chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Pritzker says state has distributed 20 million PPE items as new kno

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Pritzker says state has distributed 20 million PPE items as new known cases of COVID-19 push Illinois count above 50,000

State officials Wednesday reported another 92 deaths in Illinois related to the coronavirus , as the statewide death toll reached 2,215 .
Officials also announced 2,253 new known cases of COVID-19 , bringing total to 50,355 .
That ’ s the sixth time in the past seven days that the number of new cases has topped 2,000 .
The new numbers came the same day three Republican state lawmakers criticized Pritzker for allegedly exceeding his emergency powers by extending Illinois ’ stay-at-home order past 30 days without legislative approval .
Pritzker previously called a GOP state representative ’ s lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political stunt ” and decried the judge ’ s ruling , which exempted the GOP lawmaker from the statewide directive , as “ absurd.
” On Wednesday , a second GOP representative sued over the governor ’ s directive , which Pritzker called “ another attempt at grandstanding.
” A River Grove firefighter and paramedic who had tested positive for COVID-19 but appeared to be on the mend died early Wednesday from a stroke , officials said .
Robert “ David ” Reisinger , 57 , who had been with the department for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EMS system coordinator at Stroger Hospital in Chicago , became ill several weeks ago along with a co-worker who had been on the same ambulance , fire Chief Sean Flynn said .
Reisinger had gotten better and was scheduled to return to work Wednesday , Flynn said , but suffered a stroke Monday .
The Cook County medical examiner ’ s office does not list COVID-19 as a factor in Reisinger ’ s death , but researchers have found links between the virus and some types of strokes .
His husband , Kuanwu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events to be coincidental .
“ It ’ s still unpredictable what this virus will do to a human body , ” said Lin , a psychologist who is also recovering from COVID-19 .
“ We are still learning about it .
...
If this was related to COVID-19 , then it makes this virus even more powerful , and therefore we can not be too cautious.
” Read more here .
—John Keilman Highwood vodka-maker 28 Mile Distilling Co. is joining the ranks of Chicagoland distilleries lending their facilities to the production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The distillery , named for its 28-mile distance from Chicago , will donate the hand sanitizer — which includes nearly 12,000 16-ounce bottles — to the Chicago Police Department .
It ’ s the largest donation of sanitizer that the department has received yet .
The key ingredient in hand sanitizers is neutral grain spirit , which is essentially vodka .
The spirit is combined with glycerin and hydrogen peroxide to make hand sanitizer .
Distilleries across the Chicago area and the nation have been pivoting to make the sanitizer during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 Mile Distilling Co. product will be distributed to officers Thursday at the Police Academy .
—Adam Lukach 5:36 p.m. : Trump order keeps meatpacking plants open , but effect on Illinois facilities is uncertain President Donald Trump has ordered meat processing plants to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic even as they have emerged as hotspots for worker illnesses in Illinois and elsewhere , laying bare the challenge of keeping the nation ’ s food supply chain intact while protecting workers on crowded production lines .
Trump , in an executive order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act to prevent meat plant closures , saying they “ threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain , undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency . ''
Unions and workers rights advocates said the action jeopardizes worker safety .
The order came as COVID-19 cases prompted a growing number of major slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities to temporarily shut down , sometimes under pressure from local authorities .
The closures have sent ripples across the supply chain as farmers lost markets for their livestock and grocers braced for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 20 meatpacking plants have closed temporarily over the past two months , including three in Illinois that shuttered last week .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear Wednesday what the order means for those facilities .
Smithfield Foods , the world ’ s largest pork producer , indefinitely shuttered a large pork plant in Monmouth Friday after a “ small portion ” of its 1,700 employees tested positive for COVID-19 , and it closed a smaller plant in St. Charles , where 325 people work , on orders from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing and take other safety measures .
Hormel closed an 800-worker plant in Rochelle that makes bacon and deli meats on orders from the Ogle County Health Department , with plans to reopen May 4 .
Monmouth Mayor Rod Davies said he is eager to see work resume at the Smithfield plant , which is a huge employer in his town of about 10,000 people , but is concerned about doing it in a way that keeps workers safe .
Read more here .
—Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz State Rep. Darren Bailey request for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being dangerous — is flawed as a matter of law , ” Attorney General Kwame Raoul ’ s office argues in the filing with Illinois 5th District Appellate Court .
The filing comes two days after a Clay County judge issued a temporary order freeing Bailey from Pritzker ’ s directive , which is aimed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus .
Read more here .
—Dan Petrella Applications for the licenses were due Jan. 1 and were set to be awarded May 1 .
The Illinois Department of Financial and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Wednesday that it will not award the licenses until the end of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation , or until the state announces another date .
The licenses offer the first path into Illinois ’ burgeoning marijuana industry for people who didn ’ t already operate a cannabis facility .
Though recreational sales started in the state Jan. 1 , only existing operators were allowed to participate .
The delay means those existing operators will continue to control Illinois ’ marijuana market , which has delivered some of the highest first months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about $ 110.2 million on legal weed in the first three months of sales .
It is unclear how long the new dispensaries will be delayed in opening .
Once the state does award a license , the recipient has 180 days to find a location for the dispensary .
The state must then inspect the location .
Read more here .
—Ally Marotti 3:26 p.m. : Facing ongoing ridership drop , Metra cuts service on three of its least busy lines Faced with an ongoing ridership slump due to the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its three least busy lines starting Monday , May 4 .
On the Heritage Corridor , which runs between Union Station and Joliet , and the North Central Service , which goes between Union Station and Antioch , the schedule will be reduced to one inbound trip in the morning and one outbound trip in the evening , Metra said in a news release on Wednesday .
On the SouthWest Service , which runs between Union Station and Manhattan , Illinois , there will be two inbound trips in the morning and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The cuts come on top of cuts already made to Metra ’ s weekday schedule last month .
The new schedules can be viewed at metrarail.com .
The Heritage Corridor currently has three inbound and four outbound trains , while the North Central has seven trains in each direction .
The SouthWest Service has ten trains in each direction .
Read more here .
—Mary Wisniewski 3:09 p.m. : Police to issue citation in connection with wedding party in West Rogers Park Chicago police will be issuing a citation in connection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park residence that spilled into the street last week , prompting police to break up the crowd for violating stay-at-home orders .
The party , first reported by Block Club Chicago , was recorded on video and showed a few dozen revelers dancing to loud music at an Orthodox Jewish wedding party outside a home at Farwell and Francisco avenues .
Some people in the video could be seen wearing masks , but the crowd was too large to allow for following rules on social distancing .
Chicago police have said officers responded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , dispersed the crowd and left the scene without issuing any citations .
But on Wednesday , Chicago police said a citation would be issued , though a spokesman could not immediately provide specifics .
At the same time , Mayor Lori Lightfoot said during an afternoon news conference that enforcement action would be taken in connection with the wedding party in the same fashion that police took action with the owner of a Northwest Side home , where viral video showed dozens of young African-American party-goers in close quarters who also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They should be treated exactly the same , '' Lightfoot said in reference to the wedding party nearly a week ago .
“ And we are making sure that we identify whose responsible and we will be taking the same kind of decisive action against that large wedding where the video shows people in cars , but people in the street not social distancing , not wearing appropriate mask or garb .
” We can ’ t tolerate it anywhere .
It ’ s not just the black millennials .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ’ re going to move decisively to , again , help educate , but where necessary , take action to give citations to the people who are responsible.
