chicagotribune--2020-05-29--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Pritzker confirms all state regions will move Friday to phase 3 of

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Pritzker confirms all state regions will move Friday to phase 3 of reopening plan as Lightfoot says Chicago on track for June 3 for next phase

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker confirms that all four regions of Illinois will move to the third phase of his five-phase reopening plan on Friday .
The 28-day tracking period for all four regions will reset on Friday , meaning the earliest any region could move into the next phase is June 26 , Pritzker said .
The opening of libraries and park buildings will happen on June 8 , Lightfoot said .
The mayor said she will have to see how things go with these initial steps before considering reopening the lakefront .
Also on Thursday , officials announced 1,527 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional deaths .
That pushes the statewide known case count to 115,833 total since the pandemic began .
The statewide death toll now stands at 5,186 .
7:33 p.m. : Facing multiple legal battles with churches , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker is expected to lift 10-person limit on services in new stay-at-home order Facing a barrage of legal challenges from churches , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker is expected to remove a provision limiting the number of people who can attend in-person religious services when he signs a new version of his statewide stay-at-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the state moves into phase three of Pritzker ’ s reopening plan , with a wider range of businesses opening their doors for the first time in more than two months .
On Thursday , the Illinois Department of Public Health issued new guidelines for houses of worship , hours before the state responded to the U.S. Supreme Court in a lawsuit by two churches seeking to block Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order .
Pritzker ’ s extended stay-at-home order , issued April 30 and set to expire after Friday , added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential ” activities for which residents are permitted to leave their homes but mandated that they be limited to 10 or fewer people .
In its Supreme Court filing , the state argues that the churches ’ request is moot because Pritzker “ has announced that after that date religious gatherings will no longer be subject to mandatory restrictions.
” “ Having received many plans and ideas from responsible faith leaders , IDPH has reviewed many detailed proposals and has provided guidance , not mandatory restrictions , for all faith leaders to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and safety of their congregants , ” Pritzker said Thursday at his daily press briefing .
7:05 p.m. : The state tried to test for COVID-19 in every nursing home .
It ’ s now ordering homes to do it themselves .
Citing the devastating toll COVID-19 has taken in nursing homes , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Thursday ordered all long-term facilities to figure out how to test residents and staff for the virus .
The new emergency rule for the first time pushes the testing responsibility to the facilities themselves , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s most confrontational stance to date against an industry that increasingly had been pressuring the government to lead and expand testing efforts .
In announcing the rule , Pritzker told reporters that some privately run facilities had refused state help , forcing the state to impose rules “ to counteract any heel-dragging ” in efforts to stem the spread of a virus that ’ s already killed more than 2,400 residents and staffers , nearly half of Illinois ’ total fatalities from the virus .
“ Many facilities have been great partners , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ But long-term care residents are some of our most vulnerable .
That ’ s why strong compliance by many isn ’ t good enough.
” The new rule does not specify exactly when facilities must test residents and staff , only that a facility must do so if it ’ s experiencing an outbreak , or if state or local officials tell them to do so .
Read more here .
—Joe Mahr 6:05 p.m. : Sexual abuse against children could be going unreported during the pandemic , experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reports of sexual misconduct against Chicago Public Schools students -- as well as calls to the child abuse hotline operated by the state of Illinois – have both dropped dramatically since the coronavirus pandemic began .
And while the statewide shutdown of schools means there have been less opportunities for physical or sexual abuse against children , experts say vulnerable children could actually be at greater risk during the pandemic .
That ’ s because teachers – who are required by law to report suspected child abuse – are no longer able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closely .
But child protection officials are asking teachers to remain vigilant .
Read more here .
—Hannah Leone 5:25 p.m. : Lightfoot backs Chicago ’ s bid to be one of the NHL ’ s playoff hubs — if the city meets safety protocols Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed optimism Thursday the United Center could host NHL playoff games if the league chooses Chicago as one of its two hub cities , but she emphasized games would have to be played without fans as the city tries to preserve a downward trend of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions are still in discussion at the league level , ” Lightfoot told reporters .
“ My expectation is that in the first instance , yes , they will be playing ( in ) empty stadiums.
” The NHL already had indicated in its reopening plan that games will be played without fans .
Each team ’ s personnel will be limited to 50 people in the hub city , and all but a few of them will be allowed in the arena .
On Tuesday , NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playoff format — the No .
12 seed Hawks will face the fifth-seeded Edmonton Oilers — and he also revealed Chicago made a list of 10 finalists vying to become hub cities .
Lightfoot said Thursday , “ I ’ m really enthusiastic about the possibility of getting hockey playoffs here in Chicago .
As you know , we are a hockey city .
We ’ re one of the original franchises in the league .
Hockey is deeply engrained into the sports fabric of our city and I ’ m going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts of the Blackhawks and others to bring hockey playoff to Chicago.
” Read more here .
—Phil Thompson President Donald Trump said Thursday he would extend federally covered National Guard deployments to deal with the coronavirus pandemic through mid-August amid an outcry that an earlier cutoff date would deny members access to benefits .
“ The men and women of the National Guard have been doing a great job fighting the Coronavirus .
This week , I will extend their Title 32 orders through mid-August , so they can continue to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts , ” the president tweeted .
The Title 32 designation means that the Guard ’ s activations are federal funded , saving the states from the cost of utilizing guard members .
Trump ’ s previous extension of Guard deployment lasted until June 24—one day before thousands of members would have qualified for education and retirement benefits .
Administration critics questioned whether the original date was set intentionally in an effort to avoid awarding benefits , including access to the post-9/11 G.I Bill , that become available after 90 days of activation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today ’ s decision to extend the service of our men and women in the National Guard is a step in the right direction , it shouldn ’ t have taken this long or required public pressure , ” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of Moline .
Bustos was among more than 70 members of Congress who sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mike Esper more than a week ago asking for an extension of Guard deployment .
“ This pandemic has no end date , which is why we need these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s latest extension .
“ They are vital to our response to COVID-19 and should be activated for the duration of the president ’ s emergency and disaster declarations.
” “ After four letters and a new bill , Trump finally got my message : The 40,000 National Guards troop responding to the COVID-19 pandemic deserve full benefits for putting themselves at risk to protect the rest of us , ” she said .
“ I ’ m glad that , after repeatedly trying to nickel and dime our troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cut off the Title 32 authorization at 89 days to deny members of the National Guard access to federal benefits that require 90 days of service.
” The president ’ s deployment extension also came after 42 governors signed a letter to him requesting the continued Guard activation .
The letter was signed by the bipartisan leaders of the National Governors Association and included the signature of Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker .
“ As states and territories move toward recovery and reopening , our National Guard will be critical in supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal protective equipment , supply and food chain support , augmenting staff at nursing homes , and supporting warehouse operations , ” the letter said .
2:51 p.m. : 1,527 new known COVID-19 cases and 104 additional deaths as all four state regions set to move into phase 3 of reopening plan “ And while it ’ s at least a few weeks off , I want to affirm that the three metrics that have brought us from phase two to phase three will be the same as those that will move us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at his daily news briefing .
The 28-day tracking period for all four regions will reset on Friday , meaning the earliest any region could move into the next phase is June 26 , Pritzker said .
To move to the next phase , the percentage of positive tests must remain below 20 % and not increase by more than 10 percentage points for 14 days , hospital admissions for COVID-19 must remain flat for 28 days , and there must be enough available hospital and intensive-care beds and ventilators to handle a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose administration is facing a 7 p.m. deadline to respond in the U.S. Supreme Court in a lawsuit brought by a pair of churches challenging his stay-at-home order , also announced that guidelines will be released Thursday for houses of worship to resume services .
The announcement came as officials reported 1,527 new cases of the coronavirus and 104 more fatalities , bringing the total of known cases to 115,833 and the death toll to 5,186 statewide since the start of the pandemic .
llinois will lose the equivalent of 550,000 year-long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 40 % of them concentrated in trade , transportation , leisure and hospitality services and the professional sector , according to a new study from the University of Illinois .
The study by the university system ’ s Institute of Government and Public Affairs also warned that more than $ 28.5 billion in income will be lost to Illinois citizens and businesses , along with $ 76 billion in economic output representing the value of goods and services produced due to stay-at-home and business closures .
