chicagotribune--2020-11-11--The Spin: Illinois officials urge residents stay home as COVID-19 deaths spike | Lightfoot says wife

The Spin: Illinois officials urge residents stay home as COVID-19 deaths spike | Lightfoot says wife wasn’t initially keen on mayoral bid | Chicago unions stand with embattled Madigan

We ’ re not likely to hear from Madigan personally on his assessment of the situation — at least not @ @ @ @ @ week ’ s scheduled fall veto session was canceled because of rising COVID-19 cases .
@ @ @ @ @ “ The decision also provides some political cover for Madigan , who is facing questions @ @ @ @ @ House Democrats is eroding due to an ongoing federal corruption investigation in which he ’ @ @ @ @ @ charged , as well as over his perceived role in voters rejecting the graduated tax.
@ @ @ @ @ .

Personnel direct people waiting in line to get tested for COVID-19 on Nov. 9, 2020, outside a mobile testing site at the Resurrection Project in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois announced a jaw-dropping 145 COVID-19 deaths and more than 12,000 new and probable cases today — numbers that we haven’t seen since May. So far, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has not imposed a new statewide shutdown order, but state public health officials are urging residents to voluntarily stay home for the next three weeks, save for essential tasks such as a doctor’s visit or picking up groceries.
As the governor and other lawmakers gathered for a Veterans Day ribbon-cutting at a long-delayed state-run veterans home on Chicago’s Northwest Side, concerns focused on an outbreak at a state-run long-term care facility for veterans in downstate LaSalle, where seven people have died with the virus.
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Democrats clinched two more years of controlling the U.S. House of Representatives, but with a potentially razor-thin majority, according to the latest tally from The Associated Press.
Still up in the air is the close-to-home contest between Democratic first-term U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood and Republican challenger Jim Oberweis; after an out-of-the-gate Election Day lead, Oberweis declared victory, only to see the mail-in ballot count put Underwood up by 3,000 votes at last count.
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And Chicago’s powerful public employee unions are standing behind embattled Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Today, the Chicago Federation of Labor declared Madigan “a staunch defender of working people.”
It comes as some Democratic elected leaders are calling for Madigan to be replaced as both the powerful House speaker and head of the state Democratic Party after key losses in last week’s election. The labor group’s statement speaks to the Southwest Side lawmaker’s muscle and serves as a reminder to Democrats that membership in unions under the group’s umbrella make up a large voting bloc that traditionally has supported them. Plus, the federation’s political action committee has been helpful to Democratic candidates and causes.
Welcome to The Spin.
Dozens of people wait in line to get tested outside a mobile COVID-19 testing site at Resurrection Project in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, as Illinois surpasses 10,000 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in one day. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Dan Petrella: Illinois public health officials on Wednesday reported 145 deaths related to the coronavirus, the most in a single day since late May and the first time the daily death toll has reached triple digits since early June.
The state also reported 12,657 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, topping the record of 12,623 set a day earlier. There now have been 523,840 cases and 10,434 coronavirus-related deaths in Illinois since the pandemic began.
The figures announced Wednesday include the death of a seventh resident at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in LaSalle since the pandemic began. Officials reported three deaths at the state-run long-term care facility on Tuesday.
State Sen. Sue Rezin, a Morris Republican, and state Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat, want to hold a hearing on the state’s response to COVID-19: They’ll talk more about it at a news conference scheduled for tomorrow. It comes the same week legislative leaders canceled the legislature’s fall veto session that had been set to begin Tuesday amid rising COVID-19 cases.
Waking up from a bad dream? The mayor’s office released a video this week that’s a pointed critique of President Donald Trump — hammered by critics for ignoring science — and a welcome mat for presumptive President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who convened a COVID-19 response panel.
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The cheeky clip opens with a black-and-white video and ominous music playing as an apparently napping mayor awakes in mid-nightmare. When she wakes up, the video shifts to full color and Lightfoot declares, “Thank God. Science is back, baby.” And it closes with the city’s top public health official reminding people to wear masks, exercise social distancing and wash their hands, declaring with a smile, “I do love science.”
The mayor’s office said the video was produced in-house and was part of an ongoing effort to fight COVID-19 fatigue. Watch it here.
The new administration's COVID-19 task force ushers in a new day for science and evidence-based policy-making. As a city, we look forward to working together to ensure the health of all Chicagoans. pic.twitter.com/b5QNqDuCTe — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) November 10, 2020
The New York Times is out with a list of contenders for a Joe Biden-Kamala Harris White House Cabinet, and Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth makes the list as a possibility for secretary of defense and secretary of veterans affairs.
Also, there is a change.org petition opposing former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who had been floated as a possibility for a gig in the administration.
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State Sen. Jim Oberweis is challenging U.S. Rep Lauren Underwood for Congress. Oberweis photo by Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune and Underwood photo by Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune (Armando L. Sanchez and Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
To date, the Democrats have nailed down at least 218 seats in the U.S. House, according to The Associated Press, giving the party control of the 435-member chamber.
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But it’s unlikely to retain its current 232-seat majority “after an unforeseen surge of Republican voters transformed expected gains of perhaps 15 seats into losses potentially approaching that amount,” writes the AP’s Alan Fram.
The Underwood-Oberweis contest, with Underwood holding a razor-thin lead, is among the few that haven’t been called but will determine how tight the Democrats’ majority will be — either shining a light on the fissures between the moderate and progressive wings or showing them coming together — or underscore the inroads Republicans made this election season. Read more about that here. And take a closer look at where the race stands, courtesy of my colleague Alice Yin, here.
Unofficial Chicago tally shows turnout exceeds 1984: Election officials say at this rate 1.1 million votes have been cast, and turnout is at 72.3%.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, left, and his primary challenger, Jason Gonzales. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The Chicago Federation of Labor, the umbrella organization for nearly 300 unions and labor groups, took sides today as House Speaker Madigan is facing what some believe is the first real challenge to his authority.
Madigan has been under fire from within his own party since federal prosecutors in July released a deferred prosecution agreement in which ComEd admitted awarding jobs, payments and contracts to Madigan associates in an attempt to win his support for favorable legislation. Madigan’s not been charged with any wrongdoing, but some key Democratic losses in last week’s election are being laid at his feet.
While both U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. J.B. Pritzker have called for him to be replaced as party chair, some in the Illinois House Democratic caucus say they won’t back him when the leadership post comes up for a vote in January.
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Here’s what the CFL, whose unions count 500 members in Chicago and Cook County, said in a statement: ″As the electoral dust settles and we look toward the next legislative session, the Chicago labor movement is excited and energized to bolster worker power and protections through state legislation. Our best chance to do so is in partnership with House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, a staunch defender of working people. Speaker Madigan has steadfastly advanced workers' rights, resulting in some of the strongest prevailing wage, collective bargaining, gender pay equity, minimum wage, and worker safety laws in the country.”
It goes on to state: “Instead of political infighting, we encourage everyone to focus their energy on finding ways to support the workers who are sacrificing so much right now, especially Illinois' public employees who have risked their own health and safety to keep Illinois running during this pandemic.”
We’re not likely to hear from Madigan personally on his assessment of the situation — at least not any time soon: Next week’s scheduled fall veto session was canceled because of rising COVID-19 cases. As my colleagues note, “The decision also provides some political cover for Madigan, who is facing questions about whether his support among House Democrats is eroding due to an ongoing federal corruption investigation in which he’s been implicated but not charged, as well as over his perceived role in voters rejecting the graduated tax.” Read the story here.
The federal corruption investigation swirling around Madigan bled into arguments before a federal appeals panel this week over a lawsuit alleging Madigan conspired to put up two “sham” candidates with Hispanic names to confuse voters in the 2016 Democratic primary, the Tribune’s Jason Meisner reports.
Plaintiff Jason Gonzales wants the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower-court ruling that tossed out allegations of election fraud by Madigan’s powerful 13th Ward political operation.
But the lead attorney for Gonzales, Anthony Peraica, a one-time Republican Cook County commissioner, used the ongoing criminal investigation to try to make his point, even though the alleged misconduct in the case before the panel took place years before the federal criminal probe came to light, Meisner notes. At one point the judge interrupted him. Read the full story here.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during a news conference Nov. 4, 2020, about the coronavirus pandemic. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks: Gov. J.B. Pritzker has called for a meeting with the top legislative leaders to begin crafting a plan to fill a nearly $4 billion budget hole after last week’s resounding defeat of the proposed graduated-rate income tax amendment.
The good news: Despite the surging coronavirus pandemic, the latest estimates from Pritzker’s budget office show Illinois is on track to bring in roughly $2.2 billion more revenue than was projected when the budget year started in July.
The state still faces a huge hole in a budget that counted on an estimated $1.3 billion from the governor’s failed graduated-rate income tax proposal, and an additional $5 billion in federal COVID-19 relief aid that also was never a sure thing. That remains uncertain if Republicans maintain control of the U.S. Senate. Republican state lawmakers have blasted their Democratic colleagues for balancing the budget on unreliable revenue and aid.
The math: As it stands, Illinois’ budget calls for spending $43.1 billion from the state’s general fund but only anticipates bringing in $39.2 billion in revenue, creating a shortfall of $3.9 billion, or about 9%.
With Black women in Illinois 6 times more at risk during pregnancy and with hospitals closing, state legislators look into ‘a very dire situation,’ the Tribune’s Alison Bowen writes.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is joined on stage by her wife, Amy Eshleman, and their daughter, Vivian, during Lightfoot's inauguration ceremony May 20, 2019, in Chicago. (Jim Young / AP)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot says her decision to run for mayor can be traced back to roughly 2015 and into 2016 when she was appointed chair of then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Police Accountability Task Force, created in the wake of the 2014 police shooting of Laquan McDonald.
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During that same stretch, shootings and homicides were spiking in the city and “I spent a lot of time talking to folks about what’s going on,” the mayor said during an interview for the “Chicago Ideas” series that began airing last night. She was asked about her decision to move from successful corporate attorney to politics. What emerged was a picture of people hurting and in need of an advocate.
“When there is a problem — for me, that means I have an obligation to do something about it. I can’t just intellectualize that, I can’t just walk away and say, it’s somebody else’s problem.’ I’m just, I’m not wired that way.” Lightfoot said she began discussing it with her family.
“I had a lot of conversations with my wife, who was not too happy, and thought I was absolutely crazy when I first brought the idea to her. I just saw this opportunity to really transform the way in which our city government responded to the needs of residents, and particularly residents of color.”
You can listen to the rest of the interview, which touches on sleeplessness and how, amid a pandemic, the mayor feels a duty to impart hope to Chicagoans, here.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Archdiocese of Chicago to consolidate 6 parishes into 2 new ones as part of massive restructuring in