” The announcement of the enforcement action at the West Rogers Park party comes two days after Chicago police ticketed the owner of the Northwest Side residence in the 2000 block of North Narragansett Avenue in the Galewood neighborhood .
That party occurred some time over the weekend , and while police broke up that large gathering there were initially no citations issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Chicago with among the highest numbers of positive COVID-19 cases .
Read more here .
—Jeremy Gorner and Gregory Pratt 3:02 p.m. : Mayor Lori Lightfoot encourages landlords and tenants to work together amid coronavirus-related financial crunch Under pressure from activists and elected officials calling for rent relief and other measures to help struggling tenants , Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled a “ Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge ” encouraging landlords and renters to work together through the coronavirus pandemic .
The pledge , which Lightfoot outlined at City Hall on Wednesday , calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rent payments , written repayment plans and no late fees .
It also calls for housing lenders to agree to grace periods on mortgage payments , neutral reporting to credit agencies and suspension of foreclosures for certain mortgage holders “ who demonstrate a significant financial impact from the pandemic.
” Signatories to the mayor ’ s pledge include the Chicagoland Apartment Association , Chicago Association of REALTORS , Bank of America , BMO Harris Bank , Byline Bank , Fifth Third Bank , PNC , Wintrust and Seaway Credit Union .
But in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t force landlords to follow through and said the pledge is about “ public accountability . ''
Read more here .
—Gregory Pratt 2:56 p.m. : Pritzker responds to second lawsuit over his statewide stay-at-home order Pritzker clarified that his order does not prevent state lawmakers from convening in Springfield , and said they are considered “ essential ” under the orders , as are government bodies across the state .
Pritzker has said he would leave decisions about the legislature convening to legislative leaders , though he has said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state Department of Public Health .
“ We need to make sure that all the people who work in the Capitol for those legislators , as well as all the legislators , are safe , ” Pritzker said .
—Jamie Munks 2:40 p.m. : Pritzker says state has distributed 20 million PPE items as new known cases of COVID-19 push Illinois ’ count over 50,000 The state received a federal shipment of PPE on Monday , including more than 300,000 N-95 masks and over 500,000 KN-95 masks , as well as other supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday .
The governor has repeatedly pushed for additional equipment from the federal government , and Pritzker detailed on Wednesday the state ’ s still outstanding requests from the federal government and orders from suppliers .
State officials also announced 2,253 new known cases of COVID-19 Wednesday , including 92 additional deaths .
The numbers push Illinois ’ known case count over 50,000 , to 50,355 since the pandemic began .
The known death toll related to the new coronavirus in the state is 2,215 , officials said .
Pritzker said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inked a contract with Quest Diagnostics to run 3,000 tests per day for testing at long term care facilities .
Pritzker also announced that state Department of Public Health nurses will be deployed to long-term care facilities as part of a clinical support program to conduct swab testing training , take samples and review and improve hygiene practices and PPE use .
—Jamie Munks 2:30 p.m. : In ‘ The Daily Show ’ appearance , U.S. Sen. Duckworth says Trump ’ s task force to reopen economy has met once for a roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump established to advise the White House on reopening the economy has met virtually just once in the roughly two weeks since it was created , Democratic U.S Sen. Tammy Duckworth said in a television appearance .
Appearing on an episode of “ The Daily Show with Trevor Noah ” that aired Tuesday night , the junior U.S. senator from Illinois was asked why the public hasn ’ t heard more from the “ Opening Up America Again ” task force .
Duckworth said the group met by phone and the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” about “ how great the testing was going in this country.
” “ Our task force has only met once , we had one phone call for an hour — 45 minutes of that hour was spent with President Trump boasting on how great the testing was going in this country , how we had conducted more testing than any other country and that other countries were calling us ( and ) asking us to give them tests , ” Duckworth , a frequent Trump critic , said .
Duckworth and U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were among 65 senators named to the working group , which includes a dozen Democrats and all Republican senators except Mitt Romney of Utah .
Romney voted to convict Trump in the president ’ s impeachment trial .
Of 32 House members also named to the task force , there are 22 Republicans and 10 Democrats , including Illinois U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis , a Taylorville Republican , the Tribune previously reported .
Duckworth disputes the president ’ s take on the nation ’ s testing efforts , saying that when asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to safely reopen the country , “ the Trump administration had no answers.
” “ This is a basic math problem , you need to know how many tests we need to have , ” Duckworth said , adding : “ You can do the basic math and figure out how many tests you need — and they don ’ t know.
” But by Tuesday , the number of infected detainees at the downtown high-rise jail had dropped to just six , according to the official tally from the U.S. Bureau of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swing in the numbers has gone unexplained .
Did initial positive cases turn out to be wrong ?
Does it reflect that sick inmates are being moved out of the MCC ?
Or has the number dropped as detainees have recovered ?
BOP officials failed to respond to multiple requests from the Chicago Tribune this week for an explanation on how its coronavirus data — which is updated every afternoon on the agency ’ s website — is being tabulated .
One thing is certain : A different tally of MCC cases being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week , prosecutors said in a court filing that 32 of the roughly 650 inmates at the MCC had tested positive for COVID-19 , representing about 5 % of the population .
In addition , 23 staff members were infected , prosecutors said .
So far , no fatalities have been reported .
Prosecutors said their numbers were based on information received directly from MCC officials .
Most of the infected inmates were quarantined in their cells , but at least one inmate has been hospitalized and would not return to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , prosecutors said .
Meanwhile , the lack of explanation from the BOP continues to raise alarms in Chicago ’ s legal community , where criminal defense attorneys have been trying — mostly in vain — to get clients released due to the disease ’ s presumed ability to spread quickly in the MCC ’ s notoriously cramped quarters .
Read more here .
—Jason Meisner 2:06 p.m. : Decision on fate of Lollapalooza summer music festival could be soon Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city should have an update “ shortly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this summer .
The mayor again was asked about the popular summer festival during an unrelated news conference on Wednesday and said a decision would be announced shortly , though she didn ’ t say when .
Earlier in the month , Lightfoot said it ’ s too soon to talk about July and August events .
But she has canceled Gospel Fest and Memorial Day events set for May and June .
Read more here .
—Gregory Pratt Protesters who want Gov .
J.B. Pritzker to announce a plan to reopen the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the Thompson Center in the Loop .
“ Illinois residents have tolerated the government ’ s plan for over a month — without a plan on how to slowly and safely reopen the state ’ s economy , ” a news release announcing the event states .
“ We need to discuss the process of cautiously returning back to work.
” Read more here .
—John Byrne “ Whether you agree with the governor or disagree with the governor , we believe that a separate but equal branch of government — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the direction of the state of Illinois , ” said Rep. C.D .
Davidsmeyer of downstate Jacksonville in a video press conference .
The press conference took place as a second GOP state representative filed a lawsuit challenging Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order .
Rep. John Cabello , who filed the action , was not part of the press event , nor was Rep. Darren Bailey , who was exempted from the order by a judge ’ s ruling earlier this week as a result of his lawsuit .
Joining Davidsmeyer in calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Springfield , GOP Rep. Dan Ugaste of Geneva said Pritzker was “ bucking a system of checks and balances ” by acting alone in extending the state ’ s stay-at-home order .
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act grants the governor emergency powers for 30 days following the declaration of a disaster , but “ beyond that , the statute is silent , ” said Ugaste .
“ It doesn ’ t provide for the governor to extend it , but it also doesn ’ t state how the legislature will be involved.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate President Don Harmon decline to convene the two chambers , Pritzker should request a vote from the General Assembly on the stay-at-home order extension , Ugaste said .