The study ’ s authors said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s economy , small changes in the critical economic component of household spending , such as non-food shopping or going to restaurants , could significantly impact a recovery .
The authors of the study note that the recession caused by the pandemic appears that unlike previous economic-driven recessions , as Illinois ’ economy is moving in concert with the entire country rather than lagging behind the rest of the nation .
“ What can not be forecast at this time is whether Illinois ’ recovery will lag that of the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and U.S. job growth will persist , widen or narrow , ” said the authors , Professors Geoffrey J.D .
Hewings , Kenneth Kriz and David Merriman .
Illinois , they said , has a complex interactive economy , and interruptions in one sector have ripple effects that affect directly or indirectly other sectors .
As a result , the authors projected 400,000 direct year-long job losses from the pandemic and another 150,000 from a multiplier effect of indirect job losses for each direct job lost .
The study forecast a decline of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the service sector , representing a loss of $ 19.7 billion in income and more than 389,000 full-time jobs .
The transportation , communications and pubic utilities sector will see a $ 14 billion loss in production , $ 4.2 billion in income and a decline of more than 65,000 jobs .
The study said the ripple effect in the state ’ s economy is evident in less vulnerable sectors .
Construction output will fall $ 2.6 billion and income loss will be $ 1.3 billion while 26,450 jobs in the sector will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have more than 30,000 full-time job losses , the research found .
“ Many of the unemployed will be able to garner relatively generous unemployment benefits due to recently enacted federal legislation ” granting an additional $ 600 in weekly benefits through July , the authors said .
“ Despite this potentially mitigating factor , the hardship is undeniable and the macroeconomic repercussions are immense.
” The study said a significant influence on economic recovery will be the degree that employees feel comfortable returning to the workplace and how households view the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ These were not risks faced by households in the recovery from previous recessions , so they add an important layer of uncertainty to the current economic situation , ” the study said .
—Rick Pearson 1:22 p.m. : Lightfoot says Chicago will move to phase 3 of her reopening plan on June 3 Lightfoot said she will have to see how things go with these initial steps before considering reopening the lakefront .
Lightfoot called on businesses to stagger start times for their workers to hold down crowding on trains and buses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers .
Read more here .
—John Byrne 12:57 p.m. : As Chicago moves to next phase of reopening , CTA says it will watch crowds and make announcements to keep riders apart As Chicago enters the next phase of reopening during the pandemic , the CTA said it will use cameras to monitor crowds at stations and on trains and make announcements urging people to spread out or wait for the next train .
The agency also plans to place decals on station floors “ guiding riders on where to stand and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a draft of guidelines posted Thursday ahead of phase three in the city , which will likely begin in early June and allow many offices , day care centers , retailers and gyms to open .
The CTA has remained open throughout the stay-at-home order , but overall ridership has been down 80-85 % each day , according to agency spokesman Brain Steele .
He said officials do not know how much ridership will increase over the next weeks , but they are encouraging riders to use other forms of transportation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CTA , the agency is asking riders to continue taking precautions like social distancing , wearing masks , not boarding crowded trains and buses “ and being mindful and respectful of fellow customers.
” Read more here .
—Sophie Sherry South Suburban Humane Society , a nonprofit located in Chicago Heights , was awarded $ 6 million , while the city of Evanston was given $ 2 million , Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced in a press conference Thursday .
The grants are part of the Cook County Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Housing Cook County ’ s Animals program ” announced in November to help revamp nonprofit and government-run shelters that may face overcrowding as long as they agree to house rescue animals .
“ Over the last few decades , the way shelters care for our pets has evolved , ” Preckwinkle said in a news conference .
“ Many of their facilities have not .
… And they do not provide an optimal environment that helps them engage successfully with potential adopters.
” Read more here .
—Alice Yin 12:24 p.m. : Bosses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening harder .
Some workers ‘ are making more money than they ’ ve ever made by not working right now.
’ About a month after suit maker Hart Schaffner & Marx furloughed its nearly 250 factory employees , the Des Plaines-based company called them all back to work , marshaling their talents to cut and sew face masks suddenly in high demand to protect against COVID-19 .
But there was an unanticipated hurdle : many employees were making more money on unemployment insurance than they did working .
While unemployment benefits usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s regular wages — 47 % in Illinois , up to a cap — people laid off or furloughed amid government-mandated shutdowns are getting an additional $ 600 per week through July .
Three-quarters of the factory workers , whose jobs on average pay above $ 15 an hour , voiced concerns about letting go of the extra cash , said Ken Ragland , chief operating officer at W Diamond Group , which manufactures the Hart Schaffner & Marx brand .
In a difficult conversation , he told their union that those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 72 hours would lose their jobs — and also lose their unemployment benefits — unless they had a legitimate reason to stay home , such as child care constraints .
Read more here .
—Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz 11 a.m. : Coronavirus tab for Chicago Public Schools now up to about $ 44 million So far , Chicago Public Schools estimates about $ 44 million to address the pandemic , with about 20 % of that spending beyond the district ’ s regular contract costs , Chief Operating Officer Arnie Rivera told the Board of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 24.4 million on technology such as laptops , tablets and internet hotspots , with $ 4.4 million of that total coming from a $ 75 million emergency coronavirus authorization approved by the Board of Education in March .
Other expenditures include $ 1.2 million for emergency cleaning and supplies such as soap and masks ; $ 10.2 million for essential personnel ; $ 3.4 million for educational materials for distance learning ; and $ 4.9 million for nutrition and other costs , ranging from student meal delivery to reimbursement for canceled international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ford temporarily shut downs Chicago Heights stamping plant Wednesday for COVID-19 cleaning , the fourth factory to face production disruption in less than two weeks The company closed production on one line at the stamping plant , the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday evening .
Ford notified workers known to have been in close contact with the infected individual and asked them to self-quarantine for 14 days , according to the Free Press .
The Dearborn , Michigan-based automaker stopped production at its Kansas City Assembly Plant Tuesday .
Last week , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plant , which makes Lincoln Aviator , Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor SUVs , and its Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan after employees tested positive for COVID-19 .
Read more here .
—Abdel Jimenez Patients should stay in their vehicles and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window , where they will be provided with a test kit and instructions .
A CVS employee will observe the self-swab process to make sure it ’ s done properly , the news release said .
Tests will be sent to an independent lab and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
CVS Health said it ’ s establishing 1,000 test sites across the country , and more than half are in communities in need of the most support during disease outbreaks and other hazardous events , as defined by the social vulnerability index developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The index takes into account factors like poverty , lack of access to transportation and crowded housing , according to the CDC .
—Angie Leventis Lourgos Workers at Sunnyside dispensary in Lakeview have cast ballots , and Instacart employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process of voting by mail on whether or not to unionize .
Workers at the Dill Pickle Co-Op in Logan Square staged a demonstration asking the co-op to recognize their 13-member union , which has been certified by the National Labor Relations Board .
“ A lot of these essential workers … are reaching out and saying , ‘ I ’ m called a hero , I ’ m deemed essential .
I look at my pay stub , I look at my benefits , I look at my workplace protections and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Zach Koutsky , spokesman for Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union , which represents more than 34,000 grocery store , drugstore and food production workers in Illinois and northwest Indiana .
Read more here .
—Ally Marotti But the coronavirus pandemic means it won ’ t be business as usual .
Here ’ s what to expect .
9:16 a.m. : Legal marijuana was supposed to help communities hurt by the war on drugs .
But COVID-19 may crush efforts to diversify Illinois ’ largely white weed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Weed is still illegal under federal law , which makes it harder for companies to land financing .
And finding a site can be difficult and expensive because the rules on where a cannabis business can locate vary wildly from town to town .
To foster opportunities for entrepreneurs of color to break into an industry that has seen sales of about $ 147.5 million of recreational weed just in the first four months , the state ’ s recreational marijuana law laid out specific social equity rules .
But now the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to diversify the largely white-owned industry as they run out of time and money .
Read more here .
—Ally Marotti Two Cook County judges , both assigned to the Bridgeview courthouse , have been diagnosed with COVID-19 , the Chief Judge ’ s office announced Thursday morning .
They are the first judges known to have confirmed infections .
A statement from the office did not say when the judges were most recently at the suburban courthouse .
The announcement comes as Cook County courts are considering how to phase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An order expected to be entered Thursday by Chief Judge Timothy Evans will extend the courts ’ shutdown until July 6 or further notice .
—Megan Crepeau Roughly 2.1 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week , a sign that companies are still slashing jobs in the face of a deep recession even as more businesses reopen and rehire some laid-off employees .