Archdiocese of Chicago to consolidate 6 parishes into 2 new ones as part of massive restructuring initiative

For this new consolidation , representatives from each of the six parishes submitted recommendations for the new parishes to the @ @ @ @ @ , which were then reviewed before the decisions were made , according to the news @ @

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced Monday it plans to consolidate six parishes into two new parishes as part of Renew My Church, a massive restructuring initiative aiming to rebuild and reanimate the city’s Catholic population.
The two groupings, composed of parishes in the Markham-Harvey area and the Back of the Yards neighborhood, will unite with new names no later than July 1, according to an archdiocese news release.
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The Markham-Harvey grouping will consist of the Ascension-St. Susanna Catholic Church in Harvey, the St. Gerard Majella Parish in Markham and St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Harvey.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 15746 Union Ave., in Harvey, on Nov. 10, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The other grouping will consist of parishes currently located in the Back of the Yards neighborhood: the Holy Cross-Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Joseph and St. Michael the Archangel parishes.
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The two new parishes and assigned pastors have not yet been named, but uniting as new parishes will be “necessary for future vitality and viability,” the news release said.
Since the Renew My Church plan was launched in 2016 to address changing times and declining church membership, the archdiocese has carried out massive rebuilding and restructuring plans affecting the city’s Catholic population. Earlier this year, it consolidated 23 parishes into nine parishes and closed five elementary schools.
In December, the archdiocese plans to decide on potential future groupings between the Old Irving Park/Addison and Jefferson/Portage Park parishes, according to the news release.
For this new consolidation, representatives from each of the six parishes submitted recommendations for the new parishes to the Archdiocesan Standards and Recommendations Commission, which were then reviewed before the decisions were made, according to the news release.
St. John the Baptist church will start to hold all regular scheduled Masses for the three parishes in the Markham-Harvey grouping no later than Nov. 28, 2021.
Of the Back of the Yards grouping, Holy Cross and St. Joseph will be Sunday worship centers. Immaculate Heart of Mary will no longer be used for regular worship activity and St. Michael Archangel Church will host one Sunday Mass each weekend.
There were no schools attached to the parishes, an archdiocese spokesperson said.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Officials say 8 Chicago officers were stripped of their powers following hundreds of complaints abou

Officials say 8 Chicago officers were stripped of their powers following hundreds of complaints about police conduct during summer protests

More than 500 complaints have been filed against Chicago police officers since late May on allegations that they mistreated protesters @ @ @ @ @ the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , officials said , and eight @ @ @ @ @ police powers .

More than 500 complaints have been filed against Chicago police officers since late May on allegations that they mistreated protesters during the demonstrations that followed the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, officials said, and eight have been stripped of their police powers.
The protest-related complaints were discussed Tuesday by Sydney Roberts, who heads Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability, during the final day of budget talks for all city agencies before the City Council.
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Chicago’s protest-related complaints began to roll in four days after Floyd’s May 25 death at the hands of police, officials said. His death sparked outrage throughout the country, leading to protests and unrest in several cities, Chicago included, and touched off a renewed national conversation about U.S. law enforcement’s treatment of Black Americans.
In Chicago, the protest-related complaints became so voluminous that COPA in June formed a specialized team of investigators to respond to them, officials said.
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From May 29 through the end of October, there were 520 protest-related complaints, according to COPA. The Chicago Police Department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs has handled 288 of them, while COPA has handled the remaining 232.
Jade Collier, 5, watches Chicago police officers walk by June 4, 2020, during a rally. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Details of the conduct that led to the officers being stripped of their powers were not immediately available. Five complaints referred to the city’s inspector general’s office and five more to state or federal law enforcement, according to COPA.
Both agencies handle the most serious misconduct allegations against Chicago cops. COPA generally handles investigations related to allegations of excessive force.
Some officers involved in the demonstrations were accused of verbally abusing protesters, denying them access to attorneys, carrying out improper searches and other allegations.
The troubled Police Department is operating under a consent decree, a federal court order that requires extensive changes to the way officers treat people. In early June, the former federal prosecutor tasked with monitoring the department’s progress, Maggie Hickey, said she would investigate complaints that police had abused protesters. She has yet to deliver her findings.
Hickey held listening sessions over two days in August, and heard activists complain that police had beaten and insulted peaceful protesters.
Most of the protest-related complaints arose from demonstrations during the last weekend of May and early June, according to COPA, when the city also saw widespread looting and other unrest throughout Chicago.
Other complaints were tied to a protest in mid-July at the site of a Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park, as well as a demonstration in mid-August in the Loop, according to COPA’s data.
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After the July protest, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said dozens of cops were injured during clashes with the crowd. But activists claimed the officers were the ones being overly aggressive, including when one officer was captured on video allegedly punching 18-year-old activist Miracle Boyd in the face.
Chicago Tribune’s Dan Hinkel contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--With city data on restaurant COVID-19 infections in hand, Fulton Market Association decries clampdow

With city data on restaurant COVID-19 infections in hand, Fulton Market Association decries clampdown on industry, pushes for relief

Pritzker moved to restrict indoor dining at the end of October in response to a surge in COVID-19 infections across @ @ @ @ @ bars and restaurants as “ amplification points ” for possible spread of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ backed by studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in various medical @ @