Rep. Norine Hammond of Macomb proposed that the capitol remain closed to public visitors , who could instead livestream the General Assembly proceedings from home .
While gathered in the capitol , lawmakers could protect themselves by “ wearing a mask and using some common sense , ” she said .
—Antonia Ayres-Brown Noon : Chicago area unemployment reached 4.8 % in March as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that number will jump in April .
The Chicago area unemployment rate rose to 4.8 % in March , up from 4.2 % during the same month last year , as coronavirus economic disruption began to take its toll on the job market .
Nearly two-thirds of metropolitan areas across the U.S. saw higher year-over-year unemployment rates last month , according to a report released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics .
The national unemployment rate in March was 4.5 % , not seasonally adjusted , up from 3.9 % a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Channick 11:18 a.m. : Experimental drug remdesivir proved effective against COVID-19 in major study , drugmaker Gilead says A biotech company says its experimental drug has proved effective against the new coronavirus in a major U.S. government study that put it to a strict test .
Gilead Sciences ’ s remdesivir would be the first treatment to pass such a test against the virus , which has killed more than 218,000 people since it emerged late last year .
Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely a year or more away .
The study , run by the National Institutes of Health , tested remdesivir versus usual care in about 800 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world .
The main result is how long it takes patients to recover .
Gilead gave no details on results Wednesday , but said an announcement is expected soon .
NIH officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment .
Read more here .
—Associated Press 10:45 a.m. : 52 people who worked or voted on election day in Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no plan for changes in upcoming special election .
There are no plans to postpone or otherwise alter a special congressional election in Wisconsin that is less than two weeks away , even though more than 50 people who voted in person or worked the polls during the state 's presidential primary this month have tested positive for COVID-19 .
Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers tried to change the April 7 election so that it would be conducted entirely by mail , but he was blocked by the Republican-led Legislature and conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had warned that allowing in-person voting would cause a spike in coronavirus cases , but so far the impact appears to be limited .
Several of the 52 people who have tested positive and were at the polls on April 7 also reported other ways they may have been exposed to the virus , the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Tuesday .
Because of that , it ’ s unclear if those people contracted the virus at the polls .
The 52 positive cases were in people who tested positive in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by April 21 .
Most people show symptoms within 14 days of exposure , though some people who have the virus don ’ t show symptoms .
Read more here .
—Associated Press The lawsuit , filed in Winnebago County Circuit Court , asks a judge to block the stay-at-home order Pritzker issued March 20 or any similar measures from being enforced on Cabello and “ all citizens similarly situated.
” Illinois has been under a statewide stay-at-home order since March 21 , which was originally set to expire April 7 .
Pritzker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ array of exceptions , through April 30 .
Read more here .
—Jamie Munks It wasn ’ t immediately clear what the order means for the three Illinois meat processing plants that closed last week .
Read more here .
—Associated Press 9:25 a.m. : Voices of the pandemic : How the coronavirus changes the lives of Chicagoans , in their own words Ever since the coronavirus pandemic rose to the forefront of our everyday lives , Chicagoans have been stepping up .
Their stories have inspired us , compelled us to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncharted waters .
Here ’ s what Chicago had to say this week on how we ’ re living in the time of COVID-19 .
Read more here .
6:45 a.m. : Divvy extends free rides for health care workers , lower charges for others Divvy was expected to announce Wednesday it will extend to the end of May its offer of free rides for health care workers and lower rates for other Chicago residents , according to the Chicago mayor ’ s office .
People with low incomes are eligible for $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Divvy for Everyone program , called D4E .
Under the program being offered during the state ’ s coronavirus stay-at-home order and being extended Wednesday , other Chicagoans can take $ 1 short rides and become annual Divvy members for $ 49.50 , according to a news release from Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s office .
The short rides usually are $ 3 and annual membership usually is $ 99 .
More information for health care companies wanting to join the program for health care workers can email herobikes @ lyft.com ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D4E membership is available at the company ’ s website , divvybikes.com .
—Chicago Tribune staff ENERGY , Ill. — A southern Illinois village police chief is expressing skepticism about Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s power to issue stay-at-home orders to combat the coronavirus pandemic .
In a letter last week to residents of the village of Energy , Police Chief Shawn Ladd says he and his department have no interest in enforcing any rules , declarations or proclamations that morally or technically violate provisions of the federal or state constitutions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing requires him or his officers to enforce the executive orders , first issued in March and extended through May .
`` He can make suggestions , ’ ’ Ladd said of his understanding of the governor ’ s powers in an emergency .
Ladd backs his views with an opinion made in an internal memo by David Robinson , deputy director of the State ’ s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor ’ s Office to the office ’ s director , Patrick Delfino .
Robinson said he wasn ’ t sure courts would uphold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bars , public and private gatherings .
Sheila Simon , an assistant professor of law at Southern Illinois University assistant professor of law Sheila Simon is questioning Ladd ’ s and Robinson ’ s position .
“ My thoughts are that the governor does have emergency powers and they are pretty broad , ” she said , adding the state ’ s Emergency Management Act and other state laws gives the governor a lot of leeway .
“ It does seem to be tailored to keeping us from harming each other , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders .
Ladd ’ s position that the governor is overreaching is similar to that of Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey who obtained a temporary order exempting him from the directives .
Pritzker on Tuesday denounced Bailey of Xenia , also in southern Illinois , calling his legal actions a `` cheap political stunt.
” The governor ’ s comment came as Illinois officials reported another 144 deaths from the coronavirus , bringing the total number to 2,125 .
—Associated Press 6 a.m. : Medline wants FDA approval to sterilize N95 masks with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are against it , citing cancer risks for health care workers .
Summoned to the White House last month with other medical suppliers responding to the severe shortage of protective gear for health care workers , Medline Industries CEO Charlie Mills announced the company had good news .
Northfield-based Medline already was reprocessing 100,000 masks a day used by doctors and nurses on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic , Mills told President Donald Trump and others in the Cabinet Room .
Though masks typically are certified for one use only , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used masks at its plant in north suburban Waukegan and send them back to hospitals and clinics across the nation .
The company ’ s efforts would buy medical workers time while manufacturers increase production of new masks , he said .
“ I think that is fantastic , ” Trump said later the same day after Mills summarized his plan during the president ’ s March 29 appearance before the White House press corps .
What Mills failed to mention is Medline ’ s process relies on ethylene oxide , a germ-killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the brain and raise the risk of breast cancer , leukemia and lymphomas at extremely low levels of exposure .
Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and 3M , a leading mask manufacturer , strongly discourage the use of ethylene oxide for decontaminating masks , in particular N95 respirators needed by virus fighters .
Last week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration concluded that giving health care personnel EtO-treated masks could be considered a violation of federal workplace standards .
Doctors and nurses protecting themselves from the virus could end up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neurotoxin , according to the CDC , 3M and OSHA .
Read more here .
—Michael Hawthorne Here are five things that happened Tuesday that you need to know : Here are five things that happened Monday that you need to know :

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
State officials Wednesday reported another 92 deaths in Illinois related to the coronavirus, as the statewide death toll reached 2,215. Officials also announced 2,253 new known cases of COVID-19, bringing total to 50,355. That’s the sixth time in the past seven days that the number of new cases has topped 2,000.
The new numbers came as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s extension of a statewide stay-at-home order continued to face pushback, with a second Republican state lawmaker challenging the order in a lawsuit accusing the governor of creating “a police state.” Pritzker called the new lawsuit “another attempt at grandstanding.”
