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· Recent Motormouth car Q&A columns require correction. A Dec. 13 question about car battery charging should have stated that a fully charged battery will show 12.6 volts. A Dec. 20 question about spark plug removal issues should have described them as common in Triton engines, not Navistar engines. A Dec. 27 question about antifreeze should have stated that water and antifreeze interact, not react.
The Tribune regrets the errors.
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chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 5,644 new COVID-19 cases and 106 more deaths reported as Wisconsin

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 5,644 new COVID-19 cases and 106 more deaths reported as Wisconsin removed from ‘red’ tier states in Chicago travel order and city’s health commissioner gets Pfizer vaccine

” We ’ re getting to this 1B , 1C rollout , where we ’ re starting to take care @ @ @ @ @ of 75 — that ’ s easily done with a driver ’ s license , @ @ @ @ @ Those between the ages of 16 and 64 in that 2B ( rollout ) with @ @ @ @ @ certainly is going to take a physician to identify you as having diabetes or COPD @ @ @ @ @ sure we vaccinate people in the right stratification regardless of where they ’ re at @ @ @ @ @ speak for whatever state she ’ s in , but you would hope that if @ @ @ @ @ falls into what would be the 1C category , that they would honor that .
@ @ @ @ @ here , the vaccine should be out to the general public .
”

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Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Travelers heading to Chicago from Wisconsin can now bypass the 10-day quarantine by receiving a negative COVID-19 test result before coming into the city.
Illinois’ neighbor to the north was bumped down from the most severe “red” designation under Chicago’s travel order to “orange,” effective Friday, according to the city’s travel order website. But 10 other states moved up from orange to red, which mandates a 10-day quarantine for travelers returning to Chicago from those states.
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On Tuesday, state health officials announced 5,644 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 105 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 948,006 and the statewide death toll to 16,179 since the start of the pandemic.
Additionally, Chicago’s public health commissioner received the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday morning at Malcolm X College as part of a wave of non-hospital health care workers now eligible for the shot.
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Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate is back in session today, one day after the Democrat-led U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000. The outcome is the GOP-controlled Senate is uncertain.
Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
4:50 p.m.: COVID-19 Q&A: Am I eligible to get the vaccine if I’m out of state? When will vaccine testing begin for those 16 and younger? Coronavirus questions answered.
I am in the high-risk category for COVID-19. I’m an Illinois resident but out of state for the next six months. Am I eligible to receive the vaccine in the state I am visiting?
According to Dr. Kevin Most, a board-certified physician in family medicine and chief medical officer and senior vice president for medical affairs at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, the issue is going to hinge on whether the reader has a physician who will identify her as being high risk.
”We’re getting to this 1B, 1C rollout, where we’re starting to take care of people over the age of 75 — that’s easily done with a driver’s license,” he said. “Those between the ages of 16 and 64 in that 2B (rollout) with complications or vulnerabilities — that certainly is going to take a physician to identify you as having diabetes or COPD. We’re making sure we vaccinate people in the right stratification regardless of where they’re at. I can’t speak for whatever state she’s in, but you would hope that if she has proof that she falls into what would be the 1C category, that they would honor that. When she’s back here, the vaccine should be out to the general public.”
Read more questions and answers here. – Darcel Rockett
3:41 p.m.: About 2,000 CPS staff members due back at school Monday asked for COVID-19 accommodations. Most were denied.
Seven thousand teachers and staff are due to report to Chicago Public Schools buildings Monday, but the district has denied accommodations or leave to the majority of educators who applied — particularly those who said a household member is vulnerable to COVID-19.
A CPS spokeswoman Tuesday said the district will provide weekly COVID-19 testing for those who live with high-risk household members and is working to provide exemptions to employees who serve as primary caregivers for individuals with a medical condition.
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But a lawyer for the Chicago Teachers Union, which has repeatedly criticized the district’s reopening plan and threatened “collective action,” said the numbers show that many educators are being forced to choose between their safety and livelihood and that many cannot afford to sacrifice their jobs. Most of those permitted to take leave are doing so without pay, CTU Deputy General Counsel Thad Goodchild said.
”CPS has denied about 60% of the leave and accommodations requests of our members to which they responded, even as CPS has a back-load of hundreds of requests to which they’ve failed to respond,” he said in a written statement. Read more here. — Elyssa Cherney
3:03 p.m.: Tribune critic Phil Vettel reflects on a terrible year for Chicago restaurants — and the inspired ways some adapted to survive
If one had deliberately set out to destroy the region’s restaurant industry, one could hardly have done more damage than the events of 2020 managed to accomplish.
An indoor-dining ban in the spring forced Chicago restaurants to adapt to a carryout and delivery model, taking on the expense of purchasing disposable containers and surrendering a big chunk of their profits to third-party delivery services. Outdoor dining returned in the summer, followed by indoor dining — at 25% capacity. Then, in fall, indoor dining was banned yet again.
I’m not about to argue that these measures, intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus, were at all unnecessary. But the restrictions resulted in hundreds of layoffs, and federal/state assistance proved to be meager at best as far as restaurants were concerned.
The wonder is not how many restaurants we lost in 2020; it’s that any restaurants are left. Read more here. — Phil Vettel
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2:08 p.m.: ‘It just took her so fast,’ says mom of Lincoln-Way East senior who died from COVID-19 infection
Just days before Christmas, 18-year-old Sarah Simental, a senior at Lincoln-Way East High School, complained to her mom of suffering from a mild headache and congestion.
“We thought it was a cold,” her mom, Deborah Simental, said Tuesday.
This past Sunday, surrounded by her family, the Tinley Park teen who loved animals and volunteered at a pet rescue died at the University of Chicago Medical Center, with COVID-19 having brought on respiratory failure.
Read more here. —Mike Nolan, Daily Southtown
2 p.m.: Coronavirus at Illinois long-term care facilities: 62,600 confirmed cases and 7,910 deaths
The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois. The data shows outbreaks have occurred at 1,473 long-term care facilities in 94 counties. Of those, 1,001 facilities have an “active” outbreak, defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days. In all, 62,600 confirmed cases can be tied to long-term care facilities, with 7,910 deaths, as of Dec. 25.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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12:09 p.m.: 5,644 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 106 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 5,644 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 105 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 948,006 and the statewide death toll to 16,179 since the start of the pandemic.
Officials also reported 66,786 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 7.4% for the period ending Monday.
—Chicago Tribune staff
11:31 a.m.: Wisconsin removed from ‘red’ tier states in Chicago travel order, negative COVID-19 test needed to avoid quarantine
Travelers heading to Chicago from Wisconsin can now bypass the 10-day quarantine by receiving a negative COVID-19 test result before coming into the city.
Illinois’ neighbor to the north was bumped down from the most severe “red” designation under Chicago’s travel order to “orange,” effective Friday, according to the city’s travel order website. But 10 other states moved up from orange to red, which mandates a 10-day quarantine for travelers returning to Chicago from those states.
Chicago’s public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said this New Year’s Eve, people should avoid gatherings and nonessential travel — and that it’s not too late to change plans to accommodate a COVID-safe holiday.
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”This is not a year for gathering,” Arwady said during a news conference. “The bottom line is that still COVID is absolutely surging across the U.S., and you should delay travel if at all possible.”
As of Friday, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia and will be added to the red tier. Alaska, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming and will move down to the orange designation. Only Vermont and Hawaii will not be under any additional restrictions.
Read more here. —Alice Yin
11:14 a.m.: With ‘no hesitation,’ Chicago’s health commissioner gets Pfizer shot at new Malcolm X College mass vaccination site for non-hospital health care workers
Chicago’s public health commissioner received the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday morning at Malcolm X College as part of a wave of non-hospital health care workers now eligible for the shot.
Dr. Allison Arwady, who heads Chicago’s public health department, rolled up her sleeve for the Pfizer vaccine at the Near West Side campus, where the city has set up a makeshift mass vaccination site for health care workers. Wearing a black “Protect Chicago” mask, Arwady sat down and said she was ready for her first dose of the vaccine.
After the shot in her left arm, Arwady waited in the chair for about 15 minutes in order to monitor any side effects. But she said she felt invigorated that after almost a year of serving as Chicago’s authoritative voice on all things COVID-19, she was able to publicly be part of the vaccination effort that will be crucial in bringing the city back to normal.
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“I’m wonderful,” Arwady said when asked whether she felt OK. “Honestly, can’t even feel it. I’m so pleased right now.”
Read more here. —Alice Yin
10:29 a.m.: Fate of $2,000 payments now rests with GOP’s Senate, which meets today
President Donald Trump’s push for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks now rests with the Senate after the House voted overwhelmingly to meet the president’s demand to increase the $600 stipends, but Republicans have shown little interest in boosting spending.
The outcome is highly uncertain heading into Tuesday’s session. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has declined to publicly address how he plans to handle the issue. But Democrats, sharing a rare priority with Trump, have seized on the opportunity to force Republicans into a difficult vote of either backing or defying the outgoing president.
After bipartisan approval by the House, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned, “There is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way.”
Read more here. —Associated Press
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6 a.m.: After outbreak of COVID-19 in the spring, changes at Ludeman Center in Park Forest kept resurgence numbers down, officials say
What began as a health emergency at a state-operated development center in Park Forest has become a managed situation, according to two state legislators.
Although still serious, cases of COVID-19 at the Ludeman Center are down significantly from their peak in April, said state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, 21% of staff and 77% of residents at the Ludeman Center had confirmed cases of the virus, according to state data.
In May, challenges at the Ludeman Center included too few employees to manage such a massive viral outbreak and a lack of personal protective equipment for staff members exposed to contagious residents.
Intervention and assistance from state health agencies helped get the situation under control, according to DeLuca, who said shortly before Christmas, 12 residents and 20 staff of the Ludeman Center had COVID-19.
“There’s one resident who’s in the hospital, but I’m told she has underlying health conditions,” DeLuca said. “As of now, there are no issues with staffing and no issues with PPE.”
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Read more here. —Carole Sharwarko, Daily Southtown
5 a.m.: Donnie Kirksey, Chicago basketball legend, dies at 57 of complications related to COVID-19
To many Chicagoans who knew him, Donnie Kirksey was a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word.
He was officially recognized as such through accolades in the Chicago Public League, the Illinois Basketball Coach/es Association and in many basketball circles in the state. But the title also extended to a personal level for many of the coaches, students and friends who knew him.
Hyde Park Academy head coach Donnie Kirksey in 2010. (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune)
“He’s legendary, but he’s a Hall-of-Fame person and human being,” said Tom Kleinschmidt, 47, head basketball coach at DePaul College Prep who was friends with Kirksey for more than 30 years.
Kirksey, 57, died Monday of complications related to COVID-19, which he had been battling for a few weeks. He was the dean of students and head basketball coach at his alma mater Chicago Vocational Career Academy, but friends say his legacy extended far beyond his most recent position.
Read more here. —Kelli Smith
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 6 A beaver swims through a lagoon on the Northwestern campus in Evanston on Dec. 24, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois’ largest rodents are in city lagoons, rivers and streams. Now, they’re on Instagram and TikTok, thanks to pandemic-weary Chicagoans.
Among the more humble recipients of our longer walks and affinity for nature during the pandemic: beavers.
On recent mornings, shortly before and after sunrise, small groups of people have traveled to a bridge on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston. Some leave willow branches. For the beavers.
“They’ve got this whole following,” said Tamar Selch, who stops by regularly with her husband, Zach. “They’re very cute. And how often do you really get to see beavers out there?”
Illinois’ largest rodents are in city lagoons, rivers and streams. They’re on Instagram and TikTok. Sometimes a nuisance, and at other times a welcomed presence, beavers have found respite all over the state, a switch from when they were wiped out by hunters by the early 1900s — and a sign that water quality and habitat possibilities have long been on the upswing. Now they’re making their last push as the cold sets in to shore up their lodges and stock up on food.
And offering another reminder of what we notice when we spend more time outdoors.
Read more here. —Morgan Greene
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chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Great-grandmother on shooting death of 13-year-old boy: ‘This little guy was fine, they just took hi

