severe cough and shortness of breath.
Then came a litany of more unusual ailments the 51-year-old from southwest suburban Bridgeview had never experienced before catching the novel coronavirus.
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She described a strange burning sensation on the soles of her feet, as if she were walking on coals. Two weeks after discharge from the hospital, she began noticing odd memory lapses — inexplicably forgetting phone numbers and similar routine facts once recalled without effort.
Then over the summer her hair began falling out in chunks, with long chestnut-colored strands suddenly filling a brush or circling the shower drain.
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“I had a different symptom each day,” Sciascia-Van Horn said. “I was wondering, what is this?”
Julie Sciascia-Van Horn of south suburban Bridgeview tested positive for COVID-19 in early April, but she's still suffering from symptoms months later. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
As medical experts and scientists grapple to understand the new virus, some patients are reporting a great variety of symptoms that fall outside the official lists issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other major health authorities.
Often these conditions seem to appear or subside without warning, sometimes lingering for months after the virus is supposedly gone.
Earlier in the pandemic, most medical efforts were focused on keeping the sickest patients alive and relieving overwhelmed hospitals. But now there’s a growing need for research on the long-term health of those who survived the virus but don’t seem to be fully recovering, said Natalie Lambert, associate research professor at Indiana University School of Medicine.
“It’s easy to forget that all we know about medicine and every medical treatment that has ever been developed, it’s ... because a patient somewhere was suffering and needed help, needed treatment,” said Lambert, who is studying the long-range health consequences of COVID-19. “The only reason that we have medicine and a way of treating patients is research was done with patients in the first place.”
Many sickened by coronavirus express frustration as they battle a new and mysterious illness with no road map and very little history. Unpredictable symptoms — often outside the typical diagnostic criteria — are cited as a common source of stress.
In her work, Lambert has been struck by the spectrum of medical problems patients report, as well as how many different systems of the body appear to be taking a hit.
Hair loss. New rashes and skin conditions. Unexplained cognitive troubles. Heart problems. Increased anxiety. Strange smells and tastes that don’t go away. Unrelenting insomnia.
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In some cases, these maladies seem to appear or persist months after the virus is supposedly gone, with no clear timeline for when they might abate.
“Has anybody experienced a sulfur smell in their nose and breath?” one woman wrote on the Facebook page of Survivor Corps, a grassroots group of more than 100,000 members who have been affected by the virus. “Tested positive, I’m 29 days since my first symptoms of COVID and last seven days I’ve had this terrible odor.”
“Numbness in my body and face — as of this morning 80% of my body is completely numb,” another member posted on the site. “I have been battling horrible post-COVID symptoms since June. They have ebbed and flowed, I’ve felt better (then) crashed, up and down, up and down.”
“I say we all send our massive amounts of hair to the CDC,” someone else wrote, beneath a photograph of a hand clutching a large clump of hair.
Survivor Corps founder Diana Berrent on Friday will moderate a webinar with Dr. Anthony Fauci, asking the nations’s top infectious disease expert questions about the virus on behalf of the group.
Fauci has repeatedly warned the nation about potential long-term health effects of COVID-19, most recently at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing last week.
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“A number of individuals who virologically have recovered from infection in fact have persistence — measured in weeks to months — of symptomatology that does not appear to be due to persistence of the virus,” said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Sciascia-Van Horn is also a member of Survivor Corps, where she said she has found support and treatment suggestions.
“I know what I was and I’m not the same,” she said. “And I’m tired of being not the same. I want to be what I was before.”
Spectrum of symptoms
Some COVID-19 patients will have no symptoms. Others will get sick but recovery relatively quickly. Some 200,000 Americans — more than 8,000 from Illinois — have died from the virus. The pandemic’s international death toll exceeded a million as of Tuesday.
But there’s another category of patients like Sciascia-Van Horn, those who survive but don’t seem to fully recover weeks or even months later.
They’ve been dubbed the COVID-19 “long-haulers,” and their experiences don’t seem to always align with the CDC’s current list of roughly a dozen coronavirus symptoms. The agency notes, though, that this description "does not include all possible symptoms,” and the list will be updated as new information about the virus surfaces.
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Lambert began studying the plight of long-haulers shortly after the pandemic struck, partnering with Survivor Corps to learn more. In a July, she and Survivor Corps conducted a survey of more than 1,500 patients who identified 98 symptoms experienced after contracting coronavirus, most falling outside the official CDC list.
“It became clear almost immediately that the list of symptoms on the CDC website and the symptoms that patients were reporting were not a perfect match, by any means,” Lambert said.
The self-reported ailments cover a wide range: 924 respondents said they had difficulty concentrating; 714 described memory problems; 566 said they were suffering from joint pain; 509 experienced heart palpitations; 423 reported hair loss; 418 said their vision had become blurry and 247 developed some kind of a rash, among dozens of other conditions.
The span of concerns and limited information can make it hard to seek treatment.
Some long-haulers find “physicians are sometimes unable or unwilling to help patients manage lesser-known COVID-19 symptoms due to lack of research,” said a report based on the survey. “Until research into long-term COVID-19 symptoms is conducted, these results indicate that an ever-increasing number of COVID-19 patients continue to suffer from their untreated symptoms."
So many questions loom following the survey. How many of these conditions are directly related to COVID-19? Are trauma and anxiety factors? Does the underlying health of the patient correlate in any way with symptoms? Are there common themes or patterns that can offer scientists clues about the virus?
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To delve deeper, Lambert said she’s coordinating another survey with more in-depth questions about patient demographics, underlying health conditions and detailed information about each reported symptom. The eventual goal would be predictive modeling: To try to anticipate what ailments different types of COVID-19 patients might experience, possibly determining sequencing of symptoms.
“Imagine if we knew a particular patient was likely to get hair loss or likely to have heart problems,” she said. “We could really try to help people head off these symptoms.”
Another benefit could be ranking the severity of ailments, so medical experts can better target the most painful or disruptive problems.
“To make sure that COVID-19 research going forward really meets patients' most dire needs,” she said.
Mysteries of the virus
Sciascia-Van Horn said she was surprised when she tested positive for coronavirus, in part because so many of her ailments didn’t line up with the official criteria at the time.
In addition to flu-like illness, she complained of nausea, gastrointestinal distress, congestion and a temporary loss of taste and smell. All of those symptoms are now on the CDC list, but weren’t added until after Sciascia-Van Horn became symptomatic in late March.
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COVID-19 was primarily considered a respiratory disease in late 2019, when the first human cases emerged in Wuhan, China.
“Coronaviruses are a class of respiratory viruses that range from the common cold to more serious illnesses like SARS and MERS,” the Illinois Department of Public Health said in a January news release announcing the first patient in the state to test positive for the virus. “They can cause fever, cough, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia.”
The description has evolved as scientists and physicians learned more from the experiences of patients. But that process can be slow and frustrating for those who are sick and feeling confused or marginalized when the official guidelines don’t match their reality.
In late March, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery said coronavirus patients were increasingly experiencing a lost or reduced sense of taste or smell.
“We propose that these symptoms be added to the list of screening tools for possible COVID-19 infection,” the organization of ear, nose and throat specialists said in a news release.
The CDC added loss of taste and smell and several other symptoms to the list in mid-April, though many local doctors and hospitals reported already using this criteria prior to the change. Congestion, runny nose, nausea and diarrhea were added in mid-May.
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Now more COVID-19 patients are describing extreme hair loss, rashes and other new skin problems. A video of actor and political activist Alyssa Milano displaying her post-COVID-19 hair loss went viral last month.
“Wear a damn mask,” she said at the end of the clip.
Dermatologists around the world are seeking more information about hair loss, rashes and a condition dubbed “COVID toes” — toes that become swollen and discolored — after contracting the virus. The American Academy of Dermatology, based in northwest suburban Rosemont, includes on its website photos of some of the itchy, bumpy or hives-like rashes dermatologists are seeing in COVID-19 patients.
The organization is compiling a COVID-19 registry, encouraging physicians across the globe to answer a survey on the experiences of their patients. One question reads: Did the patient have new skin, nail, hair, mucous membrane or other dermatologic changes in the setting of possible or confirmed COVID-19?
As for Sciascia-Van Horn, her sense of taste and smell have returned. Her feet no longer feel as if they are on fire. She said her hair is slowly growing back, with some sections noticeably shorter than the rest.
But she described persisting memory problems, chronic fatigue, breathing difficulties and higher levels of anxiety. She still can’t take a deep breath and often feels winded after climbing one flight of stairs or walking her dog to the end of the block.
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Six months after her first symptoms, she said she is far from recovered.
“Please be safe,” she said. “Please take care of yourself. Please wear the mask. Listen to those of us who have COVID and are still having symptoms. And those people who lost their lives. Is not wearing a mask really worth it? We all don’t know what this virus truly is.”
eleventis@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--‘Look at Chicago, what’s going on in Chicago?’ When Trump talks about Chicago, we track it.

