chicagotribune--2020-06-30--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened June 29 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

Illinois health officials Monday reported 738 new known cases of COVID-19 and 14 additional fatalities , bringing the total number of known cases to 142,461 and the confirmed death toll to 6,902 .
The world passed two sobering coronavirus milestones Sunday with 500,000 confirmed deaths and 10 million confirmed cases .
Meanwhile , governments that attempted reopenings continued to backtrack and warn that worse news could be yet to come , the Associated Press reported .
8:44 p.m. : How to assess your COVID-19 risk when going out in public : Use this chart With a host of new public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure out how much risk is safe for you to take ?
“ We ’ ve been getting a lot of questions about individual activities and peoples ’ individual risk for COVID-19 , ” said Dr. Allison Arwady , commissioner of Chicago ’ s Department of Public Health , in a video on the city ’ s portal for resources on COVID-19 .
“ I want to introduce you to a matrix that will help you think twice as you ’ re thinking about your COVID-19 risk.
” The matrix centers around two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on whether you and the people around you are at a higher risk for a serious outcome if they contracted coronavirus .
COVID-19 is more dangerous for people older than 60 and those in poor health or with preexisting medical conditions .
Read more here .
—Jemal R. Brinson and Jonathon Berlin The FBI has issued a warning about scammers who advertise fraudulent COVID-19 antibody tests as way to obtain personal information that can be used for identity theft or medical insurance fraud .
The warning , issued Friday , is the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government about fraudulent exploitation of the coronavirus pandemic .
Read more here .
— The New York Times Starting Wednesday , many Chicago employers will be required to give employees advance notice of their schedules and pay a premium for last-minute changes .
The city ’ s “ fair workweek ” law is a victory for worker advocates who say unpredictable schedules , and uneven paychecks , make it hard to plan for child care , hold down a second job or pay bills .
It take effect as businesses grapple with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including uncertain consumer demand .
Trade groups pushed unsuccessfully for the city to delay implementation of the law to give employers more time to prepare .
Read more here .
— Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz 4:10 p.m. : Glenview , Northbrook religious leaders assess reopening options : ‘ We need to make sure our congregants are safe ’ From the panned-out camera angle , it looked for a moment as if parishioners had simply shown up early to the June 17 service at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Glenview and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cantor began singing , it became clear the low-attendance service was in fact the new reality for the church as it reopened to the public for the first time since March .
“ All are welcome in this place , ” the cantor sang as the Rev .
Jerry Boland approached the altar .
“ As wonderful as Opening Day is at Wrigley , it pales in comparison to opening day here at OLPH , ” Boland said to the small crowd .
“ It ’ s such a blessing to finally have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a blessing to have you home again.
” The parishioners wore masks and spaced themselves throughout the pews .
They looked around , nodding and waving to each other during the now socially distant “ sign of peace ” portion of the service .
Read more here .
— Kaitlyn Edquist While experts caution against reading too much into fluctuations in the daily toll of the virus , the number of daily deaths has been on the decline .
The average new coronavirus deaths per day in April was 76 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falling to 53 in June .
The same trend holds when looking at the average for individual weeks .
The average number of new daily deaths on the week starting June 22 was 36 , compared with an average of 99 the week of May 18 , and 92 for the week of April 20 .
3:46 p.m. : Skydeck Chicago to reopen Friday with timed tickets and a new floor to explore One of Chicago ’ s biggest tourism attractions , Skydeck Chicago , will reopen Friday with new measures aimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system designed to limit how many people can take in Chicago ’ s views at one time .
The observation deck , which has had about 1.4 million visitors annually in each of the last several years , closed its doors March 14 , a week before Gov .
J.B. Pritzker put the state under a coronavirus-related stay-at-home order .
Read more here .
— Kim Quillen 3:31 p.m. : Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces $ 11 million in grants to community groups on South and West sides Two community groups on the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in grant funding as part of a broader neighborhood rebuilding effort , Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on Monday .
“ Both great institutions , both community-focused and community-led , both Chicago Prize finalists , and both will serve the health care deserts in those and surrounding communities , ” Lightfoot said .
Lightfoot touted the grants as part of her Invest South/West program , a plan that city officials said will distribute $ 750 million in existing city funds over the next three years with a priority on 10 areas on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , North Lawndale , Austin , Englewood , Humboldt Park , Quad Communities , New City , Roseland , South Chicago and South Shore .
Read more here .
— Gregory Pratt 3:19 p.m. : Paycheck Protection Program will leave billions unspent .
‘ It seemed to be structured by people who might not know how small businesses are run.
’ Billions of dollars offered by Congress as a lifeline to small businesses struggling to survive the pandemic are about to be left on the table when a key government program stops accepting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocacy groups complain that the money in the Paycheck Protection Program was not fully put to work because the program created obstacles that stopped countless small businesses from applying .
For those that did seek loans , the ever-changing application process proved to be an exercise in futility .
Read more here .
— Associated Press 2:45 p.m. : Amid coronavirus pandemic , those with pre-existing mental health conditions find it difficult to cope : ‘ You can ’ t just turn it off ’ “ All these things that I would do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I need anymore , ” Guerrero said .
Guerrero , a graduate student studying public administration at Adler University , said that going to work at St. James food pantry in Bronzeville has helped her manage her anxiety symptoms because it gives her a feeling of agency .
But seeing the impact of COVID-19 on the people who come to the food kitchen — mostly seniors and people experiencing homelessness — has also added to her sense of despair , she said .
In Chicago and across the country , the pandemic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mental illness for some .
Read more here .
— Nicole Stock Illinois health officials Monday reported 738 new known cases of COVID-19 and 14 additional fatalities , bringing the total number of known cases to 142,461 and the confirmed death toll to 6,902 .
2:11 p.m. : Two friends were tested for COVID-19 .
One paid in cash and was billed $ 199 – the other paid with insurance and was billed $ 6,408 .
Before a camping and kayaking trip along the Texas coast , Pam LeBlanc and Jimmy Harvey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted a bit more peace of mind before spending 13 days in close quarters along with three friends .
The two got drive-thru tests at Austin Emergency Center in Austin .
The center advertises a “ minimally invasive ” testing experience in a state now battling one of the country ’ s worst coronavirus outbreaks .
Texas recorded 5,799 new cases Sunday and recently reversed some if its reopening policies .
They both recalled how uncomfortable it was to have the long nasal swab pushed up their noses .
LeBlanc ’ s eyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if the swab “ was in my brain.
” Their tests came back with the same result — negative , allowing the trip to go ahead — but the accompanying bills were quite different .
11:56 a.m. : Coronavirus drug price ‘ an outrage ’ : $ 2,340 for remdesivir , or even more for those with private insurance The maker of a drug shown to shorten recovery time for severely ill COVID-19 patients says it will charge $ 2,340 for a typical treatment course for people covered by government health programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
Gilead Sciences announced the price Monday for remdesivir , and said the price would be $ 3,120 for patients with private insurance .
The amount that patients pay out of pocket depends on insurance , income and other factors .
“ We believe that we had to really deviate from the normal circumstances ” and price the drug to ensure wide access rather than based solely on value to patients , he said .
However , the price was swiftly criticized ; a consumer group called it “ an outrage ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the drug ’ s development .
10:35 a.m. : Broadway shutdown due to virus extended again until January The shutdown on Broadway has been extended again — until at least early January .
Although an exact date for performances to resume has yet to be determined , Broadway producers are now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for shows through Jan. 3.
” The Broadway experience can be deeply personal but it is also , crucially , communal , ” said Thomas Schumacher , chairman of the board of The Broadway League @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alchemy of 1,000 strangers bonding into a single audience fueling each performer on stage and behind the scenes will be possible again when Broadway theatres can safely host full houses , ” he added .
“ The safety of our cast , crew , orchestra and audience is our highest priority and we look forward to returning to our stages only when it ’ s safe to do so.
” 10:24 a.m. : Live from Chicago : Jazz back in action at the Green Mill and Andy ’ s But he sure knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any time reopening it this time around .
So over the weekend , the Green Mill – which emerged as Pop Morse ’ s Roadhouse in 1907 and became the Green Mill Gardens in 1910 – presented live music for the first time since March 16 .
( It shut down after Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ordered clubs and restaurants closed due to the coronavirus pandemic . )
The state ’ s recent move to phase four of its reopening plan allowed Jemilo and other jazz club owners to operate at 25 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s five major jazz rooms , only the Green Mill , 4802 N. Broadway , and Andy ’ s Jazz Club , 11 E. Hubbard St. , leaped into action the first weekend .
The Jazz Showcase lists July 30 on its website as its comeback date ; Constellation lists July 31 ; and Winter ’ s Jazz Club is “ closed until further notice , ” according to its website .
” Hey everybody , welcome to the Green Mill , ” said a mask-wearing Jemilo , as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Joel Paterson Trio ( the Pete Benson Organ Trio played Friday and Saturday evenings ) .
9:46 a.m. : Chicago Heights creates protective equipment as schools seek alternatives to keep students safe A longtime Chicago Heights manufacturing company that had been making fixtures and furniture for the retail and hospitality industries found a new niche producing personal protection equipment when the coronavirus pandemic hit .
“ That was about a month-and-half ago , ” said Morgan Li CEO Andy Rosenband .
“ We had started a graphic printing division in December and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to start producing the floor decals needed for social distancing.
” That quickly expanded into producing sneeze guards and other acrylic barriers to protect employees and customers from the virus .
“ We quickly saw a need for personal protection equipment for our clients , ” he said .
“ The initial push came from grocery stores , but soon other clients , such as Old Navy , came calling.
” Chicago , in partnership with the charity Community Organized Relief Effort Response , was set to offer mobile coronavirus testing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhoods Monday , according to the mayor ’ s office .
Mobile testing was scheduled to be available at Martin Temple AME Zion Church , 6930 S. Cottage Grove Ave. , in the Park Manor neighborhood , just south of Woodlawn , from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. , and at Health Hood Chicago , 2242 S. Damen Ave. , from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. , in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood west of Pilsen .
Food giveaways also will be available at both sites , according to a release from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are free from any residents and “ No questions will be asked about citizenship status , and no documentation related to citizenship will be requested , ” according to the release .
6 a.m. : Some Illinois parents opt for home schooling instead of sending kids back to school in the fall For some parents , teaching their children at home after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools this spring was challenging , to say the least .
For others , it revealed another option .
With new cases of COVID-19 continuing and no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what a return to school might look like .
Will young children be able to concentrate with face masks required ?
Will schools close over and over again if outbreaks occur , disrupting kids ’ ability to learn ?
What if kids contract the disease and spread it to vulnerable family members ?
Some parents are considering home-schooling their children .
Home schooling support groups are receiving more calls and questions from parents .
Winifred Haun , part of The Northside Unschoolers , said people learned a bit about home schooling this spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remotely teach their children .
“ People do seem more interested in home-schooling their kids , especially when they learned that they don ’ t have to do everything just like the schools do it , ” she said .
6 a.m. : Will County Fair among latest canceled summer events The Will County Fair has become the latest such event to be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The event scheduled for late August has been in existence for over a century .
Fair officials said they 'd discuss options @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , including a fall demolition derby , according to The ( Kankakee ) Daily Journal .
`` It has been a challenging time across the world , as so many events try to find ways to continue traditions that have lasted generations , going back well over a century , while keeping social distancing and health at the forefront of every step we take , '' according to a post on the fair 's website .
Dozens of Illinois counties have canceled their fairs .
Earlier this month , officials scrapped this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The event was last canceled in the 1940s during World War II when the grounds were used as a military supply center .
Here is some of what happened over the weekend related to coronavirus in Illinois : The number of coronavirus deaths in Illinois is approaching 7,000 , even as the state is among the few still seeing declining numbers of cases .
Universities and colleges are trying to figure out how to handle sports in the age of coronavirus .
Illinois entered Phase Four of the state ’ s coronavirus reopening @ @