Great-grandmother on shooting death of 13-year-old boy: ‘This little guy was fine, they just took his life, just like that for no reason.’

“ This little guy was fine , they just took his life , just like that for no reason , @ @ @ @ @ Simon said , adding that she had seen Quiroz and was joking around with him @ @ @ @ @ “ He wasn ’ t doing anything wrong , just walking down the street and @ @ @ @ @ the wrong place at the wrong time .
”

“Just walking down the street,” Lois Jane Simon kept saying as she talked about her 13-year-old great-grandson shot dead on the Southwest Side over the weekend.
“Probably didn’t even know who he was,” Simon, 90, added of the two gunmen who approached Xavier Quiroz about 9 a.m. Sunday in the 5500 block of South Archer Avenue, a few miles from his home in Garfield Ridge.
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“Why are people like that?” she said. “Why are they so, so bad? I don’t understand.”
Quiroz was standing outside when two people shot him in the chest, back and shoulder, according to police. Officers were alerted to the shooting by an unknown caller, Chicago police said. Quiroz was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.
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Police initially listed the victim as between 17 and 20 years old. But the medical examiner later corrected the age. No arrests have been made.
“He was a good kid,” Simon told the Tribune. “He was a good little guy.”
Simon said she knew of no reason why anyone would want to kill the boy, a student at Kinzie Elementary School.
“This little guy was fine, they just took his life, just like that for no reason, for no reason,” Simon said, adding that she had seen Quiroz and was joking around with him about a week ago. “He wasn’t doing anything wrong, just walking down the street and just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
At least 55 of the more than 765 homicides in Chicago this year have been victims under the age of 18, according to a Tribune database. There have been at least 4,115 people shot in the city, 1,412 more than 2019.
Quiroz’s family members have created a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral expenses. “Xavier ... was a victim of senseless gun violence over the Christmas weekend,” they posted on the page, adding that he “loved basketball, his dogs and his family.”
The GoFundMe had raised more than $12,000 by Tuesday afternoon, which Simon said gave her goose bumps knowing there were “perfect strangers” trying to help in a bad situation.
“I just wanted to thank people,” Simon said. “Thank them so much and let them know that they’re in my prayers every day, every day. I so appreciate the fact that there are good people like that in the world.”
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Quiroz is survived by his mother and two brothers, 4 and 6, according to family members.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Kyle Rittenhouse hit with another charge — breaking curfew

Prosecutors allege Rittenhouse , who is white , left his home in Antioch , Illinois , and traveled to Kenosha @ @ @ @ @ of a call for militia to protect businesses in that city on Aug. 25 .
@ @ @ @ @ of several nights of chaotic street demonstrations after a white officer shot Jacob Blake , @ @ @ @ @ the back during domestic disturbance , leaving Blake paralyzed .