Since becoming president Trump has returned the theme frequently bashing the city in Tweets and interviews .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ .
In a 2016 interview with Fox ’ s Sean Hannity Trump said : “ @ @ @ @ @ have big investments in Chicago , and I think it ’ s a great city @ @

Chicago and its violence have been a frequent subject of President Donald Trump’s attention. It was a common campaign thread Trump used to hammer Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama and now Joe Biden.
Since becoming president Trump has returned the theme frequently bashing the city in Tweets and interviews. It’s not all vinegar, though. In a 2016 interview with Fox’s Sean Hannity Trump said: “I love Chicago. I have big investments in Chicago, and I think it’s a great city.”
Here are Trump’s mentions of Chicago — and the state of Illinois — with annotations where appropriate.


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--How to apply for a Chicago Tribune internship

Send your cover letter , resume , work examples and the names of at least two professional and one school @ @ @ @ @ .
Limit your clips to five to seven pieces that represent your best work and @ @ @ @ @ .
We prefer that candidates send clips or links to specific stories rather than linking @ @ @ @ @ Clips give us a chance to see what you believe is your best work .
@ @ @ @ @ link to your personal website , consider putting your best , most recent work at @ @ @ @ @ are linking to stories behind a paywall , please indicate how to access them in @ @ @ @ @ send pdfs of the content .

The Chicago Tribune’s newsroom internship program seeks college juniors, seniors and graduate students for 12-week and 6-month paid internships. Opportunities will be considered in all newsroom departments: metro, sports, business, data visuals, copy editing, photo/video, audience, entertainment and lifestyle.
To be eligible, candidates must have completed at least one internship at a daily news organization other than their college paper. Additionally, candidates must be able to work in the United States legally. Interns will work 40 hours a week and must be able to, and often do, cover major stories their first days on the job.
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Send your cover letter, resume, work examples and the names of at least two professional and one school references to internships@chicagotribune.com. Limit your clips to five to seven pieces that represent your best work and show your range of experience. We prefer that candidates send clips or links to specific stories rather than linking to a personal website. Clips give us a chance to see what you believe is your best work. If you do send a link to your personal website, consider putting your best, most recent work at the top. If you are linking to stories behind a paywall, please indicate how to access them in your cover letter, or send pdfs of the content.
In your email subject line and cover letter, please specify whether you’re interested in a fall, winter, spring or summer internship and specify whether you are seeking a metro reporting, lifestyles, audience, photography, design or other type of internship.
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Deadlines: The deadline for the highly competitive summer reporting internship program is Nov. 1, however we do take internship applications on a rolling basis for other seasons of the year. The earlier you apply, the more internships you will be considered for. It is not uncommon for students to apply in October for an internship the following summer, and we hire many of our summer interns in January and February.
* * * * *
If you are interested specifically in opinion journalism, the Tribune Editorial Board offers a part-time, paid “winternship” that lasts 12 weeks — but only from early December to March, not during summer. You would help board members prepare candidate endorsements for elections. To apply, contact Kristen McQueary, kmcqueary@chicagotribune.com.


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--Campaign trail tracker: Where Trump, Biden and their running mates have traveled in presidential rac

Campaign trail tracker: Where Trump, Biden and their running mates have traveled in presidential race’s final weeks

In the final sprint ahead of the Nov. 3 election , both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ travel despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Starting in September , Biden abandoned his monthslong @ @ @ @ @ in Delaware while Trump has accelerated his travel and is once again welcoming crowds at @ @ @

In the final sprint ahead of the Nov. 3 election, both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden have ramped up their campaign travel despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Starting in September, Biden abandoned his monthslong virtual campaign from his basement in Delaware while Trump has accelerated his travel and is once again welcoming crowds at some events.
Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.
Here’s a look at the campaign trail stops made by Trump, Biden and running mates since Sept. 1.
Campaign trail tracker
Tap or click on a dot to see details of the stop.
Don’t see the map? Some mobile browsers disable it. Try this link.


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives an Illinois COVID-19 update

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker gives an Illinois COVID-19 update at a news conference scheduled for noon .
Get the latest @ @ @ @ @ Illinois here .