About 41 million people have now applied for aid since the virus outbreak intensified in March , though not all of them are still unemployed .
The Labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count of all the people now receiving unemployment aid : 21 million .
That is a rough measure of the number of unemployed Americans .
The national jobless rate was 14.7 % in April , the highest since the Great Depression , and many economists expect it will near 20 % in May .
Read more here .
—Associated Press 6:40 a.m. : Here ’ s what will be different Friday , when most of the state ( but not Chicago ) moves into phase three of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state are poised to move into the next phase of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plan Friday , which means many restaurants will be back open for outdoor service and “ nonessential ” retailers will be open to shoppers .
Except in Chicago , where Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said restrictions won ’ t be loosened until “ early June.
” The city ( and all cities and counties ) can enact tighter guidelines than the state , but not looser ones .
For the most part , Chicago ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s opening up a bit , don ’ t throw away those masks yet , they ’ ll continue to be required in public .
Read more here .
—Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks 6:30 a.m. : As non-COVID-19 patients return to Chicago-area emergency rooms , doctors see skyrocketing blood pressure and other side effects of delays in care .
‘ It ’ s terrible , and it ’ s frightening.
’ One patient ran out of medication during the COVID-19 pandemic and ended up in the Loyola University Medical Center emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Others , unwilling or unable to get consistent treatment for chronic conditions during the pandemic , have come in with out-of-control asthma , mental health crises or inadequately treated chronic kidney failure .
After a lull in emergency room visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic , doctors at four Chicago emergency rooms told the Tribune they have seen an increase in non-COVID-19 patients in the past few weeks , along with signs that some patients are suffering because of pandemic-related delays in care .
Read more here .
—Nara Schoenberg 6:25 a.m. : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House met tests positive for COVID-19 A worker at the Springfield convention center where the Illinois House convened for a special session last week has tested positive for COVID-19 .
Jessica Basham , chief of staff for House Speaker Michael Madigan , shared the news in an email to lawmakers and staff Wednesday , noting that “ at this time it appears this individual had no interaction with any member or other staff person.
” Read more here .
—Jamie Munks Here are five things that happened Wednesday that you need to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday 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)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker confirms that all four regions of Illinois will move to the third phase of his five-phase reopening plan on Friday. The 28-day tracking period for all four regions will reset on Friday, meaning the earliest any region could move into the next phase is June 26, Pritzker said.
Additionally, Chicago will advance to the city’s next phase of reopening beginning on June 3 with retail, hotel and restaurant openings, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday.
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The opening of libraries and park buildings will happen on June 8, Lightfoot said. The mayor said she will have to see how things go with these initial steps before considering reopening the lakefront.
Also on Thursday, officials announced 1,527 new known cases of COVID-19 and 104 additional deaths. That pushes the statewide known case count to 115,833 total since the pandemic began. The statewide death toll now stands at 5,186.
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[ When can Illinois reopen? Check our daily charts on where each region stands. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
8:28 p.m.: U. of I. study says Illinois can expect more than half-million full-time job losses
Illinois will lose the equivalent of 550,000 yearlong full-time jobs due to the pandemic, with 40% of them concentrated in trade, transportation, leisure and hospitality services and the professional sector, according to a new study from the University of Illinois.
The study by the university system’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs also warned that more than $28.5 billion in income will be lost to Illinois citizens and businesses, along with $76 billion in economic output representing the value of goods and services produced due to stay-at-home and business closures.
The study’s authors said that in a slow reopening of the state’s economy, small changes in the critical economic component of household spending, such as non-food shopping or going to restaurants, could significantly impact a recovery.
The authors of the study note that the recession caused by the pandemic appears unlike previous economic-driven recessions, as Illinois’ economy is moving in concert with the entire country rather than lagging behind the rest of the nation.
“What cannot be forecast at this time is whether Illinois’ recovery will lag that of the U.S. or whether the historical divergence between Illinois and U.S. job growth will persist, widen or narrow,” said the authors, professors Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, Kenneth Kriz and David Merriman.
Illinois, they said, has a complex interactive economy, and interruptions in one sector have ripple effects that affect directly or indirectly other sectors. As a result, the authors projected 400,000 direct yearlong job losses from the pandemic and another 150,000 from a multiplier effect of indirect job losses for each direct job lost. Read more here. —Rick Pearson
7:33 p.m.: Facing multiple legal battles with churches, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to lift 10-person limit on services in new stay-at-home order
Facing a barrage of legal challenges from churches, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to remove a provision limiting the number of people who can attend in-person religious services when he signs a new version of his statewide stay-at-home order on Friday.
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The move comes as the state moves into phase three of Pritzker’s reopening plan, with a wider range of businesses opening their doors for the first time in more than two months. On Thursday, the Illinois Department of Public Health issued new guidelines for houses of worship, hours before the state responded to the U.S. Supreme Court in a lawsuit by two churches seeking to block Pritzker’s stay-at-home order.
Pritzker’s extended stay-at-home order, issued April 30 and set to expire after Friday, added religious services to the list of “essential” activities for which residents are permitted to leave their homes but mandated that they be limited to 10 or fewer people.
In its Supreme Court filing, the state argues that the churches’ request is moot because Pritzker “has announced that after that date religious gatherings will no longer be subject to mandatory restrictions.”
“Having received many plans and ideas from responsible faith leaders, IDPH has reviewed many detailed proposals and has provided guidance, not mandatory restrictions, for all faith leaders to use in their efforts to ensure the health and safety of their congregants,” Pritzker said Thursday at his daily press briefing.
That includes “suggestions” for capacity limits and limited indoor gatherings to 10 people or fewer, he said. Read more here. —Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks
7:05 p.m.: The state tried to test for COVID-19 in every nursing home. It’s now ordering homes to do it themselves.
Citing the devastating toll COVID-19 has taken in nursing homes, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday ordered all long-term facilities to figure out how to test residents and staff for the virus.
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The new emergency rule for the first time pushes the testing responsibility to the facilities themselves, and it signals the Pritzker administration’s most confrontational stance to date against an industry that increasingly had been pressuring the government to lead and expand testing efforts.
In announcing the rule, Pritzker told reporters that some privately run facilities had refused state help, forcing the state to impose rules “to counteract any heel-dragging” in efforts to stem the spread of a virus that’s already killed more than 2,400 residents and staffers, nearly half of Illinois’ total fatalities from the virus.
“Many facilities have been great partners, and they should be applauded,” he said. “But long-term care residents are some of our most vulnerable. That’s why strong compliance by many isn’t good enough.”
The new rule does not specify exactly when facilities must test residents and staff, only that a facility must do so if it’s experiencing an outbreak, or if state or local officials tell them to do so. Read more here. —Joe Mahr
6:05 p.m.: Sexual abuse against children could be going unreported during the pandemic, experts warn as calls to Illinois hotline plummet
Reports of sexual misconduct against Chicago Public Schools students -- as well as calls to the child abuse hotline operated by the state of Illinois – have both dropped dramatically since the coronavirus pandemic began.
And while the statewide shutdown of schools means there have been less opportunities for physical or sexual abuse against children, experts say vulnerable children could actually be at greater risk during the pandemic.
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That’s because teachers – who are required by law to report suspected child abuse – are no longer able to monitor their children’s well-being as closely. But child protection officials are asking teachers to remain vigilant. Read more here. —Hannah Leone
5:25 p.m.: Lightfoot backs Chicago’s bid to be one of the NHL’s playoff hubs — if the city meets safety protocols
Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed optimism Thursday the United Center could host NHL playoff games if the league chooses Chicago as one of its two hub cities, but she emphasized games would have to be played without fans as the city tries to preserve a downward trend of coronavirus infections.
“All of these decisions are still in discussion at the league level,” Lightfoot told reporters. “My expectation is that in the first instance, yes, they will be playing (in) empty stadiums.”
The NHL already had indicated in its reopening plan that games will be played without fans. Each team’s personnel will be limited to 50 people in the hub city, and all but a few of them will be allowed in the arena.
On Tuesday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed the Blackhawks would be included in a 24-team playoff format — the No. 12 seed Hawks will face the fifth-seeded Edmonton Oilers — and he also revealed Chicago made a list of 10 finalists vying to become hub cities.
Two hub cities will host Eastern or Western Conference games.
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Lightfoot said Thursday, “I’m really enthusiastic about the possibility of getting hockey playoffs here in Chicago. As you know, we are a hockey city. We’re one of the original franchises in the league. Hockey is deeply engrained into the sports fabric of our city and I’m going to do everything I can to support the efforts of the Blackhawks and others to bring hockey playoff to Chicago.” Read more here. —Phil Thompson