MILWAUKEE — Prosecutors have charged a 17-year-old Illinois teen accused of shooting three people during a protest in southeastern Wisconsin this summer with violating curfew that night.
Kyle Rittenhouse was charged in August with multiple counts, including reckless and intentional homicide, endangerment and being a minor in possession of a firearm. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that prosecutors added violating curfew the night of the shootings to the list of charges on Monday. The offense is a civil citation punishable by forfeiture.
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Prosecutors allege Rittenhouse, who is white, left his home in Antioch, Illinois, and traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin, after learning of a call for militia to protect businesses in that city on Aug. 25. Kenosha was in the throes of several nights of chaotic street demonstrations after a white officer shot Jacob Blake, who is Black, in the back during domestic disturbance, leaving Blake paralyzed.
Rittenhouse opened fire with an assault-style rifle during the protest that night, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. Rittenhouse has argued he fired in self-defense. Conservatives have rallied around him, generating enough money to make his $2 million cash bail.
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The Journal Sentinel reported that police arrested about 150 people for curfew violations during the protests.


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--The Spin: Kinzinger not ruling out bid for governor | Why Lipinski voted against $2,000 payments | C

The Spin: Kinzinger not ruling out bid for governor | Why Lipinski voted against $2,000 payments | Chicago’s surge in homicides tied to COVID-19, Mayor Lightfoot says

In a ruling issued Christmas Eve , Walker wrote that the governor ’ s initial emergency order delaying the licenses @ @ @ @ @ also wrote that a later governor ’ s order clarified the delay was necessary because @ @ @ @ @ Illinois Department of Agriculture , which is supposed to issue the licenses , to concentrate @ @ @ @ @ livestock facilities and the food supply chain .
Expect the growers to appeal what an @ @ @ @ @ decision by the court .

Adam Kinzinger, then-congressman-elect, reads his email as he walks along Michigan Avenue as he visits TV stations downtown Chicago on Nov. 3, 2010. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger may have shown a willingness to publicly criticize President Donald Trump, a fellow Republican. But don’t take that as a calculated move to appeal to Democratic voters if he were, say, to run for governor against Democrat J.B. Pritzker in 2022.
While he maintains that speaking up is the right thing to do, it’s worth noting, as the Tribune’s Rick Pearson did in a piece today, that the Channahon lawmaker almost always supported Trump-backed legislation during the last four years.
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In what could be one of his final acts in Congress, U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, a Western Springs Democrat, joined a group of Republicans in Illinois’ congressional delegation and voted against boosting the $600 direct payments to Americans in the COVID-19 relief bill to $2,000, as Trump wants. While he argued it was the fiscally responsible thing to do, it drew condemnation from Marie Newman, who beat Lipinski in the Democratic primary and went on to win the 3rd Congressional District seat.
And Chicago could close out the year with roughly 300 more homicides than were on the books in 2019. This week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says COVID-19 is at least partially to blame as the “public safety ecosystem” — from community groups to the jails and courts — have been disrupted by the pandemic.
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Welcome to The Spin.
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger speaks to media after attending a gun violence hearing on Oct. 3, 2019, at Kennedy King College. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
In a new piece out today, the Tribune’s Rick Pearson examines Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s trajectory as a congressman who won tea party backing to defeat Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson of Crete in 2010.
Pearson writes: “Traditionally, Illinois Republicans who have had success statewide have been more centrist. Kinzinger’s willingness to take on his own party has prompted speculation that he is positioning himself for higher office — perhaps a run against Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker or Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth in 2022.”
He didn’t rule out a bid for either office, mind you.
And while some liberal pundits say he’s standing up to Trump, Kinzinger rode a fairly careful line over the last four years: Yes, he’s blasted the president’s rhetoric, but Kinzinger has followed up previously to say he supports Trump. A year ago reinforced that idea during an appearance in Chicago, saying: “The president and I have a good relationship.” More here.
Voting with Trump: While he’s been critical of Trump and his allies on Twitter and during his rounds on cable news programs, Kinzinger has voted in support of Trump-backed legislation more than 92% of the time, according to a vote tracker run by FiveThirtyEight.com, Pearson reports.
Whatever the case, Kinzinger seems to be mulling what’s next: He tells Pearson that 2022 — a gubernatorial election year — could be a good year for Illinois Republicans with Trump in the rearview mirror.
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The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington on Dec. 24, 2020. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
It’s anyone’s guess about how the Republican-controlled senate will handle a vote on increasing COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000 - something President Trump is pressing for.
Responding to a headline about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tapping the brakes on the $2,000 checks, Trump wrote on Twitter today: “Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do, they must approve the $2000 payments ASAP. $600 IS NOT ENOUGH!”
But last night, the U.S. House overwhelmingly approved the proposal - creating some waves in Illinois politics.
U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, a socially and apparently fiscally conservative Democrat who lost his bid for reelection this year, was the sole Democrat in Illinois’ congressional delegation — and one of two in the House — to cast a “no” vote, drawing the ire of his successor, Marie Newman, who takes the seat next month.
“I voted against the $435B CASH Act because we cannot continue to endlessly dig our national debt hole deeper,” Lipinski wrote on Twitter after the vote. “I was proud to support the COVID relief bill last week, which President Trump thankfully decided to sign yesterday.”
Newman blasted Lipinski’s vote, reminding the residents of the Southwest Side and adjoining suburbs that she’ll take the reins next month.
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“In less than a week, Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District will have a Representative that knows damn well that a $600 stimulus check is not nearly enough for struggling families,” Newman wrote on Twitter. “It’s time for $2000 checks now. Let’s make it a reality. Your move, @SenateGOP.”
Here’s how Illinois’ 18-member U.S. House delegation voted last night on a proposal to hike the $600 payments to $2,000:
Voting “no” on the $2,000 checks: Democrat Lipinski, Republicans Mike Bost of Murphysboro, Darin LaHood of Peoria and John Shimkus of Collinsville.
Voting “yes” on the $2,000 payments: Democrats Cheri Bustos of Moline, Sean Casten of Downers Grove, Danny Davis of Chicago, Bill Foster of Naperville, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia of Chicago, Robin Kelly of Matteson, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, Mike Quigley of Chicago, Bobby Rush of Chicago, Jan Schakowsky of Evanston, Brad Schneider of Deerfield, Lauren Underwood of Naperville, and Republicans Adam Kinzinger and Rodney Davis of Taylorville.
The politics news site Axios reports that the tide might be shifting in favor of those $2,000 checks. Stay tuned.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a news conference at City Hall on Dec. 17, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago is poised to close out 2020 with a roughly 50% increase in homicides over last year. Mayor Lightfoot said this week she’s talked with other big city mayors who are seeing the same thing, and they’re seeing a correlation between the outbreak of the coronavirus and the increase in bloodshed.
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“Most of the major cities in the country have seen (a) pretty substantial uptick in violence,” the mayor told reporters this week when asked about it. “I’ve said this before and I believe to be true: COVID-19 has significantly impacted every facet of our public safety ecosystem.”
That “ecosystem” includes community organizations involved in helping struggling families or individuals, which may not be viewed under the traditional heading of violence prevention but certainly play a role, to the courts which have seen trial delays as a result of COVID-19, and the jail all have been affected, the mayor says.
The “trauma” of the virus, from losing loved ones to losing jobs and income to pay for the basics like housing and food, is also in play here, and it goes beyond just homicides, the mayor says, noting that there’s been a surge in domestic violence cases.
WBEZ’s Patrick Smith digs into to the data and talks with experts about the increase nationally in homicides and violence and the link to the pandemic here.
Other news: Board President Toni Preckwinkle announces search committee for next Cook County public defender - The five-member panel will review resumes, interview candidates and pick three finalists for the job of overseeing the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, whose attorneys represent the indigent in criminal cases. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle would ultimately decide who gets the job this spring.
The committee includes retired Cook County Judge Patricia Martin, Julie Biehl, Director of the Children and Family Justice Center at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Floyd Stafford and Eddie Bocanegra with the anti-poverty nonprofit Heartland Alliance and Khadine Bennett with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
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The news comes months before sitting Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli’s six-year term expires, though she intends to throw her hat into the ring for another 6-year term, her chief of staff Lester Finkle said in an email to The Spin.
Preckwinkle’s office is aware Campanelli’s interested in another term, a spokesman said.
“Should she choose to do so, the committee will judge her on her merits and experience in line with the rest of the candidates under consideration,” Preckwinkle spokesman Nicholas Mathiowdis said in an email.
Preckwinkle said the creation of a search committee makes good on a vow to the public.
“When the last Public Defender’s term came to an end in 2015, I promised the residents of Cook County an open, transparent selection process,” Preckwinkle said in a prepared statement. “I remain committed to that promise and am confident that this process will produce the candidate best equipped to deliver high-quality legal representation to our residents who need it most.”
Chicago Department of Public Health nurse Anna Esquivel gives the COVID-19 vaccination to Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady at Malcolm X College in Chicago on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Alice Yin and Jamie Munks: “Chicago’s public health commissioner received the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday morning at Malcolm X College as part of a wave of non-hospital health care workers now eligible for the shot.
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After the shot in her left arm, Dr. Allison Arwady remained seated for about 15 minutes in order to monitor any side effects. Yin and Munks write: “But she said she felt invigorated that after almost a year of serving as Chicago’s authoritative voice on all things COVID-19, she was able to publicly be part of the vaccination effort that will be crucial in bringing the city back to normal.”
It’s worth offering the same reminder ABC7 was today: This is not open to the general public. Yin and Munks write, “The Malcolm X College site and other mass vaccination centers will be available to non-hospital health care workers by appointment as part of “Phase 1a” of distribution, which includes health care workers and long-term care facility residents. Arwady said she qualified because she sees patients on a volunteer basis.” Read the full story here.
Data points: Another 5,644 confirmed and probable cases of the illnesses were reported during the last 24 hours in Illinois, the state reports, with another 106 additional deaths.
The seven-day statewide positivity rate for cases as a share of tests for the period ending Monday was 7.4%, which is a slight increase from the past five days, but flat from where it stood a week ago. A month ago, the case positivity rate was just over 10%.
Workers tend to plants in growing room at Cresco Labs in Joliet on Dec. 17, 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Cook County Judge Allen Walker shot down the demands of more than three dozen companies who applied for marijuana craft grower licenses and want Gov. J.B. Pritzker to award them immediately, the Tribune’s Robert McCoppin reports.
“By law, the 40 grower licenses were supposed to be issued by July 1, but Pritzker has not done so, initially citing delays in reviewing the applications because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” McCoppin writes.
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In a ruling issued Christmas Eve, Walker wrote that the governor’s initial emergency order delaying the licenses was insufficient. But Walker also wrote that a later governor’s order clarified the delay was necessary because the pandemic has forced the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which is supposed to issue the licenses, to concentrate on oversight of meat and livestock facilities and the food supply chain. Expect the growers to appeal what an attorney is calling a weak decision by the court.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--CPS denies COVID-19 accommodations to hundreds of teachers and staff who are due to return to school