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--Trump vs. Biden: Track the race for president in key battleground states

Of those , 218 electoral votes are in states rated as likely or solidly Democrat and expected to vote for @ @ @ @ @ electoral votes are tied to states rated as likely or solidly Republican and expected to @ @ @ @

Bill Ruthhart, Chad Yoder, Jonathon Berlin

Going into Tuesday’s voting, the list of battleground states that President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden were fighting for was a long 13. By the end of the night, that list had shrunk to a half-dozen.
By Wednesday morning, all eyes were on three familiar battlegrounds: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Propelled by the late counting of votes from Democratic strongholds, Biden had taken a lead in Michigan and Wisconsin by late morning Wednesday, while Trump remained in front in Pennsylvania with hundreds of thousands of votes outstanding.
Regardless of where those states land, the margin in the race to 270 Electoral College votes promises to be thin. Here is a look at results in hand so far from Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, as well as some of the other battlegrounds that have been projected already or are closer to projection.
Also included here are final FiveThirtyEight polling averages for those states — polling that, as in 2016, proved to underestimate Trump’s sway with voters.
Those polls had Biden up 8.2 points nationally, for example. In key Midwest states, Biden led Minnesota by 9.3, Wisconsin by 8.2 and Michigan by 8 points. Trump won states where he was leading — Iowa, Texas and Ohio.
State by state


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--As shifting deadlines create confusion over census count, Chicago officials warn communities of colo

As shifting deadlines create confusion over census count, Chicago officials warn communities of color: ‘Our future is in jeopardy.’

“ Just a 1 % undercount will cost this state $ 195 million in federal funds at a time when @ @ @ @ @ , ” she continued .
“ These federal funds impact each and every one of @ @ @ @ @ s money for your neighborhood , it ’ s money for your block .
For @ @ @ @ @ brown communities like this one , an accurate count often means a seat at the @ @ @ @ @ like us and are advocating for us .
”

Standing in a West Side park, surrounded by neighborhoods with some of the lowest response rates to the census in Chicago, state and county officials urged residents Tuesday to fill out their forms as soon as possible as the Trump administration continues to shift deadlines and create confusion.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, center, stands for a photograph with others Sept. 29, 2020, in Douglas Park after a news conference about the 2020 census. (Jos M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
“We’re here to say that we’re going to continue to fight to count every single individual and to encourage everybody to complete the census,” said Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya. “At this point, our lives are in jeopardy, our future is in jeopardy, our schools, our health system, they’re in jeopardy, and it’s all because there’s been a political fight back and forth on when the deadline is.”
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The official deadline was the end of July, but it was pushed back to Oct. 31 because of the pandemic. Then the Trump administration abruptly moved the deadline up to Sept. 30, despite warnings from the Census Bureau. Advocacy groups and civic organizations went before a federal judge to challenge the new deadline, arguing more time was needed for an accurate count, especially in communities of color where response rates badly lag behind the national average.
Last week, the judge scrapped the Sept. 30 deadline. But then early this week, the Trump administration announced without explanation that it would end the count on Oct. 5, arguing the judge did not explicitly set a new deadline in her ruling.
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On Tuesday, though, the judge said the latest deadline does appear to violate her ruling and more hearings are scheduled on the issue this week.
In the meantime, state and county officials say they are working under the assumption that the count will end Oct. 5, and are instructing residents to fill out census forms immediately and be included in a count that will determine Illinois’ representation in Congress, as well as the state’s and city’s share of billions of dollars in federal aid over the next 10 years.
Statewide, the self-response rate has already surpassed 2010 levels at just over 70%. But rates in Chicago continue to hover around 60%, with some neighborhoods reporting rates as low as 30%. Some of the city’s lowest rates are in neighborhoods around the park, such as Back of the Yards, West Englewood, Little Village and North Lawndale, all areas that have struggled with poverty and a lack of resources.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said the constantly shifting deadlines are the Trump administration’s latest effort to “suppress the count” by generating confusion.
“The census has its own terminology, and in that terminology Black and brown communities are called hard to count, but why is that?” Stratton said. “Well, because historically systemic racism has put obstacles in the path of Black and brown people, from underfunding schools to denying voting rights to preventing us from being accurately counted for years, for decades, centuries even.
“Just a 1% undercount will cost this state $195 million in federal funds at a time when we need it the most,” she continued. “These federal funds impact each and every one of you directly. It’s money for your neighborhood, it’s money for your block. For people in our Black and brown communities like this one, an accurate count often means a seat at the table for people who look like us and are advocating for us.”
Stratton was joined by members of Habilitative Systems Inc. and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, two organizations that have been leading outreach efforts. The groups said they planned a push this week in undercounted areas.
The Census Bureau had said it also planned a final push in the last weeks, but then reported around 3,000 fewer people in the field earlier this month. Officials insisted no one was being laid off and speculated that people were leaving as the work neared an end.


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--Is Athletes Unlimted the future of professional sports?

Cooking an Indian meal from scratch can be daunting , even for people who grew up eating Indian food .
@ @ @ @ @ complicated at first to understand all the various spices , flavors and techniques , with @ @ @ @ @ know-how , you ’ ll soon catch on that most of the recipes require the @ @ @ @ @ ingredients — just used in different ways for different dishes .
If your local grocery @ @ @ @ @ the right ingredients , you ’ ll want to make a trip to the Indian @ @ @ @ @ online before cooking your way through these Indian recipes .
If you stock up on @ @ @ @ @ and pantry staples , they can be used time and time again for each dish @ @ @ @ @ From butter chicken to lentil curry to chocolate barfi , these aromatic Indian recipes are @ @ @ @ @ and will help you explore a vibrant food culture while having a blast in the @ @

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Cat Osterman, left, and members of Team Osterman celebrate a home run by Jordan Roberts on Sept. 28 2020, in the fourth inning at Parkway Bank Stadium in Rosemont. Team Osterman played Team Warren and won 18-3. The teams are part of a new professional sports league called Athletes Unlimited that includes several unique features, including points for individual players as well as teams, no coaches, player captains and weekly drafts. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)


chicagotribune--2020-09-30--COVID-19 cases traced to adult volleyball games at Gages Lake restaurant

While Ahmed said it is important for anyone who may have been around the Jesse Oaks volleyball courts , visited @ @ @ @ @ within six feet of another person there should contact the department , there are steps @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the disease .