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The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois health officials Monday reported 738 new known cases of COVID-19 and 14 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 142,461 and the confirmed death toll to 6,902.
The world passed two sobering coronavirus milestones Sunday with 500,000 confirmed deaths and 10 million confirmed cases. Meanwhile, governments that attempted reopenings continued to backtrack and warn that worse news could be yet to come, the Associated Press reported.
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[ How to assess your COVID-19 risk when going out in public: Use this chart ]
[ Phase four of Illinois’s COVID-19 reopening: Settle in, folks, we may be here a while ]
[ Illinois enters phase 4 of reopening plan. Here’s a guide to what’s allowed. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
8:44 p.m.: How to assess your COVID-19 risk when going out in public: Use this chart
With a host of new public activities now available, how do you figure out how much risk is safe for you to take?
Advertisement
“We’ve been getting a lot of questions about individual activities and peoples’ individual risk for COVID-19,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Public Health, in a video on the city’s portal for resources on COVID-19. “I want to introduce you to a matrix that will help you think twice as you’re thinking about your COVID-19 risk.”
The matrix centers around two groups of questions: The first centers on whether you and the people around you are at a higher risk for a serious outcome if they contracted coronavirus. COVID-19 is more dangerous for people older than 60 and those in poor health or with preexisting medical conditions. Read more here. —Jemal R. Brinson and Jonathon Berlin
8:31 p.m.: FBI warns of fraudulent coronavirus antibody tests
The FBI has issued a warning about scammers who advertise fraudulent COVID-19 antibody tests as way to obtain personal information that can be used for identity theft or medical insurance fraud.
The warning, issued Friday, is the latest in a series of alerts from the federal government about fraudulent exploitation of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more here. — The New York Times
4:37 p.m.: Chicago’s fair workweek law takes effect Wednesday as businesses grapple with pandemic uncertainty
Starting Wednesday, many Chicago employers will be required to give employees advance notice of their schedules and pay a premium for last-minute changes.
The city’s “fair workweek” law is a victory for worker advocates who say unpredictable schedules, and uneven paychecks, make it hard to plan for child care, hold down a second job or pay bills.
It take effect as businesses grapple with numerous pressures wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, including uncertain consumer demand. Trade groups pushed unsuccessfully for the city to delay implementation of the law to give employers more time to prepare. Read more here. — Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
4:10 p.m.: Glenview, Northbrook religious leaders assess reopening options: ‘We need to make sure our congregants are safe’
From the panned-out camera angle, it looked for a moment as if parishioners had simply shown up early to the June 17 service at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Glenview and more would soon file in.
Advertisement
As the cantor began singing, it became clear the low-attendance service was in fact the new reality for the church as it reopened to the public for the first time since March.
“All are welcome in this place,” the cantor sang as the Rev. Jerry Boland approached the altar.
“As wonderful as Opening Day is at Wrigley, it pales in comparison to opening day here at OLPH,” Boland said to the small crowd. “It’s such a blessing to finally have people in the pew. … It’s a blessing to have you home again.”
The parishioners wore masks and spaced themselves throughout the pews. They looked around, nodding and waving to each other during the now socially distant “sign of peace” portion of the service. Read more here. — Kaitlyn Edquist
3:52 p.m.: Illinois announces 14 new deaths, lowest daily total since March 30
Illinois announced 14 new deaths from COVID-19 Monday, the lowest daily total since March 30.
While experts caution against reading too much into fluctuations in the daily toll of the virus, the number of daily deaths has been on the decline.
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The average new coronavirus deaths per day in April was 76, increasing to 99 in May and then falling to 53 in June. The same trend holds when looking at the average for individual weeks. The average number of new daily deaths on the week starting June 22 was 36, compared with an average of 99 the week of May 18, and 92 for the week of April 20.
The state also announced 738 new cases and the results of 26,918 tests Monday. — Chicago Tribune Staff
3:46 p.m.: Skydeck Chicago to reopen Friday with timed tickets and a new floor to explore
One of Chicago’s biggest tourism attractions, Skydeck Chicago, will reopen Friday with new measures aimed at facilitating social distancing and a timed ticketing system designed to limit how many people can take in Chicago’s views at one time.
The observation deck, which has had about 1.4 million visitors annually in each of the last several years, closed its doors March 14, a week before Gov. J.B. Pritzker put the state under a coronavirus-related stay-at-home order. Read more here. — Kim Quillen
3:31 p.m.: Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces $11 million in grants to community groups on South and West sides
Two community groups on the South and West sides will receive $11 million in grant funding as part of a broader neighborhood rebuilding effort, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on Monday.
The Auburn Gresham Healthy Lifestyle Hub will receive $4 million, while Mount Sinai Hospital’s North Lawndale Surgical and Ambulatory Care Center will get $7 million, Lightfoot said.
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“Both great institutions, both community-focused and community-led, both Chicago Prize finalists, and both will serve the health care deserts in those and surrounding communities,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot touted the grants as part of her Invest South/West program, a plan that city officials said will distribute $750 million in existing city funds over the next three years with a priority on 10 areas on the South and West sides: Auburn Gresham, North Lawndale, Austin, Englewood, Humboldt Park, Quad Communities, New City, Roseland, South Chicago and South Shore. Read more here. — Gregory Pratt
3:19 p.m.: Paycheck Protection Program will leave billions unspent. ‘It seemed to be structured by people who might not know how small businesses are run.’
Billions of dollars offered by Congress as a lifeline to small businesses struggling to survive the pandemic are about to be left on the table when a key government program stops accepting applications for loans.
Business owners and advocacy groups complain that the money in the Paycheck Protection Program was not fully put to work because the program created obstacles that stopped countless small businesses from applying. For those that did seek loans, the ever-changing application process proved to be an exercise in futility. Read more here. — Associated Press
2:45 p.m.: Amid coronavirus pandemic, those with pre-existing mental health conditions find it difficult to cope: ‘You can’t just turn it off’
The coronavirus pandemic has only made things worse for Bridgeport resident Lina Guerrero, who struggles with anxiety and depression.
“All these things that I would do for self-care before coronavirus is not what I need anymore,” Guerrero said.
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Guerrero, a graduate student studying public administration at Adler University, said that going to work at St. James food pantry in Bronzeville has helped her manage her anxiety symptoms because it gives her a feeling of agency. But seeing the impact of COVID-19 on the people who come to the food kitchen — mostly seniors and people experiencing homelessness — has also added to her sense of despair, she said.
In Chicago and across the country, the pandemic and the accompanying social isolation have spiked symptoms of mental illness for some. Read more here. — Nicole Stock
2:30 p.m.: 738 new known COVID-19 cases, 14 additional fatalities
Illinois health officials Monday reported 738 new known cases of COVID-19 and 14 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 142,461 and the confirmed death toll to 6,902.
—Chicago Tribune staff
2:11 p.m.: Two friends were tested for COVID-19. One paid in cash and was billed $199 – the other paid with insurance and was billed $6,408.
Before a camping and kayaking trip along the Texas coast, Pam LeBlanc and Jimmy Harvey decided to get coronavirus tests. They wanted a bit more peace of mind before spending 13 days in close quarters along with three friends.
The two got drive-thru tests at Austin Emergency Center in Austin. The center advertises a “minimally invasive” testing experience in a state now battling one of the country’s worst coronavirus outbreaks. Texas recorded 5,799 new cases Sunday and recently reversed some if its reopening policies.
Advertisement