The Fulton Market Association in Chicago joined calls across the state of Illinois for more financial aid for the hurting restaurant and bar industry, adding that more transparency was needed in decisions it says threatens their survival.
On Wednesday, the association criticized the city for what it alleges is unfair targeting of restaurants with COVID-19 restrictions, and shared a list of demands the association believes will help restaurants survive the winter.
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“We can’t put the blame on restaurants who really don’t deserve it, based on the data,” said Executive Director Roger Romanelli, referring to city figures the association received from a Freedom of Information Act request seeking statistics on restaurant-related COVID-19 infections.
In his call to action, Romanelli said new financial aid Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Friday will only help a fraction of the city’s thousands of restaurants.
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Manager Richard Koskowski places bottles of hand sanitizer on tables in an outdoor tent dining area for Formento's Italian restaurant on Nov. 11, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
His association and supporting restaurateurs gathered Wednesday to call for more grant money from the city and other measures like exempting restaurants from paying rent for the rest of 2020 — a power the city likely does not have over private transactions between nongovernmental parties.
The complaint came one day after the Illinois Restaurant Association launched a new push of its #fightforillinoisrestaurants campaign on social media, asserting that “Illinois is the only state in the country where indoor dining is completely shut down,” in bold lettering.
As of Wednesday, other states have closed bars or partially restricted indoor dining, but still offer some indoor options, according to the New York Times.
The Illinois Restaurant Association’s posts go on to say that the shutter forces people into “less controlled, private gatherings with no safety precautions.”
“Restaurants in Illinois are being unjustly singled out. We have done everything asked of us, and more,” the association wrote, directly addressing Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “No one operates more safely. We must be allowed to serve indoors in some capacity. Otherwise, our state’s largest private sector employer will be pushed to the brink of permanent devastation.”
Pritzker moved to restrict indoor dining at the end of October in response to a surge in COVID-19 infections across the state. He cited bars and restaurants as “amplification points” for possible spread of the virus, and said his decision was backed by studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in various medical journals.
While declining to fight Pritzker’s order, Lightfoot did not endorse the move outright, and she encouraged residents to go out and dine in at restaurants while they still could before the ban went into effect.
“I can’t stress enough to folks, please support your local restaurants in every form,” Lightfoot said. “They need our help now more than ever, and we want to do everything we can to be supportive of them.”
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A recent study from Northwestern predicted that almost 600,000 new infections could be generated if restaurants reopened at full capacity, but that full lockdowns aren’t necessary if masking, social distancing and 20% occupancy is enforced.
Supervisor Jessica Gutierrez describes the work involved in checking at least nine tablets used for various delivery and takeout apps at Nonna's pizza and sandwich shop, attached to Formento's Italian restaurant, on Nov. 11, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
In the Fulton Market district on Wednesday, Romanelli asserted the numbers from his association’s FOIA request show that restaurants are not a main source of spread, emphasizing that restaurants have spent thousands of dollars on sanitation and ventilation while facing shutdown directives from the city.
The Fulton Market Association is a nonprofit economic development agency for the Fulton Market and West Loop neighborhoods, and is not restaurant specific. In the FOIA request Sept. 29, the association asked for data on new cases of COVID-19 in restaurant workers and restaurant customers from June through September, plus the number of restaurants fined or temporarily closed for not complying with city safety regulations.
According to the Chicago-specific data the association released Wednesday, 297 new COVID-19 cases were found among restaurant employees, and 22 restaurants were closed between June 1 and Monday. Chicago has 7,300 restaurants, according to the city’s website.
A statement from the Chicago Department of Public Health said it’s aware that public health regulations have put a “significant burden on bars, restaurants and the people they employ,” but its data and outside studies show restaurants and bars as an area of concern.
“Our case investigations and contact tracing have shown that one of the most frequent locations that people infected with COVID-19 reported visiting in the two weeks prior to their positive test was bars and restaurants,” the department said.
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It added that even when guidelines are followed, it can be difficult to maintain social distancing, and that removing masks for eating and drinking increases the risk of transmission.
The statement also mentioned that Chicago has provided more than $100 million to support businesses, conducted more than 5,000 investigations and issued 400 citations to those in violation.
“One of the many unfortunate consequences of this pandemic has been the detrimental impact on the hospitality industry, but we are committed to continuing to work with the industry to help them weather this difficult time,” the department concluded.
Many of Romanelli’s sentiments were echoed by restaurant and catering company owners, who spoke with him Wednesday. Among them were Nancy Bruni of B Hospitality Group, Ron Cain of Kuma’s Corner, Dan Conroe of City Winery, Michael Roper of Hopleaf, Anthony Waller of Catering Out the Box, Rich Ruffolo of Forno Rosso and Jodi Agee of Jefferson Tap.
“We need the city’s support,” said Conroe, marketing director at City Winery. “We need the city’s data and information to continue operating in a way so we can increase capacity again.”
Many shared how shutting down indoor dining meant almost certain death for their businesses and how they felt a sense of abandonment from the city, which they believe is using them as a scapegoat in COVID-19 reduction efforts.
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A woman walks past Formento's Italian restaurant and Nonna's, its attached pizza and sandwich shop, on Nov. 11, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
“We would like to know what the city is doing for us,” said Bruni, a partner at B Hospitality, which owns Formento’s and Nonna’s. “They’re punishing us for no reason at all. We’ve complied with every wish of the mayor. We just want to know what is next.”
Romanelli called upon the city to restore indoor dining to 25% and take legal action against the state if necessary; to distinguish between restaurants and bars in data collection; to increase financial assistance in the form of grants, tax increment financing reserves, rent relief and property tax relief; and to set up a weekly Zoom meeting between city officials and restaurants and bars to share data, discuss safety protocols and answer questions.
“We need to reassess,” Romanelli said. “We need to understand the data and the massive financial losses to our restaurants if we can’t restore indoor dining.”
gwong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Indiana’s governor reinstates some coronavirus restrictions after weeks of sharp increases in hospit

Indiana’s governor reinstates some coronavirus restrictions after weeks of sharp increases in hospitalizations, deaths

Pfizer could seek emergency approval from the federal government as soon as the third week of November , she said @ @ @ @ @ only go out after emergency approval and following an approved vaccination plan , Weaver said @ @ @ @ @ made by Moderna , could be shipped to Indiana for limited use by the of @ @ @ @ @ .

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb addresses supporters after winning his second term as governor in Indianapolis, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) (Michael Conroy/AP)
Indiana’s governor announced Wednesday that some coronavirus restrictions are being reinstated after several weeks of sharp increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.
The new steps being imposed by Gov. Eric Holcomb will limit crowd sizes in those counties at the higher-risk levels of coronavirus spread and would cover 87 of the state’s 92 counties as of Wednesday’s update from the state health department.
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Gary Health Commissioner Roland Walker said the city was planning to announce similar restrictions Friday.
“I’m not surprised at all,” he said. “This is the time of year that we are in. People are in more closed quarters. I’m glad we are taking those steps.”
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With Thanksgiving approaching, Walker said he’s concerned cases will shoot up after families with 10 to 15 people are gathering indoors.
“We are going to need all of these measures,” he said. “Limit gatherings, masks, people working virtually. This is the norm for the end of 2020 and 2021 to keep us safe.”
A new state executive order starting this weekend will limit crowd sizes to 20 people in the highest-risk red counties and 50 people in the next-riskiest orange counties. The new order will also limit capacity at K-12 sports and extracurricular events. Lake and Porter counties fall into the orange group, according to the Indiana State Department of Health dashboard.
Nine Indiana counties find themselves in the red zone.
Holcomb said he was also extending the statewide mask mandate for another month.
Holcomb had decided in late September to lift nearly all of Indiana’s business and crowd size restrictions. Since then, Indiana hospitals have seen a 200% increase in COVID-19 patients and the seven-day rolling average deaths has jumped from 10 a day to 38, just short of the state’s peak in late April.
Community Hospital in Munster is one of five pilot hospitals to get initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine for healthcare workers, Indiana State Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Lindsay Weaver said. Others include Clark Memorial in Jeffersonville, IU Methodist in Indianapolis, Deaconness in Evansville and Parkview Health in Fort Wayne.
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Pfizer could seek emergency approval from the federal government as soon as the third week of November, she said. The limited supply would only go out after emergency approval and following an approved vaccination plan, Weaver said. A second vaccine, made by Moderna, could be shipped to Indiana for limited use by the of this year, she said.
The Pfizer vaccine requires two separate shots given weeks apart and must be kept in cold storage ranging from -60 to -80 degrees Celsius.
Nearly 50 other hospitals have volunteered for shipments to immunize frontline staff, health care workers in other hospitals and other health care workers in their communities, she said. Pharmacies CVS and Walgreens are partnering with Indiana to help immunize long term care staff and residents.
“We know that a widely available vaccine is still months away,” Weaver said, “but we are confident that starting with protecting our front health care workers and those with highest risk will help reduce the burden of COVID on Hoosiers.”
Almost every Indiana county now faces higher-risk levels of coronavirus spread as the state’s sharp increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths has continued since nearly all statewide restrictions were lifted seven weeks ago.
The Indiana Department of Health listed 87 of the state’s 92 counties in the highest two of its four risk levels for in its weekly tracking map update released Wednesday, compared to 53 counties that were at those levels last week. The agency assigned the most dangerous red rating to nine counties, all in rural areas of the state. None received the lowest-level blue rating.
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State health officials on Wednesday added 31 more deaths to Indiana’s pandemic toll, raising it to 4,762 fatalities, including confirmed and presumed coronavirus infections since March.
Indiana hospitals were treating 2,544 COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday — a 200% increase since Holcomb announced on Sept. 23 his decision to leave coronavirus-related restrictions to local officials. In that time, Indiana’s seven-day rolling average COVID-19 deaths has jumped from 10 a day to 38, just short of the state’s peak in late April.
In the State Board of Health update Wednesday, Lake County has topped 20,000 positive cases with 382 new cases. There have been 401 deaths attributed to the virus, according to the state dashboard.
Porter County, according to the state, increased its positive case count by 186 Wednesday. The dashboard says there have been more than 5,500 cases and 65 deaths.
Holcomb said a day after winning reelection last week that he wasn’t planning any changes to COVID-19 policy, including no statewide closure of schools.
Reporter Meredith Colias-Pete contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--One woman killed, another injured in Kendall County shooting

Upon arrival , deputies found two women who were struck by gunfire .
They were taken to a local hospital @ @ @ @ @ women was pronounced dead while the other is still receiving treatment , Briars said Wednesday @