4:01 p.m.: Trump extends National Guard deployments after outcry over benefits
President Donald Trump said Thursday he would extend federally covered National Guard deployments to deal with the coronavirus pandemic through mid-August amid an outcry that an earlier cutoff date would deny members access to benefits.
“The men and women of the National Guard have been doing a great job fighting the Coronavirus. This week, I will extend their Title 32 orders through mid-August, so they can continue to help states succeed in their response and recovery efforts,” the president tweeted.
The Title 32 designation means that the Guard’s activations are federal funded, saving the states from the cost of utilizing guard members. Trump’s previous extension of Guard deployment lasted until June 24—one day before thousands of members would have qualified for education and retirement benefits.
Administration critics questioned whether the original date was set intentionally in an effort to avoid awarding benefits, including access to the post-9/11 G.I Bill, that become available after 90 days of activation in a federal emergency.
“While today’s decision to extend the service of our men and women in the National Guard is a step in the right direction, it shouldn’t have taken this long or required public pressure,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of Moline.
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Bustos was among more than 70 members of Congress who sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mike Esper more than a week ago asking for an extension of Guard deployment.
“This pandemic has no end date, which is why we need these servicemen and women,” Bustos said of Trump’s latest extension. “They are vital to our response to COVID-19 and should be activated for the duration of the president’s emergency and disaster declarations.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois last week introduced legislation to mandate the deployment benefits in light of the situation Guard members faced.
“After four letters and a new bill, Trump finally got my message: The 40,000 National Guards troop responding to the COVID-19 pandemic deserve full benefits for putting themselves at risk to protect the rest of us,” she said. “I’m glad that, after repeatedly trying to nickel and dime our troops, he finally abandoned his cynical ploy to cut off the Title 32 authorization at 89 days to deny members of the National Guard access to federal benefits that require 90 days of service.”
The president’s deployment extension also came after 42 governors signed a letter to him requesting the continued Guard activation. The letter was signed by the bipartisan leaders of the National Governors Association and included the signature of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
“As states and territories move toward recovery and reopening, our National Guard will be critical in supporting operations such as testing, distribution of personal protective equipment, supply and food chain support, augmenting staff at nursing homes, and supporting warehouse operations,” the letter said.
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“Likewise, our National Guard are perfectly positioned to support the federally defined core state preparedness responsibilities outlined in your Guidelines for Opening Up America Again,” it said. —Rick Pearson
2:51 p.m.: 1,527 new known COVID-19 cases and 104 additional deaths as all four state regions set to move into phase 3 of reopening plan
Gov. J.B. Pritzker confirmed Thursday that all four regions of Illinois will move to the third phase of his five-phase reopening plan on Friday.
“And while it’s at least a few weeks off, I want to affirm that the three metrics that have brought us from phase two to phase three will be the same as those that will move us into phase four,” Pritzker said at his daily news briefing.
The 28-day tracking period for all four regions will reset on Friday, meaning the earliest any region could move into the next phase is June 26, Pritzker said.
To move to the next phase, the percentage of positive tests must remain below 20% and not increase by more than 10 percentage points for 14 days, hospital admissions for COVID-19 must remain flat for 28 days, and there must be enough available hospital and intensive-care beds and ventilators to handle a 14% surge in cases.
Pritzker, whose administration is facing a 7 p.m. deadline to respond in the U.S. Supreme Court in a lawsuit brought by a pair of churches challenging his stay-at-home order, also announced that guidelines will be released Thursday for houses of worship to resume services.
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The announcement came as officials reported 1,527 new cases of the coronavirus and 104 more fatalities, bringing the total of known cases to 115,833 and the death toll to 5,186 statewide since the start of the pandemic.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said 44% of those deaths are tied to long-term care facilities. —Dan Petrella
2:49 p.m.: llinois will lose the equivalent of 550,000 year-long full-time jobs due to the pandemic
llinois will lose the equivalent of 550,000 year-long full-time jobs due to the pandemic, with 40% of them concentrated in trade, transportation, leisure and hospitality services and the professional sector, according to a new study from the University of Illinois.
The study by the university system’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs also warned that more than $28.5 billion in income will be lost to Illinois citizens and businesses, along with $76 billion in economic output representing the value of goods and services produced due to stay-at-home and business closures.
The study’s authors said that in a slow reopening of the state’s economy, small changes in the critical economic component of household spending, such as non-food shopping or going to restaurants, could significantly impact a recovery.
The authors of the study note that the recession caused by the pandemic appears that unlike previous economic-driven recessions, as Illinois’ economy is moving in concert with the entire country rather than lagging behind the rest of the nation.
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“What cannot be forecast at this time is whether Illinois’ recovery will lag that of the U.S. or whether the historical divergence between Illinois and U.S. job growth will persist, widen or narrow,” said the authors, Professors Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, Kenneth Kriz and David Merriman.
Illinois, they said, has a complex interactive economy, and interruptions in one sector have ripple effects that affect directly or indirectly other sectors. As a result, the authors projected 400,000 direct year-long job losses from the pandemic and another 150,000 from a multiplier effect of indirect job losses for each direct job lost.
The study forecast a decline of nearly $52.6 billion in production in the service sector, representing a loss of $19.7 billion in income and more than 389,000 full-time jobs. The transportation, communications and pubic utilities sector will see a $14 billion loss in production, $4.2 billion in income and a decline of more than 65,000 jobs.
The study said the ripple effect in the state’s economy is evident in less vulnerable sectors. Construction output will fall $2.6 billion and income loss will be $1.3 billion while 26,450 jobs in the sector will be lost. Governments in Illinois will have more than 30,000 full-time job losses, the research found.
“Many of the unemployed will be able to garner relatively generous unemployment benefits due to recently enacted federal legislation” granting an additional $600 in weekly benefits through July, the authors said. “Despite this potentially mitigating factor, the hardship is undeniable and the macroeconomic repercussions are immense.”
The study said a significant influence on economic recovery will be the degree that employees feel comfortable returning to the workplace and how households view the risk of attending cultural and leisure activities.
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“These were not risks faced by households in the recovery from previous recessions, so they add an important layer of uncertainty to the current economic situation,” the study said. —Rick Pearson
1:22 p.m.: Lightfoot says Chicago will move to phase 3 of her reopening plan on June 3
Chicago will advance to the city’s next phase of reopening beginning on Wednesday, June 3, with retail, hotel and restaurant openings, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday.
The opening of libraries and park buildings will happen on June 8, Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot said she will have to see how things go with these initial steps before considering reopening the lakefront.
Lightfoot called on businesses to stagger start times for their workers to hold down crowding on trains and buses as people commute to work in greater numbers. Read more here. —John Byrne
12:57 p.m.: As Chicago moves to next phase of reopening, CTA says it will watch crowds and make announcements to keep riders apart
As Chicago enters the next phase of reopening during the pandemic, the CTA said it will use cameras to monitor crowds at stations and on trains and make announcements urging people to spread out or wait for the next train.
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The agency also plans to place decals on station floors “guiding riders on where to stand and how to keep distance,” according to a draft of guidelines posted Thursday ahead of phase three in the city, which will likely begin in early June and allow many offices, day care centers, retailers and gyms to open.
The CTA has remained open throughout the stay-at-home order, but overall ridership has been down 80-85% each day, according to agency spokesman Brain Steele.
He said officials do not know how much ridership will increase over the next weeks, but they are encouraging riders to use other forms of transportation for non-essential travel. For those who use the CTA, the agency is asking riders to continue taking precautions like social distancing, wearing masks, not boarding crowded trains and buses “and being mindful and respectful of fellow customers.” Read more here. —Sophie Sherry
12:29 p.m.: Cook County awards $8 million in animal shelter grants to city of Evanston, south suburban nonprofit
Two animal shelters in Cook County are getting a combined $8 million to expand their facilities and ensure there is no overcrowding.
South Suburban Humane Society, a nonprofit located in Chicago Heights, was awarded $6 million, while the city of Evanston was given $2 million, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced in a press conference Thursday. The grants are part of the Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control’s “Housing Cook County’s Animals program” announced in November to help revamp nonprofit and government-run shelters that may face overcrowding as long as they agree to house rescue animals.
Preckwinkle said the grants will help ensure that no animal will be turned away at the shelters.
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“Over the last few decades, the way shelters care for our pets has evolved,” Preckwinkle said in a news conference. “Many of their facilities have not. … And they do not provide an optimal environment that helps them engage successfully with potential adopters.” Read more here. —Alice Yin