They both recalled how uncomfortable it was to have the long nasal swab pushed up their noses. LeBlanc’s eyes started to tear up; Harvey felt as if the swab “was in my brain.”
Their tests came back with the same result — negative, allowing the trip to go ahead — but the accompanying bills were quite different.
The emergency room charged Harvey $199 in cash. LeBlanc, who paid with insurance, was charged $6,408.
Read more here. —The New York Times
11:56 a.m.: Coronavirus drug price ‘an outrage’: $2,340 for remdesivir, or even more for those with private insurance
The maker of a drug shown to shorten recovery time for severely ill COVID-19 patients says it will charge $2,340 for a typical treatment course for people covered by government health programs in the United States and other developed countries.
Gilead Sciences announced the price Monday for remdesivir, and said the price would be $3,120 for patients with private insurance. The amount that patients pay out of pocket depends on insurance, income and other factors.
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“We’re in uncharted territory with pricing a new medicine, a novel medicine, in a pandemic,” Gilead’s chief executive, Dan O’Day, told The Associated Press.
“We believe that we had to really deviate from the normal circumstances” and price the drug to ensure wide access rather than based solely on value to patients, he said.
However, the price was swiftly criticized; a consumer group called it “an outrage” because of the amount taxpayers invested toward the drug’s development.
Read more here. —Associated Press
10:35 a.m.: Broadway shutdown due to virus extended again until January
The shutdown on Broadway has been extended again — until at least early January.
Although an exact date for performances to resume has yet to be determined, Broadway producers are now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for shows through Jan. 3.”
Advertisement
The Broadway experience can be deeply personal but it is also, crucially, communal,” said Thomas Schumacher, chairman of the board of The Broadway League, which represents producers.
”The alchemy of 1,000 strangers bonding into a single audience fueling each performer on stage and behind the scenes will be possible again when Broadway theatres can safely host full houses,” he added. “The safety of our cast, crew, orchestra and audience is our highest priority and we look forward to returning to our stages only when it’s safe to do so.”
Read more here. —Associated Press
10:24 a.m.: Live from Chicago: Jazz back in action at the Green Mill and Andy’s
Green Mill owner Dave Jemilo doesn’t know how long his historic club was shuttered during the influenza pandemic of 1918-19.
But he sure knew he wasn’t going to waste any time reopening it this time around.
So over the weekend, the Green Mill – which emerged as Pop Morse’s Roadhouse in 1907 and became the Green Mill Gardens in 1910 – presented live music for the first time since March 16. (It shut down after Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered clubs and restaurants closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.)
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The state’s recent move to phase four of its reopening plan allowed Jemilo and other jazz club owners to operate at 25 percent occupancy starting June 26. But of the city’s five major jazz rooms, only the Green Mill, 4802 N. Broadway, and Andy’s Jazz Club, 11 E. Hubbard St., leaped into action the first weekend. The Jazz Showcase lists July 30 on its website as its comeback date; Constellation lists July 31; and Winter’s Jazz Club is “closed until further notice,” according to its website.
”Hey everybody, welcome to the Green Mill,” said a mask-wearing Jemilo, as he introduced Sunday night’s sets by the Joel Paterson Trio (the Pete Benson Organ Trio played Friday and Saturday evenings).
Read more here. —Howard Reich
9:46 a.m.: Chicago Heights creates protective equipment as schools seek alternatives to keep students safe
A longtime Chicago Heights manufacturing company that had been making fixtures and furniture for the retail and hospitality industries found a new niche producing personal protection equipment when the coronavirus pandemic hit.
“That was about a month-and-half ago,” said Morgan Li CEO Andy Rosenband. “We had started a graphic printing division in December and when the pandemic hit, we were able to start producing the floor decals needed for social distancing.”
That quickly expanded into producing sneeze guards and other acrylic barriers to protect employees and customers from the virus.
Advertisement
“We quickly saw a need for personal protection equipment for our clients,” he said. “The initial push came from grocery stores, but soon other clients, such as Old Navy, came calling.”
Read more here. —Bob Bong
6:53 a.m.: Chicago offers mobile coronavirus testing in Park Manor, Heart of Chicago neighborhoods Monday
Chicago, in partnership with the charity Community Organized Relief Effort Response, was set to offer mobile coronavirus testing in the Park Manor and Heart of Chicago neighborhoods Monday, according to the mayor’s office.
Mobile testing was scheduled to be available at Martin Temple AME Zion Church, 6930 S. Cottage Grove Ave., in the Park Manor neighborhood, just south of Woodlawn, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and at Health Hood Chicago, 2242 S. Damen Ave., from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood west of Pilsen.
Food giveaways also will be available at both sites, according to a release from the mayor’s office.
The tests are free from any residents and “No questions will be asked about citizenship status, and no documentation related to citizenship will be requested,” according to the release.
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CORE Response is a community relief agency founded by actor Sean Penn and Ann Lee that’s working with city officials to expand coronavirus testing, mostly in minority communities hard-hit by the virus.
—Chicago Tribune staff
6:45 a.m.: Lincoln Park Zoo public reopening is Monday, but signups are required
Lincoln Park Zoo reopens to the public Monday, although anyone hoping to visit the penguins, tigers or gorillas has to sign up in advance.
The zoo, which doesn’t charge an admission fee, which reopened to its members Friday, is requiring visitors to sign up in advance for two-hour slots to limit the number of people on the groups and requiring visitors wear face coverings. Indoor animal exhibits aren’t yet open.
Anyone wishing to visit the zoo, which is subsidized by Chicago Park District tax funds but gets about 3/4 of its budget from donations and other sources, can sign up via EventBrite or by by calling the zoo at 312-742-2000.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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6 a.m.: Some Illinois parents opt for home schooling instead of sending kids back to school in the fall
For some parents, teaching their children at home after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools this spring was challenging, to say the least. For others, it revealed another option.
With new cases of COVID-19 continuing and no vaccine, many parents have questions about what a return to school might look like. Will young children be able to concentrate with face masks required? Will schools close over and over again if outbreaks occur, disrupting kids’ ability to learn? What if kids contract the disease and spread it to vulnerable family members?
Some parents are considering home-schooling their children.
Home schooling support groups are receiving more calls and questions from parents. Winifred Haun, part of The Northside Unschoolers, said people learned a bit about home schooling this spring as schools were closed and families improvised to remotely teach their children.
“People do seem more interested in home-schooling their kids, especially when they learned that they don’t have to do everything just like the schools do it,” she said.
Read more here. —Alison Bowen
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6 a.m.: Will County Fair among latest canceled summer events
The Will County Fair has become the latest such event to be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The event scheduled for late August has been in existence for over a century. Fair officials said they'd discuss options for other events at a meeting next month, including a fall demolition derby, according to The (Kankakee) Daily Journal.
"It has been a challenging time across the world, as so many events try to find ways to continue traditions that have lasted generations, going back well over a century, while keeping social distancing and health at the forefront of every step we take," according to a post on the fair's website.
Dozens of Illinois counties have canceled their fairs.
Earlier this month, officials scrapped this year’s Illinois State Fair. The event was last canceled in the 1940s during World War II when the grounds were used as a military supply center.
—Associated Press
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Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here is some of what happened over the weekend related to coronavirus in Illinois:
The number of coronavirus deaths in Illinois is approaching 7,000, even as the state is among the few still seeing declining numbers of cases.
Universities and colleges are trying to figure out how to handle sports in the age of coronavirus.
Illinois entered Phase Four of the state’s coronavirus reopening plan.