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[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
[ From closing schools to stay-at-home order, here's how Illinois' coronavirus response compares with other states ]
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:45 p.m.: He was supposed to retire Thursday after 34 years as a surgical tech. Instead, he died Monday after testing positive for coronavirus.
After decades of scrubbing in on surgeries as a surgical technologist, Juan Martinez was looking forward to retirement. He planned to travel with his wife and spend more time with his grandchildren.
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His final work day was scheduled for April 30.
He was so dedicated to his job that he kept working even as the coronavirus crisis coincided with the final weeks before his retirement.
He died days before reaching it.
“My dad was a very dedicated man to work,” said his son, Juan Martinez Jr., who was so enthralled by his father’s zest for his work that he, too, chose the same career. “He was so passionate.”
Father and son worked together at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. On Monday, Martinez, 60, died after testing positive for the coronavirus.
“He just didn’t make it,” said Martinez Jr. Read more here. —Alison Bowen
7:29 p.m.: Viral video of Chicago house party reveals disconnect between black youth and media during coronavirus
House parties are meant to be a thing of the past now that COVID-19 has turned into a pandemic.
But on April 25, a viral video showed a Galewood gathering of dozens of people at a memorial party for two friends who died of gun violence years ago. The video drew such a level of nationwide vitriol on social media that Mayor Lori Lightfoot blasted the revelers as “foolish and reckless,” and Gov. J.B. Pritzker criticized the partygoers for “putting everyone around you in danger.” (Tribune columnist, Dahleen Glanton, wrote an open letter to the black kids who partied, citing the reality of killing loved ones “without even knowing that you are carrying a weapon.”) Chicago police have subsequently said they cited the homeowner with disorderly conduct Monday.
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With so much conversation about the event, The Triibe, a digital media platform that tells stories of black Chicago, sought to find the disconnect between local government officials, black youth and traditional media outlets in conveying the serious nature of the coronavirus. In her article, Veronica Harrison (aka Vee L. Harrison), talks to a young woman at the party. The woman told Harrison she knows COVID-19 is serious, but she’s not letting fear win out over her faith.
The partygoer told Harrison: “I get irritated with these celebrities trying to tell us to stay in the house. Us people that aren’t as rich as them, we don’t have nothing to do in the house. Sometimes this can cause you to go into boredom and depression and you have to get out, you have to get some air.”
Harrison said her phone has not left her hand since the Triibe story went live Tuesday night. Read more here. —Darcel Rockett
6:10 p.m.: River Grove firefighter, apparently recovered from COVID-19, suffers fatal stroke
A River Grove firefighter and paramedic who had tested positive for COVID-19 but appeared to be on the mend died early Wednesday from a stroke, officials said.
Robert “David” Reisinger, 57, who had been with the department for nearly 18 years and was the longtime EMS system coordinator at Stroger Hospital in Chicago, became ill several weeks ago along with a co-worker who had been on the same ambulance, fire Chief Sean Flynn said.
Reisinger had gotten better and was scheduled to return to work Wednesday, Flynn said, but suffered a stroke Monday. The Cook County medical examiner’s office does not list COVID-19 as a factor in Reisinger’s death, but researchers have found links between the virus and some types of strokes. His husband, Kuanwu Lin, does not consider the two events to be coincidental.
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“It’s still unpredictable what this virus will do to a human body,” said Lin, a psychologist who is also recovering from COVID-19. “We are still learning about it. ... If this was related to COVID-19, then it makes this virus even more powerful, and therefore we cannot be too cautious.” Read more here. —John Keilman
5:55 p.m.: Suburban distillery joins the pivot to making hand sanitizer
Highwood vodka-maker 28 Mile Distilling Co. is joining the ranks of Chicagoland distilleries lending their facilities to the production of hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The distillery, named for its 28-mile distance from Chicago, will donate the hand sanitizer — which includes nearly 12,000 16-ounce bottles — to the Chicago Police Department. It’s the largest donation of sanitizer that the department has received yet.
The key ingredient in hand sanitizers is neutral grain spirit, which is essentially vodka. The spirit is combined with glycerin and hydrogen peroxide to make hand sanitizer. Distilleries across the Chicago area and the nation have been pivoting to make the sanitizer during the pandemic.
The approximately 1,400 gallons of 28 Mile Distilling Co. product will be distributed to officers Thursday at the Police Academy. —Adam Lukach
5:36 p.m.: Trump order keeps meatpacking plants open, but effect on Illinois facilities is uncertain
President Donald Trump has ordered meat processing plants to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic even as they have emerged as hotspots for worker illnesses in Illinois and elsewhere, laying bare the challenge of keeping the nation’s food supply chain intact while protecting workers on crowded production lines.
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Trump, in an executive order signed Tuesday, invoked the Defense Production Act to prevent meat plant closures, saying they “threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency." Unions and workers rights advocates said the action jeopardizes worker safety.
The order came as COVID-19 cases prompted a growing number of major slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities to temporarily shut down, sometimes under pressure from local authorities. The closures have sent ripples across the supply chain as farmers lost markets for their livestock and grocers braced for a shortage of meat on their shelves.
More than 20 meatpacking plants have closed temporarily over the past two months, including three in Illinois that shuttered last week. It wasn’t immediately clear Wednesday what the order means for those facilities.
Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, indefinitely shuttered a large pork plant in Monmouth Friday after a “small portion” of its 1,700 employees tested positive for COVID-19, and it closed a smaller plant in St. Charles, where 325 people work, on orders from the Kane County Health Department to improve social distancing and take other safety measures.
Hormel closed an 800-worker plant in Rochelle that makes bacon and deli meats on orders from the Ogle County Health Department, with plans to reopen May 4.
Monmouth Mayor Rod Davies said he is eager to see work resume at the Smithfield plant, which is a huge employer in his town of about 10,000 people, but is concerned about doing it in a way that keeps workers safe. Read more here. —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
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4:50 p.m.: Illinois AG files appeal in State Rep. Darren Bailey’s lawsuit over stay-at-home order
The Illinois attorney general’s office filed an appellate court brief Wednesday seeking to overturn a southern Illinois judge’s ruling that temporarily exempts a Republican state representative from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s statewide stay-at-home order.
State Rep. Darren Bailey request for a personal exemption from the order “besides being dangerous — is flawed as a matter of law,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office argues in the filing with Illinois 5th District Appellate Court.
The filing comes two days after a Clay County judge issued a temporary order freeing Bailey from Pritzker’s directive, which is aimed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus. Read more here. —Dan Petrella
3:57 p.m.: Illinois delays awarding 75 licenses for new marijuana dispensaries
The state will delay awarding licenses for 75 new recreational marijuana dispensaries due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Applications for the licenses were due Jan. 1 and were set to be awarded May 1. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which regulates dispensaries, said Wednesday that it will not award the licenses until the end of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation, or until the state announces another date.
The licenses offer the first path into Illinois’ burgeoning marijuana industry for people who didn’t already operate a cannabis facility. Though recreational sales started in the state Jan. 1, only existing operators were allowed to participate.
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The delay means those existing operators will continue to control Illinois’ marijuana market, which has delivered some of the highest first months of revenue in the nation. Customers spent about $110.2 million on legal weed in the first three months of sales.
It is unclear how long the new dispensaries will be delayed in opening. Once the state does award a license, the recipient has 180 days to find a location for the dispensary. The state must then inspect the location. Read more here. —Ally Marotti
3:26 p.m.: Facing ongoing ridership drop, Metra cuts service on three of its least busy lines
Faced with an ongoing ridership slump due to the coronavirus pandemic, Metra is sharply cutting service on its three least busy lines starting Monday, May 4.
