chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Though restaurants remain a COVID-19 risk, experts and owners talk about balancing safety and busine

Though restaurants remain a COVID-19 risk, experts and owners talk about balancing safety and business concerns

Because we aren ’ t completely shut down , insurance premiums have been the same as if the restaurants were @ @ @ @ @ ’ re definitely not .
We can ’ t claim business interruption and we ’ @ @ @ @ @ dollars on liability coverage for guests that don ’ t exist and business hours that @ @ @ @ @ they would start listening to us .
This isn ’ t our first rodeo .
@ @ @ @ @ follow ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ) guidelines , we ’ ll do @ @

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants have faced some of the biggest challenges compared to many other industries. From constantly changing regulations that affected their bottom line, to investing in expensive HVAC equipment only to have their dining rooms closed, restaurant owners have attempted to convince both themselves and others that they’re not the problem. After all, they’ve been held to strict health, safety and sanitation regulations to simply operate, even before the pandemic set in.
But as time has gone on and research on COVID-19 has grown, scientists have learned more about the virus and they say that the verdict is clear: Among public places, restaurants are one of the most concerning places of spread simply by the nature of what people do at a restaurant — eating and drinking, both of which require removal of a mask, not to mention talking to other people.
But there are still ways for restaurants and bars to operate while minimizing transmission, researchers say. Advocates emphasize the need for financial assistance and transparency on a policy level, should local and national leaders continue ordering restrictions.
Yet, questions remain about the science, the data and what restaurants should do in the face of all this uncertainty, so we talked to experts and restaurant owners about their findings, solutions and desires. Their answers here have been shortened for brevity.
Michael, Julianna and Angela Severino dine inside a pod tent Dec. 2, 2020, at Bien Trucha restaurant. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Christina Anderson is the deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and became the chief of operations for the city’s COVID-19 response earlier this year. She and her team also work with a modeling consortium that uses public records to help inform policy.
Beth Redbird is an assistant professor of sociology at Northwestern University and was one of the authors of an article in the science journal Nature titled “Mobility network models of COVID-19 explain inequities and inform reopening,” in which she and her fellow researchers confirmed the places where spread is most likely, as well as ways to combat it.
Julio Cano is one of the partners of the Bien Trucha group, which owns four restaurants in the suburbs and opened an additional virtual kitchen during the pandemic.
Jodi Agee is the owner of Jefferson Tap in the Fulton River District and has been an outspoken supporter of increased aid to restaurants.
Sam Toia is the president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA), a nonprofit organization geared toward assisting and promoting the restaurant industry.
Q: Where are you concerned about potential spread in public places?
Anderson: Restaurants. Cases are spiking and we know that the risk factors include a bunch of people being together in a room with no masks in a close setting. These are known risk factors, and restaurants are the most common type of place where that happens. Having more breath and spit and droplets coming out of your mouth is associated with transmission.
Restaurants and bars are different environments. We know not wearing a mask, having a bunch of people in the same room, having different groups with connection points between them, speaking loudly and having unmasked conversations are all risk factors. Those all happen in restaurants and bars. You can’t eat with a mask on.
When we question people who have tested positive for COVID, the most common public location they say they visited in the previous two weeks is a restaurant, as opposed to a gym or nail salon.
Redbird: The most common places of spread are where people tend to be in smaller group and stay for longer periods of time, which is why gyms and religious spaces where there is singing or interacting with others are also on the list.
Q: How do we make these spaces safer?
Redbird: A decrease in restaurant maximum capacity to 20% can curb spread by 80%, which means restaurants can continue to operate. Reducing the ability to sit in the restaurant is important because indoor dining takes more time, whereas walking in and getting a carryout bag takes significantly less time. Alternatives like takeout and delivery are great ways for restaurants to keep selling their food while reducing the amount of time spent in a restaurant.
It’s not a question of “what’s the magic line,” but more a question of “how do we make the kinds of compromises that ensure safety while still letting businesses operate as businesses?” The key is limiting the number of people in a space and the amount of time they’re spending in those spaces. Things like ventilation and mask usage are also important factors.
One of the things we can prioritize is decreasing the amount of time people spend in these spaces — not close every restaurants forever, but change the way that restaurants operate.
Q: How is CDPH set up to investigate COVID-19 cases?
Anderson: CDPH is identifying potential patterns of contact that could have led to spread, evaluating how they can help those places and brainstorming ways to avoid this kind of spread in the future. CDPH does not levy fines. It strictly identifies people who might have been exposed to COVID-19 and attempts to understand the nature of the spread in that situation. Data of these investigations is published at chicago.gov/coronavirus under the community outbreaks section.
Q: Who is fining business owners?
Anderson: The Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. They are responding to complaints, looking at city guidelines and evaluating if the business is following guidelines from a regulatory perspective. The department is not testing anyone for COVID-19, nor is it contact tracing.
Q: How is CDPH analyzing the data that’s being collected?
Anderson: We’re sending data to the state manually every week and outbreak investigations are kept in an internal shared drive. CDPH has a ton of data analysts and epidemiologists spending nights and weekends analyzing this data and pulling out that information.
Q: Why distinguish between bars and restaurants?
Anderson: When people drink, their inhibitions are lowered and they think less about the rules — that’s why we enjoy drinking with friends. We’re harsher on bars because of that reason. That being said, where we’re at right now, we’re looking at hospital projections and death projections that are really alarming. We are not in a zone where we want to be. We don’t want to waste a ton of energy being totally nuanced while hospital beds are filling up.
Q: What are some challenges CDPH has faced?
Anderson: We don’t have eyes and ears on all of Chicago at all times, nor do we want to, so our data is limited by what people tell us. Some people are not forthcoming, and that really limits our ability to stop the spread. Also, as the testing landscape changes, you have some tests that aren’t being reported to the state health reporting system.
Q: What are some ways restaurants have mitigated spread?
In addition to following ever-changing state and city guidelines, many restaurants have invested tens of thousands of dollars into sanitation, protective equipment, air purification systems, plexiglass and outdoor structures, like domes and tents, several restaurateurs interviewed said. Most have heavily pivoted to takeout and delivery, but these growing costs have forced many to close and others to scrape by, leading to frustration and burnout.
Cano: We’re all in survival mode. Everybody is struggling.
Q: But really, are restaurants doing that poorly?
Toia: Yes. According to a recent survey by the Illinois Restaurant Association, nearly 70% of restaurant operators in Illinois say they will be out of business in the next six months if there’s no federal relief. IRA conservatively estimates that regardless of federal relief at least one out of every five restaurants will close permanently because of the pandemic.
Q: Are there any complications with following state guidelines?
Some restaurants have defied state orders so they can make enough money to stay open, including The Lucky Penny Diner and Deli in Naperville and Brooster’s in Lombard. Although Cano said he passes no judgment on owners “doing what they need to do,” he is frustrated because it puts his business at a disadvantage because he has chosen to follow the rules, and is thus limited by what the state and cities have mandated.
Cano: We’ve gotten a lot of emails from customers, some criticizing our decision to follow the rules and others threatening to never return if we don’t.
It’s a tricky situation and we’ve been doing everything that we can. We built outdoor pods. That’s an investment, but that’s the only way to generate some income because we don’t know what’s going to be the new order. Not everyone can do that.
Q: What are some things restaurant owners need in order to survive?
In a perfect world, restaurants would be closed and given a giant stack of money to make it through the end of the pandemic or until there is widespread access to vaccines, many owners said.
Cano: I wish cities would reward or incentivize businesses who are following safety orders instead of levying fines. Everyone should receive equitable aid, from small mom-and-pop businesses to larger restaurant groups, based on sales. Loans are great, but are unreliable. Many times it is first come, first served, and even then, sometimes you’ll be the first to apply only to find out there’s no money. We want more transparency from leadership on their decision-making process.
Agee: Even just more information and advice on how to operate a business successfully during a pandemic would be helpful to help us plan for the future instead of constant changes that force us to aggressively pivot repeatedly. Deferment of expenses only means paying more later.
Because we aren’t completely shut down, insurance premiums have been the same as if the restaurants were fully operational, which we’re definitely not. We can’t claim business interruption and we’re still spending thousands of dollars on liability coverage for guests that don’t exist and business hours that are gone. I wish they would start listening to us. This isn’t our first rodeo. If you tell us to follow (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines, we’ll do it.
Q: What’s the Illinois Restaurant Association currently advocating for?
Toia: The $120 billion Restaurants Act, plus additional loans and tax credits. The IRA also is advocating for the reestablishment of indoor dining and for leaders to share plans on how to keep the restaurant industry alive.
gwong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives a COVID-19 update