chicagotribune--2020-07-02--Former Beecher student who was secretly filmed changing at school sues district, teacher who alleged

Former Beecher student who was secretly filmed changing at school sues district, teacher who allegedly installed hidden cameras

Steven Glink , an attorney for the former student and her father , said the family told him Vidmar had @ @ @ @ @ class on three separate occasions during her senior year to have her try on a @ @ @ @ @ room .

A former Beecher High School student is suing the district over its alleged failure to protect her from a longtime choir teacher accused of installing hidden cameras to film her and other students changing before class.
The teen and her father, identified only as John Doe and Jane Doe, filed suit Monday against Beecher School District 200U and former instructor James Vidmar, who was indicted last year on 12 felony counts of unauthorized video recording of a victim under 18.
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James Vidmar (Will County Sheriff's Office)
Vidmar, the suit alleges, directed the girl “from time to time” to disrobe in a dressing room where he had installed secret cameras to record her and other students while they changed into their choir or band uniforms.
The nine-count suit alleges negligence, invasion of privacy and numerous other violations of the teenage girl’s state and federal rights.
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Beecher police arrested Vidmar in late November 2018 after being contacted by school officials who had discovered the cameras, police Chief Gregory Smith said.
Smith said Wednesday that footage police recovered from the cameras spanned parts of two school years and captured large numbers of students undressing.
“It seems like he was filming everybody,” the chief said.
The district immediately placed Vidmar on administrative leave after finding the cameras and moved to terminate the longtime choir and band teacher the following month, superintendent Brad Cox said last year.
School district officials did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment on the suit.
Cox told the Southtown last year that he takes student safety very seriously and had actually been in the process of re-examining and enhancing school security measures in late 2018 when the hidden cameras were discovered.
He said the district has since tripled the number of security cameras on campus, re-keyed multiple buildings to limit access, implemented a background check process for all visitors and hired a school resource officer to circulate among the district’s three buildings.
“It’s something we spent quite a bit of time on to make sure our students and staff are being taken care of,” Cox said.
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The 45-year-old Vidmar, a Mokena resident, pleaded not guilty to the unauthorized video recording charges in January 2019, and remains free on $500,000 bond pending the outcome of his case, court records show. He’s due back in court Sept. 11.
Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Vidmar’s attorney declined comment on his client’s case and on the recently filed lawsuit.
Steven Glink, an attorney for the former student and her father, said the family told him Vidmar had pulled the girl out of class on three separate occasions during her senior year to have her try on a choir dress in the changing room.
He said the girl, who is now 18, had thought nothing odd about Vidmar’s behavior until being contacted by officials and told the teacher had allegedly recorded her as she undressed and viewed her partially naked images.
As a result, Glink said, “she’s got some very severe emotional distress.”
He said the $1 million in damages the teen’s suit seeks reflects the severity with which he views the facts of the case.
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zkoeske@tribpub.com
Twitter @ZakKoeske


chicagotribune--2020-07-02--Daywatch: Illinois stays course amid COVID-19 surge, what the second half of 2020 may hold and what

Daywatch: Illinois stays course amid COVID-19 surge, what the second half of 2020 may hold and what to know about the face mask ‘sweat factor'

When health officials began recommending people wear masks in public places to slow the spread of COVID-19 , they turned @ @ @ @ @ be it a hand-sewn fabric mask , cut up t-shirt or winter balaclava .
Now @ @ @ @ @ , in places where social distancing is a challenge .
As Illinoisans cautiously return to @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic , some are looking for masks that are tolerable for more than @ @ @ @ @

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks alongside Gov. J.B. Pritzker at the Thompson Center on May 31, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
With neighboring Indiana and other states pausing their reopening plans or even moving backward as new cases of the coronavirus surge, officials in Chicago and Illinois said Wednesday they have no plans to alter loosened rules that took effect statewide last week.
A spokeswoman for J.B. Pritzker said that the governor and medical experts at the Illinois Department of Public Health are watching the data closely to see whether the looser restrictions in the new phase have any effect on the state’s health care system. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, meanwhile, said the city tracks its data closely and will “not hesitate” to take action if they see an upward swing.
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Erick Granada Ocampo, a server at Egg Harbor Cafe, waits on the Booth family from Barrington on Friday, May 29, 2020 in Barrington. The restaurant opened patio seating at 7:30 this morning. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
As Illinois shifts into phase four of its reopening plan, state health officials have now made it possible for residents to track weekly COVID-19 figures at the county level.
Their new website includes a warning system to highlight instances where the latest numbers — such as a rise in cases or more people testing positive — signal trouble.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, left, with CPS CEO Janice Jackson talks about the Chicago Teachers Union strike Oct. 29, 2019, at City Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
After the Chicago Board of Education approved an expensive new teachers’ contract last fall following a bitter strike, Mayor Lori Lightfoot dismissed as “100% wrong” the notion that the school district could have trouble affording the deal if there was an economic downturn. Then came COVID-19, stay-at-home orders and a resulting recession that has hammered public finances across the country.
A statue of Christopher Columbus is covered before faith leaders and politicians participate in a Juneteenth faith-led peaceful demonstration on Columbus Drive in Grant Park on June 19, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The first six months of 2020 have been, shall we say, a lot: a whipsaw presidential primary, a worldwide pandemic, economic collapse and massive, sometimes violent protests over police brutality and racial injustice. If little of that was predictable, imagine how volatile the next six months might be.
PrideMasks co-founder Steve Ryan sorts through custom-designed face masks at the company's manufacturing space at 4200 W. Diversey Ave., July 1 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
When health officials began recommending people wear masks in public places to slow the spread of COVID-19, they turned to whatever was available, be it a hand-sewn fabric mask, cut up t-shirt or winter balaclava. Now they’re often required, in places where social distancing is a challenge. As Illinoisans cautiously return to more activities put on hold during the pandemic, some are looking for masks that are tolerable for more than a quick grocery run.


chicagotribune--2020-07-02--Lightfoot dismissed questions about ability to afford new CTU contract if economy tanked. Then COVID

Lightfoot dismissed questions about ability to afford new CTU contract if economy tanked. Then COVID-19 hit, damaging CPS budget for years.

“ It ’ s really time to wait and see , ” Martire added .
“ At least CPS has @ @ @ @ @ the last couple of years , and they ’ ve developed a decent relationship with @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s reason to believe that if they can get through the next @ @ @ @ @ uncertainty , they can stay on track .
”