One woman was killed and another woman was injured in a shooting late Wednesday morning in Boulder Hill, officials said.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home in the first block of Sierra Road for a report of shots fired around 11:06 a.m., Kendall County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel Briars said.
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Upon arrival, deputies found two women who were struck by gunfire. They were taken to a local hospital, where one of the women was pronounced dead while the other is still receiving treatment, Briars said Wednesday.
The sheriff’s office is looking for any information or any video surveillance residents may have about a black SUV that left the site of the incident on Sierra Road around 11:05 a.m.
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“We are seeking any information that shows a black SUV and we are attempting to locate the vehicle and its occupants,” Briars said.
Briars said it is too early to determine a motivate for the shooting, but he believes the shooting was a targeted incident and not a random crime.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office at 630-553-5856 or email detectives@co.kendall.il.us.
mejones@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Chicago Botanic Garden's 'Lightscape'

Chicago Botanic Garden's 'Lightscape'

In its second year , Chicago Botanic Garden ’ s artistically inclined “ Lightscape ” is already mostly sold out @

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chicagotribune--2020-11-11--More than a third of Illinois teachers surveyed said they’ve  considered leaving the profession amid

More than a third of Illinois teachers surveyed said they’ve  considered leaving the profession amid COVID-19 stress: ‘I don’t know how much longer I can keep it together’

“ We are already in the middle of a teacher shortage .
Teacher retirements are at their highest rate in @ @ @ @ @ are considering switching careers , '' Griffin said .
“ We need to figure out @ @ @ @ @ people in education .
And we think the best way to do that is by @ @ @ @ @ intervene when school boards and/or administrations aren ’ t keeping their students and staff safe @ @

Maria Sinkule, a school social worker, rallies with the Addison Teachers Association in late October in support of switching to remote learning. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
More than a third of Illinois teachers surveyed said they’ve considered leaving the profession amid the safety concerns and debilitating stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials at the state’s largest teachers union said Wednesday.
The departures would arrive at a critical time coinciding with teacher shortages at many school districts across the state and a spike in teacher retirements.
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“This should sound the alarm for every person in Illinois who values our children and their education," Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin said at a virtual news conference Wednesday.
“We are already in the middle of a teacher shortage. Teacher retirements are at their highest rate in five years, and others are considering switching careers," Griffin said. “We need to figure out how to keep our talented people in education. And we think the best way to do that is by asking local health departments to intervene when school boards and/or administrations aren’t keeping their students and staff safe.”
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The warning of a potential exodus of teachers was based on a recent poll of more than 1,300 teachers across the state conducted on behalf of the teachers union by Washington, D.C.-based Normington Petts & Associates.
The participants represented a statewide cross section of kindergarten through 12th grade teachers and education employees, including support staff, psychologists, counselors and others who work with students. The survey did not include Chicago Public Schools employees, who are not represented by the IEA.
Among educators surveyed, 22% said they have considered quitting the profession or taking early retirement, and another 13% said the current circumstances have prompted them to reevaluate their career path.
The poll also illuminated the hardships educators are facing due to COVID-19-related stress, with 76% of teachers saying this school year’s workload was either somewhat or much heavier than last year, and 66% saying they have been feeling more “burned out” than usual.
Teachers also overwhelmingly expressed concerns that their district’s COVID-19 policies on required safety measures fell short in several categories, including face coverings, social distancing, adequate cleaning supplies and protocol, and appropriate PPE for staff.
In addition, when asked how likely they thought it would be for schools to reopen safely for full in-person learning for all students next semester, 69% of teachers said they felt it was either “not very” or “not at all likely.”
“I wish I could say I’m surprised so many are considering leaving the profession, but I’m not," Griffin said. “Our teachers are struggling. Our support staff are struggling. Some of them are working in school districts without a safe plan in place. Others are working in districts where there is a safe plan, but the district is not enforcing it.”
And even in school districts where everything is being done safely and appropriately, Griffin said teachers "are saddled with extreme amounts of stress and extra work.”
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Mariah Klein, a second grade teacher at Reskin Elementary School in Glendale Heights, said before the pandemic, she “couldn’t imagine a better job."
But Klein said with the recent COVID-19 surging infection rates in the area, teaching at the elementary school she attended as a child has become unbearably stressful, leading her to give serious thought to resigning from what was once her dream job.
“Nothing would break my heart more than leaving, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep it together,” Klein said.
Longtime teacher Pamela Kramer said she has a heart condition that puts her at high risk if she were to contract the virus. She said she is thinking of retiring much earlier than anticipated because she is required to teach her remote lessons not from home, but in a classroom in Highland Park School District 112.
“I can’t risk my life. … I’ll have to retire, and my students will suffer," Kramer said. “It’s not best for my students, but I also want to live and be healthy for my husband, children and grandson,” Kramer added.
Griffin said the union is also troubled by the lack of a coordinated strategy between local health departments and school districts. She also said school boards are “ignoring school leaders' advice” and that the union has asked the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics for assistance and advice on ways to improve safety.
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“School reopening is important to student well-being and education, but it can only be done if districts have and follow plans to maximize the safety of students and staff,” Dr. Daniel Johnson, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and academy board member, said in a Wednesday statement.
“We are happy to lend our expertise to schools and participate in town halls to support educators, school administrators, parents and communities on mitigation best practices,” Johnson added.
While the recent record number of COVID-19 cases has led teachers to push for a return to remote instruction, Griffin said educators “are not against in-person learning. We are against unsafe learning.”
"Based on metrics alone, in 75 of Illinois' 102 counties, and Chicago, there is evidence of significant community spread,” Griffin said. “What’s happening now is many districts aren’t following their own plans or, they aren’t following the state’s guidance.”
In regard to school districts with high rates of COVID-19, and where teachers say their voices are not being heard, Griffin said a “safety strike” would only be called as a last resort.
“We will do every single thing we can, because the last thing we want to do is not be with our kids,” Griffin said.
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kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Consumers spent a record $11.2B on video games in the third quarter. Now, the hunt is on for the new

Consumers spent a record $11.2B on video games in the third quarter. Now, the hunt is on for the new Xbox, Playstation consoles.

The space-themed game can be played with four to 10 players on the computer or a smartphone .
Players are @ @ @ @ @ and assigned a role of crewmember or impostor , and the goal is to find @ @ @ @ @ The game is similar to board games like Clue , where players need to read @ @ @ @ @ lying in order to win .

Employee Xavier Hayes speaks with Juan Avina and Timothy Jimenez at the Avondale neighborhood GameStop store in Chicago on Nov. 9, 2020. The new Xbox console set to be released this month. The couple visited the store to ask about the release. Both mentioned playing more video games during the coronavirus pandemic. "The pandemic gave me a chance to complete Assassins Creed Odyssey," said Jimenez, noting the game's duration is multiple hours. (Raquel Zaldivar / Chicago Tribune)
Like many Illinoisans who rediscovered their hobbies during a statewide shutdown earlier this year, attorney Sara Frabotta turned to video games to pass the time as her work slowed down.
The 37-year-old said she bought “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” earlier this year and hasn’t stopped playing since.
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“A bunch of friends and I play it. We can visit each other’s islands and trade stuff. I think the interactive part makes it fun,” said Frabotta, of Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood.
The video game industry has flourished as millions of Americans sheltered at home to quell the spread of the novel coronavirus. As new versions of gaming consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation are released this week, demand for video games shows no signs of slowing down.
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Consumers spent $33.7 billion on video games from January through September, compared with $27.9 billion during the same time period last year, according to The NPD Group. Spending in the third quarter reached an all-time high of $11.2 billion, up 24% from the same quarter last year, the market research firm said.
For some people, games are a way to stay connected with friends and family. More serious gamers compete for cash prizes. But many people say games are a nice diversion from the harsh realities of the outside world, including the coronavirus pandemic that continues to grip the nation.
Frabotta said she was anxious the past week because the results of the presidential election weren’t immediately known. But games have been somewhat therapeutic.
“I pick up the (Nintendo) Switch, check out my island and see what my friends are doing,” she said.
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Uncertainty has clouded other forms of entertainment like movie theaters and theme parks during the pandemic, but people have flocked to video games for a much-needed escape.
“With more time on their hands, there has been an invigorating interest in gaming as sites like Twitch and esports are starting to become more mainstream... and more welcoming to people who haven’t necessarily considered video games as a form of entertainment that’s for them,” said John Poelking, senior gaming analyst for market research company Mintel.
About 42% of gamers who use PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo have spent at least $100 on video games in the past six months, according to a report from Mintel that surveyed 2,000 U.S. gamers ages 18 and older.
One way gaming companies, including those that create games for mobile devices, are keeping gamers hooked is by offering in-game purchases, Poelking said. If people want to continue playing, the company offers additional levels for a price.
And new gaming consoles are likely to increase spending on video games as well, Poelking said.
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On Tuesday, Microsoft released its Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, which cost $499.99 and $299.99, respectively. Sony’s PlayStation 5 and PS5 digital console arrive in stores Thursday, with a price tag of $499.99 and $399.99, respectively.
Kenny Beecham, 24, of Chicago, said he bought his Xbox Series X for $750 at a markup through online marketplace OfferUp after missing the pre-order deadline. For Beecham, who is better known on Youtube as KOT4Q for his basketball gaming videos, said it was important to land the new Xbox in order to give his online audience a review.
“There is a rat race. You want to be the first when it comes to getting a new console. ... You just want to be on top of any new trends,” he said.
Frabotta said she is considering purchasing either the new Xbox or PlayStation for her husband, who is a gamer as well.
“Just tell me if you need it, so I can buy it for you for Christmas,” she said about asking her husband.
For gamers like Fabian Asllanaj, 24, multiplayer games like “Among Us” have been a way to stay connected with friends during the pandemic.
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The space-themed game can be played with four to 10 players on the computer or a smartphone. Players are dropped onto an alien spaceship and assigned a role of crewmember or impostor, and the goal is to find and eliminate the impostor. The game is similar to board games like Clue, where players need to read personalities and identify who is lying in order to win.
Asllanaj, of Elmwood Park, said the high energy and second-guessing of the game is what keeps him and his friends hooked.
“The tactics people use to convince you they’re not the killer is pretty good,” he said.
When Asllanaj isn’t playing with friends, he is on his $5,000 computer competing for cash prizes. He spends an average of four hours per day playing games in order to reach the level needed to enter competitions, where prizes start at $500.
“I’ve come close to winning. I always place top 10,” Asllanaj said.
Though games provide an escape from reality, Asllanaj said games alone won’t make you feel better about the world.
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“It doesn’t necessarily have to be games. Yes, it does help you get away from these situations, but what I’ve done personally is incorporated nature walks and hiking,” he said.
abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @abdel1019