On the Heritage Corridor, which runs between Union Station and Joliet, and the North Central Service, which goes between Union Station and Antioch, the schedule will be reduced to one inbound trip in the morning and one outbound trip in the evening, Metra said in a news release on Wednesday.
On the SouthWest Service, which runs between Union Station and Manhattan, Illinois, there will be two inbound trips in the morning and two outbound trips in the evening, Metra said.
The cuts come on top of cuts already made to Metra’s weekday schedule last month. The new schedules can be viewed at metrarail.com. The Heritage Corridor currently has three inbound and four outbound trains, while the North Central has seven trains in each direction. The SouthWest Service has ten trains in each direction. Read more here. —Mary Wisniewski
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3:09 p.m.: Police to issue citation in connection with wedding party in West Rogers Park
Chicago police will be issuing a citation in connection with a party at a West Rogers Park residence that spilled into the street last week, prompting police to break up the crowd for violating stay-at-home orders.
The party, first reported by Block Club Chicago, was recorded on video and showed a few dozen revelers dancing to loud music at an Orthodox Jewish wedding party outside a home at Farwell and Francisco avenues. Some people in the video could be seen wearing masks, but the crowd was too large to allow for following rules on social distancing.
Chicago police have said officers responded to the gathering shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday, dispersed the crowd and left the scene without issuing any citations. But on Wednesday, Chicago police said a citation would be issued, though a spokesman could not immediately provide specifics.
At the same time, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said during an afternoon news conference that enforcement action would be taken in connection with the wedding party in the same fashion that police took action with the owner of a Northwest Side home, where viral video showed dozens of young African-American party-goers in close quarters who also were not practicing social distancing.
“They should be treated exactly the same," Lightfoot said in reference to the wedding party nearly a week ago. “And we are making sure that we identify whose responsible and we will be taking the same kind of decisive action against that large wedding where the video shows people in cars, but people in the street not social distancing, not wearing appropriate mask or garb.
”We can’t tolerate it anywhere. It’s not just the black millennials. It’s a problem wherever it rears its head. We’re going to move decisively to, again, help educate, but where necessary, take action to give citations to the people who are responsible.”
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The announcement of the enforcement action at the West Rogers Park party comes two days after Chicago police ticketed the owner of the Northwest Side residence in the 2000 block of North Narragansett Avenue in the Galewood neighborhood. That party occurred some time over the weekend, and while police broke up that large gathering there were initially no citations issued.
The two parties occurred in areas of Chicago with among the highest numbers of positive COVID-19 cases. Read more here. —Jeremy Gorner and Gregory Pratt
3:02 p.m.: Mayor Lori Lightfoot encourages landlords and tenants to work together amid coronavirus-related financial crunch
Under pressure from activists and elected officials calling for rent relief and other measures to help struggling tenants, Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled a “Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge” encouraging landlords and renters to work together through the coronavirus pandemic.
The pledge, which Lightfoot outlined at City Hall on Wednesday, calls for landlords to consider grace period for rent payments, written repayment plans and no late fees. It also calls for housing lenders to agree to grace periods on mortgage payments, neutral reporting to credit agencies and suspension of foreclosures for certain mortgage holders “who demonstrate a significant financial impact from the pandemic.”
Signatories to the mayor’s pledge include the Chicagoland Apartment Association, Chicago Association of REALTORS, Bank of America, BMO Harris Bank, Byline Bank, Fifth Third Bank, PNC, Wintrust and Seaway Credit Union.
But in response to questions, Lightfoot acknowledged she can’t force landlords to follow through and said the pledge is about “public accountability." Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
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2:56 p.m.: Pritzker responds to second lawsuit over his statewide stay-at-home order
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday called a second lawsuit brought by a Republican state lawmaker challenging the extension of his statewide stay-at-home order “another attempt at grandstanding.”
State Rep. John Cabello filed a lawsuit Wednesday morning.
“I think it’s a similarly irresponsible lawsuit,” Pritzker said at his briefing Wednesday.
Pritzker clarified that his order does not prevent state lawmakers from convening in Springfield, and said they are considered “essential” under the orders, as are government bodies across the state.
Pritzker has said he would leave decisions about the legislature convening to legislative leaders, though he has said he’s suggested they consult with the state Department of Public Health.
“We need to make sure that all the people who work in the Capitol for those legislators, as well as all the legislators, are safe,” Pritzker said. —Jamie Munks
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2:40 p.m.: Pritzker says state has distributed 20 million PPE items as new known cases of COVID-19 push Illinois’ count over 50,000
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday the state has distributed nearly 20 million items of personal protective equipment to local public health departments, nursing homes and hospitals statewide.
The state received a federal shipment of PPE on Monday, including more than 300,000 N-95 masks and over 500,000 KN-95 masks, as well as other supplies, Pritzker said in his daily update on Wednesday.
The governor has repeatedly pushed for additional equipment from the federal government, and Pritzker detailed on Wednesday the state’s still outstanding requests from the federal government and orders from suppliers.
State officials also announced 2,253 new known cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, including 92 additional deaths. The numbers push Illinois’ known case count over 50,000, to 50,355 since the pandemic began. The known death toll related to the new coronavirus in the state is 2,215, officials said.
Pritzker said the state Department of Public Health has also inked a contract with Quest Diagnostics to run 3,000 tests per day for testing at long term care facilities.
Pritzker also announced that state Department of Public Health nurses will be deployed to long-term care facilities as part of a clinical support program to conduct swab testing training, take samples and review and improve hygiene practices and PPE use. —Jamie Munks
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2:30 p.m.: In ‘The Daily Show’ appearance, U.S. Sen. Duckworth says Trump’s task force to reopen economy has met once for a roughly hour-long call
A congressional task force President Donald Trump established to advise the White House on reopening the economy has met virtually just once in the roughly two weeks since it was created, Democratic U.S Sen. Tammy Duckworth said in a television appearance.
Appearing on an episode of “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” that aired Tuesday night, the junior U.S. senator from Illinois was asked why the public hasn’t heard more from the “Opening Up America Again” task force. Duckworth said the group met by phone and the president spent most of the time “boasting” about “how great the testing was going in this country.”
“Our task force has only met once, we had one phone call for an hour — 45 minutes of that hour was spent with President Trump boasting on how great the testing was going in this country, how we had conducted more testing than any other country and that other countries were calling us (and) asking us to give them tests,” Duckworth, a frequent Trump critic, said.
Duckworth and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, another Illinois Democrat, were among 65 senators named to the working group, which includes a dozen Democrats and all Republican senators except Mitt Romney of Utah. Romney voted to convict Trump in the president’s impeachment trial.
Of 32 House members also named to the task force, there are 22 Republicans and 10 Democrats, including Illinois U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, a Taylorville Republican, the Tribune previously reported. Duckworth disputes the president’s take on the nation’s testing efforts, saying that when asked how many tests the country would need to safely reopen the country, “the Trump administration had no answers.”
“This is a basic math problem, you need to know how many tests we need to have,” Duckworth said, adding: “You can do the basic math and figure out how many tests you need — and they don’t know.”
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The president’s communications staff didn’t offer an immediate response to Duckworth’s criticism. Read more here. —Lisa Donovan
2:09 p.m.: Wild swing in coronavirus numbers reported at Chicago’s federal jail goes unexplained, leaves lawyers skeptical
A week ago, federal prison officials reported that 20 inmates at Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center had tested positive for the coronavirus.