12:24 p.m.: Bosses say $600 coronavirus unemployment boost makes reopening harder. Some workers ‘are making more money than they’ve ever made by not working right now.’
About a month after suit maker Hart Schaffner & Marx furloughed its nearly 250 factory employees, the Des Plaines-based company called them all back to work, marshaling their talents to cut and sew face masks suddenly in high demand to protect against COVID-19.
But there was an unanticipated hurdle: many employees were making more money on unemployment insurance than they did working. While unemployment benefits usually pay a fraction of a person’s regular wages — 47% in Illinois, up to a cap — people laid off or furloughed amid government-mandated shutdowns are getting an additional $600 per week through July.
Three-quarters of the factory workers, whose jobs on average pay above $15 an hour, voiced concerns about letting go of the extra cash, said Ken Ragland, chief operating officer at W Diamond Group, which manufactures the Hart Schaffner & Marx brand. In a difficult conversation, he told their union that those who didn’t return to work within 72 hours would lose their jobs — and also lose their unemployment benefits — unless they had a legitimate reason to stay home, such as child care constraints. Read more here. —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
11 a.m.: Coronavirus tab for Chicago Public Schools now up to about $44 million
So far, Chicago Public Schools estimates about $44 million to address the pandemic, with about 20% of that spending beyond the district’s regular contract costs, Chief Operating Officer Arnie Rivera told the Board of Education Wednesday.
That includes an estimated $24.4 million on technology such as laptops, tablets and internet hotspots, with $4.4 million of that total coming from a $75 million emergency coronavirus authorization approved by the Board of Education in March.
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Other expenditures include $1.2 million for emergency cleaning and supplies such as soap and masks; $10.2 million for essential personnel; $3.4 million for educational materials for distance learning; and $4.9 million for nutrition and other costs, ranging from student meal delivery to reimbursement for canceled international trips. —Hannah Leone
10:50 a.m.: Ford temporarily shut downs Chicago Heights stamping plant Wednesday for COVID-19 cleaning, the fourth factory to face production disruption in less than two weeks
Ford Motor Co. temporarily paused production at its stamping plant in Chicago Heights Wednesday for sanitation after an employee at the facility tested positive for COVID-19.
The company closed production on one line at the stamping plant, the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday evening. Ford notified workers known to have been in close contact with the infected individual and asked them to self-quarantine for 14 days, according to the Free Press.
It is the automaker’s fourth plant shutdown tied to the coronavirus since the firm resumed production last week.
The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker stopped production at its Kansas City Assembly Plant Tuesday. Last week, the company paused work at its Chicago Assembly Plant, which makes Lincoln Aviator, Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor SUVs, and its Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan after employees tested positive for COVID-19. Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
10:46 a.m.: CVS opening hundreds more drive-thru testing locations
CVS Health on Friday plans to open another 24 COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites in Illinois, bringing the total number statewide to 40.
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Most of the new drive-up test sites are in the Chicago area. A list of CVS testing locations is available here.
All of these CVS pharmacy drive-thru sites use self-swab tests and patients must make an appointment first, the company said in a news release.
Patients should stay in their vehicles and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window, where they will be provided with a test kit and instructions. A CVS employee will observe the self-swab process to make sure it’s done properly, the news release said. Tests will be sent to an independent lab and results are expected in about three days.
CVS Health said it’s establishing 1,000 test sites across the country, and more than half are in communities in need of the most support during disease outbreaks and other hazardous events, as defined by the social vulnerability index developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The index takes into account factors like poverty, lack of access to transportation and crowded housing, according to the CDC. —Angie Leventis Lourgos
10:22 a.m.: COVID-19 spurs union pushes among Chicago-area essential workers. ‘We’re not just burger flippers. We’ve been essential.’
Concerned about their safety on the job as the coronavirus pandemic continues, workers at Chicago-area grocery stores, marijuana dispensaries and other essential businesses are increasingly pushing to unionize.
Workers at Sunnyside dispensary in Lakeview have cast ballots, and Instacart employees at a nearby Jewel-Osco are also in the process of voting by mail on whether or not to unionize. Workers at the Dill Pickle Co-Op in Logan Square staged a demonstration asking the co-op to recognize their 13-member union, which has been certified by the National Labor Relations Board.
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The coronavirus outbreak has unleashed a flurry of unionization efforts in the Chicago area by workers who argue the pay increases and safety measures some employers have put in place don’t go far enough.
“A lot of these essential workers … are reaching out and saying, ‘I’m called a hero, I’m deemed essential. I look at my pay stub, I look at my benefits, I look at my workplace protections and there is a big mismatch,'" said Zach Koutsky, spokesman for Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which represents more than 34,000 grocery store, drugstore and food production workers in Illinois and northwest Indiana. Read more here. —Ally Marotti
10:02 a.m.: Illinois stores everywhere but Chicago can start reopening Friday. Here’s what to expect in phase 3.
Illinois retailers outside of Chicago that have been closed since mid-March are preparing to let customers back in stores starting Friday.
That doesn’t include stores in Chicago, which is not planning to loosen restrictions on retailers that are not considered essential until early June.
But the coronavirus pandemic means it won’t be business as usual. Here’s what to expect.
9:16 a.m.: Legal marijuana was supposed to help communities hurt by the war on drugs. But COVID-19 may crush efforts to diversify Illinois’ largely white weed industry.
Opening a marijuana business has never been easy.
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The industry is highly regulated. Weed is still illegal under federal law, which makes it harder for companies to land financing. And finding a site can be difficult and expensive because the rules on where a cannabis business can locate vary wildly from town to town.
To foster opportunities for entrepreneurs of color to break into an industry that has seen sales of about $147.5 million of recreational weed just in the first four months, the state’s recreational marijuana law laid out specific social equity rules. But now the COVID-19 pandemic could threaten some startups’ efforts to diversify the largely white-owned industry as they run out of time and money. Read more here. —Ally Marotti
9:02 a.m.: 2 Cook County judges diagnosed with COVID-19
Two Cook County judges, both assigned to the Bridgeview courthouse, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the Chief Judge’s office announced Thursday morning. They are the first judges known to have confirmed infections.
A statement from the office did not say when the judges were most recently at the suburban courthouse.
The announcement comes as Cook County courts are considering how to phase in a reopening as the pandemic continues. An order expected to be entered Thursday by Chief Judge Timothy Evans will extend the courts’ shutdown until July 6 or further notice. —Megan Crepeau
8:02 a.m.: Coronavirus economic toll mounts: 41 million have sought jobless aid
Roughly 2.1 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, a sign that companies are still slashing jobs in the face of a deep recession even as more businesses reopen and rehire some laid-off employees.
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About 41 million people have now applied for aid since the virus outbreak intensified in March, though not all of them are still unemployed. The Labor Department’s report Thursday includes a count of all the people now receiving unemployment aid: 21 million. That is a rough measure of the number of unemployed Americans.
The national jobless rate was 14.7% in April, the highest since the Great Depression, and many economists expect it will near 20% in May. Read more here. —Associated Press
6:40 a.m.: Here’s what will be different Friday, when most of the state (but not Chicago) moves into phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan
All four regions of the state are poised to move into the next phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan Friday, which means many restaurants will be back open for outdoor service and “nonessential” retailers will be open to shoppers.
Except in Chicago, where Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said restrictions won’t be loosened until “early June.” The city (and all cities and counties) can enact tighter guidelines than the state, but not looser ones. For the most part, Chicago’s guidelines are similar.
While the state’s opening up a bit, don’t throw away those masks yet, they’ll continue to be required in public. Read more here. —Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks
6:30 a.m.: As non-COVID-19 patients return to Chicago-area emergency rooms, doctors see skyrocketing blood pressure and other side effects of delays in care. ‘It’s terrible, and it’s frightening.’
One patient ran out of medication during the COVID-19 pandemic and ended up in the Loyola University Medical Center emergency room with dangerously high blood pressure.
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Others, unwilling or unable to get consistent treatment for chronic conditions during the pandemic, have come in with out-of-control asthma, mental health crises or inadequately treated chronic kidney failure.
After a lull in emergency room visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors at four Chicago emergency rooms told the Tribune they have seen an increase in non-COVID-19 patients in the past few weeks, along with signs that some patients are suffering because of pandemic-related delays in care. Read more here. —Nara Schoenberg
6:25 a.m.: Staffer at Springfield convention center where state House met tests positive for COVID-19
A worker at the Springfield convention center where the Illinois House convened for a special session last week has tested positive for COVID-19.
Jessica Basham, chief of staff for House Speaker Michael Madigan, shared the news in an email to lawmakers and staff Wednesday, noting that “at this time it appears this individual had no interaction with any member or other staff person.” Read more here. —Jamie Munks
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chicagotribune--2020-05-28--Mexican grandmother of 36 dies following COVID-19, but her legacy keeps family strong. ‘Nothing stop