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Soldier Field’s Veterans Day ceremony scaled down but ‘still means a lot to us at heart’

But the spirit of American veterans could still be felt inside the cold , empty stadium .
From the stadium @ @ @ @ @ historic military photographs prominently displayed on the interior walls , to the words engraved on @ @ @ @ @ , the essence of sacrifice was ubiquitous .

Amelia Zaleski, 4, and Wilson Jones, 4, wave flags as they watch a Veterans Day car parade, Nov. 11, 2020, in Arlington Heights. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Five military veterans stood side by side, with their right hands over their hearts, as a recording of the national anthem echoed through the empty Soldier Field concourse.
With America suffering in the coronavirus pandemic, Soldier Field officials held a small Veterans Day ceremony Wednesday, deviating from large-scale ceremonies of years past.
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“It’s not big events (this year), but today still means a lot to us at heart,” said Marine veteran Robert Pineda, 22. “It doesn’t change because COVID’s happening; it doesn’t mean less or more.”
This year’s ceremony was quite different from the traditional ceremony that’s been in place since the redone stadium opened in 2003 and usually attended by politicians, bands and scores of veterans and active members of the military.
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Marine veteran Jason Countryman, from left, Air Force veteran Jerry Kunz, Army veteran Aaron LaMore, Marine veteran Robert Pineda and Navy veteran Nabon Marsico walk a wreath to be placed at the Doughboy statue Nov. 11, 2020, at a Veterans Day ceremony at Soldier Field in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
This year, there were no speakers, no crowd, just a humble ceremony during which five military veterans placed a wreath in front of the Doughboy statue inside the south gate at Soldier Field. A recording of taps played after they laid the wreath.
But the spirit of American veterans could still be felt inside the cold, empty stadium. From the stadium’s name to the historic military photographs prominently displayed on the interior walls, to the words engraved on the benches inside the concourse, the essence of sacrifice was ubiquitous.
“Honor to the soldier, and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause,” was inscribed on a bench inside Soldier Field’s concourse.
Aaron LaMore, an Army veteran who enlisted straight out of high school, said Veterans Day means “everything” to him.
LaMore, 43, spoke with pride as he talked about four or five generations of his family serving in the Armed Forces.
“We all served. It’s what we did,” he said.
Navy veteran Nabon Marsico, 45, said it’s always “a little awkward” when someone thanks him for his service.
“My father was in the Army; I was in the Navy because it just felt like something I should do, not necessarily something people would thank me for.”
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Pineda said he joined the Marines so he could give back to his country.
“I decided that my country’s done so much for me, so I decided the least I could do was serve my country.”


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Easing millennial and Gen Z veterans’ path to homeownership, VA-backed loan program sees historic gr

Easing millennial and Gen Z veterans’ path to homeownership, VA-backed loan program sees historic growth: ‘They’re turning to it in waves.’

And there remains a real need for the VA Home Loan program ; after the Great Recession , many mortgage @ @ @ @ @ loans .
Particularly for younger veterans and active service members , those restrictions made it @ @ @ @ @ scores for VA borrowers are lower on average , and it can take many years @ @ @ @ @ to save up for a conventional down payment , Birk said .

Adam Seidler set several goals to hit by the time he turned 30 — start a family, own a home.
With the help of a loan from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, he achieved them. This year, he purchased a five-bedroom home for his family in Diamond, Illinois.
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“It was pretty smooth sailing,” he said.
Seidler, 30, is one of many millennial veterans capitalizing on their ability to secure a VA Home Loan, a program that started in 1944. Decades later, the initiative has provided the most loans in its history this year, helping more military families buy homes than ever before.
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Adam Seidler with daughter, Paisley, 4, at home in Diamond, Nov. 11, 2020. Seidler, 30, is a Marine veteran who bought his home in Diamond. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“To me, that’s one of the most remarkable and rewarding things about it,” said Chris Birk, vice president of mortgage insight at Veterans United Home Loans. “Seventy-six years later, it is still fulfilling its original mission to level the playing field.”
During the 2020 fiscal year, the agency backed more than 1 million federal loans — the most in its history, Birk said. Companies like his provide private loans to veterans partially backed by the VA as a way of easing the path toward homeownership for veterans and service members.
And despite many nonmilitary millennials having a tough time buying homes — often saddled with student debt and working to save for a down payment — millennial and Gez Z veterans accounted for half of all VA purchase loans in fiscal year 2020, he said.
“So many millennials are stuck on the sidelines because they don’t have great credit, they don’t have the savings for a down payment,” Birk said. “Younger veterans and service members are really ahead of the curve when it comes to homebuying, (compared with) their civilian counterparts.”
Across the Chicago metropolitan area, VA loans doubled from 2019 to 2020, growing from 7,313 to 14,913. Of those, loans for millennials and Gen Z buyers are also up, from 1,950 VA-backed loans in 2019 to 2,473 this year — making Chicago one of the top 50 cities for the demographic.
“Younger veterans and service members are the ones absolutely driving that growth,” Birk said.
Veteran Adam Seidler with daughters Paisley, 4, and Addy, 8, right, at their home in Diamond, Nov. 11, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Adam Seidler makes breakfast for daughters Paisley, 4, and Addy, 8, left, with their dog, Mac, at home in Diamond, Nov. 11, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The program helps service members, veterans and eligible surviving spouses become homeowners. The loans are provided by private lenders — banks and companies like Veterans United — and the federal agency guarantees part of the loan. According to the VA, the length of service or service commitment, duty stats and character of service determine eligibility for specific home loan benefits.
Veterans generally enjoy above-average financial well-being compared with the average U.S. adult, according to a 2019 analysis by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. While military benefits do help them establish financial stability, though, veterans also have unique challenges posed by frequent relocation, deployment, war-related trauma and higher levels of unemployment during their first year after service.
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And there remains a real need for the VA Home Loan program; after the Great Recession, many mortgage lenders tightened eligibility for home loans. Particularly for younger veterans and active service members, those restrictions made it harder, as FICO credit scores for VA borrowers are lower on average, and it can take many years after service for military families to save up for a conventional down payment, Birk said.
“It left a lot of veterans and military families on the sidelines,” Birk said. “This is a demographic that believes in homeownership.”
So VA loans, long lauded for perks like requiring no down payment and offering historically low interest rates, became something people are “rediscovering,” he said.
“Veterans are seeing other veterans in their lives and their communities using this benefit, realizing what it can do for them,” he said. “They’re turning to it in waves.”
Birk said many assume they need to be a veteran, but those in active service also are eligible. And people can use it multiple times.
He attributes the jump in loans in part to people refinancing as home interest rates are low, but also to young people reaching an age where they are buying.
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Seider said he knew the loan would be a benefit from serving. Many of his friends have used the program as well. Now, he and his wife and two children enjoy the space they have in their new home. He even refinanced this month, using the VA loan program.
He spent a few years preparing his credit to be what he needed for the loan he wanted, he said. But he would recommend this process to anyone: “It’s not as scary and as hard as people think,” he said.
“I kind of hit all my goals,” he said. “Now I gotta make new goals.”
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Veterans Day 2020 in Chicagoland

Veterans Day 2020 in Chicagoland

WFLD-Ch .
32 morning meteorologist Mike Caplan sold his five-bedroom house in Wadsworth on Oct. 30 , 2020 , for @ @ @


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area

Among the metrics ( see below ) tracked under guidelines set by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses , and the capacity of hospitals @ @ @ @ @ state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
To assess how different parts of Illinois are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, officials look at the state through the 11 regions of Emergency Medical Services. The city of Chicago is one region, for example, and the rest of Cook County is another.
Among the metrics (see below) tracked under guidelines set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of coronavirus tests that return positive, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses, and the capacity of hospitals to take in new patients.The state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics. (Cases, deaths and tests data is as of Dec. 31).
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus.
• Other Chicago, suburbs and Illinois COVID-19 metrics.
• See how the governor’s plan to manage the regions works.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Created by the Chicago Tribune dataviz team. On Twitter @chitribgraphics


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

Search below by street address , ZIP code or city , then click on the map to see the number @ @ @ @ @ state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer .

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
Illinois releases the number of positive COVID-19 cases by ZIP code daily. The map below shows the cumulative cases for each area as well as other analysis of the data.
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Tracking daily Illinois coronavirus deaths, cases and tests.
Search below by street address, ZIP code or city, then click on the map to see the number of confirmed and probable cases. The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer.
Data as of June 10.
The map search tool above works best in Chrome or Firefox and may not perform consistently in Internet Explorer.
Note: Because of a coding error this map was displaying the incorrect rates for new cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 people — the issue should now be resolved.. The Tribune adjusted the data shown on the map below to focus on new cases, those the state tracked in the last 7 seven days. The totals for the entire pandemic are still available, but in the pop-up after tapping or clicking on a ZIP.


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 145 new deaths, 12,657 new confirmed and probable cases and 93,46

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 145 new deaths, 12,657 new confirmed and probable cases and 93,464 new test results

Illinois announced 12,657 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Wednesday for a total of 523,840 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 10,434 and 93,464 new test results for a total of 8.66 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--2020-11-11--Chicago man arrested in 2019 shooting death of teen; girl’s body found in Gary alley

Lake County investigators released a photo of a T-shirt similar to the one Takaylah was wearing along with a composite @ @ @ @ @ an effort to identify her later that month , after which several of her family @ @ @ @ @ the images .
They said at the time they hadn ’ t seen the girl @ @ @

A Chicago man was arrested Tuesday in the shooting death of a 14-year-old Chicago girl found in a Gary alley last fall.
U.S. Marshals arrested the man, 35, for the killing of Takaylah Tribitt around 11:30 a.m. Nov. 10 in Chicago, police said. He’s currently waiting extradition, according to a Lake County Sheriff’s office release.
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Officials are awaiting formal charges.
Utility workers found Takaylah’s body near East 20th Avenue and Pennsylvania Street Sept. 16, 2019, the Post-Tribune previously reported. She appeared to have been dead for two days, previous reports said.
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Lake County investigators released a photo of a T-shirt similar to the one Takaylah was wearing along with a composite sketch of her face in an effort to identify her later that month, after which several of her family members contacted investigators after seeing the images. They said at the time they hadn’t seen the girl in weeks.
Takaylah was identified through DNA analysis in December.
“I would like to commend all of the officers involved in investigating this case and making an arrest,” Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said in a release.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Chicago’s travel quarantine list now rates states yellow, orange or red. Here’s what you need to kno

Chicago’s travel quarantine list now rates states yellow, orange or red. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a large fine.

There are limited exceptions to the quarantine order for essential workers who have to travel for work .
Travelers who @ @ @ @ @ Chicago but who have to be in Chicago to work and who traveled to an @ @ @ @ @ work do not need to quarantine .
Travelers who live in Chicago and who travel @ @ @ @ @ work do not have to quarantine , according to the order .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Dick DeGray, of Brattleboro, Vt., puts on his mask before going into the Municipal Building, in Brattleboro, as the town started to require visitors and staff to put their masks back on Aug. 11, 2021, due to COVID-19 virus numbers increasing in Windham County. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer)
Chicago has revamped its travel quarantine order to reflect rising rates of the coronavirus in Chicago and the rest of Illinois, moving from a blanket list of states to a color-coded list comparing the rate of infection here with that in other states.
On Tuesday, the city added New York, California and Washington, D.C., to its orange list, requiring all travelers from those states to either quarantine or prove they have had a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before arriving in Chicago. Idaho was moved from the stricter red list to the orange list.
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Under the original version of the emergency travel order, states had been added to the list when they reached an infection rate greater than 15 cases per 100,000 residents and removed once the daily case average remains below that rate for two consecutive weeks.
Now, the city is using a color-coded list, which will be updated every two weeks.
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“First and foremost, I would like people to avoid travel at this time if at all possible. But by creating a tiered system and using Chicago’s case rate as a category threshold, it allows us to be responsive to the changing dynamics of the pandemic,” said city health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
States that weren’t on the quarantine list that were added to the orange list the first week were Michigan, Connecticut, Arizona, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Oregon, Washington and Louisiana.
Yellow-coded states are those with a rolling seven-day average below 15 cases per day per 100,000 residents. Anyone returning from these states doesn’t have to quarantine. Three states qualified as of Tuesday.
Orange-coded states are those with a rolling seven-day average between 15 cases per day per 100,000 residents and Chicago’s rolling seven-day average, which was 60 as of Tuesday. People traveling from these states must either quarantine for 14 days or show they had a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before arrival in Chicago. There were 35 orange states, plus Washington, D.C., as of Tuesday.
Red-coded states are those with a rolling seven-day average above Chicago’s. Anyone traveling from these states has to quarantine. There were 11 red-coded states as of Tuesday.
People who commute across the Indiana or Wisconsin state lines to or from Chicago to work or go to school will be exempt from the quarantine rule, a nod to the symbiotic relationship between the neighboring states. But workers in Chicago from Indiana will be expected to avoid restaurants, bars and other public spaces in the city.
Here’s what you need to know about the city’s quarantine policies:
City says people will be fined
Anyone who visits red-listed states should stay inside for two weeks upon their return or risk a fine of $100 to $500 per day, according to the city. Those who visit orange-listed states are subject to the same fines if they don’t have a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine.
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Despite the list’s fluctuating size, enforcement of the order so far has been nonexistent, save for some billboards and signs that Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said are intended to “educate” people into compliance.
Lightfoot’s initial self-quarantine requirement was implemented during the Fourth of July weekend.
If city contact tracers get information that people who’ve caught the virus were in proximity to someone from a quarantine state and flouted the rules, they’ll issue a citation, Arwady has said.
They’ll also be on the lookout for people who are on social media “flagrantly posting their social activities, clearly out and about in Chicago after being in settings that are subject to our quarantine order, within the time frame,” she said. Investigators will look into any reports about city workers not following the guidelines, the health commissioner said.
Arwady has since clarified that the city “is not Big Brother,” nor does it have the resources to dedicate anyone to aimlessly scroll feeds from Chicagoans.
But if the agency receives a tip or is already looking into someone to determine whether to fine them, that’s when the city may scour social media.
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“One of the easiest ways to sort of get enough proof … without me having to send out an inspector … is to look at social media,” Arwady said.
Details for travelers
The order has plenty of exceptions for different types of workers and depending on how long travelers spend in the listed states.
If someone drives through a state on the list but does not stay more than 24 hours, that person does not need to quarantine. But a city employee clarified that Chicagoans who choose to drive into Wisconsin and go out in public, regardless of whether they return later in the same day, do need to quarantine after such voluntary activities.
For example, Chicagoans who drive through Indiana (a red-listed state), Ohio and New York (orange-listed states) to spend a week in Vermont (a yellow-listed state) but who did not stay in Indiana and Ohio more than 24 hours do not need to quarantine. There are similar restrictions for air travelers. .
Travelers visiting Chicago from red- or orange-listed states also are subject to the order if they are staying longer than a day. Everyone older than age 2 who lands at a Chicago airport is required to wear a mask, then quarantine if they’ve come from a listed state.
If someone is staying with a Chicago resident after traveling to an affected state, the traveler must quarantine, but other people in the home who did not travel to a listed state are not required to quarantine. The resident should follow guidance for being around someone who has potentially been exposed.
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Travelers or area residents who leave a Chicago airport and immediately travel to a suburb or outside Chicago limits are not required to quarantine — unless their municipality also has a travel restriction in place. The order also states that face coverings should be worn and that public transportation should not be used by those headed outside city limits.
Testing and exceptions to quarantine requirements in the revised rules
Under the guidance revised in November, Chicago residents returning from travel in red states or residents of red states who travel to the city are required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival here, according to the city travel order website.
People in similar circumstances entering Chicago from orange states must either quarantine for 14 days or, with a “pre-arrival negative test result” from no more than three days before traveling to Chicago, may choose instead to employ “strict masking, social distancing and avoidance of in-person gatherings.”
There also is an option for those who can’t get a test while visiting an orange state, such as a visit not much longer than 24 hours. Someone can quarantine upon arrival in Illinois until a test can be arranged locally, according to the city’s travel order website. The test needs to be issued by a private provider because of concerns about limited capacity at public health testing sites.
“If you cannot be tested for COVID-19 prior to arriving in Chicago and do not take a post-arrival test, you must quarantine for 14 days (or the duration of your stay, whichever is shorter),” according to the website.
Essential workers and other exceptions
For those who live outside Chicago but work in the city, it’s important to determine whether you’re an essential or nonessential worker according to the executive order.
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There are limited exceptions to the quarantine order for essential workers who have to travel for work. Travelers who don’t live in Chicago but who have to be in Chicago to work and who traveled to an orange- or red-listed state for work do not need to quarantine. Travelers who live in Chicago and who travel to a listed state for work do not have to quarantine, according to the order.
But if workers go to a listed state when they didn’t have to, or for medical care, or because of parental shared custody, they would be subject to quarantine.
People who work in Chicago and live elsewhere can do so if they haven’t traveled to a high-incidence state. If they have traveled to a high-incidence state, they are subject to requirements regarding essential workers who are Chicago residents.
For the purposes of the order, an “essential worker” is a person who works in any one of the 16 critical employment sectors. The term also includes any government workers traveling in their official capacities. Essential workers must:
Avoid any nonessential interactions until the quarantine period has ended. They must limit themselves to work-related activities and related functions, and avoid public spaces as much as possible.
Monitor temperature and signs of symptoms, wear a face covering when in public, maintain social distance, and clean and disinfect workspaces.
Avoid as much as possible extended periods in public, contact with strangers and large congregate settings.
What does quarantine mean?
According to the emergency travel order, quarantine means staying at one place for 14 days before doing any activities outside of the home. Included in the restrictions:
Not go out in public or otherwise leave home, unless seeking medical care or COVID-19 testing.
Wear a face covering and do not use public transit if seeking medical care or testing, or when traveling to or from an airport, train station or bus station.
Don’t go to the grocery store; instead have food and other supplies delivered.
Stay in separate quarters with a separate bedroom and, if possible, use a separate bathroom than non-traveling household members.
Travelers still must quarantine even if they had a negative COVID-19 test because people “can develop symptoms and become contagious up to 14 days from their last exposure.”
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Are the rules different for each state or territory?
Generally, the emergency order is applied uniformly to any state or territory on the list. However, with neighboring states, travelers should pay close attention to what constitutes a visit and distinctions between essential and nonessential workers.
What are the state lists?
The following is a rolling list of states on Chicago’s red, orange and yellow lists. The lists will be updated every two weeks:
Red-listed states (11): Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Orange-listed states and Puerto Rico (36): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
Yellow-listed states (3): Hawaii, Maine and Vermont.
Chicago Tribune’s Alice Yin, John Byrne and Gregory Pratt contributed.
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Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Blue Line service suspended for hours after 'L’ train hits tire from car that crashed near Harlem

