chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Dec. 4 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

The next week , the deputy returned to the restaurant and again saw people dining indoors .
This time , @ @ @ @ @ enter the restaurant “ due to the upset nature of the last compliance check , @ @ @ @ @ not want to further make any situation worse by entering , ” according to the @ @ @ @ @ deputy was not there to enforce , but rather to document and educate on current @ @ @ @ @ .

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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 plans to distribute its initial allocation of roughly 109,000 doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine to the 50 counties across the state with the highest death rates from the virus, the state’s top public health official said Friday.
In the Chicago area, that includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties. It also includes Kankakee County but not McHenry.
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First, though, the Pfizer vaccine needs emergency use authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration, which could come as soon as Thursday. If that happens, Illinois expects to receive its first shipment sometime during the week of Dec. 13.
Meanwhile, state health officials on Friday reported 10,526 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 148 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 770,088 and the statewide death toll to 12,974 since the start of the pandemic.
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Here’s what’s happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
9 p.m.: Striking workers reach agreement to go back to work at 11 Illinois nursing homes
Workers on strike at 11 nursing homes in Illinois said they reached a tentative agreement Friday to go back to work with raises and increased pandemic pay.
Nearly 700 members of SEIU Illinois agreed on a new three-year contract with Infinity Healthcare Management, union President Greg Kelly said. Pending expected ratification Sunday, they will go back to work Monday for what leaders described as a “family reunion” with the residents for whom they care.
Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
8:15 p.m.: A deadly second surge: COVID-19 fatalities hit a new record in Illinois nursing homes
The new COVID-19 surge is hitting Illinois’ most vulnerable residents harder than ever, with a record 480 deaths recorded in the past week among people living in long-term care facilities.
A Tribune analysis found the surge in deaths was particularly steep outside the greater Chicago area, underscoring the challenges of keeping the virus out of nursing homes and assisted living facilities when infections are spreading in the surrounding communities.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker offered a deep sigh Friday when asked what more could be done to tamp down the surge in long-term care deaths.
“This is frankly the same challenge that exists in all the other populations, and even more so, when we’re at the highest levels of the pandemic,” he told reporters.
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The latest weekly death tally was nearly double that recorded in the prior week, part of a sizable increase in deaths from earlier in the fall. The latest toll was slightly more than the number seen in the previous worst week for such deaths, during the spring surge, in early May.
Read more here. —Joe Mahr
6:05 p.m.: Illinois to distribute first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine to 50 counties with highest death rates
Illinois plans to distribute its initial allocation of roughly 109,000 doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine to the 50 counties across the state with the highest death rates from the virus, the state’s top public health official said Friday.
In the Chicago area, that includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties. It also includes Kankakee County but not McHenry.
First, though, the Pfizer vaccine needs emergency use authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration, which could come as soon as Thursday. If that happens, Illinois expects to receive its first shipment sometime during the week of Dec. 13.
While the possibility of the first doses of an effective vaccine being administered within weeks is among the most promising news of the year, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday attempted to temper expectations about how quickly the immunization, which for the Pfizer vaccine requires two doses given three weeks apart, will be widely available.
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“No single person will be fully vaccinated even by Christmas, and it will likely be months before people with low-risk factors for COVID-19 see their first dose,” Pritzker said at his daily coronavirus briefing.
Indeed, if Illinois receives the full 109,000 doses, which is not guaranteed, it would only be enough to vaccinate a small portion of the state’s nearly 655,000 front-line health care workers and more than 109,000 long-term care residents. Based on recommendations from the federal government, those two groups are first in line to be inoculated.
Read more here. —Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks
5:40 p.m.: Cook County health officials issue formal citations to suburban Hilton hotel after indoor wedding with 150 guests
Cook County health officials announced Friday that formal citations were issued to a Northbrook-area hotel following a large gathering this week and a subsequent inspection of the facilities.
A large, mostly maskless wedding event with about 150 guests was held at the Hilton Chicago/Northbrook Hotel Wednesday night, violating the state’s gathering limits aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. Footage from the event first reported by CBS 2 showed crowded rooms full of people hugging, eating, drinking and talking in close proximity.
“The hotel, restaurant, bride, groom, caterer and guests were all reckless and irresponsible,” Dr. Rachel Rubin, a Cook County Department of Public Health senior medial officer and co-lead, said in a Friday news release. “This event was in violation of the current COVID-19 mitigation order and should not have taken place.”
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The Cook County health department announced the formal citations Friday, after Rubin said one day earlier that the department was investigating and discussing legal options.
The citations issued included a facility order to disperse for non-compliance with the the county health department’s COVID-19 mitigation order, as well as a facility notice of non-compliance for not following the Illinois Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 regulations.
Read more here. —Kaitlin Edquist
5:10 p.m.: Union League Club votes to sell its prized Monet painting to cover pandemic losses
The story of Claude Monet’s “Apple Trees in Blossom” and Chicago is long, significant and now — with the Union League Club’s decision to sell its most valuable art work to cover pandemic-year losses — potentially dire.
The painting is currently hanging in the Art Institute’s expansive “Monet in Chicago” exhibition, on loan as a focal point of the show, the first work by the noted French impressionist to be purchased by a Chicago institution.
The 23-by-29-inch springtime image of a French garden lane alongside a blooming apple tree was significant to the artist himself, Art Institute chief European curator Gloria Groom said during a “Monet in Chicago” tour in September, and became significant to the club and the city after a Union League Club member bought it from an Art Institute show in 1895 and sold it to the club, for $500.
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But the club’s current president, in a recent letter to members obtained by the Tribune, said the old-line private social club lacks “the cash resources to survive the contraction of the economy due to the pandemic.”
One of several remedies on the table, and likely to be by wide measure the most lucrative, was the Union League board’s decision to ready for sale the Monet, which the ULC website calls “the jewel of the club’s collection.” The news was first reported Thursday in Politico’s Illinois Playbook.
Read more here. —Steve Johnson
4:25 p.m.: There are more than 221,000 PPP stories in Illinois. Some small businesses got millions. One got $73.
The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to be a bridge from pandemic panic to business as usual for the stores and offices lining America’s Main Streets.
Despite the Small Business Administration approving 5.2 million loans worth $525 billion to weather the economic disruption wrought by COVID-19, many businesses have come up short.
The PPP offered businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 500 employees forgivable loans of up to $10 million, if at least 60% of the money went toward payroll. Larger companies received the lion’s share of the money, while millions of smaller beneficiaries got far less — all the way down to $1, according to data released Tuesday by the SBA.
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In Illinois, the SBA approved more than 221,000 loans totaling nearly $23 billion for the state’s businesses and nonprofits.
Here are some of their stories. —Robert Channick, Abdel Jimenez and Ryan Ori
4:20 p.m.: Biden predicts ‘bleak future’ if Congress doesn’t act on COVID-19 aid
President-elect Joe Biden is predicting a “bleak future” if Congress doesn’t take speedy action on a coronavirus aid bill amid a nationwide spike in the virus that’s hampering the country’s economic recovery.
He also expressed concern that so far he’s seen “no detailed plan” from the Trump administration on how to distribute an approved coronavirus vaccine, but said he and his team are working on their own proposal to fill in the gaps.
Biden delivered remarks Friday afternoon reacting to November’s national jobs report, which showed a sharp decrease in U.S. hiring even as the country is about 10 million jobs below pre-pandemic levels. The Democrat called the report “dire” and said it “shows the economy is stalling,” but he said quick action from Congress can halt some of the damage.
“If we act now — I mean now — we can begin to regain momentum and start to build back a better future,” he said. “There’s no time to lose.”
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Read more here. —Associated Press
3:35 p.m.: Visits, warnings and little legal action: Enforcing COVID-19 restrictions in Kane County has proved challenging
Five days after the governor’s latest prohibition on indoor dining took effect in Kane County, a sheriff’s deputy visited a Sugar Grove restaurant and found patrons sitting inside.
“I advised I was not here to enforce anything other than I was required to document, and educate on current guidelines,” the deputy wrote in an Oct. 28 report.
The next week, the deputy returned to the restaurant and again saw people dining indoors. This time, the deputy didn’t enter the restaurant “due to the upset nature of the last compliance check,” because “I did not want to further make any situation worse by entering,” according to the report. Again, the deputy was not there to enforce, but rather to document and educate on current guidelines, the report states.