Mexican grandmother of 36 dies following COVID-19, but her legacy keeps family strong. ‘Nothing stopped her.’

The last time that Jeremy Pagan saw his grandmother was in December , when he visited from Boston .
She @ @ @ @ @ , he said , “ but she was holding my hand ; that was her @ @ @ @ @ that she was still there .
”

Seven of Nicolasa Estrada's 36 grandchildren stop by her home to leave flowers. They were not allowed to attend the burial of Estrada, a mother of 12 who died after testing positive for COVID-19. In the front row are Mario Esteban Macias, from left, Cristina Debbie Pagan, Karla Arroyo, Jeremy Pagan and Giordano Arroyo. In the second row are Bianca Pagan, left, and Yasmin Arroyo. (Eddie Rodriguez / HANDOUT)
Mamá Nica, as her grandchildren called her, liked to sing and dance. She loved to listen to live Mexican music and often did karaoke at family gatherings.
Her grandchildren, 36 of them, sang to her through a Zoom call as she took her last breath at 90 years old.
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Their beloved grandmother, Nicolasa Estrada died May 11 after testing positive for COVID-19.
“Her one wish was not to die alone, but out of all the people that loved her, no one was able to say goodbye,” said her granddaughter Yasmin Arroyo. “That’s what hurts the most.”
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Her 12 children, grandkids and great-grandkids wanted to be with the woman who taught them to sing and to always stay united, but they weren’t allowed to.
Her legacy, however, is what keeps them strong, Yasmin Arroyo said.
Nicolasa Estrada, a native of Jalisco, Mexico, immigrated to the United States in 1979 to create a better life for her children. (Eddie Rodriguez)
Estrada’s spirit and drive also taught them to work hard. She immigrated to the United States to create a better life for her children, and they all inherited her determination, Yasmin Arroyo said.
“She would tell me, ‘nunca digas que estas cansado,’ meaning, never say you’re tired or complain,” she recalled.
Thanks to Estrada’s encouragement and sacrifices, many of her children became business and property owners, and investors. Most of her grandchildren have college degrees.
“We are happy she lived to see that happen,” said Bianca Pagan, a grandchild who recently received a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University.
After raising most of her children in poverty in Jalisco, Mexico, while her husband worked in Chicago, Estrada decided to cross the border in 1979 with hopes that her family would be together and have more financial stability.
“Family was everything to her,” said her daughter Yolanda Rubio.
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When she arrived, however, she didn’t receive emotional support from her husband, whom she divorced years later after a rocky relationship. Estrada found herself looking for ways to support her family in a new country, without knowing the language and without knowing how to read or write.
She offered to wash and iron clothes in exchange for money, the same way she had done in Mexico since she was 15. She cleaned homes, sold fruit and plants, and made tortillas. She also worked at a factory for a few years.
Nicolasa Estrada, who died May 11, 2020, after testing positive for COVID-19. Damien Gonzalez, one of her 36 grandchildren, took this photo of his "Mamá Nica" a couple of years ago. (Damien Gonzalez)
“She became the head of the household,” Rubio added.
In 1986, Estrada was able to change her immigration status thanks to former President Ronald Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act, which granted amnesty to people living in the country without legal permission who entered before Jan. 1, 1982. She worked to ensure all her children obtained legal status too.
“Nothing stopped her; she was so strict and strong,” Estrada’s grandson Jeremy Pagan recalled. “She taught her children about the hustle and life lessons, more than anything else,” he added.
Estrada finally retired in her 60s and took time to enjoy life.
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She knew the public transportation routes like the back of her hand, so she would hop on a bus and visit friends. Sometimes she would venture out to the casino. One time she even went to Six Flags, some of her grandchildren recalled, laughing.
When she turned 80, she finally became a U.S. citizen. Arroyo and her cousins helped her study for the exam. In exchange, she would knit for them.
In fact, they said, Estrada liked to knit for everyone, and she never forgot anyone’s birthday.
For Christmas, Estrada would give each grandchild a $5 McDonald’s gift card.
“That’s probably because she loved the McDonald’s cheeseburger,” laughed her granddaughter Evangeline Rubio.
“She would find a way to show you affection,” Jeremy Pagan said.
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He takes great pride in his Mexican grandma. She never learned English, and he didn’t really speak Spanish, “but love has no barriers.”
Estrada wasn’t always affectionate.
Nicolasa Estrada's family at her burial service on May 15, 2020, at Mount Olive Cemetery. (Eddie Rodriguez)
She was a bit cold and strict with her children while they were growing up, “but that’s because she had to teach them to be independent,” Yasmin Arroyo explained.
“Now I understand it all,” Jeremy Pagan wrote in a post he shared to commemorate his grandmother.
“She had such a strong character because she had to stand up and keep working for herself, for her children and us,” Yasmin Arroyo added.
But three years ago, their grandmother’s spirit began to weaken when she was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
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For more than a year, her children and grandchildren would take turns caring for her around the clock.
Last year, though, they had to make the difficult decision of placing her in a nursing home. They would visit her often, as did her brothers and sisters.
The last time that Jeremy Pagan saw his grandmother was in December, when he visited from Boston. She wasn’t talking much, he said, “but she was holding my hand; that was her way of letting us know that she was still there.”
For her 90th birthday in February, the family hosted a party at the nursing home and hired a Norteños band, one of her favorite Mexican music genres.
That would be the last birthday they celebrated together, and for many, the last time that they would hug Estrada before the visitor restrictions were put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We knew that nursing homes were getting hit,” Evangeline Rubio said.
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Days after the stay-at-home order was in place, Estrada’s daughters Yolanda Rubio, Herlinda Arroyo and Hilda J. La’Cour, prayed outside of the nursing home, Alden Estates of Northmoor.
The nurses helped their mother to the window and they waved to her, Yolanda Rubio recalled.
Once Estrada’s health began deteriorating in late April, family members prepared for the worst. They had been told that some staff and patients had tested positive for the coronavirus so they knew Estrada was at risk, Herlinda Arroyo said.
Armed with the courage and strength they learned from Estrada, on Mother’s Day, they were able to say goodbye to their matriarch through a Zoom video call.
The funeral home asked the family to send a dress for her, and only her 12 children were able to attend her services.
“It’s an inexplicable pain,” her daughter Yolanda Rubio said.
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But amid the pain, they want to celebrate her life “because we are who we are today thanks to Mamá Nica,” Evangeline Rubio said.
Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs recently reported that more than 1,000 Mexican nationals have died after testing positive for COVID-19 in the United States. Chicago has the third highest number of those deaths, after New York City and California. That number relies on family members providing information about the victim to their local Mexican Consulate General.
Estrada is an example of the many immigrants that come to this country with nothing “but perseverance and a willingness to work,” Jeremy Pagan said. That’s the biggest lesson her family learned from her.
“That’s the spirit of an immigrant, of a fighter, because they come here to succeed. She did it,” Yasmin Arroyo added.
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larodriguez@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-28--The state tried to test for COVID-19 in every nursing home. It’s now ordering homes to do it themsel