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker will give an update on the state ’ s response to the coronavirus in a briefing @ @ @ @ @ the latest updates on COVID-19 in Illinois here .

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chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Boy, 15, accused of beating 74-year-old man with baseball bat and setting his body on fire

In an earlier community alert issued by police , the attackers were described as African American males , one of @ @ @ @ @ T-shirt , gray sweatpants with white stripes on the sides , a multicolor backpack and @ @ @ @ @ other one was wearing light-colored jeans , a black hoodie and white gym shoes , @ @ @

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with beating a 74-year-old man with a baseball man and then setting his body on fire near a vacant lot on the Far South Side in September, according to Chicago police.
The boy, not identified because of his age, was cited in a juvenile petition with murder and concealment of a homicidal death, police said.
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He was picked up around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday by the Great Lakes Regional Task Force in the 1100 block of South Hamilton Avenue, which is the address of the Juvenile Justice Center in Chicago.
The boy was identified as one of two people who used a bat to pummel Earl Miller, 74, and then set his body on fire around 8:30 p.m. Sept. 22 in the 200 block of West 103rd Street in the Fernwood neighborhood.
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Chicago police released this picture of one of two people wanted in the killing of Earl Miller, 74, who was fatally beaten with a baseball bat and burned on Sept. 22, 2020, in the 200 block of West 103rd Street. (Chicago Police Department)
Responding officers found Miller lying facedown near a gangway. A bloodied bat and lighter fluid were found nearby, police said.
Miller suffered trauma to the head and severe burns, police said.
In an earlier community alert issued by police, the attackers were described as African American males, one of them wearing a black graphic T-shirt, gray sweatpants with white stripes on the sides, a multicolor backpack and a paper mask. The other one was wearing light-colored jeans, a black hoodie and white gym shoes, police said.
Chicago police said they are still looking for the other attacker and urged anyone with information to call police, 312-747-8271.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Cook County health department investigating large wedding held at Hilton Chicago/Northbrook hotel on

Cook County health department investigating large wedding held at Hilton Chicago/Northbrook hotel on day state marked highest number of COVID-19 deaths

“ When I found out about this situation , I subsequently contacted public health officials to determine the appropriate next @ @ @ @ @ that they must abide by the Tier 3 mitigations and safety protocols to ensure the @ @ @ @ @ guests , ” said Michael Jacobson , the organization ’ s president and CEO , @ @ @ @ @ In addition , we have reached out to our hotel membership across the state to @ @ @ @ @ of abiding by all health and safety guidelines .
”


chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she’s ‘watched with great interest’ the ComEd case, will have more

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she’s ‘watched with great interest’ the ComEd case, will have more to say later on House Speaker Michael Madigan

Even though Lightfoot ran as a reform candidate and is a former federal prosecutor , she has been reluctant to @ @ @ @ @ as the ComEd probe has cut into his close political circle .
There is a @ @ @ @ @ s hesitation : the speaker ’ s reputation for political retribution has been decades in @ @ @ @ @ he were to hang onto control of the chamber , any criticism from Lightfoot could @ @ @ @ @ legislative agenda .

Citing her experience as a federal prosecutor, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday said she’s been following the ComEd bribery case that’s cast a shadow over Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan but stopped short of saying he shouldn’t be reelected to his leadership post.
Lightfoot said she’s watched “with great interest the number of people who’ve stood up and said they will not vote for Mike Madigan as speaker of the House” and said he doesn’t seem to have enough votes to get reelected at this time.
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Lightfoot added that she’s also “watched with great interest the number of people who’ve been silent and who haven’t stood up.”
House Speaker Michael Madigan with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on Nov. 12, 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
She did not address, however, whether Madigan should be reelected as speaker, saying she would have more to say about the situation at a later time while expounding on the need for residents to have faith in their elected officials.
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“Our democracy depends upon the people believing in leadership, the people believing that the leaders stand for them, that we are working hard every single day on behalf of the people and not on behalf of ourselves,” she said.
“That doesn’t happen when there is a cloud that hangs, that doesn’t happen when people feel like elected officials have been completely compromised and have an agenda that has nothing to do with doing the people’s business,” she said.
Even though Lightfoot ran as a reform candidate and is a former federal prosecutor, she has been reluctant to take on Madigan directly even as the ComEd probe has cut into his close political circle. There is a practicality to the mayor’s hesitation: the speaker’s reputation for political retribution has been decades in the making, and if he were to hang onto control of the chamber, any criticism from Lightfoot could imperil the city’s legislative agenda.
And she made clear Thursday she wasn’t just talking about the embattled speaker.
“That’s not just a statement about Mike Madigan, it’s a statement about all of us,” she said.
So far, 19 rank-and-file Democrats have publicly opposed Madigan getting another term as Illinois House speaker. While the nation’s longest-serving state House speaker is short of the 60 votes he needs to retain the speakership, he vowed last month to remain a candidate, saying he has “significant support.”
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Cops seeking driver in Wacker Drive hit-and-run that killed 70-year-old woman

The report , however , indicated that a man believed to be the driver and woman had fled the Buick @ @ @ @ @ were last seen near South Water Street and Stetson Drive .