The restaurant, Fireside Grille, also received a call from the county health department, general manager Dan Ferrusquia said.
Like at Fireside, much of the enforcement of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 rules in Kane County has consisted of visits, phone calls and letters or warnings to businesses, documents and interviews show. Little action has been taken through the courts, according to the state’s attorney’s office, and officials in the county’s two largest cities, Aurora and Elgin, say they have not issued any citations or fines due to COVID-19 violations.
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Instead, some city and county agencies say they lack authority to take legal action to enforce the governor’s rules or point the finger of responsibility at each other. Enforcement is patchwork, at best, leaving businesses on their own to interpret local guidance.\
Read more here. —Sarah Freishtat, Beacon-News
2:40 p.m.: ‘Totally unprecedented’: Concern grows as Indiana hospitals fill with COVID-19 patients
As winter comes, concern is growing as Indiana hospitals, intensive care units and emergency rooms are filling with COVID-19 patients.
In the past two weeks, all eight hospitals they serve, including St. Catherine in East Chicago, Franciscan Hammond, Franciscan Dyer and Methodist Northlake in Gary have been on bypass at some point, said Merrillville-based Northwest Ambulance owner Alechia Norwood.
That means, ambulances are told for a certain block of time a hospital is at capacity, directing them elsewhere. By comparison, as an emergency room nurse at Methodist Northlake in Gary from 2006-2015, it went on bypass only once for four hours, she said.
“This is totally unprecedented to see all of the hospitals on bypass,” Norwood said.
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Franciscan Health, with hospitals including in Northwest Indiana, Indianapolis, Lafayette, and Olympia Fields, Illinois, is seeing a big jump in cases and a shrinking number of intensive care unit beds.
“In recent weeks, we have seen a surge in COVID cases across our system. Our inpatient bed occupancy rates are above 90% across the system. Currently, our ICU capacity is low, and varies from day to day, presently ranging between 11 and 20 ICU beds available systemwide. We have adequate ventilator capacity at all our hospitals,” spokesman Robert Blaszkiewicz said.
Read more here. —Meredith Colias-Pete, Post-Tribune
2:35 p.m.: States submit COVID-19 vaccine orders as many report record infections, hospitalizations and deaths
States faced a deadline on Friday to place orders for the coronavirus vaccine as many reported record infections, hospitalizations and deaths, while hospitals were pushed to the breaking point — with the worst feared yet to come.
The number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 hit an all-time high in the U.S. on Thursday at 100,667, according to the COVID Tracking Project. That figure has more than doubled over the past month, while new daily cases are averaging 210,000 and deaths are averaging 1,800 per day, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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2 p.m.: Chicago-area vaccination sites will be at hospitals, clinics, pharmacies — but also drive-thrus at schools, parks and maybe Six Flags
This fall, in anticipation of distributing vaccines against COVID-19, Lake County officials tried a small practice run to give out a large number of inoculations.
To get their annual flu shots, county workers drove through an outdoor clinic in a parking lot. After some initial hiccups, officials said, about 300 people were injected at the setup, with average wait times of about five minutes. Organizers hope to mount a similar plan of attack for the coronavirus.
As part of a nationwide effort against the pandemic, Chicago-area health officials are rushing to prepare for vaccinations on a scale never before seen.
In some suburbs, officials say, that is likely to mean drive-thru sites, similar to the mass testing sites currently operating. In Chicago, due to its higher population density, plans call for vaccinations through traditional health care channels like doctors, clinics and pharmacies.
Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
1:01 p.m.: Thanksgiving takeout disasters offer lessons learned on how to do holiday carryout in a pandemic
On a sunny yet chilly Thanksgiving Day, nearly a dozen parties waited over an hour for pickup orders at an independent Chicago restaurant. Across town, a chain restaurant canceled delivery dinners last minute, ruining the holiday for a young couple working from home with their new baby.
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Nearly a year into the pandemic, how can you try to avoid dining disasters when ordering for Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s? Three local restaurant owners share hard lessons learned, for restaurateurs and customers alike.
Read more here. —Louisa Chu
12:36 p.m.: Experience gifts were gaining steam before the pandemic. From DIY meal kits to flexible memberships, here’s what they look like now.
Finding the perfect gift is always hard. This holiday season poses a whole new set of dilemmas for people who prefer to give memorable experiences rather than stuff.
Will that spring concert happen, and if it does, will the recipient feel comfortable going? Is a “date night” gift of dinner and a show still exciting if that means a Netflix subscription and DoorDash gift card?
Should you just give up and wrap up another sweater?
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
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12:24 p.m.: Nancy Pelosi gives optimistic update, says momentum growing for COVID-19 relief deal
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave an optimistic assessment of the prospects for a mid-sized COVID-19 relief bill and a separate $1.4 trillion governmentwide spending bill on Friday, teeing up expectations for a successful burst of legislative action to reverse months of frustration on pandemic relief.
Pelosi told reporters that she and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are in sync on a plan to reach agreement on the massive omnibus spending bill and to add COVID-19 relief to it.
Pelosi said a bipartisan, middle-of-the-road plan being finalized by a diverse gaggle of senators that she has endorsed as a foundation for the relief bill is a good effort, even though it’s a significant retreat from where Democrats stood before the election.
Read more here. —Associated Press
12:21 p.m.: U of I’s COVID-19 saliva test reaches 1 million mark
The University of Illinois has performed 1 million COVID-19 tests on its three campuses since launching its saliva-based technology, a point of pride for the state’s largest college at a time when many institutions have struggled to keep coronavirus infections at bay.
Most of the tests — more than 930,000 — were done at the flagship campus in Urbana-Champaign, where faculty researchers developed the test this summer, according to a news release. The Chicago campus has conducted more than 50,000 tests and the Springfield campus nearly 25,000. The test, run through the campus SHIELD team, has enabled administrators to keep classroom doors open and provide in-person learning opportunities this semester, University System President Tim Killeen said in the release.”
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Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
12:07 p.m.: 10,526 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 148 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Friday announced 10,526 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 148 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 770,088 and the statewide death toll to 12,974 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 112,634 new tests in the last 24 hours.
The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 10.3% for the period ending Thursday.
—Chicago Tribune staff
11:27 a.m.: Illinois driver services facilities to remain closed through Jan. 4
Illinois driver services facilities will remain closed for in-person business until Jan. 4 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Secretary of State Jesse White announced Friday.
White’s office is encouraging people to use its website, www.cyberdriveillinois.com, for most services, including renewing driver’s licenses, identification cards and license plate stickers.
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A handful of facilities will remain open for new drivers only, including two in Chicago: Chicago North, 5401 N. Elston Ave., and Chicago South, 9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Read more here. —Dan Petrella
8 a.m.: CTU criticizes reopening plan for Chicago Public Schools as unsafe and inequitable: ‘We’re in the process of putting forward demands’
The Chicago Teachers Union bashed the city’s reopening plan for public schools on Thursday, calling for specific health guidelines and more thorough protocols before it can support bringing any students into classrooms in early 2021.
“We are in the process of putting forward demands in the city about how our schools can open,” said CTU President Jesse Sharkey during a virtual event billed for Chicago Public Schools parents.
“To be clear, CTU is not advocating schools close. CTU is saying ... if we’re going to do school, any plan has to have three elements to it: safety, there has to be an element of equity and there has to be an element of trust.”
Sharkey also insinuated that CPS is rushing the process because of “political pressure” to jump-start the city’s economy and to enable more parents to resume working.
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The virtual event took place as Illinois saw the highest seven-day average of COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began, setting a national record. In Chicago, the seven-day rolling average positivity rate stands at 11.6%, with Black and Latino communities seeing the most cases and deaths, according to city data.
Read more here. –Elyssa Cherney
7 a.m.: ‘I think it’s time to get moving.’ Experts call for COVID-19 vaccination trials to begin for young children.
For more than half his life, Alexandra Haake Kamberos’ 18-month-old son has lived under quarantine conditions.
As a result, otherwise normal occurrences, like indoor playdates and trips to the grocery store, aren’t a regular part of the Chicago boy’s life right now, his mother said.
While people around the world wait for the authorization and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines that will eventually allow for a return to normal life, young children may have to wait longer. That is spurring an urgent cry from pediatricians to include these children in trials to reduce their delay in becoming vaccinated.
Children under 12 years old have not been part of the U.S. trials for vaccines that are showing promising results for inoculating people against the virus, which has infected more than 759,000 people in Illinois and killed more than 12,000 statewide since March.
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That means that vaccines will likely be available for the general population of adults months before they are available for children because the trials need to be replicated with children as the test subjects, experts said.
Read more here. —Madeline Buckley