Almost 200 players and spectators were potentially exposed recently to COVID-19 during adult volleyball games at a Gages Lake restaurant and bar, with 14 testing positive for the virus as the result of an investigation by the Lake County Health Department.
The health department began its investigation on Sept. 23 after investigators and contact tracers identified people who watched or played volleyball with symptoms of the coronavirus pandemic at Jesse Oaks Food & Drink, according to a department press release.
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Dr. Sana Ahmed, the health department’s medical epidemiologist and an infectious disease physician, said Tuesday investigators and contact tracers contacted Jesse Oaks when they learned about the outbreak so they could identify as many people as possible who were exposed.
“This could potentially be a large outbreak,” said Ahmed, who estimated nearly 200 people were at risk of getting the virus. “We reached out to the establishment because we were concerned more people were exposed. We identified 14 who became infected.”
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Ahmed said the preliminary investigation showed some confirmed cases were among spectators as well as athletes. Hannah Goering, the department’s marketing and communications manager, said findings of the investigation indicated some of the players were not wearing masks.
Goering said it is still too early to tell if this will eventually be one of the larger outbreaks of the virus in Lake County, like the one at Lake Zurich High School in July where 73 people tested positive.
While the department continues its investigation, Ahmed said anyone who played volleyball at Jesse Oaks in September should quarantine at home for the next 14 days and get a molecular COVID-19 test within five days or sooner if symptoms develop. Anyone who has not contacted the department should do so.
If anyone who visited Jesse Oaks in September and either did not wear a mask or remain six feet away from all others, he said they should also quarantine at home for 14 days and get tested.
During quarantine, Ahmed said people should remain at home, limit contact with members of their household, avoid having visitors and wear a mask if leaving home for medical assistance.
All volleyball activity has ceased at Jesse Oaks through at least Oct. 7. Ahmed said any resumption will be under state guidelines for athletic competition, which label volleyball a medium-risk sport.
Competitive volleyball is not permitted under state guidelines at this time. He said all volleyball activity must be between members of the same team which lessens the risk of exposure.
“When they are playing among themselves they are with their own cohort,” Ahmed said. “It’s like all the children in one class. The risk increases when you get close to people outside your cohort.”
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He said volleyball is a sport where players easily get closer to each other than the recommended six feet of social distance, and most do not seem to wear masks while competing.
While Ahmed said it is important for anyone who may have been around the Jesse Oaks volleyball courts, visited the establishment unmasked or got within six feet of another person there should contact the department, there are steps everyone can take to lower the spread of the disease.
“When you go out wear a mask, and maintain your distance (6 feet) from other people,” Ahmed said. “Wash your hands frequently. These are simple things everyone can do to help curb the spread of the virus.”
Jesse Oaks Food & Drink owner Sean Smith said in a text, "We have worked with (the) Lake County Health Department on the outbreak. Any specific questions please refer to them.
“A speedy recovery to those who are infected,” he wrote. “Our entire staff and their families have not shown any symptoms or signs of the virus.”
As of Monday, 16,960 Lake County residents tested positive for the disease and 464 had died, according to the press release.


chicagotribune--2020-09-29--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Sept. 29 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