Chicago police Thursday were looking for the driver of a car who drove through a red light and crashed into a car driven by a 70-year-old woman who died following the late Wednesday collision.
The woman was driving a Honda sedan near Lower Wacker and Columbus drives about 11:45 p.m. when a blue Buick sedan collided with her car, fatally injuring her, according to a police media notification.
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The woman was identified as Christine Campbell, of the 8000 block of South Colfax Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Campbell was driving south on Columbus, through a green light, when the Buick, which was heading west on Wacker, went through a red light and hit the woman’s Honda in the intersection, according to a police report.
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The Buick driver fled the scene and Campbell was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the media notification. She was pronounced dead at 12:50 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.
A police spokesperson released no further details, citing an “ongoing investigation” by the police major accidents unit.
The report, however, indicated that a man believed to be the driver and woman had fled the Buick, running off, and were last seen near South Water Street and Stetson Drive.
The woman’s car was heavily damaged, and both it and the Buick were taken to city tow lots, according to the report.
Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Best Chicago architecture of 2020: The design of St. Regis Chicago, a new bridge and the pandemic-re

Best Chicago architecture of 2020: The design of St. Regis Chicago, a new bridge and the pandemic-ready Rush Hospital raised our sights and spirits

4 .
When a 14-story hospital at Rush University Medical Center opened along the Eisenhower Expressway in 2012 , its @ @ @ @ @ of attention .
This year , that focus shifted to the building ’ s interior @ @ @ @ @ serve as a treatment center in the event of a bioterrorist attack or pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ architects Perkins and Will , put the hospital on the front lines in the region @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .

The new Vista Tower nears completion along the Chicago River across from the former Spire site on Nov. 9, 2020. The building designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang has been renamed the St. Regis Chicago since these photos were taken. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Even as COVID-19 upended, and ended, lives, architecture raised our sights and spirits. Here are the year’s best projects from Chicago.
1. The St. Regis Chicago, the city’s third tallest building and the world’s tallest building designed by a woman, graced the skyline with its undulating curves and sophisticated environmentalism. Designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang, the 1,191-foot hotel and condominium tower at 363 E. Wacker Drive is topped in Chicago only by the 1,451-foot Willis Tower and the 1,369-foot Trump International Hotel & Tower. In late November, the skyscraper, previously called Vista Tower, was renamed The St. Regis Chicago.
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 16 An exterior view of the 60-story Wolf Point East apartment tower on May 4, 2020. It's the first major piece of downtown real estate completed during the pandemic. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
2. Wolf Point East, a 665-foot apartment high-rise by New Haven, Conn., architects Pelli Clarke Pelli, added another bright presence to the skyline, this one at Wolf Point along the Chicago River. The tower’s thin layered planes and handsomely detailed exterior provided a contemporary counterpart to the strong vertical lines and powerful limestone facade of the neighboring Merchandise Mart.
3. After escaping demolition and years of dashed hopes for redevelopment, old Cook County Hospital reopened as a hotel, food hall and home of Cook County medical offices. The West Side project, by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and KOO architects, gave new life to a powerful symbol of compassionate care for the poor at the very time that doctors, nurses and other medical professions battled the coronavirus.
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 21 The exterior of the former Cook County Hospital in Chicago on May 21, 2020. The hospital, originally completed in 1916, has been converted into a Hyatt House hotel and an extended-stay Hyatt House, food hall and a medical office. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
4. When a 14-story hospital at Rush University Medical Center opened along the Eisenhower Expressway in 2012, its butterfly-shaped exterior was the focus of attention. This year, that focus shifted to the building’s interior, which was designed to serve as a treatment center in the event of a bioterrorist attack or pandemic. The forward-looking project, by architects Perkins and Will, put the hospital on the front lines in the region’s fight against the coronavirus.
5. Always an antidote to crowded cities, parks and other public spaces assumed fresh importance as a relief valve to stay-at-home orders prompted by COVID-19. One of the best was the Riverview Bridge, a gently curving, ultra-long pedestrian and bike bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River. It was designed by Andrew Metter, a former principal at the Chicago architecture and engineering firm of Epstein.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 7 Pedestrians jog over the North Branch of the Chicago River while using the Riverview Bridge. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
6. In a dramatic departure from its Collegiate Gothic past, the University of Chicago opened the David Rubenstein Forum, a bold series of stacked boxes that will host conferences, academic symposiums and other meetings. Designed by New York architects Diller Scofido + Renfro, the 10-story high-rise is expected to carry out its convening role once the pandemic ends.
Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
7. The drive to protect buildings that reflect Black history reached a milestone when the Commission on Chicago Landmarks recommended landmark status for the Chicago house of Emmett Till, whose brutal murder in Mississippi helped spark the civil rights movement. In another positive step, a local nonprofit purchased the redbrick two-flat at 6427 S. St. Lawrence Ave. and will try to turn it into a museum.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 11 The exterior of the David Rubenstein Forum building at the University of Chicago on Oct. 19, 2020. Its 10-story tower includes a conference center and classroom building. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
8. The female namesake of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House won long-overdue recognition in a fascinating exhibition that restored her presence to the modernist landmark in far southwest suburban Plano. Curated by Scott Mehaffey, the show, titled “Edith Farnsworth’s Country House,” replaced the house’s coolly elegant Miesian furniture with modern pieces, often in wood and influenced by Scandinavian design, that Farnsworth herself chose.
9. An engaging traveling exhibition showcased the work of Balkrishna Doshi, who in 2018 became the first architect from India to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Titled “Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People,” the exhibition at the Wrightwood 659 gallery (running through Dec. 12, though the gallery is closed) highlighted ideas and buildings that uplift human experience.
10. A chance to peek inside Chicago’s architectural gems has long been the chief attraction of the Open House Chicago, but when COVID-19 made indoor tours verboten, the festival’s organizer, the Chicago Architecture Center, nimbly switched to outdoor and online tours. The change produced an innovative smartphone app that served as a guide to more than 20 city and suburban neighborhoods. More than 38,500 people used the app and the Open House website, according to the architecture center.
Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.
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bkamin@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @BlairKamin


chicagotribune--2020-12-03--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--2020-12-03--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--2020-12-03--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 192 new deaths, 10,959 new confirmed and probable cases and 106,7

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 192 new deaths, 10,959 new confirmed and probable cases and 106,778 new test results

Illinois announced 10,959 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Thursday for a total of 759,562 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 12,830 and 106,778 new test results for a total of 10.8 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--2020-12-03--4 killed when driver tries to evade police in Berkeley and car is hit by truck, cops say

The officer tried to conduct a traffic stop , but the driver “ fled the scene ” at high speed @ @ @ @ @ email .
At the intersection of Bohlander and Taft avenues , the driver missed or @ @ @ @ @ as it moved into the intersection , the car was hit by a semitrailer , @ @ @

Four people died in a crash this week in west suburban Berkeley after the driver attempted to evade police, authorities said Thursday.
About 11 p.m. Monday an officer with the Berkeley Police Department saw a vehicle parked in an alley behind a retail plaza at 5555 St. Charles Road, according to Chief Tim Larem. It wasn’t immediately clear what type of vehicle it was, but Larem said its lights were off and no license plate was visible.
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The officer tried to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver “fled the scene” at high speed, Larem wrote in an email. At the intersection of Bohlander and Taft avenues, the driver missed or ignored a stop sign and as it moved into the intersection, the car was hit by a semitrailer, Larem said.
The driver and three people who were in the car died from injuries they suffered in the collision, Larem said. The driver of the semi was not injured, Larem said.
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The Cook County medical examiner’s office had not released the names of the deceased as of Thursday.
Check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Do you have questions about the coronavirus vaccine? Send them to us and we’ll ask the experts.