CPS denies COVID-19 accommodations to hundreds of teachers and staff who are due to return to schools  Monday

But a lawyer for the Chicago Teachers Union , which has repeatedly criticized the district ’ s reopening plan and @ @ @ @ @ ” said the numbers show that educators are being forced to choose between their safety @ @ @ @ @ can not afford to sacrifice their jobs .
Most of those permitted to take leave @ @ @ @ @ , CTU Deputy General Counsel Thad Goodchild said .

About 7,000 teachers and staff are due to report to Chicago Public Schools buildings on Monday, but the district has denied accommodations or leave to the majority of educators who applied — particularly those who said a household member is vulnerable to COVID-19.
In a news release issued Tuesday, CPS spokeswoman Emily Bolton said the district will provide weekly COVID-19 testing for those who live with high-risk household members and is working to provide exemptions to employees who serve as primary caregivers for individuals with a medical condition.
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“Health and safety are the district’s highest priorities and accommodations for remote work have been granted to all teachers and staff who have documented medical conditions as defined by the CDC,” the statement says. “Where possible, accommodations were also granted to staff who live with someone with a high-risk medical condition, or who face child care challenges.”
But a lawyer for the Chicago Teachers Union, which has repeatedly criticized the district’s reopening plan and threatened “collective action,” said the numbers show that educators are being forced to choose between their safety and livelihood and that many cannot afford to sacrifice their jobs. Most of those permitted to take leave are doing so without pay, CTU Deputy General Counsel Thad Goodchild said.
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“CPS has denied about 60% of the leave and accommodations requests of our members to which they responded, even as CPS has a back-load of hundreds of requests to which they’ve failed to respond,” he said in a written statement.
If the district’s plan proceeds, teachers and staff in pre-kindergarten and some special education cluster programs will begin work in school buildings Jan. 4 and students opting in to in-person classes will start attending Jan. 11.
A classroom sits empty at King Elementary on Sept. 8, 2020, the first date of the academic year for Chicago Public Schools. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
About two-thirds of all pre-kindergarten and special education employees asked to return to schools Monday did not request accommodations or leave, according to district data released Tuesday. Of the approximately 2,000 employees who applied for exemptions, 57% were denied accommodation or leave and 4% have requests pending.
Everyone with an underlying medical condition was approved, for a total of 527 employees, the data shows. Fewer than 19% of requests were granted due to a household member’s medical condition and only 11.5% were approved due to child care challenges.
The union contends those called back to school buildings “have the right to decline unsafe work,” according to its website. On Twitter, CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates questioned the district’s process for evaluating accommodation requests.
“The survey simply provided no option for those of us that have *no condition* and don’t feel safe....we had no choice but to say we can return,” her tweet says.
The next big group of employees, those serving kindergarten through eighth grade, are due back Jan. 25, with those students set to begin a hybrid of in-person and remote learning on Feb. 1.
The data shared by CPS Tuesday pertains only to the first batch of employees returning next week. The initial information did not distinguish those living with a vulnerable household member from those who serve as the primary caregiver.
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CPS says it is working to prioritize accommodations for primary caregivers and expects to approve requests in the “vast majority” of cases but can’t guarantee it for everyone.
The district is still reviewing requests for teachers and staff in kindergarten through eighth grade.
echerney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Chicago radio pioneer Dan Lee, who once led WXRT and The Score, dies at 78

“ He was the best boss I ever had , ” Winer said .
“ He was receptive to new @ @ @ @ @ afraid of taking risks .
Most people in commercial broadcasting are extremely conservative .
Danny @ @ @ @ @ shot in certain areas when he thought it was well thought out and when we @ @ @ @ @ it was a good idea .
”