chicagotribune--2020-12-06--Would-be armed robber fatally shot in Goose Island moments after wounding victim, police say

The victim managed to run away after being wounded but told police he heard multiple gunshots fired as he fled @ @ @ @ @ officers responding to the scene found the suspected gunman suffering from numerous gunshot wounds to @ @ @ @ @ taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead , authorities said .
The @ @ @ @ @ was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition .

A gunman who shot and wounded another man during an attempted robbery in the Goose Island neighborhood Sunday morning was himself shot and killed moments later, Chicago police said.
The 28-year-old victim of the attempted robbery told police the assailant approached him and announced a robbery about 4:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of West Fry Street just east of the Kennedy Expressway, police said in a news notification. The robber then shot the victim in the leg.
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The victim managed to run away after being wounded but told police he heard multiple gunshots fired as he fled, police said. Police officers found the suspected gunman suffering from numerous gunshot wounds to the body. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
He was identified Monday as Adan Delgado, 27, of the 1800 block of West Huron Street, according to information from the medical examiner’s office.
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The victim of the attempted robbery was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
It remains unclear who shot the suspected gunman. Authorities said he didn’t appear to have a criminal history with Chicago police.
No arrests had been made as Belmont Area detectives continue their investigation.


chicagotribune--2020-12-06--Woman fatally shot in vehicle in North Chicago

Someone inside the second vehicle pulled out a firearm and fired several shots at the victim ’ s vehicle .
@ @ @ @ @ but the driver wasn ’ t , according to the task force .
The male @ @ @ @ @ Chicago Police/Fire Department seeking aid for the mortally-wounded woman , but she was later pronounced @ @

A 47-year-old woman was shot and killed in North Chicago early Sunday after a gunman fired on a vehicle in which she was a passenger, according to the Lake County Major Crime Task Force.
The shooting occurred around 12:15 a.m. in the 1500 block of Lincoln Street in the far north suburb, according to a news release from the task force.
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The victim was a passenger in vehicle with a male acquaintance in the driver’s seat parked on a one-way street, when another vehicle drove past them and then parked directly in front of them, authorities said.
Someone inside the second vehicle pulled out a firearm and fired several shots at the victim’s vehicle. The woman was wounded, but the driver wasn’t, according to the task force. The male acquaintance drove to the North Chicago Police/Fire Department seeking aid for the mortally-wounded woman, but she was later pronounced dead.
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Authorities did not say what, if anything, triggered the shooting. The incident remains under investigation by North Chicago Police and the Major Crime Task Force. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact North Chicago Police at 847-596-8700. Anonymous tips can also be made at: http://www.lakecountycrimestoppers.com/


chicagotribune--2020-12-06--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 @ @ @ @ @ .
The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or @ @

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--2020-12-06--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--2020-12-06--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 76 new deaths, 7,598 new confirmed and probable cases and 79,538

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 76 new deaths, 7,598 new confirmed and probable cases and 79,538 new test results

Illinois announced 7,598 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Sunday for a total of 787,573 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 13,255 and 79,538 new test results for a total of 11.1 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--2020-12-06--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 7,598 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, 76 additional deat

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 7,598 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, 76 additional deaths reported Sunday

After testing positive and first beginning to quarantine , the 34-year-old also felt fatigued , had a congested nose , @ @ @ @ @ breath that he compared to feeling like he ran outside during a cold Chicago day @ @ @ @ @ to reporters during a video call from his hotel room on Sunday morning , he @ @ @ @ @ and his symptoms were behind him .