With news of the upcoming vaccines for COVID-19 changing daily , new questions are constantly emerging .
We want to @ @ @ @ @ questions .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
With news of the upcoming vaccines for COVID-19 changing daily, new questions are constantly emerging. We want to know if you have any questions.
Post them below and we’ll take the questions to medical and science experts. And stay tuned for answers.
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Here are questions you had about the coronavirus and the answers we gathered.


chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Column: Former Fulton Market restaurant and Schlitz tavern is safe from wrecking ball — for now — af

Column: Former Fulton Market restaurant and Schlitz tavern is safe from wrecking ball — for now — after city revokes demolition permit

This time , preservationists hope the delay will give them time to persuade the city to confer landmark status on @ @ @ @ @ the owner to save its facades as part of an upcoming development .

A surviving Victorian building in Chicago’s rapidly developing Fulton Market district, originally a Schlitz tavern and later the home of the Italian restaurant La Luce, has been temporarily spared a date with the wrecking ball.
City officials on Wednesday revoked a demolition permit for the building, located at 1393-1399 W. Lake St., that was mistakenly issued Monday, according to Peter Strazzabosco, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Planning and Development.
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Chicago city officials revoked a demolition permit for a building at 1393-1399 W. Lake St., that was mistakenly issued on Nov. 30, 2020. The building is the former home of the Italian restaurant La Luce, pictured in 1998. (John Handley / Chicago Tribune)
The permit has been put on hold through March 1 under Chicago’s so-called demolition delay ordinance, which requires city officials to review applications to tear down potential landmark buildings.
“This sort of slipped through,” said Ward Miller, executive director of the advocacy group Preservation Chicago.
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An online Preservation Chicago petition that calls for the building to be permanently saved had gathered more than 1,000 signatures as of Thursday morning.
Built in the early 1890s and featuring such flourishes as a corner turret, the four-story structure is rated “orange,” the second-highest rating, in the city of Chicago’s color-coded survey of potential landmark buildings.
If an owner seeks to tear down an orange-rated building, city officials are required to wait up to 90 days before issuing a demolition permit.
The waiting period is supposed to give officials a chance to explore alternatives to demolition, such as rehabilitation or making the threatened building an official city landmark.
The city’s Buildings Department issued the permit Monday because the owner, Veritas, listed the building’s address as 1399 W. Lake, not 1393-1399 W. Lake, Strazzabosco said.
The landmarks division of the planning department “discovered the discrepancy and immediately requested that the permit be revoked,” he said.
City officials first applied a 90-day hold to the building in 2016 after La Luce closed and its then-owner applied for a demolition permit. The permit was granted, but no teardown occurred and the permit expired.
This time, preservationists hope the delay will give them time to persuade the city to confer landmark status on the building or to convince the owner to save its facades as part of an upcoming development.
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The building is “beautifully designed and crafted,” Miller said. “It’s really an intriguing building that just your regular citizens who walk and drive by have such an affection for it.”
It was initially a Schlitz “tied house.” In Chicago and other cities, “tied houses” only sold beer made by the breweries that owned them.
The tied houses guaranteed brewers a retail outlet for their product, protecting them from wholesale price wars that ate into profits. And the buildings’ designs — picturesque, well-crafted and respectable — sought to protect the brewing companies from “dry” advocates who inveighed against the evils of public drinking.
In 2011, the City Council approved landmark status for a group of former Schlitz tied houses. In October, another former Schlitz tied house on the Far Southeast Side received landmark status. Still another former Schlitz tavern, Southport Lanes, closed in late September. Its future is uncertain.
Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.
bkamin@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Northwestern-led researchers unveil data dashboard that aims to spot COVID-19 surges faster

“ Basically the whole idea for this is like an early warning system .
What we would hope to do @ @ @ @ @ be able to see when things are starting to stoke and an outbreak is occurring @ @ @ @ @ , co-lead investigator and director of the Buehler Center for Health Policy and Economics at @ @ @ @ @ Medicine .

A Northwestern University-based research team has unveiled an online COVID-19 data dashboard that aims to show more quickly where infections are surging in states and across the world.
The dashboard joins scores of others related to the pandemic that are hosted by governments, news media, nonprofits and universities. This one crunches the data in a new way that its creators say can flag surges faster and more precisely, before they become overwhelming.
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“Basically the whole idea for this is like an early warning system. What we would hope to do with this is to ... be able to see when things are starting to stoke and an outbreak is occurring,” said Lori Post, co-lead investigator and director of the Buehler Center for Health Policy and Economics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“However, it’s really a difficult time just because all U.S. states are just like out of control right now in America,” said Post, a professor of emergency medicine and medical social sciences.
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Lori Post, director of the Buehler Center for Health Policy and Economics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, at home on Dec. 2, 2020, in Chicago. She leads a team of researchers that is producing an online dashboard to help people more quickly spot COVID-19 infection surges, including where it is going, how fast it will arrive and whether that speed is accelerating. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Unveiled Thursday morning, the dashboard’s underlying programming code collects case data from other dashboards around the world, then converts it into metrics that Post says will provide an early signal of problems in roughly 200 countries.
Some of the metrics, albeit named differently, may be familiar to those who follow COVID-19 data. For example, the new dashboard shows the “speed” of the infection spread, which is basically the seven-day average rate of new confirmed cases, per 100,000 residents.
Other metrics offer a new take on the data. Acceleration looks at changes in speed, with another metric — called “jerk” — looking at how much that acceleration (or deceleration) is changing. They’re based on rates computed per 100,000 residents, so different areas can be fairly compared.
Consider the first week of November. The model showed Illinois with a “speed” rate of roughly 61 new cases a day, averaged over a week, but a relatively high acceleration rate that averaged four more new cases each day than the day before. And the jerk rate was a positive number, meaning the rate of acceleration was itself growing from week to week.
In essence, the model reflected the exponential growth in the middle of a massive fall surge of cases in Illinois.
The model’s initial release comes the same day some of its older data, through mid-November, is being published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. The website includes more recent data for the United States, and Post said the model will eventually be updated daily.
The dashboard reflects how Illinois has recently seen its curve of average daily case growth begin to bend and drop, but public health advocates also worry that trend could be short-lived. No one’s sure how the Thanksgiving break will affect the numbers, with large holiday gatherings and college students returning home.
Post, for one, expects a new surge that will be captured in results that will come in later this month. She said her model has an additional metric that can help estimate the “echo effect” of new infections tied to cases from seven days earlier.
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The dashboard joins other, more established forecasting done across the country, and more long-established epidemiological methods to measure infection spread, such as the R factor. Illinois has commissioned other groups of researchers to provide their own weekly updates that, based on these methods, predict how cases, hospitalizations and deaths may change, including ones that forecast serious ICU bed shortages last month if Illinois didn’t tame the infection’s spread.
Post said her group’s dashboard, produced with co-lead investigator James Oehmke and other researchers from Northwestern and the University of Florida, is meant to supplement that work by offering a far wider, albeit more superficial, look at case data. Their hope is to eventually offer more localized reviews so policymakers can better spot problem areas and more precisely impose restrictions to curb the infection spread.
“We want to make this really usable, so you don’t have to have a Ph.D. in economics to be able to do it,” she said.
jmahr@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Dan Ryan express lanes closed for half-hour after state police see passenger in car shoot at vehicle

All southbound express lanes on Interstate 94 were closed from 29th Street to 31st Street at 6 a.m. for the @ @ @ @ @ was diverted off the express lanes to the local lanes at 31st Street , she @ @ @ @ @ reopened less than 30 minutes later .