Longtime WXRT radio personality Lin Brehmer remembers working for Dan Lee in the late 1980s when Brehmer was the music director at the progressive rock station, known for its discerning fan base.
“If you are the music director at WXRT, you are second guessed by listeners, record companies, band managers, bands, co-workers, sales people and people at the car wash,” Brehmer said. “The whole time I was the music director Danny Lee never once made a comment — snide or otherwise — about a song he heard on the radio. He was a master of choosing the best people for the job and letting them do their job.”
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Lee, of Glencoe, died at age 78 on Christmas Day of cancer, according to his daughter, Sarna Goldenberg.
Brehmer is one of many radio veterans remembering Lee’s impact on Chicago radio. During his career, he launched two of the market’s most influential stations.
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Born in Chicago and raised in the city’s Rogers Park neighborhood, Lee graduated from Sullivan High School and Roosevelt University. He then took his first steps as an entrepreneur, launching a company that supplied background music and paging for restaurants, stores and bowling alleys.
His father, Louis Lee, was the owner of an AM radio station and later an FM station where people bought time for their own programming.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 46 Mike Mills, left, an award-winning hall of fame pitmaster who founded 17th Street Barbecue in southern Illinois and turned it into an internationally known restaurant, died Dec. 29, 2020. He was 79. (RICHARD DREW / AP)
The FM station became WXRT and in 1972 “underground” rock started to be played in the overnight hours. But as the audience grew, the hours of rock programming expanded. By 1976, the eclectic music selections were played 24 hours a day.
Following his father’s death, Dan Lee took over as the station’s sole owner and eventually expanded his reach when he purchased other radio stations across the country under Diamond Broadcasting.
“That was his passion, that was his love,” Goldenberg said. “He was an entrepreneur by nature and he loved music, the radio industry and the team he built.”
As WXRT gained traction among listeners, Brehmer noted that Lee was not hyper-focused on ratings.
“He wasn’t mercurial, he didn’t rage about the business side. He was much more interested in the way WXRT presented itself as an outlet and a resource and as a music station like few others in the country,” Brehmer said. “He built the sort of station that I am not sure someone would try to build today.”
Norm Winer, WXRT’s program director for 37 years, recalled coming to Lee with far-flung concepts like putting eclectic comedians on the air or having an annual fireworks night accompanied by music traditionally heard on the station.
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“He was the best boss I ever had,” Winer said. “He was receptive to new ideas. He was not afraid of taking risks. Most people in commercial broadcasting are extremely conservative. Danny was willing to take a shot in certain areas when he thought it was well thought out and when we could convey to him that it was a good idea.”
On Jan. 2, 1992, Lee presided over the start of a new era for Chicago radio when Diamond launched WSCR-AM, known as The Score, marking the debut of the city’s first all-sports radio station.
While Lee was not the biggest sports fan, according to his daughter, he saw the potential sports had to bring people together.
“He liked people and connections,” Goldenberg said. “This is for people to talk live about sports. He loved people connecting over music or sports.”
Among WSCR-AM’s first voices was Terry Boers, who at the time was a writer for the Chicago Sun-Times.
During the station’s first few months, Boers only worked part-time, reluctant to give up his newspaper job. However, in the summer of 1992, Boers made it his full-time home.
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He recalled seeing Lee and telling him he was now feeling comfortable at The Score.
“‘That’s what I want people to do,’” Boers remembers Lee telling him. “‘You should feel comfortable here. We all like you.’”
While Boers acknowledged Lee was a tough negotiator, he said he was very kind to employees and did not pretend to be something he wasn’t.
“His idea of caring wasn’t to become a sports fan, it was to find out as much as he could about you which is what he did about everyone who worked there. No matter what you did, he found out,” Boers said.
In 1995 amid changes in the industry, Lee sold both WXRT and WSCR. He later sold his remaining stations in other parts of the country.
“Selling was bittersweet,” Goldenberg said. “He spent his life building WXRT and The Score and was so proud of his radio family and all they accomplished together. Following the sale, he felt grateful to be able to spend more time with family and friends enjoying life.”
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In Glencoe, where he and his wife Karen Lee moved in 1977, he was involved with the Glencoe Caucus and was the president of Congregation Am Shalom.
In the 1980s, Lee owned Glencoe Video and Music at the corner of Hazel and Vernon avenues, Goldenberg said.
“Seeing everyone from Glencoe come in and rent movies and buy music, he loved that so much,” Goldenberg said.
He and his wife of 51 years enjoyed going to the Writers Theatre and attending concerts. Lee often played golf at nearby country clubs. Other hobbies included skiing, photography, traveling and, most of all, spending time with his family.
Goldenberg said that for approximately the last 15 years her parents divided their time between Glencoe and an Arizona home. This came as her father battled a series of major health problems including esophageal cancer, quadruple bypass heart surgery and kidney failure.
“People remember how strong he was to get through so many of these horrible (illnesses), really death defying,” Karen Lee said. “I think he cheated death several times. We all talked about how many lives he had.”
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Lee is survived by his wife, daughters Sarna Goldenberg and Jessica Guten, his sons-in-law and five grandchildren, all of whom live in Glencoe.
The family will have a private burial with hopes of a celebration of life sometime in the future. In lieu of flowers, the Lee family plans to launch a donation fund to help future kidney donors and recipients.
Tribune reporter Kelli Smith contributed. Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--COVID-19 Q&A: Am I eligible to get the vaccine if I’m out of state? When will vaccine testing begin

COVID-19 Q&A: Am I eligible to get the vaccine if I’m out of state? When will vaccine testing begin for those 16 and younger? Coronavirus questions answered.