But by Tuesday, the number of infected detainees at the downtown high-rise jail had dropped to just six, according to the official tally from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
So far, the wild swing in the numbers has gone unexplained. Did initial positive cases turn out to be wrong? Does it reflect that sick inmates are being moved out of the MCC? Or has the number dropped as detainees have recovered?
BOP officials failed to respond to multiple requests from the Chicago Tribune this week for an explanation on how its coronavirus data — which is updated every afternoon on the agency’s website — is being tabulated.
One thing is certain: A different tally of MCC cases being kept by federal prosecutors is much higher.Earlier this week, prosecutors said in a court filing that 32 of the roughly 650 inmates at the MCC had tested positive for COVID-19, representing about 5% of the population. In addition, 23 staff members were infected, prosecutors said. So far, no fatalities have been reported.
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Prosecutors said their numbers were based on information received directly from MCC officials. Most of the infected inmates were quarantined in their cells, but at least one inmate has been hospitalized and would not return to the facility until medically cleared to do so, prosecutors said.
Meanwhile, the lack of explanation from the BOP continues to raise alarms in Chicago’s legal community, where criminal defense attorneys have been trying — mostly in vain — to get clients released due to the disease’s presumed ability to spread quickly in the MCC’s notoriously cramped quarters. Read more here. —Jason Meisner
2:06 p.m.: Decision on fate of Lollapalooza summer music festival could be soon
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city should have an update “shortly” on whether Lollapalooza will be canceled this summer.
The mayor again was asked about the popular summer festival during an unrelated news conference on Wednesday and said a decision would be announced shortly, though she didn’t say when. Earlier in the month, Lightfoot said it’s too soon to talk about July and August events. But she has canceled Gospel Fest and Memorial Day events set for May and June. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
12:55 p.m.: Reopen Illinois rally planned for Loop this Friday
Protesters who want Gov. J.B. Pritzker to announce a plan to reopen the Illinois economy have scheduled a Friday rally outside the Thompson Center in the Loop.
“Illinois residents have tolerated the government’s plan for over a month — without a plan on how to slowly and safely reopen the state’s economy,” a news release announcing the event states. “We need to discuss the process of cautiously returning back to work.” Read more here. —John Byrne
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12:51 p.m.: Republican lawmakers say Pritzker’s exceeding his authority with stay-at-home extension
Three Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday criticized Gov. J.B. Pritzker for allegedly exceeding his emergency powers by extending Illinois’ stay-at-home order past 30 days without legislative approval.
“Whether you agree with the governor or disagree with the governor, we believe that a separate but equal branch of government — the General Assembly — should have input in the direction of the state of Illinois,” said Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer of downstate Jacksonville in a video press conference.
The press conference took place as a second GOP state representative filed a lawsuit challenging Pritzker’s stay-at-home order. Rep. John Cabello, who filed the action, was not part of the press event, nor was Rep. Darren Bailey, who was exempted from the order by a judge’s ruling earlier this week as a result of his lawsuit.
Joining Davidsmeyer in calling for the General Assembly to convene in Springfield, GOP Rep. Dan Ugaste of Geneva said Pritzker was “bucking a system of checks and balances” by acting alone in extending the state’s stay-at-home order.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act grants the governor emergency powers for 30 days following the declaration of a disaster, but “beyond that, the statute is silent,” said Ugaste. “It doesn’t provide for the governor to extend it, but it also doesn’t state how the legislature will be involved.”
If House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President Don Harmon decline to convene the two chambers, Pritzker should request a vote from the General Assembly on the stay-at-home order extension, Ugaste said.
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Rep. Norine Hammond of Macomb proposed that the capitol remain closed to public visitors, who could instead livestream the General Assembly proceedings from home. While gathered in the capitol, lawmakers could protect themselves by “wearing a mask and using some common sense,” she said. —Antonia Ayres-Brown
Noon: Chicago area unemployment reached 4.8% in March as coronavirus took its toll. Experts say that number will jump in April.
The Chicago area unemployment rate rose to 4.8% in March, up from 4.2% during the same month last year, as coronavirus economic disruption began to take its toll on the job market.
Labor economists expect that number to get a lot bigger in April.
Nearly two-thirds of metropolitan areas across the U.S. saw higher year-over-year unemployment rates last month, according to a report released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The national unemployment rate in March was 4.5%, not seasonally adjusted, up from 3.9% a year earlier. Read more here. —Robert Channick
11:18 a.m.: Experimental drug remdesivir proved effective against COVID-19 in major study, drugmaker Gilead says
A biotech company says its experimental drug has proved effective against the new coronavirus in a major U.S. government study that put it to a strict test.
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Gilead Sciences’s remdesivir would be the first treatment to pass such a test against the virus, which has killed more than 218,000 people since it emerged late last year. Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic, especially because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away.
The study, run by the National Institutes of Health, tested remdesivir versus usual care in about 800 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world. The main result is how long it takes patients to recover.
Gilead gave no details on results Wednesday, but said an announcement is expected soon. NIH officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Read more here. —Associated Press
10:45 a.m.: 52 people who worked or voted on election day in Wisconsin tested positive for COVID-19. There’s no plan for changes in upcoming special election.
There are no plans to postpone or otherwise alter a special congressional election in Wisconsin that is less than two weeks away, even though more than 50 people who voted in person or worked the polls during the state's presidential primary this month have tested positive for COVID-19.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers tried to change the April 7 election so that it would be conducted entirely by mail, but he was blocked by the Republican-led Legislature and conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court. Evers and others had warned that allowing in-person voting would cause a spike in coronavirus cases, but so far the impact appears to be limited.
Several of the 52 people who have tested positive and were at the polls on April 7 also reported other ways they may have been exposed to the virus, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Tuesday. Because of that, it’s unclear if those people contracted the virus at the polls.
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The 52 positive cases were in people who tested positive in the two weeks after the election, so by April 21. Most people show symptoms within 14 days of exposure, though some people who have the virus don’t show symptoms. Read more here. —Associated Press
10:18 a.m.: Second GOP state representative files lawsuit challenging Pritzker’s stay-at-home order
Republican State Rep. John Cabello filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, the second GOP representative to sue over the governor’s directive.
The lawsuit, filed in Winnebago County Circuit Court, asks a judge to block the stay-at-home order Pritzker issued March 20 or any similar measures from being enforced on Cabello and “all citizens similarly situated.”
Illinois has been under a statewide stay-at-home order since March 21, which was originally set to expire April 7. Pritzker extended the order, which has an array of exceptions, through April 30. Read more here. —Jamie Munks
10:17 a.m.: Trump order keeps meatpacking plants open, but unions say workers unsafe
President Donald Trump took executive action to order meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growing coronavirus cases and the impact on the nation’s food supply.
The order signed Tuesday uses the Defense Production Act to classify meat processing as critical infrastructure to try to prevent a shortage of chicken, pork and other meat on supermarket shelves. Unions fired back, saying the White House was jeopardizing lives and prioritizing cold cuts over workers’ health.
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More than 20 meatpacking plants have closed temporarily under pressure from local authorities and their own workers because of the virus, including two of the nation's largest, one in Iowa and one in South Dakota. Others have slowed production as workers have fallen ill or stayed home to avoid getting sick.
“Such closures threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency," the order states.
It wasn’t immediately clear what the order means for the three Illinois meat processing plants that closed last week. Read more here. —Associated Press
9:25 a.m.: Voices of the pandemic: How the coronavirus changes the lives of Chicagoans, in their own words
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic rose to the forefront of our everyday lives, Chicagoans have been stepping up. Their stories have inspired us, compelled us to give back, and kept us going through uncharted waters.