A man was treated for a medical emergency after state troopers saw him shooting at another vehicle early Thursday on the Dan Ryan Expressway at 33rd Street, according to Illinois State Police.
About 3 a.m., a state trooper patrolling on the Dan Ryan saw a man in the passenger seat of a 2018 black Nissan Maxima fire at least one gunshot from a handgun, said Trooper Omoayena Williams, a state police spokeswoman.
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Troopers were able to stop the Nissan and “safely secure both the female driver and male passenger,” Williams wrote in an email.
The passenger was taken to a hospital to be treated for the medical issue and there were no other injuries reported, Williams said.
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All southbound express lanes on Interstate 94 were closed from 29th Street to 31st Street at 6 a.m. for the investigation. All southbound traffic was diverted off the express lanes to the local lanes at 31st Street, she added. All lanes were reopened less than 30 minutes later.
Additional information about the man’s medical emergency, whether he was arrested and why he shot at the other vehicle was not immediately released.
Check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-12-03--‘Inexcusably reckless’: Michigan police search for person who climbed Mackinac Bridge tower, then po

‘Inexcusably reckless’: Michigan police search for person who climbed Mackinac Bridge tower, then posted photos on social media

“ It is very troubling that someone would put their own life at risk , not to mention that of @ @ @ @ @ and thrills on our state ’ s signature bridge , ” said Paul Ajegba , @ @ @ @ @ Department .

ST. IGNACE, Mich. — Authorities are looking for someone who boldly climbed to the top of a Mackinac Bridge tower, took pictures and later posted them on social media.
The incident apparently occurred in early November. Alarms were triggered hours apart, but no one was caught, the Mackinac Bridge Authority said Wednesday.
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The agency’s executive secretary, Kim Nowack, called it “inexcusably reckless.”
“It is very troubling that someone would put their own life at risk, not to mention that of others, just for photos and thrills on our state’s signature bridge,” said Paul Ajegba, director of the state Transportation Department.
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State police said the climber could face a felony trespassing charge. The bridge connects Michigan’s two peninsulas over the Straits of Mackinac.
This isn’t the first time the photographer caused an uproar for climbing a bridge in Michigan, The Detroit News reported, saying he posted photos from the the Ambassador Bridge in September.


chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Dec. 2 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

“ A person ’ s pattern of alcohol consumption can have an impact on health , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ suggest limiting drinks to up to one drink per day for women or two drinks @ @ @ @ @ Having one drink per day is not the same as having seven drinks all at @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s best to spread them out as recommended in the guidelines .
@