I ’ m an Illinois resident who will be out of the state for the next six months .
Am I eligible to receive the vaccine in the state I ’ m visiting ?
When will the vaccines start being tested for the younger population ?
These are some of the many questions readers have sent us that we ’ ve put to health and science experts .
This resource will be updated as more questions arrive , so check back often .
Have your own pandemic question ?
Send it to the Tribune here .
Get the latest Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters and editors on our COVID-19 Facebook page .
I am in the high-risk category for COVID-19 .
I ’ m an Illinois resident but out of state for the next six months .
Am I eligible to receive the vaccine in the state I am visiting ?
“ We ’ re getting to this 1B , 1C rollout , where we ’ re starting to take care of people over the age of 75 — that ’ s easily done with a driver ’ s license , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 64 in that 2B ( rollout ) with complications or vulnerabilities — that certainly is going to take a physician to identify you as having diabetes or COPD .
We ’ re making sure we vaccinate people in the right stratification regardless of where they ’ re at .
I can ’ t speak for whatever state she ’ s in , but you would hope that if she has proof that she falls into what would be the 1C category , that they would honor that .
When she ’ s back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the general public.
” I am a nurse who tested positive with coronavirus in November .
I had mild symptoms and recovered .
What are the findings related to people with past histories of virus exposure and the vaccine ?
“ We ’ re asking any health care workers who know that they have tested positive for COVID-19 , and done well , to hold off getting the vaccine for 90 days , ” Most said .
“ We don ’ t have enough vaccine to get to all the front-line workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had COVID-19 have some natural immunity .
That being said , individuals who had COVID-19 , we certainly will vaccinate them .
You ’ ve had influenza before , do we give you another influenza shot ?
Absolutely ... it ’ s essentially a booster .
With this illness , it ’ s very clear we have many people who are asymptomatic , but yet had the illness .
We ’ re not sure exactly how strong their immune system is , so the ability to give them a booster with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ways that we ’ re really going to fight and control the spread.
” “ I think you ’ ll start to see clinical trials right now for pediatric patients , probably 10 and above or 12 and above , ” Most said .
“ They were excluded from all the clinical trials , which is not something that ’ s that surprising .
This illness obviously was hitting seniors and older individuals with co-morbidities .
For them to say we ’ re going to focus on this population — we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to exclude women who are pregnant — made total sense because it allowed them to get to the finish line with a safe vaccine quicker .
So , I think you will start to see , now , rollouts of clinical trials with children , just after the 1st of the year.
” I agreed to watching a friend ’ s pets while she is out of town .
I will not be in direct contact with her , however I am nervous about the apartment .
How long before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone ?
“ If they ’ re going to be gone for two months or three weeks , cleaning the house once is perfect , ” Most said .
“ Be careful of any surfaces you touch .
We know that the virus can survive on surfaces for a while .
As long as you are wearing a mask and don ’ t touch the surface and then your mouth or your face very quickly , you ’ ll be fine .
Someone who is going to take care of a dog in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 to 48 hours , after walking the dog a couple of times and they ’ re going to do it the next week , you don ’ t have to wash the surfaces every day .
“ Now , if you have a neighbor who can ’ t get out to walk their dog , and you ’ re going to go walk the dog for that individual , you ’ ve got to be a little bit more careful .
Wash your hands prior to going in , make sure you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walk the dog .
When you bring the dog back and hand the dog off again , wash your hands .
The goal is to not be around somebody for more than 15 minutes who potentially could have the illness that you don ’ t know about .
For the long-term care of a home when someone ’ s gone , don ’ t be concerned.
” British officials recently have expressed alarm about a highly contagious coronavirus mutation circulating in England .
According to University of Chicago Medicine ’ s Dr. Allison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management of acute and chronic infectious diseases , it is important that Americans be aware that this variant has been detected .
But because scientists actively have been looking for potential variants throughout the pandemic , news of mutations lets us know that the process is working .
“ This variant has multiple mutations , several of which are in the spike protein , which is important for attaching to host ( human ) cells and which is the target for the currently available vaccines , ” she said .
“ There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( COVID-19 ) .
The structure of the virus is one important parameter , but the behavior and environment of the population is critical as well .
Mask use , physical distancing , ventilation , hand-washing all impact the risk of transmission , and will remain effective and essential components of controlling the pandemic.
” “ The virus ( as with all viruses ) is constantly mutating .
Many mutations lead to dead ends ; some lead to virus that can be spread from person to person , ” Bartlett added .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are vaccinated , there will be less virus circulating in the community and , therefore , fewer opportunities for mutations to develop .
However , if a mutant virus develops that is not susceptible to the vaccine-derived immune response , that strain could spread from person to person if people have let down their guard and are not masking , physically distancing , etc.
” While the pandemic has affected all of our lives , it has disproportionately affected Black and brown communities .
Over one-third of Black adults in a June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d died after contracting COVID-19 .
And yet , in a recent poll , fewer than half of Black Americans said they would take the coronavirus vaccine .
Drs .
Brandi Jackson and Brittani James discussed COVID-19 and the Black community in a Chicago Tribune Facebook Live .
James , a family practitioner with the University of Illinois health system and assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine , offered some suggestions on how to alleviate vaccine concerns for those in the Black community : “ Think of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black community , who are already trusted by the Black community , ” she said .
“ I ’ m talking about Black church leaders .
We turn to local community centers , we turn to local activists , nonprofits .
Those are the people and the institutions , really , that the Black community trusts .
So , any intervention that is serious about getting their buy-in , you have to go through these authorities in the local community , Black and brown communities , to spread that message ( to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can evaluate , this is safe , not just for white people , for all people.
” “ When you ’ re making your assessment , don ’ t fall into the trap of only attending to the potential side effects , ” she said .
“ The question people need to be asking is : How does that compare to what happens if I don ’ t get the vaccine ?
How does that compare to my risk of contracting and passing away from coronavirus ?
That number is so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negligible , particularly if you ’ re in the Black community .
We know that being a Black person in America right now , your risk is higher than a white person of contracting and dying from COVID-19 .
So , you should think about that.
” The vaccine starts to work right away within the body , said University of Chicago Medicine infectious diseases expert Dr. Emily Landon .
In a Chicago Tribune Facebook Live , Landon explained how it signals our immune system : “ We create molecules that have our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a wanted poster for your immune system .
They say , ‘ This is what you ’ re looking for .
When you find this , kill it.
’ ” Although the vaccine starts to work right away , how long it takes until you ’ re immune or able to fight off the disease is hard to say .
Landon said with the Pfizer vaccine , about half of the time , data showed people had antibodies a few weeks after getting the vaccine .
Researchers are still learning about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people will be able to get vaccines all at the same time .
And this is important to understand because there might not be enough vaccines for everyone in those groups on the first day a group is able to be vaccinated .
So there might be some waiting , but , Landon added , “ It doesn ’ t matter too much in the grand scheme of things if you get vaccinated this Wednesday or next Wednesday.
” She added that you don ’ t have to go when your group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next group , if you still have some concerns about some aspects of the vaccine .
For example , some people who are pregnant are assessing whether to get a vaccine .
Landon won ’ t wait .
“ I am raring to go .
I am signing up right away for my first time.
” Landon emphasized that there aren ’ t long-term consequences of other vaccines we already know more about .
And for any issues that vaccines can cause , “ They start upfront .
They don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the data we already have , we should have a good sense of what to expect .
First , don ’ t panic , says Dr. William Schaffner , a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and former board member at the Infectious Diseases Society of America .
The recent news of possible allergic reactions is “ a bit of a surprise , ” he said , as this did not occur during Pfizer ’ s clinical trials .
But varying things can happen after a person is vaccinated — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to many different people .
The system is working as it should , he said .
Experts have detected this issue , and British officials are going to investigate further .
“ And they ’ ve said in the meantime , all you folks who have had allergies to other things , stand aside for the moment , and we ’ ll call you when we ’ re comfortable with this , ” Schaffner said .
Yes , Schaffner said .
In fact , experts hope the vaccine will offer even more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the infection itself .