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 public health officials on Sunday reported 7,598 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 76 additional deaths.
That brings the state’s total to 787,573 confirmed and probable cases and 13,255 fatalities since the pandemic began.
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A day earlier, Illinois officials reported 208 deaths and crossed the 13,000 mark for COVID-19 fatalities, a little more than a week after marking 12,000 deaths.
The numbers illustrate just how bad the pandemic has gotten here. Illinois has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other state in the seven days ending Saturday, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only Illinois and Texas have more than 1,000 deaths in that timeframe.
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Additionally, former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty in January to political corruption, has died from COVID-19 complications, his attorney said Saturday.
Sandoval, who was cooperating with federal authorities, was in the hospital before his death, said attorney Dylan Smith, who added that he spoke with the former lawmaker’s family.
Meanwhile, Illinois plans to distribute its initial allocation of roughly 109,000 doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine to the 50 counties across the state with the highest death rates from the virus, the state’s top public health official said Friday.
In the Chicago area, that includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties. It also includes Kankakee County but not McHenry.
First, though, the Pfizer vaccine needs emergency use authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration, which could come as soon as Thursday. If that happens, Illinois expects to receive its first shipment sometime during the week of Dec. 13.
Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
7,598 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, 76 additional deaths reported
Illinois public health officials on Sunday reported 7,598 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 76 additional deaths.
That brings the state’s total to 787,573 confirmed and probable cases and 13,255 fatalities since the pandemic began.
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There were 79,538 tests performed in the previous 24 hours. The statewide positivity rate for the previous seven days is 11.8%.
Bulls’ Garrett Temple is quarantining in his hotel room after testing positive for COVID-19
Chicago Bulls guard Garrett Temple is quarantining in his hotel room in Chicago after testing positive for COVID-19 last Saturday.
Through contract tracing, Temple, a free-agent acquisition by the Bulls this offseason, said he believes he contracted the virus while in Louisiana during Thanksgiving. He does not usually get headaches, so once he started feeling one in the days after, he figured something might be up.
After testing positive and first beginning to quarantine, the 34-year-old also felt fatigued, had a congested nose, a cough and shortness of breath that he compared to feeling like he ran outside during a cold Chicago day. But as he spoke to reporters during a video call from his hotel room on Sunday morning, he said he felt much better and his symptoms were behind him.
He was hopeful to rejoin the Bulls for practice by Wednesday or sometime during the middle of the week once he records two negative results.
Read more here. —Jamal Collier
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Saturday
Maria Lopez, wife of beloved 911 dispatcher Lupe Lopez, also dies of COVID-related issues. ‘They fought to stay here with us,’ daughter says
The adult children of 911 dispatcher Lupe Lopez, who died last month of COVID-19, thought their mother, Maria, 56, was going to pull through the virus and rejoin them at home. But overnight Saturday, she was pronounced dead at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, said daughter Erica.
“It’s a sad ending to a beautiful love story,” Erica Lopez said Saturday afternoon from her parents’ home. “I accepted it. I love God. I am not angry with him. I am angry at the selfish person who did not wear a mask and infected my father.”
The couple first battled their COVID-19 infection together at home, until it worsened and they had to be hospitalized. Erica, who is the oldest of the couple’s three children, said they are cleaning up their parents’ home before they make arrangements for Maria’s funeral.
“It looks like ground zero from the front to back. Medicine bottles everywhere, tissue. It really shows how hard they fought to stay here with us. My dad really fought to make sure my mother beat this virus,” Erica Lopez said.
Read more here. —Deanese Williams-Harris
Report: Singer Jeremih released from Northwestern Memorial Hospital after undergoing COVID-19 treatment
Chicago singer Jeremih has been released from the hospital after undergoing treatment for COVID-19.
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According to ABC 7 Chicago, Jeremih was discharged from Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Friday night, accompanied by his mother.
“First and foremost, I would like to thank God and the incredible team of doctors and nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for saving my life,” Jeremih told ABC 7 Chicago. “I will be forever grateful.”
Read more here. —Variety
Testing bipartisanship, Biden urges Congress to compromise on COVID-19 pandemic relief bill
President-elect Joe Biden is trying to help break a monthslong deadlock in Congress over a new installment of pandemic relief, testing his aspiration to preside over a new era of bipartisan cooperation in Washington, even before he takes office.
Biden seized Friday on a grim new report on unemployment to amplify his call for Congress to act on a bipartisan $900-billion relief bill that emerged this week — half the size of a package that Democrats wanted but twice as much as Republicans have proposed.
“If we don’t act now, the future will be very bleak,” Biden said, speaking to reporters in Wilmington, Delaware. “Americans need help and they need it now, and they’ll need more to come early next year. But I must tell you, I am encouraged by the bipartisan efforts in the Senate around a $900-billion package of relief.”
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Read more here. —Los Angeles Times
Illinois surpasses 13,000 COVID-19 deaths, just eight days after reaching 12,000
Illinois moved past 13,000 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, just eight days after marking 12,000 deaths.
The numbers illustrate just how bad the pandemic has gotten here. Illinois has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other state in the last seven days, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only Illinois and Texas have more than 1,000 deaths in last seven days.
Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
9,887 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 208 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Saturday announced 9,887 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 208 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 779,975 and the statewide death toll to 13,179 since the start of the pandemic.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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Ex-state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty to political corruption, dies from COVID-19, attorney says
Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty in January to political corruption, has died from COVID-19 complications, his attorney said Saturday.
Sandoval, who was cooperating with federal authorities, was in the hospital before his death, said attorney Dylan Smith, who added that he spoke with the former lawmaker’s family.
“I was very proud to have represented Martin Sandoval. While he may have strayed from the standard he set for himself, he was making a genuine effort to make amends for his mistakes through his cooperation with the government and its ongoing investigation,” Smith said.
“(Sandoval) was someone of considerable ability who had done a great deal of good in his life,” Smith added.
Sandoval, the former Senate Transportation Committee chairman, pleaded guilty to bribery and tax charges in a 27-page plea agreement that laid bare a striking level of greed, even in a state accustomed to elected officials going off to prison for trading political power for cash.
Read more here. —Jason Meisner
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CDC says people should wear masks indoors as COVID-19 infections spread at record levels in United States
Americans should be wearing a mask indoors whenever they’re outside their own home, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending, as coronavirus infections continue to spread at record levels in the United States — reaching a new daily high of nearly 228,000 cases on Friday.
The 227,885 cases eclipse the previous high of more than 217,000 on Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Read more here. —Bloomberg News


chicagotribune--2020-12-06--Police: Attack on CTA Blue Line train in Oak Park leaves passenger with head trauma, eye injury

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Oak Park Police Department at 708-386-3800 .
Crime tips @ @ @ @ @ at 708-434-1636 or online at www.oak-park.us/crimetip .

Police in Oak Park are searching for a man who attacked a passenger aboard a CTA Blue Line train with an unknown object the afternoon of Dec. 4, leaving the passenger with head trauma and an eye injury. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
Police are searching for a man who attacked a passenger aboard a CTA Blue Line train with an unknown object, leaving the passenger with noticeable head trauma and an eye injury.
According to Oak Park police, the incident occurred aboard an inbound Blue Line train at about 1:30 p.m. Friday as the train was at the Austin Boulevard station, 720 S. Austin Blvd.
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Witnesses told police the passenger had either been struck with a hammer or stabbed with a knife, police said. The attacker had fled the scene by the time police arrived.
“The victim, who was conscious and breathing, was transported to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood,” Oak Park village spokesman David Powers said. “Train service on the Blue Line was suspended temporarily.”
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Police said the attacker is described as a Black man, about 30 years old with a medium build and height, with a “lock” hairstyle and wearing a dark hooded jacket, blue jeans, white gym shoes and a blue surgical mask.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Oak Park Police Department at 708-386-3800. Crime tips may also be provided anonymously at 708-434-1636 or online at www.oak-park.us/crimetip.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Vaccine shortages have led to theft, smuggling and doses going to the famous instead of the needy. W

Vaccine shortages have led to theft, smuggling and doses going to the famous instead of the needy. Will it happen again with COVID-19?