After the Chicago Board of Education approved an expensive new teachers’ contract last fall following a bitter strike, Mayor Lori Lightfoot dismissed as “100% wrong” the notion that the school district could have trouble affording the deal if there was an economic downturn.
Then came COVID-19, stay-at-home orders and a resulting recession that has hammered public finances across the country. Now, the financial fault lines that the Tribune identified have been breached as Chicago Public Schools officials try to put together a new spending plan in the coming weeks.
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There are short-term problems: The state, which has its own financial woes, did not include extra education funding in its new budget that CPS was counting on to help pay for the teacher contract. And property tax collections the district is heavily relying on could decline because people and businesses might not have the wherewithal to pay their bills.
Over the longer haul, the school district faces the double-whammy prospect of further erosion in property tax collections and higher pension contribution costs triggered by the economic downturn, budget analysts said.
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“Chicago Public Schools entered the pandemic, or the fallout of the pandemic, in very tentative financial shape hoping for Springfield to find enough resources to constantly increase the school aid formula,” said Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation budget watchdog group. “That did not occur, and now there are very significant downward revenue pressures on them while their expenses haven’t necessarily dropped. They may have increased because of COVID.”
Linda Bhavilai waves a Chicago flag as she marches with striking teachers outside City Hall while thousands of striking teachers and supporters march on Oct. 23, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Potential fixes include tapping into leftover and yet-to-be-approved additional federal funding for local governments to make up for losses caused by COVID, and approval of a Nov. 3 graduated income tax referendum that would make it possible for the state to provide more money.
CPS officials declined to respond to a series of Tribune questions for this story. The Lightfoot administration tends not to engage with questions about the city’s challenges before she has a chance to put forward her own narrative.
State money woes
The five-year contract with the Chicago Teachers Union, along with another deal for staff who are members of Service Employees International Union Local 73, boosted pay and committed the district to hiring 750 social workers, nurses, special education case managers, counselors and other support personnel. CPS also agreed to set aside $45 million annually to reduce class sizes, support sports and increase veteran teacher pay.
The contract increased costs by $137 million for the school year that just ended, and CPS was able to scrape together enough money largely with one-time fixes.
The total cost of the contracts are expected to reach $558 million by the fifth year, but at the time of their approval, CPS officials said not to worry — the money would come from annual state funding increases and growth in property taxes.
The contract is “responsible and affordable based on conservative assumptions about our finances and anticipated revenue,” CPS spokesman Michael Passman said in November.
Not everyone was sold, however.
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“Should Illinois’ own financial problems result in reduced (school) funding ... the fiscal pressure (on CPS) could be immense,” wrote an analyst for S&P, a major bond rating agency.
It didn’t take long for the state not to live up to its pledge to significantly raise school funding each year.
Faced with its own long-running financial problems made worse by a pandemic that sent tax revenue tumbling by a projected $4.6 billion, the state held education funding flat in the new budget Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed in June. The state was supposed to increase money for schools by $350 million, and CPS was counting on collecting about $70 million of that to balance its new spending plan.
Democratic state Sen. Andy Manar of Bunker Hill, who pushed for the current state school funding formula and its extra funding, said the state just didn’t have the financial wherewithal to fulfill that commitment this year.
“Would I have liked to have seen $350 million? You bet, of course I would have,” Manar said. “But at the same time, given the set of circumstances that we face, preserving what we have, at the minimum, I think is a very positive place to land.”
CPS also is banking on a rise in property tax collections to help in the next budget, but two challenges loom.
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The money could arrive later than usual — the county gave property taxpayers two extra months to pay up without penalty this year. That could lead an already-leveraged CPS to do costly short-term borrowing until the money starts flowing after the October due date.
Even then, some people and businesses struggling financially amid the pandemic may simply not have the wherewithal to pay their property tax bills.
Another ratings agency, Moody’s Investors Service, took notice. In June, Moody’s issued a report stating that CPS could find its budget dipping deeper into red ink if state aid to schools remained flat for two years and its property tax levy collections for pensions declined substantially. Still, the agency concluded the school district was unlikely to sink to the lows it struggled with in the last decade before the state school-funding formula was revamped in 2017.
The ratings agency already has downgraded CPS’ outlook from positive to stable. All three of Wall Street’s major bond rating agencies classify CPS debt as noninvestment grade, commonly referred to as junk. That means it costs CPS more to borrow money.
Long-haul issues
A trio of warning signs are starting to emerge for CPS beyond the next budget it must draft.
The first centers on property taxes that go toward the district’s day-to-day expenses. CPS has estimated that it will be able to increase those property taxes by about $100 million a year, and has identified that annual boost as a way to afford the teacher contract. But a lower rate of inflation could cut that figure by tens of millions of dollars.
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That’s because CPS operates under the state’s property tax cap law, which effectively limits district property tax increases to the rate of inflation for the previous year.
And inflation this year is running extremely low, with the national consumer price index even declining in May. If that keeps up, CPS won’t be allowed to increase its property tax levy next year by nearly as much as it did in prior years. That would affect the budget for the 2021-22 school year.
The second warning sign involves a separate property tax that CPS charges for teacher pensions. CPS’ retirement fund has an enormous shortfall, and the district has to put in more money each year to whittle down the debt. Wall Street has identified this problem as the biggest drag on CPS finances.
Much of that debt is covered by a separate property tax for pensions, but that levy is calculated in a different fashion: It goes up as property values rise, and goes down if they decline.
While property values usually rise overall in the city, they soon could be falling. Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi plans to reassess Chicago properties for tax purposes based on the COVID-19 economic fallout. He already did that in the south and west suburbs, significantly lowering the values of many properties.
If Kaegi does the same in Chicago, the city’s overall assessed value would decline for taxes that cover the 2021-22 school year.
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What might the impact be? In the current budget year, CPS received about $477 million in pension property taxes, based on the assessments of all land in the city. For every 1% reduction in overall assessments, the district will lose nearly $5 million. A 10% reduction, which would not be out of keeping with what Kaegi did in the south and west suburbs, would mean a loss of nearly $50 million.
The third warning sign also involves CPS pensions. The amount of money the district must put toward teacher retirements each year is tied to the value of the pension fund, which is invested in the stock market, among other things. And the stock market is down during the coronavirus pandemic.
That means future required pension payments shouldered by local taxpayers could increase to make up those investment losses, leaving the district with less money to spend on education. CPS already is diverting about $120 million a year to pension contributions out of funds that would otherwise go to classroom education.
Potential solutions
As CPS grapples with whether and how to open schools in the fall, officials also must devise a budget.
Putting that spending document together won’t be easy. Already, the district announced in late April that it planned to distribute an additional $125 million to schools in the coming year, although it didn’t say if those costs would be offset elsewhere.
There also are two major uncertainties: whether Congress and President Donald Trump will provide additional funding to state and local governments to cover losses caused by the COVID-fueled recession, and whether Illinois voters in November will approve a change to the state constitution to allow for a graduated income tax backed by Pritzker.
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The federal government has provided CPS with $206 million in federal funding that can be used to cover COVID-related expenses, such as technology for remote learning, cleaning schools, providing meals and a handful of other costs. To date, CPS has spent about $55 million on COVID-related expenses, according to a breakdown on the district’s website.
Although the federal money must be used for coronavirus-related costs, it could give the district some breathing room.
“Money is fungible,” noted Ralph Martire, executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. “I think there’s enough, frankly, fuzzy language in the COVID relief, the CARES Act, that they will be able to apply some of that money to replace local revenue (that would have been used for COVID-related expenses), which frees up that revenue to help plug costs elsewhere.”
Pavlyn Jankov, a teachers union education policy analyst, said he believes the CARES Act funding will allow CPS to have “a stable budget” this year, and he’s hopeful the federal government will provide further relief.
Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates after a CTU House of Delegates meeting at which they announced a tentative contract agreement was reached Oct. 30, 2019. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The federal government has far more wherewithal to step into the breach, should it choose to do so. Congressional Democrats are pushing for another COVID-19 package, but Republicans so far are opposed to providing state and local governments with more relief.
State government also could come to CPS’ rescue if Illinois voters approve a referendum on the fall ballot to switch to a graduated income tax system where wealthier people would pay a higher rate. Pritzker, who backs the referendum, estimates the change would bring in an extra $1.3 billion from January through June 2021.
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“Further investing money in (school) funding would be at the top of the list should the fair tax be approved by voters of the state,” said Manar, the state senator from central Illinois, referring to the income tax moniker used by supporters.
CTU’s Jankov also noted inflation growth was relatively robust last year, so CPS should get a bit more money from whatever 2021 tax increase the Board of Education enacts. He also reiterated the union’s position that City Hall should pick up $60 million in annual pension costs that it had covered until last year.
Although Martire is a bit more optimistic than the Civic Federation’s Msall when it comes to CPS’ current financial predicament, he conceded the district faced “a difficult couple years.”
A silver lining, Martire said, is CPS’ heavy reliance on property taxes. Even though they can decline in an economic downturn, they are far more stable sources of revenue than income or sales taxes.
“It’s really time to wait and see,” Martire added. “At least CPS has been managed well fiscally in the last couple of years, and they’ve developed a decent relationship with the new mayor. So, there’s reason to believe that if they can get through the next two to three years of uncertainty, they can stay on track.”
Chicago Tribune’s John Byrne contributed.
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hdardick@chicagotribune.com
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-02--You think the first half of 2020 was unpredictable? Wait until the second half.

Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry said her office plans to process up to four times as many mail-in ballots @ @ @ @ @ set during the 2016 election , while simultaneously ensuring that the county ’ s more @ @ @ @ @ be equipped with ample hand sanitizer and other protective gear .
She ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ of election judges to include students as young as 16 , who are at less @ @ @ @ @ the virus .