Because of the derailment , trains had been operating in two sections , between O ’ Hare and Rosemont , @ @ @ @ @ Forest Park , with shuttle buses between Rosemont and Jefferson Park , according to the @ @ @ @ @ about 8:15 a.m. , with residual delays , according to a CTA alert .

A crash on the Kennedy Expressway led to the derailment of a CTA Blue Line “L” train Wednesday morning, sending two people to the hospital with minor injuries and disrupting service on the line for hours, officials said.
Service was disrupted for almost three hours between the Rosemont and Jefferson Park stations after a train hit a vehicle tire on the tracks near Harlem and derailed around 5:30 a.m., according to the CTA.
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A vehicle traveling south on Interstate 90 at Cumberland Avenue lost its tire, Trooper Omoayena Williams wrote in an email. It continued and lost a second tire, which landed on the Blue Line tracks near Harlem Avenue.
“A CTA train collided with the tire which landed on the train tracks,” according to Williams.
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CTA workers at the scene of a Blue Line train derailment near the Harlem stop in the 5500 block of North Harlem Avenue on Nov. 11, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Two passengers from the CTA train were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries and no one else was reported hurt, Williams said.
The CTA initially said in a tweet that trains were standing near Harlem because of debris on the tracks, then later clarified that service was suspended because of a derailment there.
CTA officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Morning rush traffic on the inbound Kennedy Expressway passes a CTA Blue Line train beginning to head north after it had derailed earlier in the morning near the Harlem stop in the 5500 block of North Harlem Avenue, on Nov. 11, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Because of the derailment, trains had been operating in two sections, between O’Hare and Rosemont, and between Jefferson Park and Forest Park, with shuttle buses between Rosemont and Jefferson Park, according to the CTA. Full service resumed about 8:15 a.m., with residual delays, according to a CTA alert.
“Some trains and platforms may be busier than usual as crews work to restore normal service,” it said.
For more travel information, check the CTA’s website.
Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Nov. 10 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