The state tried to test for COVID-19 in every nursing home. It’s now ordering homes to do it themselves.

“ We will get to every nursing home , ” Pritzker said Wednesday .
“ We are doing it , @ @ @ @ @ as we can with the supplies that we have .
… I ’ d like @ @ @ @ @ once , if we had the national leadership on this subject , if we had @ @ @ @ @ could do this much more quickly , but we ’ re getting to it as @ @ @ @ @ ”

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during his daily coronavirus pandemic briefing at the Illinois State Capitol on May 20, 2020, in Springfield. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
Citing the devastating toll COVID-19 has taken in nursing homes, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday ordered all long-term facilities to figure out how to test residents and staff for the virus.
The new emergency rule for the first time pushes the testing responsibility to the facilities themselves, and it signals the Pritzker administration’s most confrontational stance to date against an industry that increasingly had been pressuring the government to lead and expand testing efforts.
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In announcing the rule, Pritzker told reporters that some privately run facilities had refused state help, forcing the state to impose rules “to counteract any heel-dragging” in efforts to stem the spread of a virus that’s already killed more than 2,400 residents and staffers, nearly half of Illinois’ total fatalities from the virus.
“Many facilities have been great partners, and they should be applauded,” he said. “But long-term care residents are some of our most vulnerable. That’s why strong compliance by many isn’t good enough.”
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 14 A woman wearing a mask leaves the Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook onMarch 19, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The new rule does not specify exactly when facilities must test residents and staff, only that a facility must do so if it’s experiencing an outbreak, or if state or local officials tell them to do so.
The rule also requires facilities to comply with any infection-control recommendations by health officials — something the Tribune previously found that the industry, in general, struggled to do even before the pandemic.
The rule follows federal guidelines issued May 18 that recommended states wanting to relax restrictions make sure homes can test all residents and staff and then, for any outbreaks test weekly until the outbreak is over.
But the new Illinois rule does not specifically mandate that level of testing, and Pritzker has previously said the state is nowhere near ready to reopen long-term care facilities to visitors.
The new Illinois rule came more than five weeks after Pritzker announced an ambitious plan for the state to provide testing for all nursing homes. The effort, to date, has covered less than a fifth of the state’s 1,100 to 1,200 long-term care facilities.
In that time, nursing homes have continued to be decimated by COVID-19 in Illinois and across the country, amid growing complaints the state should be doing more to protect residents and workers with a more coordinated effort.
AARP Illinois, one of the groups calling for a more aggressive state effort, welcomed the new rule.
“We have heard from dozens of Illinois residents in recent weeks who have been devastated by the limitations of testing for their loved ones in nursing homes,” said State Director Bob Gallo, in a statement.
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The Pritzker administration has long said it’s taken aggressive steps to try to control the virus’s spread in congregate care facilities that include frequent webinars on proper infection control, sending “strike teams” to some places and directing pallets of gear to nursing homes.
But a major part of the state’s effort surrounded testing as a way to best isolate infected residents and staffers and, hopefully, catch an outbreak early enough to limit its spread.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 14 City View Multicare Center is shown March 12, 2021, in Cicero. Workers and residents haven't received COVID-19 vaccinations and the nursing home is dealing with an outbreak. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Pritzker announced that original testing protocol April 20, saying all staff would be tested at every facility and — at places without any known cases — residents would be tested too.
By May 13 — three weeks into the process — Pritzker said the state had sent tests to at least 129 facilities. By Thursday — two weeks later — the number sent by the state had grown to cover 203 facilities, still just a fraction of the total operating in Illinois.
Thursday’s rule marks a shift in tone from the administration on testing.
Just a day earlier, when asked about the lack of testing in facilities, Pritzker explained there were limited supplies amid a dysfunctional national response, but he did not indicate facilities themselves bore any blame or responsibility to pick up the slack. He instead vowed the state would finish the job as best it could.
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“We will get to every nursing home,” Pritzker said Wednesday. “We are doing it, in fact, as quickly as we can with the supplies that we have. … I’d like to do it all at once, if we had the national leadership on this subject, if we had the supplies available, we could do this much more quickly, but we’re getting to it as fast as we can.”
But on Thursday, Pritzker offered a different reason for delays: facilities unwilling to work with the state.
“Even as we work to ramp up regular testing of all our long-term residents and staff, my administration has received some pushback from owners and industry representatives, making it difficult to secure compliance across the board,” he said.
An industry trade group, Health Care Council of Illinois, did not address the governor’s complaints, instead striking a conciliatory tone in a statement in which it said it had “immense gratitude” for Pritzker’s “continued focus” on helping facilities.
“We encouraged facilitywide testing since the beginning, and many facilities have proactively contracted with laboratories or partnered with hospitals to test residents and staff. In accordance with this new regulation, nursing homes will submit testing plans to the state and welcome feedback from epidemiologists and other public health experts,” said the group’s COVID response director, Pat Comstock.
Under the new policy, the Illinois Department of Public Health, in a news release, said it will continue to provide testing kits to facilities “that choose to work with IDPH to implement their testing plan.”
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Pritzker said the state has 200 IDPH and 100 contract nurses fanning across Illinois who, among other things, can help with testing. But he said some facilities “opt out of the free assistance” of state teams, sometimes because they do their own testing or work with local health or hospital officials.
Chicago Tribune’s Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella contributed.
jmahr@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-28--What to know if you plan to hang out with 10 people or fewer this weekend

With the state on track to reopen Friday , and Chicago ’ s reopening set for early June , many @ @ @ @ @ state will now be able to gather in groups of 10 or fewer .
But @ @ @ @ @ restlessness of being able to see and spend time with loved ones after being isolated @ @ @ @ @ two months , there are still a few safety precautions to keep in mind .

With the state on track to reopen Friday, and Chicago’s reopening set for June 3, many folks throughout the city and state will now be able to gather in groups of 10 or fewer. But with all the excitement and restlessness of being able to see and spend time with loved ones after being isolated from them for more than two months, there are still a few safety precautions to keep in mind.
The general rule of thumb is that outside is better than inside, and masks are better than no masks, said Dr. Emily Landon, executive medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at the University of Chicago Medicine.
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“Indoor activities that involve eating and drinking are sort of the last thing you want to do,” she said.
It seems safe for us to start having more contact with people we haven’t been quarantined with since certain regions of the state have met Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s measurements to move into the next phase, but we want to use these new human encounters sparingly and carefully, almost looking at the governor’s stipulation of 10 or fewer as a guide, Landon said.
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“I wouldn’t go from the next 10 people to the next 10 people,” she said. “I think we should take that as the spirit of, and we can have contact with 10 people — total.”
The reason behind this suggestion is to decrease your social net and risk of contracting COVID-19. For instance, if you have unprotected contact with a group of people, you’re taking on some amount of risk, and not only does that risk stay with you, but you pass it on to the next group of people you’re with, explained Landon.
“As we go forward, and we have our first ventures out with people who we weren’t quarantining with, or staying home with in the stay-at-home period, those activities are going to be more risky than we might imagine,” she said.
These precautions don’t have to end any interactions though, especially if you know how to take activities and make them lower risk, such as changing a backyard barbecue into a backyard games tournament instead — all while wearing masks.
Low to medium risk activities
You and your best friend going for a walk, then sitting on a bench to talk, is considered a pretty low-risk activity, Landon explained. Similarly, two parents meeting up in the park with their older children, who kick around a soccer ball in an open area, and everyone is wearing a mask, would be considered a low- to medium-risk activity.
Having dinner with your mother at her home, for example, without a mask, if you haven’t spent much time with other people, is probably a low-risk situation.
Swimming pools for fitness, not recreation, are OK, too, especially if it’s an outdoor pool. And Landon thinks it is possible to socially distance on a beach — you just have to be careful.
“If you show up at the beach and there’s not room for you to have a big space around you, then you need to go home — or get there earlier next time,” said Landon. “Bring a big blanket so people won’t get too close to you.”
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Less safe
Hangouts like having three to four friends over for drinks on your balcony are less ideal.
“They’re going to need to be in your house, and outside on your balcony, so you’ve got them in an enclosed space eating and drinking, and if those three or four friends also hung out earlier in the week on their balcony with three or four other friends, all of a sudden it’s starting to look like less safe activity,” said Landon.
She said a person can pick up the virus in minutes, but is less likely to contract it if outside and practicing social distancing.
When it comes to physical greetings, like hugs, Landon said to be “really careful with casual contact,” and to think about people in two categories: those you are willing to have unprotected contact with, like a family member you haven’t seen in two months, and those you are not.
Having a family picnic in the park is a low-risk activity, according to one expert. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
If hugs or other forms of contact greetings are outside the bounds of your personal risk tolerance, communicate those boundaries.
“Once you acknowledge what level of risk tolerance you’re willing to accept for yourself and your unprotected contact — that’s the key here — then you can spend that risk in a way that makes you get the most back, the best return on that investment,” said Landon.
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Higher-risk individuals
People who are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, like the elderly and those with preexisting medical conditions, should be the most cautious when it comes to being in public spaces and gathering with more people. It’s also important for the individuals who live with those who are higher-risk to follow the same restrictions in an effort to protect them, said Landon. “It’s kind of like having a newborn baby.”
Because people who may have COVID-19 can be asymptomatic, Landon urges everyone to be wary of others, even if your friends or family appear healthy.
“It’s important that even as we spend time with other people, that we try and keep our distance and wear our masks,” said Landon.
Good summer behavior will determine the next wave of the virus, Landon said. And as the state begins to transition into new phases, and we slowly start to increase the number of people we spend time with, Landon says we have to get used to wearing masks and adopting them as a personal tool that keeps everyone safe.
“We’re fighting a virus, not an ideology,” she said. “Masks are not an infringement of your freedom any more than pants are. It’s clothing that you put on your face to try to protect other people and to protect yourself.”
chrjohnson@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-28--Sexual misconduct reports and calls to Illinois’ child abuse hotline have plummeted since coronaviru

Sexual misconduct reports and calls to Illinois’ child abuse hotline have plummeted since coronavirus arrived. But ‘vulnerable students are at greater risk of harm.’

Of cases closed during that time frame , 85 were substantiated , including six findings of a sexual act against @ @ @ @ @ sexual abuse .
Another 142 cases were not substantiated , and 39 were referred to @ @ @ @ @ the substantiated cases ended up in a different category than the allegation .
For example @ @ @ @ @ were categorized after the investigation as “ other , ” defined as “ leering , @ @ @ @ @ potentially concerning behavior '' that is not considered sexual misconduct .
`` Other ” continues @ @ @ @ @ of complaints .