But one newly released study found that at least a dozen passengers became infected on a March flight from London @ @ @ @ @ a young businesswoman believed to have had COVID-19 .
The other found that two flight @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong flight got the same genetic strain of the virus as a middle-aged couple @ @ @ @ @ sick with COVID-19 the day after they landed .
The authors at the London School @ @ @ @ @ and the University of Hong Kong concluded that the flight attendants got the virus from @ @ @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is going into self-isolation for the second time after a third staff member in his office tested positive for the coronavirus, the governor’s office said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the city of Chicago added Kentucky, Wyoming, Texas and Nevada to its quarantine list and made no removals, officials announced. The additions will be effective Friday, when the list will cover 23 states and territories, according to a Chicago Department of Public Health news release.
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Later on Tuesday, Illinois officials announced that a resurgence in coronavirus rates in a northwest Illinois region that includes Rockford and Northern Illinois University will result in a return to tighter restrictions aimed at curbing the disease’s spread.
The news comes as the state reported 1,362 newly diagnosed cases and 23 additional confirmed deaths of people with COVID-19, raising the statewide tally to 291,001 known cases and 8,637 deaths.
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Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
5:50 p.m. (updated): Tougher restrictions return to northwest Illinois region that includes Rockford, NIU after surge in COVID-19 cases
A resurgence in coronavirus rates in a northwest Illinois region that includes Rockford and Northern Illinois University will result in a return to tighter restrictions aimed at curbing the disease’s spread, officials announced Tuesday.
The nine-county region bordering Wisconsin and Iowa will see increased mitigation efforts beginning Saturday because its seven-day average of positive cases was 8% or higher for three consecutive days — a 2 percentage point jump in two weeks, state officials announced.
On top of that, the region has seen hospital admissions creeping up, although that uptick is not yet at warning levels.
Last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker sounded the alarm on the area, noting the region’s positivity rate was already at a “concerning” 7.5% as of Wednesday.
“As other regions have demonstrated, stricter mitigations will lead to safer communities when people mask up, keep their distance, wash their hands and respect public health,” Pritzker said in a statement Tuesday. “It is my hope that the residents of Region 1 can turn this situation around quickly.”
The region is the third one in the state to have its reopening efforts scaled back. The first was the Metro East region outside St. Louis, where bar service and indoor dining are still closed. That area’s seven-day test positivity rate remains above 6.5% and recently increased.
The region that includes Will and Kankakee counties also reverted to tougher rules but returned to the state’s phase four restrictions after the positivity rate decreased.
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Read more here. —Alice Yin
5:10 p.m.: Park Ridge private school switches to remote learning after students test positive for COVID-19
A Park Ridge Catholic school has switched to remote learning after students reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
St. Paul of the Cross Catholic School, which had been open for full-time, in-classroom instruction since the beginning of the school year, closed its doors this week after “multiple” students tested positive for the virus, said Manuel Gonzalez, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
A message shared by the school with parents indicated that the students were members of two families and that they had participated in activities outside of school as well.
Gonzalez said students began remote learning on Sept. 29 and are expected to return to the school building on Oct. 13. Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for Oct. 8 and Oct. 9, followed by the Columbus Day holiday on Oct. 12, he said.
Read more here. —Jennifer Johnson
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4:15 p.m.: Thanks to outdoor dining, Sophia Steak in Wilmette beat the odds when it opened during a pandemic. Now, cold weather is coming.
Veteran Chicago restaurateur Glenn Keefer says he was undaunted by the prospect of launching his latest venture, Sophia Steak in Wilmette, amid a global pandemic.
After all, Keefer has been in the hospitality business for more than five decades, pedaling his Schwinn Varsity to his first job as a bus boy on Long Island, New York, in 1969, and orchestrating restaurant openings that coincided with the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack, and the recession of 2008.
“This is a wonderful business, and the hardest business in the world, because there’s about a 95% failure rate,” said Keefer.
He opened Sophia Steak in downtown Wilmette with business partner Ryan O’Donnell in May.
“Opening during the pandemic, we came up with an estimate of how the business would do this summer, and we’re now at a pace of doing one and a half times better than we expected,” Keefer said. “I don’t know exactly what that means. But when I’m at the restaurant, it never feels like work.”
Now, with the arrival of cooler weather, Keefer, who sells commercial insurance for his day job, said he and O’Donnell are facing the challenge of keeping their 40 employees on the payroll and serving customers safely indoors when the restaurant’s current outdoor dining along Wilmette Avenue becomes prohibitive due to cooler temperatures.
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Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
4:10 p.m.: COVID-19 cases rising among kids as US schools reopen
After preying heavily on the elderly in the spring, the coronavirus is increasingly infecting American children and teens in a trend authorities say appears fueled by school reopenings and the resumption of sports, playdates and other activities.
Children of all ages now make up 10% of all U.S cases, up from 2% in April, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported Tuesday. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that the incidence of COVID-19 in school-age children began rising in early September as many youngsters returned to their classrooms.
About two times more teens were infected than younger children, the CDC report said. Most infected children have mild cases; hospitalizations and death rates are much lower than in adults.
Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the rising numbers are a big concern and underscore the importance of masks, hand-washing, social distancing and other precautions.
"While children generally don’t get as sick with the coronavirus as adults, they are not immune and there is much to learn about how easily they can transmit it to others,'' she said in a statement.
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The CDC report did not indicate where or how the children became infected.
Read more here. —Associated Press
4 p.m.: Suburban parents sue IHSA, hoping to force return of high school football and other sports
The parents of four DuPage County high school athletes have filed a lawsuit, hoping to force the return of football and other sports that have been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the Illinois High School Association violated its bylaws when it agreed to follow the state’s safety guidelines.
The suit, filed on behalf of a basketball player, two football players and a competitive dancer, says the IHSA failed to follow its procedures when it “adopted as binding guidelines on IHSA schools several non-binding guidelines issued by (Gov. J.B.) Pritzker regarding the conduct and timing of interscholastic athletics for its member schools.”
The Pritzker administration in July issued rules categorizing youth and high school sports at various levels of risk. Football, wrestling and competitive dance were listed as high-risk sports, meaning athletes can practice if there is no contact, but cannot compete. Basketball, categorized as medium risk, can have players scrimmage but not play games.
The IHSA, already facing a similar lawsuit in Montgomery County, near St. Louis, said it would defer to state officials about returning to play, and moved football, boys soccer and girls volleyball to the spring. But as other states have restarted those sports, the IHSA has sought unsuccessfully to regain authority over its schedule.
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This is a developing story. Check here for more details. —John Keilman
3:30 p.m.: Notre Dame traces the COVID-19 outbreak on its football team to a pregame meal and a player vomiting on the sideline
Notre Dame will resume football practice Wednesday despite having 39 players in isolation or quarantine due to a COVID-19 outbreak that ESPN.com reported was traced to a pregame team meal and a player vomiting on the sideline.
The Irish reported 18 new positive tests Monday. The outbreak from events around the Sept. 19 game against South Florida has resulted in 25 players in isolation and 14 others in quarantine due to contact tracing.
Read more here. —Shannon Ryan
12:20 p.m.: Illinois announces 1,362 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 23 additional deaths
Illinois public health officials Tuesday reported 1,362 newly diagnosed cases and 23 additional confirmed deaths of people with COVID-19, raising the statewide tally to 291,001 known cases and 8,637 deaths. The seven-day statewide positivity rate from Sept. 22 to Sept. 28 is 3.6%.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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11:25 a.m.: Notre Dame president apologizes for not wearing mask during White House announcement of Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination
In a letter to students, faculty and staff released late Monday afternoon, University of Notre Dame President the Rev. John I. Jenkins apologized for not wearing a mask Saturday during the announcement of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court.
Photographs of Jenkins sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with others, shaking hands and not wearing a mask during the ceremony at the White House circulated quickly Saturday and drew criticism on social media.
“I write to express my regret for certain choices I made that day and for failing to lead as I should have,” Jenkins wrote.
The letter explains that it was important for him to attend the ceremony because Barrett is a Notre Dame alumna and a professor at Notre Dame Law School and that upon arriving at the White House, he and other attendees received rapid-response COVID-19 tests.
“I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask during the ceremony and by shaking hands with a number of people in the Rose Garden,” Jenkins wrote. “I failed to lead by example, at a time when I’ve asked everyone else in the Notre Dame community to do so. I especially regret my mistake in light of the sacrifices made on a daily basis by many, particularly our students, in adjusting their lives to observe our health protocols.”
Read more here. —South Bend Tribune
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11 a.m.: 4 states added to Chicago quarantine order for travelers, while none removed
The city of Chicago added Kentucky, Wyoming, Texas and Nevada to its quarantine list and made no removals, officials announced Tuesday.
The additions will be effective Friday, when the list will cover 23 states and territories, according to a Chicago Department of Public Health news release. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
While no states or territories were removed Tuesday, Georgia is on track to be taken off next week if it continues its progress, the news release said.
Read more here. — Alice Yin
10:30 a.m.: Gov. J.B. Pritzker to isolate for a second time after another staffer tests positive for coronavirus
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is going into self-isolation for the second time after a third staff member in his office tested positive for the coronavirus, the governor’s office said Tuesday.
The unidentified staff member tested negative Wednesday during a routine screening for employees in the governor’s office but was tested again Monday after developing symptoms and that test came back positive, according to the governor’s office.
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The staff member attended a Wednesday event with Pritzker in Chicago and traveled with the governor to Marion on Thursday and Marseilles on Sunday.
Both Pritzker and the staffer wore masks “during the entirety of their interactions,” according to the governor’s office.
Pritzker and all close contacts will be going into isolation for 14 days, and contact tracing is underway for the staff member who tested positive.
Read more here. —Dan Petrella
10:15 a.m.: Renovated Four Seasons Hotel plans to reopen Thursday in the middle of a pandemic. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look.
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago is set to reopen Thursday after its largest renovation since opening in 1989.
The hotel, which was ranked No. 9 nationwide by U.S. News & World Report in February, started renovations in September 2019 and closed completely March 21 because of the pandemic. The renovation updated the hotel’s suites and public spaces — including the lobby, lounge areas, reception area, bar spaces and the restaurant — in a postmodern look with a contemporary luxury twist. Meeting spaces are also getting a new look, and a junior ballroom will be available for the holidays.
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The hotel will reopen with its Lead With Care program in place — enhanced health and safety measures, supplies and equipment. Guests can expect to be greeted at the door with a contactless temperature screening and a set of COVID-19 health questions. Using the Four Seasons' mobile app created in 2017 for guests to chat with hotel personnel, they can check in virtually, and room keys will be ready at the reception desk. A welcome kit with hand sanitizer, wipes and masks is provided in each room, along with a remote control with a band indicating it was sanitized between guests.
Read more here. —Darcel Rockett
8:10 a.m.: Big Ten football is coming back — but how safe will it be for the players and fans? Medical experts answer lingering questions.
Four FBS conferences postponed fall sports because of COVID-19 concerns last month.
Several football games scheduled in conferences that have been playing were postponed or canceled. Outbreaks have occurred on numerous campuses nationwide.
But games continued in the ACC and Big 12, and a push from many fans, players, coaches, players' parents and President Donald Trump urged conferences such as the Big Ten to reconsider.
It worked. All 10 FBS conferences will be on the field this fall.
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The Big Ten said medical advice guided its Aug. 11 decision to postpone football and all fall sports after an 11-3 vote by university presidents and chancellors. The conference cited medical advice again when it announced about a month later that it would play football after all in a unanimous vote, planning to start an eight- or nine-game schedule Oct. 23-24.
The Pac-12 on Thursday also reversed course and announced it would come back earlier than expected, as did the Mountain West. The Mid-American, the first major football conference to postpone its season because of the pandemic, became the final one to jump back in Friday.
The Big Ten laid out plans for rigorous daily testing and cardiac MRI scans as it gears up for the late October start. Athletes who test positive will sit out 21 days, and teams with a positivity test rate of more than 5% and an individual rate greater than 7.5% must stop games and practices for seven days.
Will it be enough as the nation tops 204,000 deaths and teams in various conferences continue to halt practices after outbreaks? Medical and health experts answered some of the most prevalent questions.
Read more here. —Shannon Ryan
7:02 a.m.: Lightfoot to appear in web discussion on economic recovery
Mayor Lori Lightfoot was set to appear in an online event Tuesday afternoon on “Economic recovery in American cities” sponsored by the Brookings Institution.
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Lightfoot was set to discuss with Chicago Community Trust CEO and Brookings Trustee Helene Gayle “how the city is leveraging the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to rebuild better and set a course to be more racially inclusive,” according to Brookings.
More details are available on the Brookings site. —Chicago Tribune staff
6:56 a.m.: Former Chicago schools chief protests with Arlington Heights families, calling for in-school instruction: ‘Our young people are hostages’
Joining organizers of a rally in Arlington Heights Saturday calling for schools to open for student onsite learning, the former Chicago Public Schools chief told the crowd kids are being held “hostage.”
“There is no reason why we could not have opened our schools. This is simply the hostage taking of our young people,” said Paul Vallas, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third largest school district. “Our young people are hostages.”
Organizers estimated close to 300 people attended the “Rally to Reopen Our Schools” at North School Park in Arlington Heights Saturday.
A group of Township High School District 214 parents and students planned the afternoon rally to call for school buildings reopening for in-class instruction. Families from other local school districts also participated, including Arlington Heights School District 25 – which is a feeder elementary school district for SD214 – and Glenbrook High School District 225, based in Glenview.
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Read more here. — Karie Angel Luc
6 a.m.: New city report on battling crime problem highlights domestic violence in Chicago, and says it may be significantly underreported during pandemic
Domestic violence remains a stubborn piece of the puzzle in the effort to deal with Chicago’s overall violence issues, and may be underreported during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report issued by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration.
The 103-page report dubbed “Our City, Our Safety: A Comprehensive Plan to Reduce Violence in Chicago” acknowledged how Chicago’s intractable gun violence, which has given the city an unflattering national reputation, has overshadowed domestic, or family-related, violence, such as domestic batteries, crimes that are statistically more common.
“Although it does not garner the same level of media attention, the incidence of domestic violence is actually greater than that of community or gun violence,” according to Lightfoot’s report, which was to be released publicly Tuesday morning.
As the mayor has done in the past, the new report calls the city’s violence problem a public health crisis and one that reflects entrenched racial inequity. The report calls for prevention efforts and community empowerment despite funding challenges, after the city endured a summer spike in homicides.
But the report paid special attention to domestic violence, and the effect the pandemic could be having on it. Crime experts and law enforcement leaders across the country had warned about possible upticks in domestic crimes and family-related incidents as the coronavirus lingered and government restrictions kept more people in their homes and with fewer options to avoid abusive relationships.
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Read more here. —Jeremy Gorner
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chicagotribune--2020-09-29--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Sept. 28 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