In the Chicago area , full-service restaurants and hotels were singled out as contributing “ far more to infections ” @ @ @ @ @ according to the study , which has been peer reviewed and was placed on Nature @ @ @ @ @ to final editing .
The travel period examined dates to March and May , before @ @ @ @ @ summer and now in the fall .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois set another daily record for newly confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Tuesday as the total number of cases since the pandemic began soared past a half-million.
In addition to 12,623 newly confirmed and probable cases, state public health officials also reported an additional 79 deaths Tuesday, raising the statewide death toll to 10,289. The state has now logged 511,183 known coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
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The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 12% for the period ending Monday, up from 8% on Nov. 1.
The new figures come as city officials said Chicago will add Michigan to its travel order this week, but there is a way for residents returning from that state to avoid the mandatory two-week quarantine.
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Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
6:10 p.m.: Study singles out restaurants, hotels as big contributors to COVID-19 infections in Chicago area
Limiting capacities in certain types of businesses could substantially reduce the spread of COVID-19, while still allowing those businesses to stay open and make money, a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature suggests.
The study used a complex statistical model to predict the non-residential places where most infections occur, analyzing travel patterns identified through the movement of mobile phones along with data on COVID-19 cases recorded in scores of census tracts in 10 major U.S. metropolitan regions, including the Chicago area.
Looking at what researchers called “points of interest” -- gathering places like restaurants, hotels, churches, gyms and grocery stores -- they found that, in Chicago, about 10% of these sites could be considered “superspreader” locations because they were projected to be the source of about 85% of all infections occurring at the points of interest.
In the Chicago area, full-service restaurants and hotels were singled out as contributing “far more to infections” among the superspreader locations, according to the study, which has been peer reviewed and was placed on Nature’s website Tuesday prior to final editing. The travel period examined dates to March and May, before the surges seen during the summer and now in the fall.
The researchers, from Northwestern and Stanford universities, suggested that reducing the maximum capacity by 20% at the types of places that are causing disease to spread would cut infections by 80% while reducing visits to the businesses by only 42%.
Taking that step would reduce the number of visits to the businesses “during the most risky high-density periods” while allowing the usual flow of customers at less busy times, according to the study.
“These results support earlier findings that precise interventions, like reducing maximum occupancy, may be more effective than less targeted measures, while incurring substantially lower economic costs,” the study states.
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The study also found that people from lower-income census tracts were “substantially likelier” to visit superspreader locations, partly explaining the higher rates of infection in their communities. The data showed that grocery stores visited by people from lower-income areas had 59% more hourly visitors per square foot, with people staying in those stores 17% longer on average -- a recipe that raises the risk of transmission.
The researcher made five suggestions: tighter occupancy caps on certain types of businesses; emergency food distribution centers to reduce density at certain businesses; free, widely available testing in higher risk neighborhoods; improved paid leave for essential workers so they can stop going to work when sick; and improved workplace infection prevention, including better personal protective equipment, better ventilation and improved social distancing.
—Hal Dardick
5:15 p.m.: Coronavirus pandemic forces changes in Chicagoland Veterans Day ceremonies
With the nation grappling with another surge in COVID-19 cases, the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt almost every aspect of life, including how we publicly celebrate the veterans who served our country.
While many celebrations have been canceled, many places in Chicagoland have found alternate ways to honor America’s service members.
The city of Chicago traditionally hosts a Veterans Day ceremony at Soldier Field. This year, the city will observe Veterans Day with a virtual ceremony that will air on the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events YouTube channel and the Chicago mayor’s office Facebook page, city officials said.
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The ceremony will be recorded in the Grand Army of the Republic Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center and the Victory Monument. Like Chicago, the city of Aurora will also be broadcasting a virtual remembrance event on the city’s Facebook page.
Although there will not be a large ceremony at Soldier Field, the state’s largest war memorial, there will be an abbreviated observance that will include a memorial wreathe laying.
Read more here. —Javonte Anderson
4:45 p.m.: Illinois General Assembly cancels fall session amid coronavirus concerns
Illinois legislators are not expected to return to Springfield in 2020 amid ongoing concerns about convening hundreds of lawmakers and staff as the coronavirus again surges across the state.
House and Senate leaders “will be announcing the cancellation of the veto session,” House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff Jessica Basham wrote in an email to lawmakers Tuesday afternoon.
“There is a strong majority of members who would prefer the House delay convening to a later date; this is primarily motivated by concerns about the rising COVID-19 rates and proximity to upcoming holidays,” Basham wrote.
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The pandemic also cut the General Assembly’s spring session drastically short. Lawmakers were due to return to the Capitol Tuesday for the first day of the six-day fall veto session, but are instead expected to return in January. The next General Assembly is due to be inaugurated Jan. 13.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella
4:25 p.m.: Should you get tested for COVID-19 before your Thanksgiving gathering? Here’s what the experts say.
Carrie Mangoubi had a plan for Thanksgiving.
She’d ask her guests to quarantine for two weeks before the holiday, or quarantine for one week and then get tested for COVID-19 right before Thanksgiving. Her family members agreed to the arrangement.
But amid travel concerns and rising cases of COVID-19, Mangoubi, 40, abandoned her plan to host the holiday dinner. She now anticipates a quiet Thanksgiving at her Gold Coast home with her husband and two young children.
Mangoubi isn’t the only one weighing the role that COVID-19 testing can play as the holidays approach. Families across the Chicago area, who are desperate to save Thanksgiving, are wondering whether testing can bring peace of mind to their dinner tables. .
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“It’s a very difficult question,” said Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “It sounds like it should be so easy, but it’s not easy at all.”
Some medical experts say testing could add a layer of protection when combined with quarantining before the holiday. Others say families are better off sticking to other strategies, such as masks, social distancing or avoiding in-person gatherings altogether.
Read more here. —Lisa Schenker and Hal Dardick
3:35 p.m.: Chicago alderman calls for crackdown on COVID-19 ‘super spreader’ hotel parties
With Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker cracking down on restaurants and bars around Chicago to try to stop coronavirus spread, aldermen argued Tuesday that large unregulated parties in hotels and vacation rentals are increasingly causing trouble during this phase of the pandemic.
During Business Affairs Commissioner Rosa Escareno’s hearing on her department’s 2021 budget plan, several City Council members complained about the apparent disconnect between state rules requiring taverns to stop serving patrons inside and for those businesses and restaurants to stop serving alcohol by 11 p.m., and the proliferation of house and hotel parties they say are occurring around the city.
While Pritzker put the rules in place at the state level, Lightfoot has taken her own steps in recent weeks to toughen restrictions on bar and restaurant hours of operation and liquor sales times in response to rising case counts.
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Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, said Tuesday that bars and restaurants have been doing a decent job enforcing COVID-19 distancing rules.
Private hotel parties, by contrast, largely fall outside the ability of the city to keep track of them. He said the tighter rules on bars and restaurants “only is going to grow the opportunity for these super spreader events in hotels, Air BNB and private residences.”
“We are incentivizing the use of hotel rooms downtown for these big parties,” Reilly said. “Hotel rates are cheap and lots of kids are coming down here and renting out these hotel rooms on the weekend. And these aren’t parties of five or six people. We’re talking 60, 70, 80 people, and these are in licensed hotels.”
“Huge groups, totally unregulated, no masks, no distancing. Spreader events,” Reilly said. “Bars and restaurants are being penalized for all that bad behavior, in my view.”
Read more here. —John Byrne
1 p.m.: Michigan added to Chicago’s revamped travel order — with new exceptions to avoid quarantine
Chicago will add Michigan to its travel order this week, city officials announced Tuesday, but there is a way for residents returning from that state to avoid the mandatory two-week quarantine.
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Up until this week, any state averaging an infection rate higher than 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period was added to the list, and travelers had to quarantine for two weeks after returning to Chicago. Starting Friday, the city’s mandatory quarantine list will be divided into three tiers — red, orange and yellow — to match the level of outbreak.
In the red zone, travelers from states above Chicago’s number of daily cases per 100,000 residents, which is now 60, must still quarantine for 14 days. For yellow states, or those below that threshold, there are no restrictions beyond the usual masking and social distancing requirements.
But for orange states, which will be designated as those reporting above the 15-cases per 100,000 residents constraint but below Chicago’s own rolling seven-day average, travelers can either quarantine for two weeks or test negative no more than 72 hours before arriving in the city.
Though Michigan will be in the orange, Illinois' neighbors Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa are all red as the Midwest grapples with a grueling autumn wave of the virus.
The new system was created partly to address that COVID-19 numbers in Chicago are sometimes higher than those of the states on the quarantine list, the city said.
“First and foremost, I would like people to avoid travel at this time if at all possible. But by creating a tiered system and using Chicago’s case rate as a category threshold, it allows us to be responsive to the changing dynamics of the pandemic,” said public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
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Read more here. —Alice Yin
12:15 p.m.: 12,623 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 79 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 12,623 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 79 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 511,183 and the statewide death toll to 10,289 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 101,955 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 12%.
—Chicago Tribune staff
8:02 a.m. Chicago expected to update emergency travel order
Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady was scheduled to update the city’s emergency travel order Tuesday afternoon.
The travel order currently lists 31 states and territories with high rates of COVID-19 infections. Anyone who travels to the listed states and returns to Chicago is required to quarantine with some exceptions.
The city last week skipped changing the list of states, after adding Florida to the list the prior week and warning Michigan could soon be added.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
7:35 a.m.: Grubhub, Boston-based nonprofit offer winterization grants to restaurants
Grubhub and the Boston-based Restaurant Strong Fund are offering grants of up to $10,000 to restaurants in Chicago, Boston, New York or Philadelphia with five or fewer locations, with applications open through Nov. 21, according to a news release.
The grants are designed to help smaller restaurant businesses prepare for winter, and applications can be submitted through the nonprofit’s website.
The grants will allow businesses to “address needs for additional infrastructure and equipment to extend outdoor dining, increased personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect their employees, and other necessities to get them through the cold-weather months,” according to the release.
The program is being funded with $2 million from food-delivery app and service GrubHub’s Community Relieft Fund, which was created in the spring to assist the company’s drivers, restaurants and others affected by COVID-19.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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In case you missed it
Here are five things that happened Monday regarding COVID-19:


chicagotribune--2020-11-12--12-year-old boy shot while sitting in parked car with father on West Side

The boy was hit in the back , lower backside , hip and leg , and was taken to Stroger @ @ @ @ @ police said .
His father was not hurt .

Police work the scene where a 12-year-old boy was shot while sitting in a parked vehicle Nov. 11, 2020, in the 1400 block of South Ridgeway Avenue. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Lamar Davis was 2 when he left Chicago with his mother.
Now 12, he is moving back to the city and getting closer to his extended family — and learning just how dangerous his new home is.
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Wednesday night, he was with his father to pick up school supplies from a family friend when a maroon SUV pulled up just in front of their car parked in the 1400 block of South Ridgeway Avenue in Lawndale, police say.
As the boy’s father talked on the phone, someone in the back seat of the SUV rolled down the window and fired several rounds from a .45-caliber handgun.
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The seventh grader was hit in the back, lower backside, hip and leg, and was taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition. His father was not hurt.
“I freaked out and rushed to the hospital,” said Lamar’s mother, Melisa Robinson, 30, adding she learned of the attack from the friend with the school supplies. "He’s a strong baby.''
Lamar was able to talk to his mom at the hospital and told her he had no idea who shot him or why. “He was just sitting there in the car and someone shot him,” she said. “Kids can’t go outside, they can’t do anything.”
Lamar Davis, 12, was shot multiple times on Nov. 11, 2020, about 9 p.m. in the 1400 block of South Ridgeway Avenue in the Lawndale neighborhood. Lamar is pictured here, while at his aunt's home.
The boy was released from Stroger Thursday afternoon, but will go back to the hospital early next week for a follow-up appointment.
Robinson said Lamar spent the first two years of his life in Chicago but they moved to Bloomington, Indiana. They are now in the process of moving back to Chicago so Lamar can be closer to his relatives.
He likes playing football but found a new love last year: basketball. He is the oldest of six and has two sisters and three brothers. “He is protective of them,” his mother said.
No arrests had been made, but police said they were reviewing surveillance tape from nearby homes and a school.
“Everybody just needs to think about what’s going on in the world and try not to harm others,” Robinson said. "I am just grateful he is OK.''
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Police work the scene where a 12-year-old boy was shot while sitting in a parked vehicle Nov. 11, 2020, in the 1400 block of South Ridgeway Avenue in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
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