Chicago Public Schools saw reports of sexual misconduct drop since schools shut down because of the coronavirus. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
Sexual misconduct allegations in Chicago Public Schools had been on the rise this year until the coronavirus pandemic forced school buildings to close. Since then, the reports have plummeted, with fewer than half as many allegations against adults working in schools made this March and April than during the same months last year.
“When the schools closed and the students were sent home for remote learning, those numbers dropped significantly," said Interim Inspector General Philip Wagenknecht, whose office investigates misconduct allegations against CPS-affiliated adults involving students or other minors.
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Working remotely presents a challenge to Wagenknecht’s office, too, he said at Wednesday’s virtual Chicago Board of Education meeting. While investigators are conducting as many phone and video interviews as they can and continue to issue subpoenas, some parts of the job must be done in person, which may result in some cases taking longer than usual to resolve, Wagenknecht said.
Then there are concerns about abuse going underreported nationwide during stay-at-home orders.
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“We have those concerns as well,” Wagenknecht said. With students out of sight of teachers and others who are mandated by law to report suspected child abuse, there are fewer opportunities for in-person abuse to occur outside the home— but also fewer chances for an observer to catch anything that does happen.
With many students spending more time online amid the school shutdown, board member Lucino Sotelo asked what could be done to protect them from cyber predators and bullies.
Camie Pratt, who leads the CPS Office of Student Protections, said teachers are still being relied upon to monitor students' well-being and to report any suspected child abuse. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Camie Pratt, who leads the CPS Office of Student Protections, said her office is working on preventive training that will be available next school year.
“We are still relying on educators ... to notice signs,” Pratt said. That could include normally attentive students not logging into online classes. “We are still encouraging (teachers) to call (the Department of Children and Family Services) if they have any concerns at all.”
In April, Illinois DCFS Acting Director Marc Smith sent a letter to educators stating that since schools closed in mid-March, hotline calls have “dramatically” decreased, and asking for help.
“With physical school buildings closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the added stress that families are experiencing with the outbreak, your vulnerable students are at greater risk of harm,” Smith wrote. “... As a mandated reporter, your assessment of the safety of our most vulnerable children is needed now more than ever.”
At the Office of Student Protections, a similar decline in complaints occurred when schools went remote, Pratt said.
Of complaints lodged against students this school year through April 24, 634 involved allegations of sexual or gender harassment, 428 inappropriate touching, 386 sexual electronic communication, 171 sexual violence, 129 dating violence, and 111 exposure, voyeurism or masturbation.
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Complaints against adults included 207 cases of alleged grooming, 95 reports of inappropriate touching, 90 cases of sexual violence, 72 allegations of sexual or gender harassment and 19 claims of sexual electronic communication.
After monthly sexual misconduct complaints to the CPS inspector general peaked at 80 in February, they were down to 35 in March and 18 in April, or 1.1 per school day on average, Wagenknecht reported. Before schools closed March 17, the inspector general’s office was opening an average 3.3 cases per day.
In all, the inspector general’s office opened 406 cases from last July 1 to April 30. It currently has 338 active cases and 96 considered “closing,” or “substantially complete.”
Of cases closed during that time frame, 85 were substantiated, including six findings of a sexual act against a child and three of sexual abuse. Another 142 cases were not substantiated, and 39 were referred to another agency. Many of the substantiated cases ended up in a different category than the allegation. For example, 20 allegations of grooming were categorized after the investigation as “other,” defined as “leering, 'creepy’ behavior or other potentially concerning behavior" that is not considered sexual misconduct. "Other” continues to be the biggest category of complaints.
Teachers were by far the most common subjects of allegations, with 170, followed by security guards at 36 and paraprofessionals or aides at 30. Wagenknecht noted the significant decline in allegations against security guards, who between Oct. 1 and April 30 had 53 sexual misconduct complaints last year compared with 22 this year.
As of April 30, 126 adults, including 40 teachers, were at that time pulled from schools because of alleged staff-on-student misconduct. Twenty-eight adults who were pulled from classrooms have been reinstated since July, and 35 others who were subjects of investigations either were fired, quit or retired, according to the report.
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Police have become involved in at least three aggravated or predatory sexual assault investigations and one aggravated criminal sexual abuse case where a CPS teacher or security guard is suspected and the alleged victims are students. Chicago police are also investigating 20 other cases involving CPS staff or vendors, the inspector general reported.
The office has also updated job categories to be more specific to each case, according to the presentation by Wagenknecht, who took over when Nicholas Schuler in February said Mayor Lori Lightfoot asked him to resign.
Before, a teacher who also coached could have been categorized using either title. Now, that will be based on the role most relevant to the allegation.
“Thus, a teacher who happens to coach, but who was not in a coaching role when the alleged conduct occurred, is categorized as ‘teacher,’” the report details. "Had the same individual been serving in a coaching role when the conduct occurred, the OIG would apply the ‘teacher-coach’ category.”
CPS has overhauled the way it handles sexual misconduct claims in recent years. In 2018, the Tribune’s “Betrayed” investigation documented widespread failures by school officials to prevent and address child sexual abuse. CPS has pledged additional reforms, with federal oversight, through a 2019 agreement with the U.S. Department of Education.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-28--‘Can you please get them?’  5-year-old girl asks Chicago cops after getting shot in the leg. ‘We got

‘Can you please get them?’  5-year-old girl asks Chicago cops after getting shot in the leg. ‘We got you,’ they promise

“ The boys weren ’ t doing anything wrong , ” she said .
“ But if a car drives @ @ @ @ @ .
… Any male that walks from this project to the gas station .
A @ @ @ @ @ your life is just in danger .
If someone happens to be driving past and @ @ @ @ @ ’ t care who it is .
Any man .
’ ’

Kaidence Lasenby plays with a doll at home in Chicago on May 28, 2020. She was given the dolls as a present after she was shot and wounded while playing with four other girls two days earlier in the 200 block of West Pershing Road in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
Tiana Lasenby kept an eye on the teenage boys across the street as her 5-year-old daughter and four friends played in front of her home.
“Move closer to me,’’ she told Kaidence and the others.
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The two boys walked to the corner gas station in the 200 block of West Pershing Road and were headed back when a dark-colored car stopped in the street about 10:40 p.m. Tuesday. More than a dozen shots were fired and both boys fell to the ground. One of the bullets hit Kaidence in the leg.
“There were so many kids out there,’’ Lasenby said. “Once they started shooting, it was like a sudden freeze.’’
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She said the gunman was still firing when she jumped from the porch and scooped up her daughter and other kids and dragged them into her home. Inside, the little girl started complaining of pain. “Something is hurting. My leg, my leg.”
Lasenby said she looked down and thought her daughter got hurt rushing into the house. “It just looked like a scrape.”
Her husband picked up the girl and told his wife, “She’s been shot.” He called a relative who drove them to Mercy Hospital & Medical Center. She was later transferred to Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Paramedics transport Kaidence Lasenby from Mercy Hospital & Medical Center to Lurie Children’s Hospital after she was shot in the leg on the 200 block of West Pershing Road on May 26, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
X-rays showed a bullet lodged in her upper right thigh. Doctors told the family the bullet did little damage, but the tissue around the wound was severely bruised. They didn’t want to risk infection, so they will wait until next week to remove it.
Her daughter’s spirits have been good and Lasenby doesn’t think she realizes she’ll have to undergo surgery. “Just give her some jelly fruits and she’ll do it,’’ Lasenby said, laughing a little.
The boys, 15 and 16, are also expected to survive. Police have said they don’t believe they were the targets, but Lasenby said any young male living in the Wentworth Gardens housing complex across the street takes a risk being on the street.
“The boys weren’t doing anything wrong,” she said. “But if a car drives past, they will shoot. … Any male that walks from this project to the gas station. A male coming or going, your life is just in danger. If someone happens to be driving past and see it. They don’t care who it is. Any man.’’
The two boys were almost back inside the housing complex when the car stopped. Lasenby said everything happened so quickly. One moment her daughter was bent down playing, her back to the street, and then there were so many shots she lost count.
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Her daughter and her friends, all between 3 and 9, thought it was fireworks and just stood there. “After the third shot, everything went blank and everybody just scattered,’’ Lasenby said.
Kaidence was released from the hospital hours after the attack. “She’s doing better, she’s playing, but I think she’s still in shock,’’ Lasenby said Thursday.
She can walk a little on her wounded leg and play with her twin brother and sister, who are 3. She was even able to see visitors, such as teachers and police. “A boy shot me,’’ she volunteers.
When police officer spoke to her, she asked, “Did you all get the two boys that shot me in the leg? Can you please get them?”
The officers told her they would do their best, according to her mother. “We got you,’’ they said.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


Corrections and clarifications

· A story on Page 13 of the May 16 newspaper included a quote about the Hulu show “ The @ @ @ @ @ historical information .
The quote from show creator Tony McNamara implied that Catherine the Great @ @ @ @ @ Great .
In fact , she was married to the grandson of Peter the Great @

· A story on Page 13 of the May 16 newspaper included a quote about the Hulu show “The Great” that contained inaccurate historical information. The quote from show creator Tony McNamara implied that Catherine the Great was married to Peter the Great. In fact, she was married to the grandson of Peter the Great.
The Tribune regrets the error.
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