A statue of Christopher Columbus is covered before faith leaders and politicians participate in a Juneteenth faith-led peaceful demonstration on Columbus Drive in Grant Park on June 19, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The first six months of 2020 have been, shall we say, a lot: a whipsaw presidential primary, a worldwide pandemic, economic collapse and massive, sometimes violent protests over police brutality and racial injustice.
If little of that was predictable, imagine how volatile the next six months might be.
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While COVID-19 cases are decreasing in Illinois, a sharp contrast to other areas of the country, nearly all plans for major events remain subject to change. But as it stands, schools will return to in-person instruction, some safety net benefits related to the pandemic will cease and the Chicago Bears will start their season by playing the Detroit Lions at noon on Sept. 13.
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That’s the plan, anyway. As 2020 has amply demonstrated, who knows how things will actually shake out? Efforts to defund police departments could gain momentum — demonstrators have already made that demand in Chicago, Evanston, Aurora and elsewhere — or fizzle. An effective COVID-19 vaccine could be available by the end of the year, or it could slide well into 2021.
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Even something as straightforward as a parade is complicated.
The Columbus Day parade in Chicago is scheduled for Oct. 12, and Lissa Druss of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, the organization that puts on the popular event, said the group intends to carry though if the parade can be done safely. She was less worried about a possible escalation of protests against Christopher Columbus, even though the city recently covered statues of the controversial explorer and colonizer to protect them from vandalism.
She noted, however, that the fate of the parade “is really not up to us. It’s up to the city to determine what’s going to happen.”
Officials with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, meanwhile, said the city won’t issue permits for events that fall before Labor Day, and that no decisions have been made for events later in the year.
With such a caveat in mind, here’s are some things to look forward to in the second half of 2020:
Back to school
Gov. J.B. Pritzker this week encouraged K-12 schools, closed since mid-March, to resume in-person instruction in the fall, albeit with masks, social distancing and a prohibition on more than 50 people gathering in one space. But the final details will be left to the state’s 852 school districts, few of which have settled on specifics.
Barrington District 220 earlier this month floated two alternatives: one a full return to school buildings, the second a model in which elementary students come back, but high school students spend some days in class, others learning remotely. If the pandemic worsened to the point where Pritzker declares a reversion to phase three, students would go back to distance learning.
But the latest plan, which still awaits final approval, eliminates the second option.
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“(Superintendent Brian) Harris has directed the team to focus all efforts on bringing students back in phase four, with the option of distance learning for students and staff who are not willing to return under the guidelines we will be providing,” a district spokeswoman said.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus on Jan. 31, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Many of the state’s colleges and universities also plan to bring students back to campus in the fall, though some in academia have warned that could be dangerous: Writing in Inside Higher Ed last month, two professors called large universities “essentially cruise ships on steroids, as far as an acute respiratory pathogen like the new coronavirus is concerned.”
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign officials say the success of their planned campus reopening depends upon people taking the proper precautions.
“We cannot overstate that our own personal behavior will determine in a large part our access to all the good that our campus offers,” Chancellor Robert Jones and Provost Andreas Cangellaris recently wrote in a message to faculty, students and staff. " … (As) we prepare to resume on-campus operations in the fall, we count on the unfaltering vigilance of everyone in our community.”
Safety net ends
The business shutdowns created by COVID-19 have led to mass unemployment — last measured at 15.4% in the Chicago area — that has been partially softened by government measures, including a ban on evictions and an extra $600 added to weekly unemployment checks.
An unemployed worker checks the Michigan unemployment site on April 29, 2020, in Detroit. (Carlos Osorio / AP)
But for the moment, those benefits come with an expiration date. The enhanced unemployment checks, which some employers have blamed for keeping workers on the sideline even when their companies reopen, are set to end by July 31.
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Congressional Democrats have passed a bill to extend the bonus into 2021, with Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson calling it “an emergency investment in our communities during these tough times,” but the effort has stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Meanwhile, Pritzker plans to continue forbidding evictions through July 31, even though some landlords are suing to overturn the ban. Whenever evictions resume, Mark Swartz, executive director for the Chicago-based Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, said the backlog of cases, combined with the spike expected to come with high unemployment, could jam the court system.
That, in turn, could harm renters who aren’t familiar with the legal process meant to safeguard their rights, or with the government programs meant to help keep them in their homes.
“Where there’s even more people pushing an expedited process and pressures to resolve lots of cases, we just worry that people won’t have the ability to have their side heard,” he said.
Calls for police reform
The killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May set off civil unrest in Chicago and across the country, with activists, community members and even some politicians calling for large-scale police reform.
Demands for the defunding of local police departments have taken hold, with some calling for the shrinking of budgets, removing police from schools and reducing their footprint in the community.
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So far this year, Americans have experienced a “massive shift in public opinion” as the public is increasingly supportive of the protests following Floyd’s death, said Yanilda María González, assistant professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
González, who studies police reform in Latin America and was previously an assistant professor at the University of Chicago, sees parallels between this moment and reform that happened in some Latin American countries in the 1990s after widespread outrage over police abuses.
“People are starting to think a lot bigger on police reform,” she said.
Typically cities have sought small-scale reforms after high-profile incidents of police violence, such as creating civilian review boards, use of body cameras and implicit bias training, she said. Now, polls are showing that people are more supportive of larger reforms that would involve rethinking the structure of police departments.
“This is really new in the U.S.,” González said.
As we move to the second half of 2020, “two opposing forces” are poised to face off on the issue, as police and their unions will likely mobilize against potential reform proposals that spring from the movement, according to González.
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“The challenge for organizers will be how do you sustain this moment of consensus so that the resulting divisions don’t enable police pressure to let everyone go back to the previous status quo,” she said.
Post office election
Illinois is set to send about 5 million mail-in ballot applications to the state’s voters after the legislators passed a bill they said would help protect the public during the pandemic. It was an almost entirely Democratic measure; Republicans raised the specter of possible voter fraud.
A mail-in ballot is examined at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters in San Jose, Calif. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP)
The unprecedented effort will fall largely to county clerks, and it involves more than mail. The office of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough has already prepared a lengthy to-do list, including rounding up personal protective equipment for workers who will serve voters at the polls and reorganizing polling places to eliminate nursing homes.
Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry said her office plans to process up to four times as many mail-in ballots as the previous high, set during the 2016 election, while simultaneously ensuring that the county’s more than 200 polling places will be equipped with ample hand sanitizer and other protective gear. She’s also trying to expand the pool of election judges to include students as young as 16, who are at less risk than the elderly from the virus.
“It’s hard to predict what things will look like in November, so we are doing all we can to prepare for whatever it is we see that day,” she said.
Play ball. Or not.
As major sporting events stumble toward reopening next month, only one thing is certain among the city’s sports teams: The Chicago Bulls are taking a breather.
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An empty Wrigley Field in Chicago on March 23, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The Bulls are not among in the 22 NBA teams that will, supposedly, finish the season in a luxurious “bubble” at the Walt Disney World complex in Florida. Some players slated to take part have opted out, though, fearing for their health as COVID-19 cases soar in that state, and some epidemiologists are skeptical that the bubble will hold.
Closer to home, the Cubs and White Sox are set to begin truncated seasons in July, though it’s not clear whether fans will be permitted to be in the stands. The Bears and the rest of the NFL are still on track to play in the fall, but Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently said it’s impossible to know if conditions will be safe enough to permit football.
College football remains in question as well: Some teams returned for summer workouts only to suspend operations after players tested positive for COVID-19.
“I think everyone realizes the plan is written in pencil,” Pittsburgh athletic director Heather Lyke told the New York Times.
Entertainment drought?
In early March, producers of the latest James Bond movie, “No Time to Die,” announced they were moving its release date from the springtime to late November because of global theaters closed by COVID-19. The cinematic reshuffling soon became a stampede, with other big productions, including the latest “Fast and the Furious” entry and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In the Heights,” pushed well into 2021.
Classic Cinemas CEO Chris Johnson stands in front of Classic Cinemas York Theatre in Elmhurst following a ribbon cutting for the theater's reopening on June 26, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
With theaters just starting to open after a three-month shutdown, Chris Johnson, CEO of the suburban chain Classic Cinemas, said while the schedule will be lighter than normal, plenty of big movies, including the live-action Disney film “Mulan” and “Tenet,” Christopher Nolan’s latest mind-bender, will still hit the screen this year.
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Next year, he said, should be much more robust. Or so he hopes.
“It all depends on where we’re at from a virus standpoint,” he said. “The quicker it goes away, the quicker the movies will return. It could go the other way too.”
jkeilman@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @JohnKeilman


chicagotribune--2020-07-02--Brandon McGhee, 23, was a creative go-getter still figuring out what he wanted to do with his life.

Brandon McGhee, 23, was a creative go-getter still figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. Instead, he became another victim of the city’s violence.

But , Lane said he wasn ’ t sure , telling her : ‘ I don ’ t know , @ @ @ @ @ to think about it .
You should go , because you deserve it .
You @ @ @ @ @ of years .
You can see how you like it , and if you don @ @ @ @ @ you just come back here .
’ ”