“ My biggest fear is not so much that too many celebrities will get it first , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to happen .
I just hope there ’ s not a lot @ @ @ @ @ fear is the black market and the false market .
I ’ m concerned about @ @ @ @ @ people being defrauded by ( phony promises ) .
”

Sixteen years ago, in the middle of a wretched Chicago Bears season, a scandal erupted at Halas Hall that had nothing to do with inept quarterbacking or sketchy play calling — but like the Bears’ misery, it remains relevant today.
An acute shortage of influenza vaccine gripped the country in the fall of 2004, forcing the elderly to wait in hourslong lines for a dose, often without success. The scarcity became such a hot political issue that both President George W. Bush and his election challenger, John Kerry, forswore flu shots until the crisis eased.
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Georgia Kotinas, 85, protests in 2004 at the Thompson Center in Chicago over the shortage of flu vaccines available for senior citizens. (David Klobucar / Chicago Tribune)
But even as Illinois flu clinics closed for want of the vaccine, the Bears obtained shots through their prescribing physician and offered them to players — young men in superb physical condition who fell far outside the rationing guidelines established by federal health officials.
“Everyone should be stepping up … and giving (the vaccine) to those who need it,” Dale Galassie, then the executive director of the Lake County Health Department, said when the news broke. “I’d like to know why an athlete in top shape is being given a flu shot.”
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The uproar in Lake Forest was just one small part of a national ruckus over the vaccine that lasted for months. Along with cries of unfairness came reports of more sinister matters such as theft, smuggling and price gouging.
As America prepares to distribute another scarce vaccine, some are wary that history could repeat. Interpol is warning that criminals are scheming to intercept COVID-19 vaccines, and federal officials have raised concerns about counterfeit doses — the scenario that most worries Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.
“My biggest fear is not so much that too many celebrities will get it first,” he said. “Tragically, that’s going to happen. I just hope there’s not a lot of it. My biggest fear is the black market and the false market. I’m concerned about people fraudulently selling vaccine and people being defrauded by (phony promises).”
System gone haywire
Vaccine distribution is typically handled by private entities. In the case of flu vaccines, federal health officials tell manufacturers what to make, and health clinics, hospitals and physicians place their orders.
But the system went haywire in 2004 when a bacterial contamination spoiled 50 million doses bound for the U.S., creating a massive shortage. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a rationing plan to save doses for infants, the elderly and other high-risk people, it was voluntary.
That created a free-for-all in which some health care providers got the vaccine and others didn’t. Seniors crowded pharmacies and doctors’ offices in search of shots, and in some cases traveled all the way to Canada for a dose (a “flu cruise” that ran out of Seattle charged $105 for a scenic boat ride and a shot).
Some were out of luck no matter where they looked.
In 2004, a woman rests while someone holds her place in line of more than 1,000 people in Chicago as seniors wait to receive one of the 600 available flu shots. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune)
“If I don’t get the flu shot it will do me in,” a 68-year-old man with an oxygen tank told the Tribune while waiting more than seven hours for the vaccine at a Mundelein grocery store.
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The Bears, meanwhile, secured the vaccine through their prescribing physician weeks before the shortage was announced. But they didn’t give the shots until the scarcity was front-page news, prompting a flood of angry phone calls to the team switchboard once word leaked out.
Though the Bears offered shots to the entire organization, a spokesman said only two players with asthma ended up getting them, along with an undisclosed number of staffers. Some, such as defensive end Michael Haynes, said they declined on moral grounds.
“It’s offered to everybody, but some guys are like, ‘You know what, other people deserve to get it more than we do,’” he said.
The Bears said they returned the unused doses to their doctor, who gave them to high-risk patients.
The crisis also brought price gougers, smugglers and thieves out of the woodwork. A California pharmacist said a vendor offered a vial of 10 shots for $700, a tenfold markup over the usual price. A New Jersey convenience store owner illegally imported hundreds of doses from Saudi Arabia and tried to sell them to a hospital, only to be caught in a sting.
And at a health clinic in Colorado, someone slipped into a backroom and made off with 620 doses intended for children.
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“I just can’t believe anybody would do this,” a doctor said. “It means it probably is on the black market somewhere.”
‘Liquid gold’
Could something similar happen with the COVID-19 vaccines? Some signs are ominous.
The vaccines will travel through global supply chains, and Interpol, the international law enforcement agency, has warned that “high demand combined with a limited supply will make COVID-19 vaccines the equivalent of liquid gold to organized crime networks as soon as one is available.”
U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement officials say they anticipate that criminals will also try to sell counterfeit vaccines to the unwary, possibly via social media ads, illicit websites or robocalls.
Hackers are looking for a piece of the action, too: IBM cybersecurity experts say someone, likely operating on behalf of a nation-state, tried to penetrate the computer systems of companies involved in keeping the vaccines cold. The intent behind the attempted breach wasn’t clear, they said.
Some experts, though, said they are confident the initial batches of vaccine, intended for health care workers and nursing home residents, will be secure, at least as they travel to local hospitals and health clinics.
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“(Foul play) is probably not going to happen in the big shipments because they’re GPS trackable,” said Northwestern University logistics expert Hani Mahmassani, who has run a workshop on COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
“The opportunity to steal it, unless you have a major criminal operation, is very restricted. Once it’s available locally and is administered (in settings) like we’re doing with COVID tests, there will be much less control.”
But Jeff Thiel, assistant vice president for pharmacy services at NorthShore University HealthSystem, said the organization’s hospitals will treat the vaccine like a controlled substance once it arrives.
“We’ll have it on inventory, locked up, not accessible to everyone,” he said. “We’ll treat it very carefully and make sure we have tight controls.”
Government control
The COVID-19 vaccine differs from flu shots because doctors, hospitals and health clinics won’t be dealing with manufacturers. The federal government is the only U.S. customer for the vaccines, and will distribute the doses through state and local health departments.
Emory University’s Dr. Walter Orenstein, former director of the U.S. Immunization Program, said that should reduce the opportunities for chicanery.
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“I think the likelihood is slim given the tremendous (government) control,” he said. “If, at some point, it becomes a complete private sector market, then these things might happen.”
Mahmassani noted that other countries are producing their own vaccines, and those could be smuggled into the U.S. if demand is high. But Dr. Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said he was hopeful intense government oversight will blunt that threat, too.
As for low-risk but well-connected people jumping the line, immunologist Barry Bloom, former dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said it probably won’t happen much at first, but could become a problem once the distribution list broadens to include essential workers.
Some states, he noted, have already given that designation to professional wrestlers and financiers.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, asked how the state will prevent wealthy or influential people from getting the vaccine out of turn, didn’t answer directly, but said local health departments must have their distribution plans approved by the state.
Dr. Candice Robinson, medical director for the Chicago Department of Public Health, said her agency will adhere to the priorities established by the federal government. Thiel said those rules should discourage surreptitious vaccine seekers.
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“We have pretty specific guidance on who should receive this product,” he said. “We have something to show to individuals (about) where they fit into the schedule.”
jkeilman@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @JohnKeilman


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--It’s not just COVID-19 that’s closing schools — it’s a lack of substitute teachers. The shortage has

It’s not just COVID-19 that’s closing schools — it’s a lack of substitute teachers. The shortage has reached crisis levels in some districts.

“ Substitutes don ’ t make a lot of money , about $ 120 a day , and then they @ @ @ @ @ the kids are unruly , and they realize that they ’ re unfamiliar with the @ @ @ @ @ to be teaching , ” Burke said .
“ Unless they ’ re certified teachers @ @ @ @ @ with classroom management , and they might not remember the math .
And there are @ @ @ @ @ out there who have lots of experience handling 25 kindergartners .
”