That hope , though , is tempered by a contemporaneous pandemic that has shuttered Chicago theaters , possibly for many @ @ @ @ @ turned the later half of 2020 into a struggle for financial survival both on institutional @ @ @ @ @ have disappeared .
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Governmental help of adequate scope @ @ @ @ @ many hands from many sectors are outstretched .

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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)
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Monday announced the city was easing coronavirus restrictions on bars and restaurants, as well as on barbershops, beauty salons and gyms. The changes are Lightfoot’s latest attempt to ease the financial burden on Chicago businesses by lifting frequently criticized restrictions.
Lightfoot also said she would love to let students back into Chicago public schools in November but wouldn’t commit to allow in-person learning this fall. While many parents would like to see their children back in classrooms, Lightfoot said the safety of teachers and staff at schools also must be considered.
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The mayor’s comments came as Illinois public health officials on Monday reported 1,709 newly diagnosed cases and 13 additional confirmed deaths of people with COVID-19, raising the statewide tally to 289,639 known cases and 8,614 deaths.
Meanwhile, the worldwide death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed 1 million, nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy, tested world leaders' resolve, pitted science against politics and forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work.
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Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:50 p.m.: Worldwide death toll from COVID-19 eclipses 1 million
The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed 1 million on Tuesday, nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy, tested world leaders' resolve, pitted science against politics and forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work.
“It’s not just a number. It’s human beings. It’s people we love,” said Dr. Howard Markel, a professor of medical history at the University of Michigan who has advised government officials on containing pandemics and lost his 84-year-old mother to COVID-19 in February.
“It’s our brothers, our sisters. It’s people we know,” he added. “And if you don’t have that human factor right in your face, it’s very easy to make it abstract.”
The bleak milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Jerusalem or Austin, Texas. It is 2 1/2 times the sea of humanity that was at Woodstock in 1969. It is more than four times the number killed in the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
Even then, the figure is almost certainly a vast undercount because of inadequate or inconsistent testing and reporting and suspected concealment by some countries.
And the number continues to mount. Nearly 5,000 deaths are reported each day on average. Parts of Europe are getting hit by a second wave, and experts fear the same fate may await the U.S., which accounts for about 205,000 deaths, or 1 out of 5 worldwide. That is far more than any other country, despite America’s wealth and medical resources.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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6:55 p.m.: Notre Dame announces 39 football players are in isolation or quarantine as a result of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing
Notre Dame is undefeated on the football field but struggling with COVID-19 away from it.
The Irish postponed last Saturday’s game at Wake Forest, and on Monday the program reported some grim testing numbers: 25 players are in isolation as a result of 18 positive tests last week. Another 14 players are in quarantine due to contact tracing. Those 39 sidelined players represent about 34% of the 114 players listed on the roster.
Notre Dame, which had a scheduled open date this week and is scheduled to host Florida State on Oct. 10, is not practicing. The team has resumed “conditioning activities … in consultation with the St. Joseph County Department of Health,” the school said in a statement.
Notre Dame has not made any coaches or players available to the media since Sept. 21, when coach Brian Kelly called the team’s COVID-19 plan “an evolving situation.”
Read more here. —Teddy Greenstein
5 p.m. (update): Feds to distribute millions of rapid coronavirus tests in bid to reopen K-12 schools
President Donald Trump announced Monday that the federal government will begin distributing millions of rapid coronavirus tests to states this week and urged governors to use them to reopen schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
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The move to vastly expand U.S. testing comes as confirmed new COVID-19 cases remain elevated at more than 40,000 per day and experts warn of a likely surge in infections during the colder months ahead. It also comes just five weeks before the November election, with Trump facing continued criticism for his handling of the crisis.
The tests will go out to states based on their population and can be used as governors see fit, but the Trump administration is encouraging states to place a priority on schools. White House officials said at a Rose Garden event that 6.5 million tests will go out this week and that a total of 100 million tests will be distributed to governors over the next several weeks.
Read more here. —Associated Press
3:05 p.m.: Lightfoot: ‘We’re not there yet’ on in-person CPS learning
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday said she would love to let students back into Chicago public schools in November, but wouldn’t commit to allow in-person learning this fall.
When Chicago Public Schools set all-remote learning due to COVID-19 concerns at the beginning of the school year, officials said they would revisit the decision at the end of the first quarter in early November. The first quarter is scheduled to end Nov. 5, with the second quarter starting on Nov. 9.
The mayor said the decisions will come “in the next few weeks.”
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Read more here. —John Byrne
1:50 p.m.: United pilots accept deal to avoid nearly 3,000 furloughs
United Airlines' pilots agreed to a deal that will spare almost 3,000 pilots from furloughs through at least June.
Pilots agreed to work fewer hours to avoid the furloughs, with the most junior pilots who were at greatest risk of furloughs facing the greatest reductions, according to the union representing United’s 3,000 pilots, the Air Line Pilots Association.
Chicago-based United warned it planned to furlough 2,850 of its 13,000 pilots earlier this month, along with 13,500 employees in other roles, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on air travel.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
1 p.m.: Lightfoot easing Chicago restrictions on indoor bars, restaurants, fitness class sizes
Chicago bars that don’t serve food will be allowed to reopen for indoor service starting Thursday, and bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve alcohol until 1 a.m., Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Monday.
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In addition, Lightfoot said the city will now allow shaves, facials, and other personal services that previously were banned because they required the removal of face masks. The city also will increase the maximum group size for health and fitness classes and after-school programming from 10 to 15 people, officials said.
The moves are Lightfoot’s latest attempt to ease the financial burden on Chicago businesses by lifting frequently criticized restrictions. But the moves also come as the city prepares for flu season and the number of new COVID-19 cases per day hovers around 300.
Lightfoot has been eager to showcase Chicago as America’s most open big city during the pandemic, while also pledging to heed scientific advice on how much leeway to give businesses and other public places where people congregate.
Monday’s announcement keeps the city in phase four of its reopening framework, but loosens several standards.
This is the second time during the pandemic that the mayor has let bars that don’t serve food welcome patrons inside. But they will be limited to 25% of capacity under the new rules.
Although Lightfoot is easing some rules, the city will still require patrons to wear face masks “except when actively eating or drinking.” They also will be required to order from their seats at indoor bars and taverns.
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Read more here. —Gregory Pratt and John Byrne
12:05 p.m.: Illinois reports 1,709 new known COVID-19 cases and 13 more deaths
Illinois health officials on Monday announced 1,709 new known cases of COVID-19 and 13 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 289,639 and the statewide death toll to 8,614 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 41,142 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.7%.
11:20 a.m.: One family’s COVID-19 journey, and how life changed in a weekend
When a Chicago Public Schools speech pathologist and her parents got sick back in March — presumably with COVID-19, though only her father was ever able to get tested — Illinois had recorded only a few dozen cases.
It was the same week that Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that he was shutting down schools statewide.
Since then, Beth Eysenbach and her mother have recovered, though her father did not. Now, in addition to planning his funeral, she’s getting used to how the pandemic has not just the world around her but her life, her family, and her job.
Read more here. —Hannah Leone
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9:15 a.m.: Chef partnerships becoming more common during COVID-19 pandemic as pros adapt to survive
The COVID-19 shutdown forced a collective change of plans among the restaurant industry, putting workers in unexpected and often urgent situations. Every element of the dining experience had taken on a new or different importance: safety measures, kitchen space, outdoor areas, walk-up windows, even the type of cuisine.
In general, resources tightened more than ever, and thousands of employees were furloughed. As pros looked for ways to innovate and survive, collaborative efforts like shared kitchens, ghost kitchens, joint pop-ups and more have seen a new lift in recent months, particularly among independent restaurants or fledgling entrepreneurs. Ghost kitchen is a term for a commercial kitchen shared among culinary entrepreneurs without offering dine-in service.
Considering the pandemic’s widespread effects, such arrangements have inevitably spawned a variety of forms, but almost all of these operations allow chefs and owners to share certain costs and resources while maintaining more of their own autonomy. In most cases, it’s a situation of friendly colleagues and/or co-workers capitalizing on existing trust to support each other.
Read more here. —Adam Lukach
7:19 a.m.: Pandemic-related canning supply shortages real in Illinois, but there are solutions
The pandemic-related trend that saw more people trying their hand at home gardening this summer may have led to a bountiful harvest of fresh produce, but it’s left some scrambling to find canning supplies as they try to save the last of their colorful crops to enjoy during the grayer days of winter.
“Canning supplies are in short supply everywhere,” said Brandon Pennell, manager at Midland Farm & Home Supply in Jacksonville. “We have people ask for lids all the time. ... Everybody grew a garden this year.”
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When canning, clean Mason jars free of nicks can be reused. But seals and lids should to be new to provide the seal necessary to keep food safe for longer-term storage. It’s also not a good idea to buy more than you expect to need for one year, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, meaning stockpiling doesn’t work.
Read more here. —Angela Bauer, Jacksonville Journal-Courier
6 a.m.: For Chicago’s theaters, an opportunity for more racial diversity also comes at a time of crisis
For Jackie Taylor, the founder of the Black Ensemble Theater and a woman who has seen calls for greater diversity, equity and inclusion in the Chicago theater come and go over the years, this moment seems different.
“This has been a fight for more than 400 years,” Taylor said. “So it’s not exactly new. And we had all the demonstrations and the marches and the same conversations in the 1960s. But there has been a change in the wind. And I think, in terms of things clicking in people’s minds about racism, it is suddenly now happening on a deeper level.”
So what’s different?
“Young people,” Taylor said. “Young people, including young white people, are saying they do not want a world of white privilege, but one of inclusion. They are bringing a different essence to the fight. So there is new hope.”
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That hope, though, is tempered by a contemporaneous pandemic that has shuttered Chicago theaters, possibly for many months to come, and turned the later half of 2020 into a struggle for financial survival both on institutional and individual levels. Jobs have disappeared. The talent that makes up the sector is being forced to seek employment elsewhere, prompting worries over when, or if, they will return. Governmental help of adequate scope has not been forthcoming and many hands from many sectors are outstretched.
Read more here. —Chris Jones
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
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Here are five stories from last week related to COVID-19:


chicagotribune--2020-10-02--Family of Miguel Vega speaks out after fatal Chicago police shooting in Pilsen: ‘It was hard to watc

Family of Miguel Vega speaks out after fatal Chicago police shooting in Pilsen: ‘It was hard to watch those videos’

Vega said it hurt to watch his brother on the ground as officers searched for a weapon , and questioned @ @ @ @ @ t make more of an effort to help his brother .
Maria Vega , the @ @ @ @ @ cried and said watching the videos was painful .
She previously called for the release @ @ @ @ @ incident , saying she did not believe the police version of events and that officials @ @ @ @ @

The family of Miguel Vega — father Miguel Vega Sr., from left, mother Maria Vega and brother Erik Vega — speak with members of the news media near the intersection of 18th Street and Blue Island Avenue on Oct. 1, 2020, in Chicago. Miguel Vega was fatally shot by police on Aug. 31 on the 1300 block of West 19th Street. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
One month after Miguel Vega was fatally shot by police, his family is calling for accountability and transparency after the release of a video depicting the August shooting in the Pilsen neighborhood.
On Thursday afternoon, Erik Vega, the brother of 26-year-old Miguel Vega, addressed reporters in Pilsen and said he was “deeply disappointed” with Chicago police for not reaching out to the family.
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“The police officer that shot my brother did not have any right shooting him behind his head or shooting at people that were running,” Erik Vega said.
“And it hurts that he let off so many rounds,” Vega said. “I think that’s unjust and that’s more than enough firepower to stop one person.”
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Chicago’s civilian investigative police watchdog last month released video of the Aug. 31 shooting by a Chicago police officer that killed 26-year-old Miguel Vega in the 1300 block of West 19th Street. Chicago police have said Vega was shot after officers were fired upon as they got out of their unmarked car about 10:45 p.m. Officers from the Near West patrol district had been responding to a call of a suspicious person when they noticed a group of five people standing on the sidewalk, the department has said.
On Thursday, Erik Vega addressed a moment in the video in which a supervisor said, “Let it roll," but motioned to an officer to not say anything.
“Why not say anything else? What are you trying to hide?” Vega said.
Vega said it hurt to watch his brother on the ground as officers searched for a weapon, and questioned why the officers didn’t make more of an effort to help his brother. Maria Vega, the mother of the 26-year-old, cried and said watching the videos was painful. She previously called for the release of any video of the incident, saying she did not believe the police version of events and that officials refused to answer questions.
Father Miguel Vega Sr. similarly spoke of the anguish in watching his son’s death.
“It was hard to watch those videos and see my son be killed that way,” he said. “But we needed to watch it because we knew that our son had not shot at police and he did not deserve to be killed that way.
“We were able to confirm that my son did not have a gun,” Miguel Vega Sr. added. “We know our son and knew that the story police were sharing was not entirely true.”
Community resident Mateo Zapata said the shooting was an example of white supremacy in Chicago communities, noting President Donald Trump just declined to explicitly denounce white supremacy on a national platform at the first presidential debate. But Zapata credited the community’s actions with the quick release of the footage, just three weeks after the shooting.
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“This was because our community stood up and marched and protested, demanding transparency and justice for Miguel Vega,” Zapata said. “This level of policing is not going to fight crime in Chicago. As a community, as residents, we need to start working together and have a dialogue.”
In the bodycam video released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, officers can be seen hurriedly exiting their squad car, one of them firing a pistol over the open door of the vehicle up the sidewalk.
The shooting officer’s passenger-side window was also broken. Audio of the shooting officer’s camera does not come on until he has moved up the block to arrest a man he finds near a curb.
“My whole window is shot up! Good thing I (expletive) ducked!” the officer said to other cops on scene.
Another man, apparently Vega, can be seen lying on the sidewalk after being struck by a bullet.
“We’ve got an ambulance coming to you, brother, OK?” the officer said to Vega, who was shot in the head and was seen with blood on his face. “Keep talking to me, man. Keep talking to me, brother. You’re going to be all right.”
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The officer can be heard directing others to look for a weapon that might have been discarded as police approached the area. Officers eventually can be heard to say they located a gun, a few parked cars from where Vega could be seen lying in the sidewalk.
“Don’t touch it! Don’t touch it! Don’t touch it! Do not touch it!” one officer exclaimed. “We got it. We got it.”
The shooting remains under investigation by COPA, but the September release of 12 video clips, most of them from body cameras and released 21 days after the shooting, marked one of the shortest time frames the agency has taken to release such material to the public.
The officer who shot Vega fired 11 times, according to a police report that’s part of the case.
In the hours after the shooting, the Police Department issued an official statement claiming Vega was armed with a gun that was recovered at the scene. But an internal report issued by Near West’s commander on Sept. 1, and obtained by the Tribune, was more vague, saying Vega was with at least three other people and someone from that group fired shots. Vega’s family has maintained Vega was unarmed when he was shot.