Brandon McGhee, right, with his aunt Laurie Lane at his high school graduation. (Laurie Lane)
It was the first day of summer, and Brandon McGhee surprised his mom with a Saturday visit.
McGhee told her he wanted to start a career in radio — another surprise — but LaDonna Lane thought he had the right voice. Lane told her son she was thinking about a change of her own, maybe a move to Texas in a year or so.
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For a few hours, the mother and son talked about the possibility of something new.
“You should move with me,” Lane said, as McGhee laid back on her bed. “Why don’t we go for a couple of years and just see?”
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McGhee, 23, said he was thinking about moving too. He even had the same thought about Texas.
But, Lane said he wasn’t sure, telling her: ‘I don’t know, Mommy, I really have to think about it. You should go, because you deserve it. You can go for a couple of years. You can see how you like it, and if you don’t like it, you just come back here.’”
“That’s going to stay in my head all the time,” Lane said.
A few hours later, shortly before 7 p.m. on June 20, McGhee and a friend were shot in Logan Square near the Western Blue Line. McGhee became one of 14 people killed in shootings during a weekend stretch in which at least 106 people were shot in Chicago, according to authorities and Tribune data. Twelve of those shot were younger than 18, and five children died. That three-day period marked one of the most violent weekends Chicago has seen in recent years.
“He was always there,” Lane said. “I’m going to miss him. I’m going to miss him a lot.”
‘He just brought joy'
McGhee was creative and laid-back, a go-getter with glimpses of silliness. He dabbled in a clothing line, produced music, held tight to a notebook filled with drawings.
One day, McGhee invited his mom over for dinner at his place and surprised her with empanadas, a favorite, and she and his aunt wondered if he might become a chef after a string of restaurant-style meals. He had plans to come over and cook for them near the Fourth.
Brandon McGhee and his mother, LaDonna Lane. (LaDonna Lane)
McGhee was all about basketball as a kid, his mother said, and Lane collected videos and pictures from his Lake View High School games. “You can go to the NBA, I know you can,” she told him.
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Laurie Lane, who tried to make her nephew’s basketball and football games whenever she could, said McGhee was like a son to her.
“That’s how close we were,” she said. “When he was born, they had him in the nursery with the other babies, but they didn’t have his name on his little bed. And when I walked in there, with the glass, something drew me to him. I knew it was him.
“He was a sweetheart by nature,” his aunt said. “He just brought joy into people’s lives.”
After his senior year, McGhee moved on from basketball, but his mother watched as he started to build his life.
McGhee worked at WhirlyBall before the pandemic, and the “entire organization was devastated to hear the news,” the company said in a statement.
“Since 2016, Brandon has been part of our WhirlyBall family and to say he will be deeply missed is an understatement,” the company said. “Brandon was well respected, highly regarded and truly woven into the fabric of our culture.”
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McGhee was always there when someone needed him, his mother said. He doted on his 4-year-old cousin and was the godfather of his best friend’s child, whom he adored. Another friend told Lane she once had to go to work and had no one to watch her child. She called McGhee to vent and ended up with a babysitter.
McGhee moved out a few years ago, his mother said, but he always called to check in. Since he lived close to Steppenwolf Theatre, where Lane works in human resources, she would sometimes visit after work.
Always, she said, “he was a great son.”
‘Have you heard from Brandon?'
When McGhee left his mom’s South Side home that Saturday, he headed north to his place. Lane knows because she texted to make sure he was safe.
“And he said, ‘Yes, I’m at home,’” Lane said. “And I said, ‘Are you sure you’re at home?’
McGhee sent a selfie to prove he was home.
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“That was the last time I heard from him,” Lane said.
Cook County prosecutors laid out McGhee’s final moments in court last month.
Brandon McGhee before his senior prom. (Laurie Lane)
He was on his way to Puerto Rican Parade festivities in Humboldt Park shortly before 7 p.m., when three men, strangers to McGhee and a 16-year-old friend, crossed the street near the Western Blue Line, prosecutors said. They yelled: “What you be about?”
McGhee and his friend didn’t respond. They tried to walk away after a man in the group threw a punch at the teen and then McGhee.
Another man in the group reached into his waistband for a gun. McGhee and his friend turned and ran.
A couple was driving on Western after dropping off their granddaughter when their front windshield shattered, a bullet narrowly missing the man inside.
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As the gunman fired multiple rounds, the teen was struck in his right arm and McGhee in his neck. The friends’ backs were turned.
Laurie Lane was the first to get the call. She ran downstairs. “Donna,” she said, crying, “have you heard from Brandon?”
Lane called her son’s phone. It rang and rang. She hung up. She called again. It kept ringing.
Finally a call came for Lane from McGhee’s best friend.
“Mama, Brandon is dead.”
‘Innocent lives are being taken'
Lane traveled from Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center — where she had to fight to be let in because of the pandemic — and then to the Blue Line and her son’s home.
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In the coming days, she also joined the many other people identifying family members. “Everybody’s crying, families coming in,” Lane said. “We shouldn’t have to go through that.”
One person has been charged in the case, but he is not believed to be the shooter. Lane and her sister are still seeking justice.
Brandon McGhee plays basketball for Lake View High School. (Laurie Lane)
“Innocent lives are being taken out of this world,” Lane said. “They need to take the guns off the street. They need to get (gangs) off the street. They need to —” she trailed off.
“I don’t know what to do.”
As Lane reached out to friends and family on Saturday night, she called her boss at Steppenwolf. A groundswell of support followed.
Co-workers created a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs that to date has raised more than $35,000. Comforting messages poured in, and the company started to send meals to Lane and her family.
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“It’s overwhelming, you know,” Lane said. “The theater world, I love them, I do. And I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to say thank you.”
On Sunday afternoon, the sisters joined with friends and family, even a teacher from grammar school, to release blue and white balloons. A few attached notes to send to McGhee.
McGhee’s funeral is planned for July 3 in Country Club Hills.
Lane said she is working up the strength to write her son’s obituary.
“He’s still a young man, trying to decide what he wants to do in life. And that’s taken away from him. He didn’t deserve it, he didn’t deserve it.”
She will miss his smile, she said. His sometimes weird way of dressing. His hair — “He had so much hair.” His willingness to help. Surprise visits.
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mgreene@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-02--‘Enough is enough.’ People gather where 20-month-boy was killed as Chicago experiences one of its wo

‘Enough is enough.’ People gather where 20-month-boy was killed as Chicago experiences one of its worst stretches of violence against children.

Holmes , who lost his daughter Tamara Sword to gun violence in 2015 , said the recent gun violence against @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ve lost so many babies in Chicago through the years , so many @ @ @ @ @ .
Not like this , ” he said .
“ I ’ ve seen many @ @ @ @ @ this many , so close together within weeks after week after week and just days @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Jessica Villagomez, Morgan Greene, Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, Alice Yin

Leaning on his wife, a tearful Thomas Gaston stood among dozens of people gathered for a vigil at the spot where his 20-month-old son was shot dead days ago in Englewood.
“I used to be a bad person,” he confessed to the crowd. But his son Sincere “changed me tremendously. Only thing I do is take care of my kids and my wife, I don’t live no life of crime.”
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Gaston, 27, is among dozens of parents who have lost or nearly lost their children in shootings these last several weeks, one of the worst stretches of gun violence against kids in Chicago.
He spoke of pain and guilt as well as anger at living in a neighborhood where the violence is often aimless and reckless.
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Thomas Gaston, left, and Yasmine Miller, the parents of slain child Sincere Gaston, speak at a vigil at 61st and Halsted streets in Chicago on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Just the night before, a 3-year-old girl was shot in the chest when a gunman in a passing car opened fire toward a yard full of children in West Englewood, not 3 miles away.
On the same weekend that Sincere was killed, a 10-year-old girl was fatally struck by a stray bullet while playing with her cousin inside her Logan Square home, and an 8-year-old was grazed in the head as she sat on a couch in her Englewood home. A week earlier, five children were shot and killed in Chicago, including a 3-year-old boy.
“We should be outraged at this. This is not acceptable at all,” said Steven Gates, a supervisor with Chicago Beyond, which works in disadvantaged neighborhoods and helped organize the vigil to demand an end to the violence against children. “I know these guys aren’t trying to kill kids, but the recklessness to which they’re acting is so irresponsible, there’s no regard for life.”
Among those at Wednesday’s vigil was Arne Duncan, the former U.S. secretary of education who now heads a nonprofit that helps at-risk youth. He said this has been the hardest six weeks of his life and attributes the spike in violence to financial desperation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 16 Johana Stead hugs her 10-year-old niece Mya DeJesus on June 29, 2020, during a vigil for 10-year-old Lena Nunez, who was killed Saturday by a stray bullet in her home in Logan Square. Mya was a classmate of Lena's. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Duncan said Gaston has been an active member with his organization — Creating Real Economic Destiny — over the last two years. He would often bring Sincere to meetings and events.
“He’s a guy who’s been through a lot,” Duncan said. “He’s the reason we do this work. These are guys who are choosing to do something different and be better.”
Chicago police have said they believe a gunman was targeting Gaston when shots were fired into a car, killing Sincere and grazing his mother last Saturday afternoon in Englewood. Gaston was not in the car.
But Gates and others in the crowd said Gaston should not be demonized over the murder of his son. “We need to start placing the blame on those who committed the action,” he said.
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Gaston struggled to speak during the vigil, standing up with the help of his wife, Yasmine Miller, who wrapped her arms around him. Sometimes he lay his head on her shoulder as he talked.
"Let it out, brother," someone in the crowd said. Others clapped in support of the family. Many pulled down their face masks to wipe away tears.
Gaston paused to catch his breath and tighten his grip on his wife. “I’m not the suspect. I just want my family to continue loving me,” Gaston cried into the microphone. Miller clutched him closer to her.
Miller wondered why no one had been arrested yet. “He lit up the room. Everybody loved him,” she told the crowd. “I can do nothing without that little boy. I feel lifeless, I am lifeless. That was my world.”
A crowd of TV cameras and reporters mobbed the couple as they left.
Both the mayor and the police superintendent have voiced their mounting frustration at the shocking level of violence so far this summer.
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People gathered at 61st and Halsted streets in Chicago release balloons on July 1, 2020, to memorialize slain child Sincere Gaston. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
In the first six months of the year, Chicago saw a jump of more than 25% in homicides, reaching 295, which is 60 more than the same period a year ago, according to a review of crime statistics. And 96 of them were during a 28-day stretch covering most of June.
Police Superintendent David Brown has said he plans to clear street corners of drugs dealers. Mayor Lori Lightfoot has spoken of increasing investment in neighborhoods. In the meantime, the city is planning to deploy 1,200 extra officers for the Fourth of July weekend, as it normally does for what is typically the most violent time in Chicago.
Andrew Holmes, a longtime crisis worker for Chicago Survivors, urged people to turn over any surveillance video after a shooting. “Anybody walking, running, standing, anybody they don’t recognize acting suspicious or staying a good length of time that shouldn’t be there, or any car stalled in an alley like they’re waiting, any of that could lead to an arrest and conviction,” he said.
Holmes, who lost his daughter Tamara Sword to gun violence in 2015, said the recent gun violence against children is unprecedented. “We’ve lost so many babies in Chicago through the years, so many. But never this many. Not like this,” he said. “I’ve seen many of them hurt but not this many, so close together within weeks after week after week and just days apart, not this close.”
He spoke outside the University of Chicago Medical Center, where the latest child shot in Chicago was recovering from a wound to her chest.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 6 Chicago police work the scene near where a 3-year-old girl was shot in the 7000 block of South Damen Avenue in the West Englewood neighborhood on June 30, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Police say the girl was playing with other children outside her home in the 7000 block of South Damen Avenue about 8 p.m. Tuesday when a gunman opened fire from a car — less than an hour after a 15-year-old boy was wounded just blocks away. Investigators said they were looking into whether the two attacks were related.
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Relatives said they thought the gunfire was fireworks, but the girl’s mother ran outside and found the girl lying face up with a wound to her chest. She was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition, but was stabilized and upgraded to serious condition overnight, according to Holmes. She underwent emergency surgery for internal bleeding, and was alert and talking afterward, he said.
The girl has pierced ears and, before the surgery, she told a nurse who was apparently prepping her not to touch her earrings, Holmes said.
“The bright moment was when they came back out and told the family that she didn’t want anyone to touch or take out her earrings. That was a spark to the grandmother, to the whole family, indicating that she was well and alert,” Holmes said. “I guess usually she would tell them, don’t anybody touch her earrings. So that brought a smile to their faces, kind of brightened them up, and the first thing the grandmother said is, ‘She’s going to pull through.’”
The girl is expected to remain under observation in the hospital for a few days.
Police are investigating whether the shooting may have been in retaliation for an attack about an hour earlier that wounded a 15-year-old boy in the 7100 block of South Honore Street, also in West Englewood. The boy was hit at least twice when someone fired from a black car, police said. The boy was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
No one was in custody for either shooting. Police also have reported no arrests in the fatal shootings of the two other children in Chicago over the weekend.