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 reported 238 coronavirus deaths Wednesday, the most in a single day since the pandemic began.
The previous high was 192 deaths reported on May 13, during the height of the pandemic’s first wave. In all, the state has recorded 12,639 deaths since March. Illinois has averaged 116 fatalities per day over the past week, near the record high of 118 set in the spring and matched a week ago.
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Officials also reported 9,757 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total number of known cases to 748,603 statewide.
In contrast to the grim news of record deaths, Gov. J.B. Pritzker sounded a positive note Wednesday when discussing how widely available a vaccine could be in Illinois within the next two to three weeks. The governor’s comments came a day after Chicago officials said they expect to begin rolling out coronavirus vaccines for health care workers later this month and could provide them to lower-risk residents in the spring and children by summer.
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Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
8:05 p.m.: Number of COVID-19 patients in US hospitals hits record high of nearly 100,000
U.S. hospitals slammed with COVID-19 patients are trying to lure nurses and doctors out of retirement, recruiting students and new graduates who have yet to earn their licenses and offering eye-popping salaries in a desperate bid to ease staffing shortages.
With the virus surging from coast to coast, the number of patients in the hospital with the virus has more than doubled over the past month to a record high of nearly 100,000, pushing medical centers and health care workers to the breaking point. Nurses are increasingly burned out and getting sick on the job, and the stress on the nation’s medical system prompted a dire warning from the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The reality is December and January and February are going to be rough times. I actually believe they are going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation,” Dr. Robert Redfield said.
Read more here. —Associated Press
5 p.m.: IHSA confirms winter sports will not begin until 2021
The Illinois High School Association announced Wednesday that low-risk winter sports, including boys and girls bowling, boys swimming and girls gymnastics, will not start before January 2021.
Where that leaves boys and girls basketball, deemed high-risk sports by the Illinois Department of Public Health, is a mystery.
What is known? Those seasons won’t be starting anytime soon.
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“I just think they’re kicking the can down the road,” Brother Rice coach Bobby Frasor said. “You look at what’s happening in the NFL and college football and basketball with games being canceled.
“They’re doing testing and still having these issues. Maybe the (COVID-19) numbers will start going down.”
Read more here. —Pat Disabato, Daily Southtown
4:05 p.m.: Hospitals will distribute some of the first vaccines to their frontline workers, although shots probably won’t be mandatory
With a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines potentially arriving in Chicago this month, many area hospitals are finalizing plans for which workers will get them first and how they’ll be stored and distributed.
Most hospitals will prioritize vaccines for front line workers that deal directly with patients. At least a handful of Chicago-area hospital systems said Wednesday the vaccine won’t be mandatory for employees, for now — even though many require employees to get flu shots each year.
Unlike the flu shot, if a COVID-19 vaccine is approved, it will be approved under an emergency use authorization, which is when the FDA allows products that have not gone through the regular approval process to be used in emergencies.
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“We don’t really feel like we can make it mandatory while it’s under EUA (emergency use authorization),” said Dr. Michael Kelleher, who leads Amita Health’s COVID-19 vaccine steering committee. “Once it’s approved by the FDA, we will probably make it mandatory, but I think we need to wait and see what happens with that.”
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
3:40 p.m.: COVID-19 Q&A: Readers’ questions answered on Facebook Live with UChicago Medicine’s Dr. Emily Landon
Illinois on Wednesday had the highest number of coronavirus-related fatalities in a single day since the pandemic began in March. The Chicago Tribune’s Darcel Rockett spoke with the University of Chicago’s infectious diseases expert Dr. Emily Landon, who answered reader questions Wednesday on Facebook Live.
The coronavirus has touched all of our lives — from impacting our health to how we do our jobs, continue our education, interact with the outside world and maintain our relationships.
Landon touched on many COVID-19-related topics, including how cold weather might impact the virus, vaccine side effects, transmission and in-home treatment. To watch the COVID-19 Q&A Facebook Live, click here.
If you have COVID-19-related questions, please submit them to us at chicagotribune.com/ask, or check our continuously updated Q&A.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
3:15 p.m.: Answers to readers’ questions about COVID-19
Does alcohol have an impact on your immune system? What’s the fastest, most affordable way to get a COVID-19 test. These are the latest questions readers have asked that we’ve put to health and science experts. Have your own pandemic question? Send it to the Tribune here.
Should you give up alcohol during the pandemic?
The full impact of COVID-19 on alcohol use is not yet known, but rates of alcohol usage have been rising during the pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, alcohol compromises the body’s immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. The organization suggests people minimize their alcohol consumption — particularly during the pandemic.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has issued communications warning people to avoid excessive drinking. According to NIAAA Director George Koob, people who choose to consume alcohol should follow the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
“A person’s pattern of alcohol consumption can have an impact on health,” he said. “The current 2015-2020 guidelines suggest limiting drinks to up to one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men. Having one drink per day is not the same as having seven drinks all at once in a single day. It’s best to spread them out as recommended in the guidelines.”
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What’s the fastest, most affordable way to get a COVID-19 test?
Health officials say that if you traveled for the Thanksgiving holiday, you should be tested for COVID-19.
Start with your primary care doctor; many doctors offer in-office testing. If you don’t have a doctor who does testing, then rapid testing, in-home testing or drive-thru testing are options. If an option is not affordable enough or closed to you due to restrictions, try crowdsourcing information to get up-to-date information about local testing sites, appointment availability, cost and wait times.
Looking for a rapid test with same-day results? Those tests are best for people who actually have COVID-19 symptoms, said Heather Keirnan, a nurse and vice president of operations for Northwestern Medicine Immediate Care. If you don’t have symptoms, the PCR test, which can detect very small amounts of the coronavirus, is a better choice, she said.
Northwestern and other local hospitals and state drive-up testing sites offers PCR tests. Northwestern offers drive-up testing for those with Northwestern doctors’ referrals in Wheaton, Aurora, St. Charles, Bartlett, Glenview, Vernon Hills, Sycamore, McHenry and Huntley, and both drive-up and walk-up testing at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago.
For free tests, your options include state drive-up sites in Arlington Heights, Harwood Heights and South Holland. Tests are free for those without insurance; if you have insurance, bring your information, and the state will submit a claim.
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The city of Chicago and Cook County also offer free testing.
For those who care more about convenience than cost, private clinics offer shorter waits. Many require upfront payments of $175 to $300. If you want to submit a claim to your insurance company, check the rules for coverage. Your insurer may require that you are referred for testing by a doctor.
Read the full Q&A blog here. —Chicago Tribune staff
2:33 p.m.: Should pregnant women get a COVID-19 vaccine? What about women considering pregnancy? Guidance is hard to find because trials exclude pregnancy.
Hospital workers are under an immense amount of stress this year. But help might be on the way soon as a federal advisory committee recommended Tuesday that they be first in line for vaccines.
But what if they are pregnant?
Like all pregnant women, health care workers will be operating without much data, as pregnant women have been excluded from clinical trials so far.
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Read more here. —Alison Bowen
2:25 p.m.: Top Democrats swing behind bipartisan coronavirus aid bill in hopes of breaking monthslong logjam
Democratic leaders swung behind a bipartisan COVID-19 relief effort Wednesday, cutting their demands for a $2 trillion-plus measure by more than half in hopes of breaking a monthslong logjam and delivering much-sought aid as a coda to a tempestuous congressional session.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer made the announcement in a joint statement. It was aimed at budging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who so far has been unwilling to abandon a $550 million Senate GOP plan that has failed twice this fall.
The Democrats embraced a $908 billion approach from moderate Sens. Joe Manchin and Susan Collins among others. It would establish a $300 per week jobless benefit, send $160 billion to help state and local governments, boost schools and universities, revive popular “paycheck protection” subsidies for businesses, and bail out transit systems and airlines.
“In the spirit of compromise we believe the bipartisan framework introduced by Senators yesterday should be used as the basis for immediate bipartisan, bicameral negotiations,” Pelosi and Schumer said. They said they would try to build upon the approach, which has support in the House from a bipartisan “problem solvers” coalition.
The new plan includes a liability shield for businesses and other organizations that have reopened their doors during the pandemic. It’s the first time Pelosi and Schumer have shown a willingness to consider the idea.
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McConnell had dismissed the bipartisan offer on Tuesday, instead aiming to rally Republicans around the $550 billion GOP proposal.
Read more here. —Associated Press
1:21 p.m.: People wary of COVID-19 are avoiding the ER, and that has doctors worried. Here’s what Chicago-area hospitals are doing to keep patients safe.
Chicago-area hospitals continue to see a decline in emergency room visits as wary Illinoisans delay care out of concerns of contracting the coronavirus, and that has doctors worried.
Emergency department visits nationwide declined by 42% from March 29 through April 25 compared with the same period a year prior, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Several Chicago-area hospitals say visits are still down, or only just starting to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Doctors say they are worried about the potential risks patients face by not seeking emergency care for serious illnesses like asthma, heart attacks and strokes, which could be more challenging to address if left untreated.
Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
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12:05 p.m.: Illinois reports 238 COVID-19 deaths, the most in a single day since the pandemic began
Illinois public health officials reported 238 coronavirus deaths Wednesday, the most in a single day since the pandemic began.
The previous high was 192 deaths reported on May 13, during the height of the pandemic’s first wave. In all, the state has recorded 12,639 deaths since March. Illinois has averaged 116 fatalities per day over the past week, near the record high of 118 set in the spring and matched a week ago.
Officials also reported 9,757 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total number of known cases to 748,603 statewide.
Read more here. —Dan Petrella
11:36 p.m.: In Illinois, more than one-third of PPP funds, meant for small businesses, went to larger companies that got $1 million or more. Search the list.
More than one-third of the funds Illinois businesses and nonprofits received through the federal Paycheck Protection Program went to less than 2% of participants, according to data released late Tuesday by the Small Business Administration.
Nearly 4,000 businesses in Illinois received loans of $1 million or more, adding up to $8.67 billion, or 38% of the total. In Illinois, the SBA approved more than 221,000 loans worth nearly $23 billion, according to the newly published data.
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The agency released the data under a court order in a federal lawsuit filed by news organizations, making public the names and loan amounts for millions of recipients of the forgivable federal loans.
Read more here. —Robert Channick
9:31 a.m.: Naperville rejects mask mandate in split council vote
The Naperville City Council affirmed that everyone who is medically able should wear a protective face covering in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but stopped short of mandating masks.
After hearing to two hours of comments Tuesday from nearly 150 people, many of whom oppose wearing masks or governmental interference in their decision to cover their face, the council opted to take a positive approach than a punitive one.
The council initially voted 5-4 against an ordinance requiring people to mask up in Naperville anytime a 6-foot distance cannot be maintained.
[ Mask mandate debate sets record for public comments at Naperville council meeting — here’s what some residents had to say ]
Mayor Steve Chirico and council members Kevin Coyne, Patty Gustin, Paul Hinterlong and John Krummen opposed the mandate; council members Judy Brodhead, Patrick Kelly, Theresa Sullivan and Benny White voted in favor of it.
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After the measure failed, the council voted 8-1 on a resolution to continue and increase the city’s public awareness campaign promoting mask usage.
Read more here. —Suzanne Baker, Naperville Sun
6 a.m.: Mourners craft new and innovative funeral practices to honor the dead during pandemic
Just as the pandemic has altered so many aspects of life, it has also disrupted the experience of death and grieving. In response, mourners are creating new and innovative ways to honor the dying and departed while keeping within the bounds of pandemic protocols.
Many of these adaptations draw on cultural customs and ancient religious rites, said Roy Grinker, an anthropology professor at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., who is co-leading a yearlong study on changes in funeral practices during the pandemic.
“There’s an extraordinary resilience and creativity of people to figure out how to do what they need to do in order to mourn, in order to grieve,” Grinker said.
There is a near-universal need for communal mourning, which becomes increasingly difficult with physical distance requirements, said Grinker, who was born and raised in Chicago.
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“Whatever religion, whatever tradition we’re talking about, one of the common threads is the difficulty of not being able to be with others in large groups, to touch each other and to stimulate each other’s emotional release,” he said.
For the study, called Rituals in the Making, researchers are interviewing clergy, funeral directors and mourners; the project was funded by the National Science Foundation and is expected to be complete in May.
Read more here. —Angie Leventis Lourgos
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
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chicagotribune--2020-12-02--IHSA confirms winter sports will not begin until 2021. One coach says, ‘I just think they’re kicking