“ If you ’ ve had COVID before , that ’ s OK , ” he said .
“ You ’ re not going to have a more severe reaction to the vaccine or anything like that.
” It ’ s hard to say , Schaffner said , and he knows this might be an unsatisfactory response .
He , too , is eager to find out .
“ Just as soon as we start vaccinating a large number of people that will be assessed , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for further information down the road , ” he said .
He would not offer any estimate , saying this is a new vaccine and a distinctive virus , and more data is needed .
Pregnant women are commonly excluded from research , and have not been included so far in clinical trials for the coronavirus vaccine , despite groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calling for their inclusion .
This is an issue , said Dr. Kathleen Neuzil , co-director of the National Institutes of Health ’ s COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care field are women .
Dr. Emily Miller , assistant professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Northwestern Medicine ’ s Feinberg School of Medicine , said unknowns have to be “ balanced against the risk of not getting the vaccine , which is the risk of acquisition of ( COVID-19 ) , which has concrete and well-documented risks .
...
Through that lens , if we can remember that there is no zero-risk option , then the balance at this point favors receiving the vaccine.
” The full impact of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known , but rates of alcohol usage have been rising during the pandemic .
According to the World Health Organization , alcohol compromises the body ’ s immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes .
The organization suggests people minimize their alcohol consumption — particularly during the pandemic .
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism ( NIAAA ) has issued communications warning people to avoid excessive drinking .
“ A person ’ s pattern of alcohol consumption can have an impact on health , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ drinks to up to one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men .
Having one drink per day is not the same as having seven drinks all at once in a single day .
It ’ s best to spread them out as recommended in the guidelines.
” Looking for a rapid test with same-day results ?
Those tests are best for people who actually have COVID-19 symptoms , said Heather Keirnan , a nurse and vice president of operations for Northwestern Medicine Immediate Care .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PCR test , which can detect very small amounts of the coronavirus , is a better choice , she said .
“ The other side of the coin is the more times you bring more people together , the greater the risk for super spreader and transmissibility , ” he continued .
“ So that healthy 22-year-old may have an upper respiratory mild symptom , or no symptoms at all , and yet can spread the virus to the people he walks by , or sits next to , or in that airplane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add risk.
” “ Here ’ s what ’ s driving a lot of this current surge : It is this seemingly deceptively safe family gatherings and small group gatherings , ” Poland said .
“ So when your relatives drive a day or two to come and see you , now both of you are trading whomever you ’ ve been in contact with at school , work , church ( or ) whatever it might be , and so you ’ re just giving more and more opportunity.
” “ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as you say — the two weeks before , ” he said .
“ You might even get a test to be sure that even though you ’ re asymptomatic , that you ’ re not infected .
You would then drive without staying in a hotel or going to restaurants .
You ’ d have a procedure for how you ’ d get gas and go to the bathroom.
” It might be mandated for people at high risk , but likely not for the general population , said Tina Tan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School of Medicine .
She noted there is not enough information about how these vaccines might impact children or pregnant women , for example , who have not been included in trials .
Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine may be 90 % effective .
The vaccine uses genetic code that trains the immune system to recognize the spiked protein on the surface of the virus .
How does it work ?
Pfizer , which is developing the vaccine with its German partner BioNTech , is among four candidates already in huge studies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested in other countries .
Another U.S. company , Moderna Inc. , also hopes to file an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this month .
Neither company ’ s shot is made with the coronavirus itself .
“ mRNA therapy in the vaccine field supplies proteins that mimic viral proteins to induce an immune response , ” he said .
“ mRNA comes in , will express the encoded protein for a period of time to elicit an immune response , then the immune cells will keep this memory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes back to its normal state , but your immune cells have been trained by the presence of this foreign protein produced from the delivered mRNA.
” Pfizer ’ s news , however , doesn ’ t mean a vaccine will be here soon .
Pfizer ’ s study is continuing , and the company cautioned that the protection rate might change as more COVID-19 cases are added to the calculations .
Scientists have warned for months that any COVID-19 shot may be only as good as flu vaccines , which are about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier this year , Fauci said he would be happy with a COVID-19 vaccine that was 60 % effective .
Chicago ’ s travel quarantine list moved Nov. 10 from a list of states under travel quarantine orders to a color-coded list comparing the rate of infection here with other states .
Under the original version of the emergency travel order , states were added to the list when they had an infection rate higher than 15 cases per 100,000 residents and were removed once the daily case average remained below that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s new color-coded list will be updated every two weeks .
There are exceptions based on how long travelers spend in the listed states .
People who commute across the Indiana or Wisconsin state line to or from Chicago to work or go to school will be exempt from the quarantine rule .
But workers in Chicago from Indiana will be expected to avoid restaurants , bars and other public spaces in the city .
Read on for the rolling list of states on Chicago ’ s orange and red lists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourages people to get tested before and after any gatherings and to curb activities outside their homes before getting together .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the lowest risk Thanksgiving plans include celebrating only with those who already live in your home , or a virtual dinner with friends and family .
People who want to get tested for COVID-19 before the holidays are looking at two basic types of tests .
One is an antigen test , which looks for specific proteins on the surface of the virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , it is not considered as accurate as the other type of test , a molecular test , such as a PCR test .
Molecular tests detect the virus ’ s genetic material .
It can take a day to a week for results , depending on the testing facility .
Is a person likely to catch COVID-19 a second time ?
Is immunity real ?
If so , how long does it last ?
Is there any way to safely have an indoor holiday gathering with a small group of family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine for two weeks prior or get tested before the gathering ?
But , if you do choose to congregate with loved ones for the holiday season , he suggests keeping groups small and spending most of the time outside .
Masks should be worn , said Singer , and social distancing rules should be followed .
The risk isn ’ t gone , but these precautions can “ reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Nov. 5 that even though we all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and family , it ’ s best to sit it out .
If not , she said previously , it could result in a funeral down the line .
“ Perhaps this holiday — as we have already done for most of 2020 — we are going to have to do it COVID-style , and that means virtual , ” she said .
“ We ’ ll have to stay at home and forego the large gatherings so that we will have future events that we can be with our friends and family.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of contracting and spreading COVID-19 , as will going to a crowded event , as will having multiple people in your home for Thanksgiving , ” she said .
“ So in terms of travel , we do recommend avoiding travel to areas of higher risk , but as you are seeing , that is almost everywhere.
” What is the risk of eating or meeting outside , and not socially distancing from people sitting at the table , especially when we ’ re all from different households and all have been following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time outdoors has been said to lessen the risk of spreading COVID-19 to some degree , Singer reiterates that there is no “ risk-free gathering.
” In May , when the state was beginning to reopen and loosen restrictions after the quarantine period , the general rule of thumb for meeting up with friends was that outside is better than inside , and masks are better than no masks , said Dr. Emily Landon , executive medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at the UChicago Medicine .
There have been 10,030 reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nov. 5 since the start of the pandemic .
A breakdown on those deaths by age , race and gender can be found here .
Data on available hospital beds and ventilators can also be found on the same page .
Is it safe to visit your doctors if you ’ re at higher risk now ?
What about colonoscopies and other scoping procedures ?
How serious is the potential for ocular transmission of COVID ?
Should I wear goggles when in proximity to others , like on an airplane or in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the virus present in the structures of the eye , but this route ( of transmission ) is less common , ” explained Pho .
“ In situations where masking and social distancing can ’ t be guaranteed , such as in crowded places , or more enclosed areas like airplanes , I do recommend wearing eye protection .
I also strongly recommend them for people who are knowingly in close proximity to someone who is infected , such as caregivers for household members with COVID-19.
” Could we make a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by changing our diet and health habits ?
How does your personal health increase or decrease your chances of COVID-19 complications or death ?
Which health conditions are mostly linked to higher death tolls ?