Sharon Nelles, a literacy and social-emotional learning coordinator, gets a computer up and running for virtual teaching with instructor Lynnae Jenkins as Nelles works with first graders as a substitute partner teacher at Patton Elementary School in Arlington Heights on Dec. 3, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
When the long-awaited return of students for in-person classes arrived at Schaumburg High School in late October, Jim Britton sat in his Hyundai Sonata in the school’s parking lot, awaiting his marching orders.
Britton, the director of human resources at Township High School District 211, was among the administrators dispatched to its five high schools as a temporary solution to yet another COVID-19-era conundrum: a serious shortage of substitute teachers at a time when demand has never been higher.
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“It’s all hands on deck right now, and our administrators are available to cover classes as needed,” Britton said. “Every day is a challenge, but everyone — our teachers, support staff, principals and secretaries — is making sure that every student is taken care of in all of our buildings.”
A nationwide shortage of substitute teachers was a chronic problem long before the arrival of the pandemic. But now, a dearth of available subs across the Chicago area has reached a crisis level at many school districts, where the roster of educators available to step in when teachers are absent has dwindled precipitously at a time of unprecedented need for their services.
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Shab Poloz is an English learners-world languages coordinator in Arlington Heights District 25, but on Thursday was filling in for a physical education teacher at Patton School. A shortage of substitute teachers has prompted some schools to use administrators to fill the gaps. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Indeed, the prospect of working as a substitute as the virus continues to rage has discouraged the squad of loyal retired teachers and part-timers who often fill the ranks. Many have told school district officials that the potential health risks are not worth the extra income. That’s happened as the number of teachers and other school employees in quarantine is spiking alongside the latest surge of the virus, only pushing the demand higher.
In response, some districts are stepping up their substitute recruitment efforts to preserve in-person instruction. But others are concluding that remote learning, with all of its flaws, is perhaps the best option, at least until early 2021.
At Schaumburg School District 54, which began the school year with remote learning, students briefly returned to the classroom earlier this fall. But the hybrid plan, which was selected by about 50% of the district’s families, was halted due to both public health and operational metrics, including a rise in COVID-19 rates in the community, and burgeoning numbers of students and teachers in quarantine, district spokeswoman Terri McHugh said.
On Nov. 6, shortly before the pause of in-person learning, 781 students and 158 staff members were in quarantine across District 54′s 28 schools, McHugh said.
“It’s definitely difficult to find substitutes who are willing to work right now, so all of the quarantines did present staffing challenges,” McHugh said.
The first grade classroom of Patton School first grade teacher Lynnae Jenkins, top left of screen, is a combination of students who are at school and students who are learning remotely. (José M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The district is back to an all-remote plan, and McHugh said recently recruited substitute teachers are being trained on how to deliver virtual lessons to the district’s 15,000 students via educational platforms like Seesaw and Google classroom.
Despite having no reports of COVID-19 transmission at any of the six schools in Wilmette School District 39, the soaring virus rates in Cook County and an increasing number of employees out on quarantine prompted officials to pause their in-person instruction for students in third through eighth grade this month.
District 39 Superintendent Kari Cremascoli said teachers and other employees have worked “incredibly hard“ to mitigate risk and offer a safe and highly effective hybrid learning plan. But unlike illnesses pre-pandemic, which might have meant missing a day or two of work, district employees with COVID-19 symptoms, or who have tested positive or been exposed to the virus, are required by health department guidelines to quarantine for 14 days.
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“Pre-COVID, we were already stretched really thin, with not enough subs, but now the need has increased tenfold with all of the restrictions,” Cremascoli said, adding: “On any given day, it’s far more complicated than anyone ever imagined.”
Given the steep challenges school districts are facing trying to find substitute teachers during the pandemic, officials at the Illinois State Board of Education recently launched an emergency program to allow “unlicensed persons of good character” to serve at schools as “supervisors, chaperones or sponsors,” either as volunteers or for pay, during the declared public health emergency, ISBE spokeswoman Jackie Matthews said in a statement.
The emergency rules, which are helpful when teachers have to quarantine at home, allow the unlicensed person to supervise students in a classroom under the guidance of a teacher who is delivering lessons remotely or other licensed personnel physically present in the building, Matthews said.
Candidates applying for a substitute license in Illinois must have a bachelor’s degree or higher, and pay a $50 fee, which is reimbursed by the state after teaching 10 or more days after receiving a license, according to the ISBE website. While pay rates typically range from about $110 to $120 a day, long-term substitutes can earn up to $200 a day at some districts.
Now many districts have stepped up social media pushes and advertising to try to draw more candidates.
Officials at New Trier High School recently hired a team of classroom supervisors — many of them parents in the community — to keep watch over students who are immersed in remote learning from the classroom, director of human resources Renee Zoladz said.
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While Zoladz said about 80% of New Trier’s teachers are instructing students in person at the high school’s campuses in Winnetka and Northfield, the classroom supervisors — who earn about $35 an hour — allow teachers who are on quarantine, or who have received medical accommodations, to deliver remote lessons from home.
“We always have a pool of substitutes who are retirees, but right now, many are just not comfortable being in a classroom with students, and they’re putting off returning until there is a vaccine,” Zoladz said.
On a recent morning in Arlington Heights School District 25, there were 111 absences across the district’s nine schools. Of those, 47 spots would be filled by administrators, including principals, leaving 64 posts in need of substitute teachers, said Brian Kaye, the assistant superintendent of personnel and planning.
Sharon Nelles, a literacy coordinator in Arlington Heights District 25, works with first graders at Patton Elementary on Thursday. Nelles was serving as a substitute "partner teacher" while the students' regular classroom teacher provided lessons remotely. (José M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
While the district was able to round up 35 substitutes, minutes before classes started Kaye was scrambling to fill the remaining 29 positions by reassigning teacher assistants and dispatching administrators at the district headquarters to school buildings in need.
Kaye said the required quarantines have certainly had an impact on staffing classrooms, but the issue is not primarily a matter of increased teacher absences — it’s a shrinking pool of substitutes due to coronavirus concerns.
“Most of our loyalist substitutes have shared openly that they are absolutely more concerned about being around kids right now, and they say they plan to come back once there’s a vaccine,” Kaye said.
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To be sure, even substitutes who are willing to teach students in person are facing new challenges this year, in particular, learning how to handle the rigors of delivering in-person lessons in the classroom, alongside synchronous, remote instruction, Kaye said.
“Without a doubt, subbing today means teaching the ‘roomies’ and the ‘Zoomies,’ which requires quite a bit of training,” Kaye added, referring to students in the classroom and those doing remote learning.
Of course, the role of the substitute teacher has always been fraught with perils, as students typically view the stranger in the classroom as both lacking authority and the perfect foil for practical jokes, said Lisa Burke, a professor and chairwoman of the Department of Education at Elmhurst University.
“Substitutes don’t make a lot of money, about $120 a day, and then they get in a classroom where the kids are unruly, and they realize that they’re unfamiliar with the content they’re supposed to be teaching,” Burke said. “Unless they’re certified teachers, they have no background with classroom management, and they might not remember the math. And there are not a lot of people out there who have lots of experience handling 25 kindergartners.”
While some substitutes are retired teachers with decades of experience in the classroom, many are part-time workers who mistakenly assume that teaching will be an extension of parenting, Burke said.
“Teaching isn’t a natural skill, and if you haven’t had any preparation in the pedagogy of teaching, you’re going to find working as a substitute can be very difficult,” Burke said.
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“The missing piece is, subs aren’t regular teachers, and unless they’re prepared with training, many of them are not going to go back, because even six hours can really drag on if the students are not listening,” Burke said.
Shab Poloz is an English learners-world languages coordinator in Arlington Heights District 25, but on Thursday was filling in for a physical education teacher at Patton School. The kids did stretches and warmups then played a rock-paper-scissors game as they hopped around the gym. (José M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Still, Burke acknowledged that enrolling in a few rudimentary education courses at a local college, while highly valuable, might be prohibitive for many substitute teachers who, after all, are seeking the work to earn extra cash.
“It’s a conundrum with wide-spreading implications,” Burke said of the lack of qualified substitute teachers, as well as the growing teacher shortage across the U.S.
Nevertheless, the ramped-up substitute teacher recruitment at suburban Chicago school districts in recent months has been serendipitous for some new hires, like Hoffman Estates resident Shonda Dudlicek.
“I’m really happy to have this opportunity, and I kind of wish I had started subbing years ago,” said Dudlicek, a longtime journalism instructor at Roosevelt University in Chicago, who has been busy working as a District 54 substitute teacher since the start of the school year.
On Thursday, Dudlicek and her husband and teenage daughter were home recovering from a recent bout with COVID-19. But with just a few days of quarantine left, Dudlicek was able to carry on with her new role as a substitute teacher, delivering remote lessons to students via Zoom.
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“Remote learning has been hard for everyone in so many different ways, but the teachers are amazing, and the kids have been so patient with me,” Dudlicek said. “All of this has given me a fascinating perspective for teaching my college students. And I’m learning so much from these kids, it’s just an incredible experience.”
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Column: Georgia can give America a 50-50 Senate and force lawmakers to compromise