IHSA confirms winter sports will not begin until 2021. One coach says, ‘I just think they’re kicking the can down the road.’

“ To be around each other and get things going a little bit will boost their spirits , ” Houston @ @ @ @ @ point , I ’ d be happy with that .
Any chance I get to @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll take it .
Anything is better than nothing .
”

Hillcrest's Mar’Keise Irving (2) drives around Morgan Park’s Adam Miller in the Class 3A Thornridge Sectional semifinal in Dolton on Tuesday, March 11, 2020. (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)
The Illinois High School Association announced Wednesday that low-risk winter sports, including boys and girls bowling, boys swimming and girls gymnastics, will not start before January 2021.
Where that leaves boys and girls basketball, deemed high-risk sports by the Illinois Department of Public Health, is a mystery.
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What is known? Those seasons won’t be starting anytime soon.
“I just think they’re kicking the can down the road,” Brother Rice coach Bobby Frasor said. “You look at what’s happening in the NFL and college football and basketball with games being canceled.
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“They’re doing testing and still having these issues. Maybe the (COVID-19) numbers will start going down.”
The state reported 9,757 new cases Wednesday and 238 deaths related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The IHSA said it hopes to reestablish contact days in January for all sports, including those in the spring and summer seasons. The IHSA also is considering moving badminton from spring to winter.
The introduction of the contact days, however, will be based on mitigations from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the IDPH.
Further guidance on contact days will be established at a future board meeting. The IHSA’s next board meeting is Dec. 14.
Hillcrest boys basketball coach Don Houston believes contact days will be a boost to his players’ mental health.
“To be around each other and get things going a little bit will boost their spirits,” Houston said. “At this point, I’d be happy with that. Any chance I get to work with my kids, I’ll take it. Anything is better than nothing.”
The winter season was scheduled to take place from Nov. 16 to Feb. 13, followed by the spring season from Feb. 15 to May 1 and the summer season from April 19 to June 26.
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Those dates, however, are not set in stone.
The IHSA’s board of directors reiterated it is “committed to creating as much opportunity as possible for all sports that remain to be played this school year and intend to evaluate the equity of each season as a potential resumption date in January begins to materialize.
“The board appreciates the flexibility displayed by our schools throughout the pandemic, and although they recognize the challenges each modification creates, they continue to ask that schools be adaptable in the new year. The board continues to evaluate season start and ending dates depending on when the winter season resumes.”
Waubonsie Valley’s Ben Schwieger (3) drives to the basket against Naperville North’s Grant Johnson during a game in Naperville on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. (Mike Mantucca / Naperville Sun)
Since early March, the pandemic has forced the cancellation or postponement of many high school sports. Here’s a timeline of developments:
On March 12, the IHSA pulled the plug on the boys basketball season, leaving Class 3A and 4A without sectional champions.
On April 21, the IHSA canceled state tournaments for all spring sports and activities.
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On July 3, the IDPH approved the IHSA’s Phase 4 to Return To Play guidelines, clearing the way for contact days to begin July 6.
On July 29, the IHSA postponed football, girls volleyball and boys soccer seasons to the spring. Boys and girls cross country, boy and girls golf, girls tennis and girls swimming ended up competing in the fall.
On Oct. 27, the IDPH moved basketball from medium risk to high risk, with Pritzker announcing the basketball season was put on “hold.”
On Oct. 28, the IHSA’s board of directors voted to move forward with the basketball season as scheduled from Nov. 16 to Feb. 13. The IHSA also announced wrestling would be moved to the summer season.
On Oct. 29, without consulting the IHSA, Pritzker announced basketball would be moved to the spring season.
On Nov. 17, the IHSA announced the winter sports season would be on a temporary pause.
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On Nov. 19, the IHSA announced the winter sports season would remain in limbo.


chicagotribune--2020-12-02--Illinois hospitals likely won’t make COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for their workers, but still working

Illinois hospitals likely won’t make COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for their workers, but still working out who gets shots first

Amita Health , which has 19 hospitals in Illinois , plans to give the first vaccines to workers in emergency @ @ @ @ @ and those who care for COVID-19 patients — in line with guidance from the Chicago @ @ @ @ @ the National Academies of Sciences , Engineering , and Medicine .
Those front line workers @ @ @ @ @ and nonmedical employees , such as custodians and those who deliver food to patients , @ @ @