Here’s what Chicago had to say this week on how we’re living in the time of COVID-19. Read more here.
6:45 a.m.: Divvy extends free rides for health care workers, lower charges for others
Divvy was expected to announce Wednesday it will extend to the end of May its offer of free rides for health care workers and lower rates for other Chicago residents, according to the Chicago mayor’s office.
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People with low incomes are eligible for $5 annual memberships under the company’s Divvy for Everyone program, called D4E. Under the program being offered during the state’s coronavirus stay-at-home order and being extended Wednesday, other Chicagoans can take $1 short rides and become annual Divvy members for $49.50, according to a news release from Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office. The short rides usually are $3 and annual membership usually is $99.
More information for health care companies wanting to join the program for health care workers can email herobikes@lyft.com; more information about discounts and joining with D4E membership is available at the company’s website, divvybikes.com. —Chicago Tribune staff
6:15 a.m.: Southern Illinois police chief questions Pritzker’s powers, stay-home orders
ENERGY, Ill. — A southern Illinois village police chief is expressing skepticism about Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s power to issue stay-at-home orders to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter last week to residents of the village of Energy, Police Chief Shawn Ladd says he and his department have no interest in enforcing any rules, declarations or proclamations that morally or technically violate provisions of the federal or state constitutions. Ladd told The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale nothing requires him or his officers to enforce the executive orders, first issued in March and extended through May.
"He can make suggestions,’’ Ladd said of his understanding of the governor’s powers in an emergency.
Ladd backs his views with an opinion made in an internal memo by David Robinson, deputy director of the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor’s Office to the office’s director, Patrick Delfino. Robinson said he wasn’t sure courts would uphold Pritzker’s limitations on restaurants, bars, public and private gatherings.
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Sheila Simon, an assistant professor of law at Southern Illinois University assistant professor of law Sheila Simon is questioning Ladd’s and Robinson’s position.
“My thoughts are that the governor does have emergency powers and they are pretty broad,” she said, adding the state’s Emergency Management Act and other state laws gives the governor a lot of leeway.
“It does seem to be tailored to keeping us from harming each other,” she said of Pritzker’s COVID-19 orders.
Ladd’s position that the governor is overreaching is similar to that of Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey who obtained a temporary order exempting him from the directives.
Pritzker on Tuesday denounced Bailey of Xenia, also in southern Illinois, calling his legal actions a "cheap political stunt.” The governor’s comment came as Illinois officials reported another 144 deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the total number to 2,125. —Associated Press
6 a.m.: Medline wants FDA approval to sterilize N95 masks with ethylene oxide. Two other federal agencies are against it, citing cancer risks for health care workers.
Summoned to the White House last month with other medical suppliers responding to the severe shortage of protective gear for health care workers, Medline Industries CEO Charlie Mills announced the company had good news.
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Northfield-based Medline already was reprocessing 100,000 masks a day used by doctors and nurses on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mills told President Donald Trump and others in the Cabinet Room.
Though masks typically are certified for one use only, Mills said, Medline could rapidly decontaminate used masks at its plant in north suburban Waukegan and send them back to hospitals and clinics across the nation. The company’s efforts would buy medical workers time while manufacturers increase production of new masks, he said.
“I think that is fantastic,” Trump said later the same day after Mills summarized his plan during the president’s March 29 appearance before the White House press corps.
What Mills failed to mention is Medline’s process relies on ethylene oxide, a germ-killing gas that researchers have found can damage the brain and raise the risk of breast cancer, leukemia and lymphomas at extremely low levels of exposure.
Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and 3M, a leading mask manufacturer, strongly discourage the use of ethylene oxide for decontaminating masks, in particular N95 respirators needed by virus fighters. Last week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration concluded that giving health care personnel EtO-treated masks could be considered a violation of federal workplace standards.
Doctors and nurses protecting themselves from the virus could end up being exposed to a potent carcinogen and neurotoxin, according to the CDC, 3M and OSHA. Read more here. —Michael Hawthorne
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chicagotribune--2020-04-29--River Grove firefighter, apparently recovered from COVID-19, suffers fatal stroke

On top of that , she said , “ he was a great human being .
One of the nicest @ @ @ @ @ just always was helping others .
If you needed anything , he would be there @ @ @ @ @ to do with work or your personal life .
”

A River Grove firefighter and paramedic who had tested positive for COVID-19 but appeared to be on the mend died early Wednesday from a stroke, officials said.
Robert “David” Reisinger, 57, who had been with the department for nearly 18 years and was the longtime EMS system coordinator at Stroger Hospital in Chicago, became ill several weeks ago along with a co-worker who had been on the same ambulance, fire Chief Sean Flynn said.
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David Reisinger, a River Grove firefighter and paramedic, died from a stroke. He had recently tested positive for COVID-19. (River Grove Fire Department)
Reisinger had gotten better and was scheduled to return to work Wednesday, Flynn said, but suffered a stroke Monday. The Cook County medical examiner’s office does not list COVID-19 as a factor in Reisinger’s death, but researchers have found links between the virus and some types of strokes. His husband, Kuanwu Lin, does not consider the two events to be coincidental.
“It’s still unpredictable what this virus will do to a human body,” said Lin, a psychologist who is also recovering from COVID-19. “We are still learning about it. ... If this was related to COVID-19, then it makes this virus even more powerful, and therefore we cannot be too cautious.”
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[ Coronavirus can increase stroke risk in young adults: doctors ]
Reisinger grew up in Louisville, Kentucky , and was drawn to the medical field from his teens. His friend John Hultgren said Reisinger was part of a Boy Scout Explorers group that introduced high schoolers to emergency medical services, and rode along on city ambulances to assist on calls.
“He was always in demand because he was someone they could count on,” Hultgren said. “He could keep his cool at a difficult scene, and he was helpful. As he learned more and more, he became even more helpful.”
Reisinger went on to get a nursing license and work at a Louisville hospital while volunteering as an EMT in a nearby town, Hultgren said. He later moved to Chicago and worked at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and then Stroger Hospital, becoming its EMS system coordinator before retiring in 2018.
Lin said he met Reisinger in 2001, and they married three years later.
“He was a very good-natured guy, very easygoing and understanding, with a heart of gold,” Lin said. " ... He was always upbeat and could always see the rainbow even through a thick cloud. That often cheered people around him up, and always put a big smile on people’s faces, including mine."
In 2002, he became a part-time firefighter and paramedic in River Grove, a small suburb west of Chicago. Flynn said he had a knack for teaching EMS techniques to his colleagues.
“He was just very kind and gentle,” Flynn said. “He could take something very complex and break it down to almost every learner’s ability to absorb it.”
Kellie Newcomer, a Chicago paramedic who works part-time in River Grove, said Reisinger had a passion for the job that kept him going even after he retired from Stroger.
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On top of that, she said, “he was a great human being. One of the nicest people I know. He just always was helping others. If you needed anything, he would be there before, whether it had to do with work or your personal life.”
River Grove hung dark bunting on its firehouse Wednesday to memorialize Reisinger. River Grove Village President David Guerin said with Reisinger’s death, the town had “lost a hero.”
“His job of protecting the public, not only through firefighting but the constant threat of COVID-19, has taken its ultimate toll,” Guerin said. “Our firehouse is like family, and this is a tragedy that has affected our entire village.”
A celebration of life will be held when circumstances allow.
jkeilman@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @JohnKeilman


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Quarrel on scene of Logan Square blaze leaves cop stabbed in leg

As officers and firefighters hustled to the scene of the house fire in the 3100 block of North Spaulding Avenue @ @ @ @ @ a female of an undisclosed age began arguing with the first responders .