chicagotribune--2020-07-02--Joliet dealing with controversy over death of man who passed away a day after being arrested in Janu

Joliet dealing with controversy over death of man who passed away a day after being arrested in January

The video also depicts a uniformed officer using the end of a collapsible baton to search Lurry ’ s mouth @ @ @ @ @ , which Gavin on Wednesday said had contained drugs .
In the video , Lurry @ @ @ @ @ something in his mouth as he is driven to the police station .
Gavin said @ @ @ @ @ out , they were mostly empty .
He added that toxicology reports showed that Lurry @ @ @ @ @ of fentanyl needed to kill someone in his system at the time of his death @

The death of a man who passed away in January a day after he was arrested during a drug investigation by Joliet police has prompted controversy in the city.
Joliet police on Wednesday held a news conference to show a squad car video of Eric Lurry, 37, of Joliet, following his arrest on Jan. 28. Lurry died 11 hours later the following day at Provena St. Joseph Medical Center.
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Police said his death was caused from a drug overdose, but official autopsy results have not been released due to an ongoing investigation.
The Will County coroner’s official report isn’t expected until Thursday.
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The video shows an officer slapping Lurry — an act officials said might have been done to rouse him — and referring to him in a profane manner. It also shows another officer putting a collapsible baton into Lurry’s mouth, an action officials said was done to retrieve plastic bags that contained drugs and to prevent the officer from being bitten.
Officials said an investigation of the police behavior during Lurry’s arrest is being conducted by the Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force. The matter remains under review, and an internal investigation is pending the results of the task force’s findings.
After reviewing the video with reporters, Joliet police Chief Al Roechner and other department leaders acknowledged there were some issues that need further investigation.
Joliet Mayor Robert O’Dekirk, who was not at the news conference, said he is upset that he wasn’t shown the video until recently and he was only made aware of its existence by a “whistleblower,” whom he described as a senior ranking member of the police department.
“I had concerns over what I saw in the video,” O’Dekirk said, declining to elaborate. “I had concerns that this was concealed.”
O’Dekirk said he spoke with an attorney representing Lurry’s family and that he plans to set up a time for family members to see the video for themselves. A call to the attorney was not immediately returned Wednesday. Lurry’s widow declined comment through a neighbor.
O’Dekirk requested that the video, which shows Lurry in the back seat of a Joliet police squad car as he is driven to the police station, be shown to city council members last week. O’Dekirk and three of the eight council members have written a letter to the Illinois attorney general’s office, asking for an investigation into the matter.
He also questioned why the city was not immediately made aware of the video, which he said could be used if litigation is taken against the city or police.
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“It was completely withheld,” he said, adding that, at the least, the city’s legal department should’ve been made aware of the video’s existence. “No one at City Hall knew anything about this.”
Joliet City Manager Steve Jones on Wednesday said he called the news conference to review the video to dispel rumors of a cover-up.
“It’s kind of shameful and irresponsible for anyone inside our organization or outside our organization to look at the death of Mr. Lurry as a cover-up or something that was withheld or something that was buried,” Jones said.
“This isn’t buried or something that we were hiding or something that we were trying to cover up,” Jones said, noting the incident was immediately referred to the task for investigation. “There’s a process. Anyone internal to our organization knows what the process is.”
The city did not release copies of the video and would not allow media members to record the video as it was being shown.
Police officials noted they would not typically share videos or other evidence with council members when an investigation is pending.
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In the video, an undercover police officer can be heard saying, “Wake up, b---,” as he slaps Lurry once they arrive at the station. Deputy Chief Darrell Gavin noted it is not police department policy to “cuss” at people. And while the slap may have been used to try to wake up Lurry, who was losing consciousness at that point, Gavin said that aspect needs further investigation.
The video also depicts a uniformed officer using the end of a collapsible baton to search Lurry’s mouth and pull out plastic bags, which Gavin on Wednesday said had contained drugs. In the video, Lurry can be seen chewing on something in his mouth as he is driven to the police station. Gavin said when the bags were pulled out, they were mostly empty. He added that toxicology reports showed that Lurry had 11 times the amount of fentanyl needed to kill someone in his system at the time of his death.
Roechner also noted that the city manager and city council were made aware of the incident in January and that it had been referred to the Major Crimes Task Force.
On Tuesday, Roechner and other police command staff met with several community leaders who also saw the video. When reached Wednesday, one of the people at the meeting said they did not believe there was a cover-up or that police acted in a way to cause Lurry’s death but agreed additional investigation is needed to see if department policies were violated.
“I do believe the chief is being very transparent with us,” said Garland Mays, president of the Forest Park Neighborhood Council.
A group of area ministers who had called for O’Dekirk’s resignation following a recent altercation with two protesters also issued a statement charging the mayor was using the situation as a distraction.
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“We condemn in the strongest possible language Mayor Bob O’Dekirk’s continued abuse of power and smoke and mirror theatrics to deflect attention away from his own wrong doings,” the statement read. “As faith leaders we seek truth. However it is made clear to us that this situation does not warrant the mayor’s accusation.”


chicagotribune--2020-07-02--McDonald’s plan to reopen dining rooms on hold as COVID-19 cases surge in parts of U.S.

The company is advising operators that have already reopened to review local and state guidance to determine whether they should @ @ @ @ @ delivery and drive-thru model .
Owner/operators that wish to pull back even when local regulations @ @ @ @ @ should consult with the franchisee leaders but can decide on their own how to proceed @ @ @ @ @

McDonald’s is halting plans to reopen its dining rooms for three weeks as COVID-19 cases rise in more than half of U.S. states.
The announcement by the Chicago-based fast-food giant comes as numerous states reimpose restrictions on bars, restaurants and other businesses just as consumers hoped to resume a sense of normalcy.
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In a letter viewed by the Tribune, and first reported by The Wall Street Journal, McDonald’s said it is pausing dine-in reopening plans for 21 days. It cited a 65% increase in infections over the last two weeks and rising cases in 32 states over the last seven days.
The letter, dated Wednesday and addressed to the “McFamily,” was signed by McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger and National Franchisee Leadership Alliance Chair Mark Salebra.
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The company is advising operators that have already reopened to review local and state guidance to determine whether they should revert to a takeout, delivery and drive-thru model. Owner/operators that wish to pull back even when local regulations don’t require it should consult with the franchisee leaders but can decide on their own how to proceed, the letter said.
About 2,200 McDonald’s dining rooms, or 15% of its U.S. restaurants, are currently open.
Chicago last week started permitting indoor dining in restaurants, with restrictions, for the first time since mid-March. McDonald’s left it up to individual owners to determine when to reopen. The large, glassy McDonald’s in River North was set to welcome dine-in customers starting on Wednesday, a manager there said last week. It was not immediately unclear if those plans had altered in light of the letter.
Illinois has maintained a low COVID-19 positivity rate for the past several weeks, with a 2.6% average over the last seven days. The state reported 828 new confirmed cases Wednesday, and 30 deaths.
But in some states coronavirus cases are surging, and others are proactively pulling back reopening plans to prevent a similar resurgence. Daily reported coronavirus infections in the U.S. topped 50,000 for the first time Wednesday.
Indiana will keep capacity limits in place for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues because of worries about a possible increase in coronavirus cases across the state, Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.
California shut down bars and halted indoor dining at restaurants in 19 counties. Arizona decided this week to close its water parks and ordered bars, gyms and movie theaters in the state to close for 30 days.
New York City decided Wednesday not to let its restaurants resume indoor service next week.