With a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines potentially arriving in Chicago this month, many area hospitals are finalizing plans for which workers will get them first and how they’ll be stored and distributed.
Hospitals will prioritize vaccines for front line workers who deal directly with patients. And at least a handful of Chicago-area hospital systems said Wednesday the vaccine won’t be mandatory for employees, for now — even though many require employees to get flu shots each year.
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Neal Browning receives a shot in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine for COVID-19 at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren/AP)
Unlike the flu shot, if a COVID-19 vaccine is approved, it will be approved under an emergency use authorization, which is when the FDA allows products that have not gone through the regular approval process to be used in emergencies.
“We don’t really feel like we can make it mandatory while it’s under EUA (emergency use authorization),” said Dr. Michael Kelleher, who leads Amita Health’s COVID-19 vaccine steering committee. “Once it’s approved by the FDA, we will probably make it mandatory, but I think we need to wait and see what happens with that.”
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In an email sent to faculty, staff and students Wednesday, University of Chicago Medicine leaders said the vaccine will be optional, although they encouraged employees to consider it.
Advocate Aurora Health and Rush University Medical Center don’t initially plan to require employees to get COVID-19 vaccines.
“We didn’t think this was the year to mandate vaccination for everyone,” said Dr. John Segreti, medical director of infection prevention and control for Rush. “We strongly encourage everyone to get it.”
Amita Health, which has 19 hospitals in Illinois, plans to give the first vaccines to workers in emergency departments, intensive care units and those who care for COVID-19 patients — in line with guidance from the Chicago Department of Public Health and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Those front line workers could ultimately include both medical and nonmedical employees, such as custodians and those who deliver food to patients, Kelleher said.
If Amita does not get enough vaccines, at first, to vaccinate all those people, those who participate in procedures that can generate aerosols will be first in line, he said.
“That would be the absolute No. 1 priority because those are the people at greatest risk of contracting COVID in the health care setting,” Kelleher said.
Advocate, which has 10 hospitals in Illinois, plans to prioritize nurses and respiratory therapists who work in high-risk areas such as ICUs, emergency departments and COVID-19 units, especially those who are at the highest risk of becoming ill because of their ages or chronic medical conditions, said Dr. Robert Citronberg, executive medical director of infectious disease and prevention.
Citronberg said the system is putting nurses at the front of the line because they spend so much time with patients, and Advocate’s biggest staffing challenge during the pandemic has been with nurses.
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He said, however, he anticipates that it won’t be long before many more health workers can get the vaccines.
“We’re triaging,” Citronberg said of the current plan. “Probably within three months or so, every team member who wants a vaccine will get one.”
NorthShore University HealthSystem plans to prioritize ICU and emergency department workers who participate in aerosolizing procedures, said Dr. Kamaljit Singh, NorthShore director of infectious disease and microbiology research. Next on the list will be people who work at the system’s Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview, which the system has converted into a COVID-19-only hospital, and those who work in emergency departments across NorthShore’s other four hospitals, he said.
Sinai Chicago, which runs Mt. Sinai and Holy Cross hospitals, will focus first on employees who are at high risk of getting and transmitting COVID-19 based on their own health histories, exposure and jobs, spokesman Dan Regan said in an email.
Advocate and Amita have ordered additional ultracold freezers to store a potential vaccine made by Pfizer, which requires a storage temperature of negative 70 degrees Celsius. NorthShore ordered more ultracold freezers several months ago as backups to their current freezers, Singh said. University of Chicago Medicine said in an email to faculty, staff and students Wednesday that ultracold storage space would be available for the vaccine.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is meeting Dec. 10 to consider emergency use authorization of the Pfizer vaccine, and is set to meet again a week later to consider a second vaccine made by Moderna. Both have been shown in trials to be more than 90% effective.
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Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Tuesday that the first distribution in Chicago is expected to go to health care workers at hospitals, potentially by the third week of December. Initially, the city expects to get enough vaccines for 20,000 to 25,000 people, and the state of Illinois may initially get enough for another 109,00 people, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday.
Both the city and state will follow federal guidelines on vaccine distribution. An advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Tuesday to recommend health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities get COVID-19 vaccines first.
Dan Petrella contributed to this report.


chicagotribune--2020-12-04--Daywatch: Illinois records highest COVID deaths in nation, pandemic poses mass eviction threat and t

Daywatch: Illinois records highest COVID deaths in nation, pandemic poses mass eviction threat and the 10 best books of 2020

At the center of concerns for housing industry experts is a grim outlook at how the COVID-19 pandemic ’ s @ @ @ @ @ insecurity .
As job loss and economic hardship leave many unable to pay rent or @ @ @ @ @ found potential for the most severe housing crisis in U.S. history .
If conditions do @ @ @ @ @ 43 % of renter households could be at risk of eviction by the end of @ @ @

Good morning, Chicago. On Thursday, Illinois health officials reported 10,959 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 192 additional fatalities on Thursday. In Chicago, the seven-day positivity rate increased to 11.9%.
In other news, as coronavirus research has grown, scientists say that the verdict is clear: restaurants are one of the most concerning places of spread. But there are still ways for restaurants and bars to operate while minimizing transmission — here’s what experts and owners had to say about balancing safety and business concerns.
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Here’s more coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
For your smart speaker | Holiday gift guide | Join our COVID-19 Facebook group | More newsletters | Puzzles & Games
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A worker prepares COVID-19 test kits before the opening of the new testing center at the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park on Nov. 23, 2020. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois has recorded more COVID-19 deaths than any other state over the last seven days, and the seven-day average of COVID-19 deaths in Illinois climbed to a new high of 124 on Thursday.
The state has recorded 957 deaths over the last seven days, far more than Texas, which had 806 fatalities over the same period, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cook County health department investigating large wedding held at Hilton Chicago/Northbrook hotel on day state marked highest number of COVID-19 deaths
This undated booking photo from the Antioch (Illinois) Police Department shows Kyle Rittenhouse, who has been charged with fatally shooting two men and injuring a third during protests in Kenosha in late August. (Antioch Police Department/AP)
An attorney for Kyle Rittenhouse indicated Thursday that he’d pull back from the teen’s criminal defense, hours after prosecutors in Wisconsin sought to block him from participating and alleged in a court filing that his involvement with a fundraising effort “provides ample opportunity for self-dealing and fraud.”
A volunteer undergoes testing in Oxford, England, as part of a vaccine trial by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford on Nov. 19, 2020. AstraZeneca's vaccine, which is cheaper and easier to store than Pfizer's, is also being vetted for emergency approval in Britain. (Andrew Testa/The New York Times)
With Americans clamoring for a COVID-19 vaccine, all eyes will be on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration next week.
Leading up to these historic meetings, the Tribune spoke with FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn Thursday about what happens next, concerns from some that the vaccines were rushed, and worries from others that the U.S. hasn’t moved quickly enough.
‘I think it’s time to get moving.’ Experts call for COVID-19 vaccination trials to begin for young children.
Realtor Nykea Pippion McGriff shows a home in the Avondale neighborhood on May 2, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
At the center of concerns for housing industry experts is a grim outlook at how the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic toll will affect housing insecurity. As job loss and economic hardship leave many unable to pay rent or mortgages, an August report found potential for the most severe housing crisis in U.S. history. If conditions do not change, up to 43% of renter households could be at risk of eviction by the end of the year.
Our 10 best books of 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
You know what didn’t fail in 2020?
Books. The publishing industry had rough spots, like everyone. Bookstores closed, most struggled. But the medium — unlike the movie business, live theater and the art world — never quite stopped moving. Here’s what the Tribune’s Christopher Borrelli considers to be the 10 best books of 2020.


chicagotribune--2020-12-04--‘Why did they take his life when all he did was save lives?’ Family grieves after 65-year-old retire

‘Why did they take his life when all he did was save lives?’ Family grieves after 65-year-old retired Chicago firefighter killed in exchange of gunfire with carjackers

Williams retired about two years ago after joining the CFD in 1992 .
His last assignment was at the city @ @ @ @ @ Management and Communication .
Williams ’ body will be moved from Christ hospital to the @ @ @ @ @ with a CFD and CPD honor escort , Langford said .

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