There are many reasons people might decide it ’ s not worth their time to vote , particularly going back @ @ @ @ @ a runoff election .
For some , politics is boring and difficult to understand .
@ @ @ @ @ how anything that happens in Washington has any bearing on their day-to-day lives .
Others @ @ @ @ @ politicians — regardless of their party affiliation .
And some people are just lazy .

A supporter waves a sign for Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock on Nov. 15, 2020, in Marietta, Georgia. Ossoff and Warnock face Republican incumbent U.S. Sens. David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively, in Georgia's runoff election Jan. 5. (Jessica McGowan / Getty Images)
If you live in Georgia, you’re probably suffering from election fatigue. With the state having been solidly red for so long, I’m sure you are uneasy with all the attention you’re getting regarding the January Senate runoff election.
But bear with me for a moment. I’m not going to further burden you by explaining how America’s future rests on your shoulders. And I’m certainly not going to insist that you vote for the candidates I would vote for if I still lived in the state.
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I’m only going to point out some of the things you might miss out on if you don’t help Democrats gain control of the Senate by electing the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.
The outcome of this election will largely be determined by turnout among African Americans and young people. These two groups have the power to swing an election in either direction, and historically, they have leaned toward Democrats. High turnout by both groups would secure Warnock and Ossoff seats in the Senate.
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Georgia election officials said that more than 940,000 mail-in ballots had been requested by the end of November. That sounds like good news for Democrats, the main beneficiary of mail-in voting in the presidential election, but that does not mean Democrats have the Senate races in the bag. Far from it.
There are many reasons people might decide it’s not worth their time to vote, particularly going back a second time to decide a runoff election. For some, politics is boring and difficult to understand. Some don’t see how anything that happens in Washington has any bearing on their day-to-day lives. Others simply don’t trust politicians — regardless of their party affiliation. And some people are just lazy.
To most Americans, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are household names — but not to everyone. Many Americans have too many other issues in their lives, particularly if they are struggling to survive day to day, to pay attention to what’s going on in Washington.
Today, I am speaking to the people in Georgia, some of whom I know personally, who have not made keeping up with politics a top priority.
Allow me to explain in simple terms what is at stake. If Warnock and Ossoff are elected, the Democrats and Republicans will have a 50-50 tie in the Senate. That means Vice President Kamala Harris will get to break the tie if the vote comes to that point.
A 50-50 tie in Congress seems like it would only tighten the gridlock in Washington, but it actually could end up forcing Democrats and Republicans to work together, especially on important issues.
Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer would assume the role of majority leader. In the South, New Yorker Schumer often is portrayed as the boogeyman, but fear not. He wouldn’t have absolute power. With the Senate evenly split, Schumer would be forced to negotiate with McConnell on important issues, from floor procedures to deciding who hold seats on the various committees.
Compromise is good for America — even if you must bring both sides to the table kicking and screaming.
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The big advantage for Democrats, though, is that Schumer would get to decide which bills are introduced in the Senate. That’s a good thing for the working class, the economy, the climate and America’s social agenda.
Let’s be clear about another thing. As long as McConnell remains in charge, it is unlikely that you will see another stimulus check anytime soon, if at all.
Though many Americans are falling under the weight of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, Republican lawmakers aren’t interested in providing another $1,200 stimulus check to help people make it over the hump.
Nor do they want to add another $600 to unemployment benefits, a feature of the last stimulus package. The most you might see this time, if a bill happens to make it through Congress, is an additional $300 added to your weekly unemployment benefits.
Already, there are signals that some Democrats and Republicans would be willing to put their differences aside if McConnell weren’t in the way.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers got together and came up last week with a new $908 billion compromise to help jobless and other struggling Americans, but it does not include a stimulus check. There would, however, be money for schools, child care, food and rental assistance, though Democrats don’t think it’s enough.
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If it looks like little gets done in Washington, you’re right. Under McConnell’s leadership, Congress has been gridlocked. He has been unwilling to compromise and has taken pride in the “Grim Reaper” nickname bestowed on him.
But it’s not because the House isn’t trying. The Pelosi-led House has passed hundreds of bills that McConnell refused to be presented to the Senate.
Among them is a House bill that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. McConnell never allowed it to be introduced in the Senate.
Of course, there is no guarantee that every House-passed bill would make it into law, even with Democrats in control of the Senate. But at least senators would get the chance to consider them with McConnell out of the way.
Here are some other bills that have been buried in McConnell’s so-called legislative graveyard:
The Equality Act: would prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in public facilities, housing, schools and the workplace.
The For the People Act: would automatically register citizens to vote and restore voting rights to people who have served felony sentences.
The Paycheck Fairness Act: would require that male and female employees receive equal pay for equal work.
Joe Biden made a lot of promises during his presidential campaign. If you voted for him, you want to see him follow through. But he can’t do anything with most of them without Democratic control of the Senate.
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He pledged to make sure that today’s generation is equipped to compete in an increasingly globalized and technology-driven economy. To do that, he promised to make two-year community college and other high-quality training programs free of charge.
He also said he would make four-year public colleges and universities tuition-free for students whose family income is below $125,000 a year. In addition, he promised to double the maximum value of Pell grants, making them more accessible to middle-class Americans.
He said he would eliminate undergraduate student loan debt to those who earn under $25,000 a year. For those earning over $25,000, the payments would be cut by more than half — to 5% of your discretionary income. After 20 years of payment, the remaining debt would be eliminated.
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McConnell and the Republicans think these ideas are a waste of taxpayer money. They accuse you of being lazy and shiftless, waiting around for government handouts.
But they are wrong. This is about fairness and inclusiveness. It is about putting government money and resources into the hands of hardworking people like you, rather than giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.
If Republicans win the two Senate races in Georgia, you can bet they are going to spend the next four years fighting Biden on every issue.
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It’s understandable if the voters in Georgia don’t want to accept responsibility for what happens to this entire nation in the years ahead. No one needs that kind of pressure.
But understand that what you decide leading up to the Jan. 5 election will have a profound effect on you and your children’s future. For their sake and yours, you cannot afford to sit this one out.
dglanton@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @dahleeng


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney allowed diners inside his Ann Sather restaurant in violation of COVID-1

Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney allowed diners inside his Ann Sather restaurant in violation of COVID-19 rules, calls it an ‘error in judgment’

A spokesman for the department said that there had been no complaints about Ann Sather ’ s over COVID-19 restriction @ @ @ @ @ the matter remains under investigation .
Lightfoot ’ s office said in a statement that @ @ @ @ @ and that “ any business found in violation of these guidelines has been and will @ @ @ @ @ No exceptions.
” The statement gave no further details on Tunney ’ s case .

Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney’s Ann Sather restaurant got a visit from city inspectors Monday because the alderman has been allowing people to eat inside the establishment in violation of city and state rules designed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Tunney, a key member of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s City Council leadership team as her hand-picked chair of the Zoning Committee, acknowledged diners have been eating inside his Belmont Avenue restaurant and called it an ”error in judgment.”
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“We’ve been sporadically letting some people in, regulars at the restaurant, to accommodate them from time to time,” Tunney said Monday. “It’s done. It will not continue, as of today.”
Teams from the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection have been citing restaurants for breaking COVID-19 rules, and Ann Sather could face the same treatment after Monday’s visit by inspectors.
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A spokesman for the department said that there had been no complaints about Ann Sather’s over COVID-19 restriction violations before Monday and that the matter remains under investigation. Lightfoot’s office said in a statement that the rules apply to everyone and that “any business found in violation of these guidelines has been and will be held fully accountable. No exceptions.” The statement gave no further details on Tunney’s case.
Ald. Tom Tunney speaks during a City Council meeting on Sept. 18, 2019. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
A blog that covers Chicago police issues posted an item earlier Monday about people being allowed to dine inside Tunney’s restaurant.
The violation comes to light as restaurants across Chicago struggle to survive the cold months while unable to serve people inside their dining rooms.
Lightfoot has been trying to balance allowing Chicago bars and restaurants to be open as much as possible, while also insisting she will follow scientific advice and make the tough calls to close parts of the economy if needed.
Her attempts to justify and enforce the rules won’t get any easier in light of one of her allies flouting the restrictions that are hurting other restaurants in the city.
Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue in Lakeview on Dec. 7, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
After loosening restrictions to allow indoor dining with lower capacities, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced in late October that he would again shut down indoor dining in Chicago and other parts of the state as COVID-19 cases surged. Lightfoot initially pushed back, then agreed to go along with the governor.
Tunney is the latest Democratic politician to get in trouble for not following social distancing rules. Recently, California Gov. Gavin Newsom was widely ridiculed for attending a fancy dinner at The French Laundry.
In Chicago, Lightfoot was criticized early in the pandemic for getting her hair done after Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order that also closed down hair salons and barbershops. Lightfoot, who justified her decision in part by saying she is the face of the city and does national media appearances, had also done a public service announcement advising residents that getting their roots done isn’t an essential service.
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Lightfoot was also criticized for joining street celebrations after Joe Biden was declared the winner of last month’s presidential election.
Tunney said that the dining room was never crowded at Ann Sather’s and that diners were kept apart at socially distanced tables.
Tunney last month voted against Lightfoot’s 2021 budget package and its $94 million property tax increase. The alderman, whose ward includes some of the highest property values in the city, said he couldn’t support another hike on his constituents. The tax hike passed by a 28-22 vote, and the budget passed by a vote of 29-21.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Longtime Chicago activist and historian Timuel Black Jr.

Timuel Black Jr. , longtime Chicago activist , historian and professor emeritus of social sciences at the City Colleges of @ @ @ @ @ of UIC 's Forum , before being honored by the Jazz Institute of Chicago in @ @ @ @ @ on the South Side and is known as the `` truth teller of Chicago .
@

Timuel Black, longtime Chicago activist, historian and professor emeritus of social sciences at the City Colleges of Chicago, in the lobby of UIC's Forum, before being honored by the Jazz Institute of Chicago in 2008. Black grew up on the South Side and is known as the "truth teller of Chicago." (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)


Santa goes virtual

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

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 15 Dreezy Claus, aka Chicago's Black Santa, does a virtual visit with 5-year-old Jaden from his basement Dec. 5, 2020, in Chicago. Andre Russell has been doing a mix of visits this year, though most are virtual. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
There’s a lot of love for an option that was low on Santa’s list last year: the Zoom visit.


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Pritzker says next 4 weeks could be ‘the most crucial month of this entire pandemic’

“ It ’ s likely too early for us to have yet seen the bulk of Thanksgiving-related hospitalizations .
We @ @ @ @ @ 11th day since Thanksgiving and we are four days out from Hanukkah and 18 days @ @ @ @ @ from Kwanzaa , 24 from New Year ’ s Eve , ” Pritzker said Monday @ @ @ @ @ weeks may be the most crucial month of this entire pandemic .
We quite literally @ @ @ @ @ our hospital systems to manage another surge .
”

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 is entering what could be “the most crucial month of this entire pandemic,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday, a period bookended by Thanksgiving and a string of December holidays traditionally marked by gatherings that carry the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
Though the state has recently seen a slight decrease in the hospitalization rate for COVID-19 patients, it’s still 14% higher than the spring peak during the initial surge of the pandemic.
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“It’s likely too early for us to have yet seen the bulk of Thanksgiving-related hospitalizations. We’re now in our 11th day since Thanksgiving and we are four days out from Hanukkah and 18 days from Christmas, 19 days from Kwanzaa, 24 from New Year’s Eve,” Pritzker said Monday. “These next four weeks may be the most crucial month of this entire pandemic. We quite literally have very limited leeway in our hospital systems to manage another surge.”
As of Sunday night, 5,190 people across the state were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 1,123 of those patients in intensive care units and 648 on ventilators. The total number of people hospitalized statewide with COVID-19 was more than 5,800 a week earlier, and had surpassed 6,000 for more than a week in November.
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Officials should have a better sense later this week and into next week of whether Thanksgiving led to a major spike in coronavirus cases, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said.
The state on Monday reported 8,691 newly confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, and 90 additional deaths. The state is now reporting 796,264 known and probable cases, and a death toll of 13,343 throughout the course of the pandemic.
The new and probable cases reported Monday came out of a batch of 77,569 tests, and the seven-day statewide positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests conducted was 10.3% for the period ending Sunday.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, speaks alongside Gov. J.B. Pritzker during a daily coronavirus news conference Nov. 4, 2020, at the Thompson Center. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Pritzker and Ezike defended the state’s plan for distributing the first shipment of a coronavirus vaccine to the 50 of Illinois’ 102 counties with the highest per capita death rates, which they presented publicly on Friday.
The state’s plan identified 10 regional hub hospitals from which the vaccine’s initial shipment will be distributed to those 50 counties, with front-line health care workers considered the top priority for being inoculated. But several of the downstate hub locations, including hospitals in Peoria, Springfield and Champaign, are in counties that aren’t on the list of 50.
And some of the state’s least populous counties that are among the 50 don’t have a hospital within their borders. Ezike said officials can identify which hospitals residents from those counties use and distribute the vaccine to front-line health care workers there.
There may be more tweaks to the state’s distribution plan before vaccines, which still await the required federal approvals, actually arrive. The intention behind designating the 50 counties with the highest per capita death rates was to prioritize the areas of the state that have suffered the most during the pandemic, Ezike said.
“I think that most people would agree that a proxy for seeing the most suffering in a county would be the most deaths in that county, and not trying to discriminate against counties that might be smaller so their number of deaths would look insignificant compared to larger populated counties,” she said.
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State officials have estimated that Illinois will see 109,000 doses in the first shipment, and could see hundreds of thousands of doses by Jan. 1, with top priority given to front-line health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com