A 38-year-old woman is facing charges after allegedly stabbing two Chicago police officers during a fire in the Logan Square neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
Elizabeth Rubio, of the 3100 block of North Spaulding Avenue, was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer, aggravated battery while using great bodily harm, and aggravated battery while using a deadly weapon, police said.
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As officers and firefighters hustled to the scene of the house fire, also in the 3100 block of North Spaulding Avenue, shortly before 5 p.m., Rubio began arguing with the first responders while in the basement of the residence, police said.
Rubio then allegedly plunged a sharp object into a police officer’s lower right calf. Another officer suffered a laceration to his shin.
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The officer stabbed in the calf suffered injuries that were not serious, was taken to an area hospital, police said.
Details about the fire were not immediately available because the Fire Department could not be reached.
Rubio was expected to appear for a bond hearing on Friday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Trump order keeps meatpacking plants open, but effect on Illinois facilities is uncertain

Piglets in one of the two barns for piglets only at Leman Farms in Eureka , Ill. on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ 2,000 piglets capacity in the two barns for piglets only .
COVID-19 , coronavirus For @ @ @ @ @ closures are having a ripple effect on the supply chain .
Leman has seen a @ @ @ @ @ for his hogs since meat processing plants have started to close because of worker COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ Osorio / Chicago Tribune ) ( Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune )

President Donald Trump has ordered meat processing plants to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic even as they have emerged as hotspots for worker illnesses in Illinois and elsewhere, laying bare the challenge of keeping the nation’s food supply chain intact while protecting workers on crowded production lines.
Trump, in an executive order signed Tuesday, invoked the Defense Production Act to prevent meat plant closures, saying they “threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency." Unions and workers rights advocates said the action jeopardizes worker safety.
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The order came as COVID-19 cases prompted a growing number of major slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities to temporarily shut down, sometimes under pressure from local authorities. The closures have sent ripples across the supply chain as farmers lost markets for their livestock and grocers braced for a shortage of meat on their shelves.
More than 20 meatpacking plants have closed temporarily over the past two months, including three in Illinois that shuttered last week. It wasn’t immediately clear Wednesday what the order means for those facilities.
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Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, indefinitely shuttered a large pork plant in Monmouth Friday after a “small portion” of its 1,700 employees tested positive for COVID-19, and it closed a smaller plant in St. Charles, where 325 people work, on orders from the Kane County Health Department to improve social distancing and take other safety measures.
Hormel closed an 800-worker plant in Rochelle that makes bacon and deli meats on orders from the Ogle County Health Department, with plans to reopen May 4.
Monmouth Mayor Rod Davies said he is eager to see work resume at the Smithfield plant, which is a huge employer in his town of about 10,000 people, but is concerned about doing it in a way that keeps workers safe.
“I certainly appreciate what the president is trying to do, but it will be a difficult challenge to make that happen when we have a certain number of people who are sick and people around those individuals who are sick,” Davies said.
Smithfield, in a statement, applauded the president’s order, which it believes will prioritize meat processors to receive an ongoing supply of personal protective equipment and COVID-19 testing. The Virginia-based company, a wholly owned subsidiary of WH Group in China, said it is “evaluating next steps to open its currently shuttered facilities and will make announcements when it is ready to resume operations in each location.”
A Tyson Fresh Meats plant employee leaves the plant, Thursday, April 23, 2020, in Logansport, Ind. The plant will temporarily close its meatpacking plant in north-central Indiana after several employees tested positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) (Darron Cummings/AP)
The order, along with government guidance issued this week for worker safety at meat processing plants, “provides a much-needed framework that prioritizes employee health and well-being, while also stabilizing the country’s food supply and preventing the collapse of the agricultural economy,” Smithfield said.
Kane County Health Department spokeswoman Susan Stack said the agency did not immediately have a comment about Trump’s order. Hormel and Ogle County did not respond to requests for comment.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office and the state Department of Public Health did not respond to requests for comment.
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The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 1.3 million food and retail workers, said Tuesday that 20 food-processing and meatpacking union workers in the U.S. have died of the virus. An estimated 6,500 are sick or have been exposed while working near someone who tested positive, the union said.
As a result of plant closures and slowed production from worker absenteeism, industry leaders have warned that consumers could see meat shortages and higher prices in a matter of days. Tyson Foods Inc., one of the world’s largest food companies, ran a full-page advertisement in The New York Times and other newspapers Sunday warning, “The food supply chain is breaking.”
Tyson suspended operations at its pork plants in Waterloo, Iowa, and Logansport, Indiana, which together employ 5,000 people, after a slew of infections. Smithfield Foods halted production at its pork plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where 853 of its 3,000 workers have tested positive.
The 15 largest pork-packing plants account for 60% of all pork processed in the U.S., and the country has already seen a 25% reduction in pork slaughter capacity, according to the union. UFCW.
Piglets in one of the two barns for piglets only at Leman Farms in Eureka, Ill. on Friday, April 24, 2020. 2,000 piglets capacity in the two barns for piglets only. COVID-19, coronavirus For story about how meat plant closures are having a ripple effect on the supply chain. Leman has seen a 75% drop in demand for his hogs since meat processing plants have started to close because of worker COVID-19 illnesses. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Tyson, in response to Trump’s order, said it appreciates the administration’s efforts to help the food supply chain and “the safety of our team members will remain our top priority as we work with the USDA on next steps.”
The order, which was developed in consultation with industry leaders including Tyson and Smithfield, is designed, in part, to provide companies with additional liability protections in case workers get sick.
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Trump on Tuesday said the order would address what he described as a “legal roadblock." It will “solve any liability problems where they had certain liability problems and we’ll be in very good shape."
But UFCW International President Marc Perrone said that more must be done to protect the safety of workers.
“Simply put, we cannot have a secure food supply without the safety of these workers,” he said in a statement urging the administration “to immediately enact clear and enforceable safety standards” and compel companies to provide protective equipment, make daily testing available to workers, and enforce physical distancing, among other measures.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Sunday issued extensive guidelines on steps meat processing companies and workers should take.
In a letter Wednesday to the National Governors Association, the UFCW said the new federal guidelines were “a step in the right direction” but called on state governors to issue additional enforceable protective measures for meatpacking workers, such as mandating six feet of social distancing on production lines, even if it means slower production speeds, and providing N95 respirators.
Protecting workers can be especially challenging at plants that typically employ thousands of people who often work side-by-side carving meat, making social distancing all but impossible. Some companies have been working to reduce infections by checking workers’ temperatures, staggering breaks and altering start times. Owners said they have also done more to clean plants and added plastic shields between workstations.
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When outbreaks have happened, local public health agencies have pushed in some cases for temporary closures so they can limit wider outbreaks in communities and conduct mass testing to determine who is carrying the virus. Some plants have briefly closed for deep cleaning and to install new safety measures.
OSHA, in enforcing the new guidelines, will take into account “good faith attempts” by employers to follow them, which includes documenting the reasons certain safety measures are not feasible, the U.S. Department of Labor said Tuesday. The agency added that the guidance should not be “construed to indicate that state and local authorities may direct a meat and poultry processing facility to close, to remain closed, or to operate in accordance with procedures other than those provided for in this Guidance.”
Bloomberg News and the AP’s Ryan J. Foley in Iowa City, Iowa; Amy Forliti in Minneapolis; and Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Jill Colvin contributed.