Alison Bowen, Christen A. Johnson, Darcel Rockett

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chicagotribune--2020-12-29--‘It just took her so fast,’ says mom of Lincoln-Way East senior who died from COVID-19 infection

While the coronavirus is more a concern for the elderly or those with health problems such as diabetes , Simental @ @ @ @ @ important to publicize that it can bring down young people such as her daughter .

Just days before Christmas, 18-year-old Sarah Simental, a senior at Lincoln-Way East High School, complained to her mom of suffering from a mild headache and congestion.
“We thought it was a cold,” her mom, Deborah Simental, said Tuesday.
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This past Sunday, surrounded by her family, the Tinley Park teen who loved animals and volunteered at a pet rescue died at the University of Chicago Medical Center, with COVID-19 having brought on respiratory failure.
Sarah Simental, with her dog Bailey, died Dec. 26 due to respiratory failure brought on by COVID-19. (Deborah Simental/Deborah Simental)
“She was a healthy young lady who had just turned 18 in November and had the world in her hands,” her mother said.
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Simental said as her daughter’s symptoms worsened she took her Dec. 23 to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, from where the girl was airlifted to the University of Chicago.
Her death was ruled natural as a result of acute hypoxic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 infection, with non-traumatic cerebral hemorrhages as a contributing factor, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
“It just took her so fast,” her mother said, noting her daughter had no underlying health problems.
While the coronavirus is more a concern for the elderly or those with health problems such as diabetes, Simental said she felt it was important to publicize that it can bring down young people such as her daughter.
“Sarah is an example that it can happen to the youngest and healthiest people,” she said. “This is real.”
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She said her 20-year-old son had contracted the virus at the end of August and had mild symptoms. Simental said the family was proactive in taking precautions, and they had recently gotten flu shots.
Visitation will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, limited to 10 people at a time, at Lawn Funeral Home, 7732 W. 159th St., Orland Park. Services and interment will be private.
Simental said her daughter loved animals and volunteered, before the pandemic, at a pet rescue at Alsip Home & Nursery in Frankfort.
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“She wanted to bring several dogs home,” Simental said.
Simental said she is allergic to dog fur and they needed a dog that didn’t shed, and that their Goldendoodle, Bailey, is hypoallergenic.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to animal shelter PAWS of Tinley Park.
mnolan@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--With ‘no hesitation,’ Chicago’s health commissioner, other non-hospital health care workers get COVI

With ‘no hesitation,’ Chicago’s health commissioner, other non-hospital health care workers get COVID-19 vaccine at Malcolm X College’s mass vaccination site

In her news conference before the vaccination , Arwady also touched on the ongoing need for connecting with communities that @ @ @ @ @ vaccine .
She said the city is in the midst of fine-tuning a “ COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ how much outreach and resources to dedicate to neighborhoods with barriers to socioeconomic status , @ @ @ @ @ , transportation and health care access .
The index is intended to pinpoint spots most @ @ @ @ @ need additional efforts to decrease barriers to receiving the vaccine .

Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Non-hospital health care workers including Chicago’s public health commissioner smiled and cheered Tuesday morning after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at the city’s first mass vaccination site, capping off months of grueling workdays with hope that 2021 will be a brighter year.
Dr. Allison Arwady, who heads Chicago’s public health department, rolled up her sleeve for the Pfizer vaccine at Malcolm X College on the Near West Side, where the city has set up a makeshift site for a second wave of health care workers, this time for those who work outside hospital settings, to get the vaccine. Wearing a black “Protect Chicago” mask, Arwady sat down and said she was ready for her first dose.
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After receiving the shot in her left arm, Arwady waited in the chair for about 15 minutes in order to monitor any side effects. But she said she felt invigorated that after almost a year of serving as Chicago’s authoritative voice on all things COVID-19, she was able to publicly be part of the vaccination effort that will be crucial in bringing the city back to normal.
“I’m wonderful,” Arwady said when asked whether she felt OK. “Honestly, can’t even feel it. I’m so pleased right now.”
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Her vaccination was followed by a slate of other non-hospital health care workers who passed through or will pass through the Malcolm X College site and other mass vaccination centers now available to them by appointment as part of “Phase 1a” of distribution, which includes health care workers and long-term care facility residents. The first nursing home patients and workers began getting the vaccine this week.
Arwady, who said she qualified because she sees patients on a volunteer basis, and other health care workers leaving Malcolm X College after getting the vaccine shared a sense of accomplishment in setting an example that the vaccine was safe. They said the shot was a triumphant way to conclude a brutal year in the health care field, while balancing the optimism with a nod to the still monthslong vaccination timeline — and the ongoing effort to build trust in the vaccine.
The appointments are available by invite only, Arwady said. Employees at outpatient and other non-hospital settings received a code to make an appointment for the free vaccine, with the City Colleges of Chicago site already booked for Tuesday and Wednesday. Health care providers from urgent care centers to dental offices can register their employees at chicago.gov/covidvax if they have not done so already.
This current phase of vaccine distribution likely will take up January and most of February, Arwady said. In late February, the vaccines are expected to expand into phase “1b,” for Chicagoans age 75 or older and front-line essential workers.
Chris Ballinger, a physician assistant at a Norridge location of Physicians Immediate Care, said he sent his wife a picture of himself with a Band-Aid on his arm within a minute after the shot was completed. The wait was a little nerve-wracking, he said, but upon walking out the door he felt nothing but relief that he can be part of the next step in getting past the pandemic.
“It’s finally done,” he said outside the exit as an acquaintance drove by and hollered, “Go Chris!” “Hopefully things get back to somewhat normal prior to this pandemic, and that (2021 is) just a happier year than what this year has been.”
His colleague Erin Kane Seifert said she was unsure going into her appointment whether she’d have a reaction, especially being pregnant, but she said she felt normal upon walking out of Malcolm X College, where one woman greeted her after the shot with a “Yea!”
“Obviously there’s always that edge of the unknown,” Kane Seifert, a physician assistant, said. “But all signs point in the right direction.”
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As an employee at an immediate care clinic that administers COVID-19 tests, Kane Seifert said the vaccine has been a long time coming and the next few months of vaccine rollout will be a critical moment in the nation’s marathon fight against the virus. She said most of her patients are on board with the vaccine, but she hopes any lingering stigma around it will disappear with more media coverage and education.
Mira Georgieva, a registered nurse at Heroes Home Health, said she’s cared for discharged COVID-19 patients who have discovered they now become out of breath after going up the stairs. The year also has been lonely without regularly seeing friends and family because of social distancing, she said.
But she added that getting the vaccine Tuesday has encouraged her because it means being part of an ongoing effort to protect herself and possibly her community.
“It’s been rough,” said Georgieva, who estimates about one-third of her patients have concerns with the vaccine. “I’m ready to end this thing.”
In her news conference before the vaccination, Arwady also touched on the ongoing need for connecting with communities that may struggle with getting the vaccine. She said the city is in the midst of fine-tuning a “COVID-19 vulnerability index” to calibrate how much outreach and resources to dedicate to neighborhoods with barriers to socioeconomic status, English language proficiency, housing, transportation and health care access. The index is intended to pinpoint spots most vulnerable to COVID-19 and that need additional efforts to decrease barriers to receiving the vaccine.
Arwady also cautioned that although she hopes her confidence in the vaccine encourages other people to feel the same when it’s their turn to get the shot, that day may take months to arrive for the average adult. That wait may be long, she said, but it’s a promising start to the end.
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“I am really, really pleased to be able to get my vaccine today,” Arwady said. “I have absolutely no hesitation about it.”
Illinois surpassed 948,000 known cases of COVID-19 Tuesday with another 5,644 confirmed and probable cases of the illness reported during a 24-hour period. The statewide known case tally now totals 948,006. With another 106 additional deaths of people with COVID-19 reported Tuesday, Illinois’ death toll stands at 16,179.
The seven-day statewide positivity rate for cases as a share of tests for the period ending Monday was 7.4%, which is a slight increase from the past five days, but flat from a week ago. A month ago, the case positivity rate was just over 10%.
The new cases reported Tuesday came out of a batch of 66,786 tests conducted during the previous 24 hours. As of Monday night, 4,313 people across Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 904 patients in intensive care units and 506 on ventilators.
The seven-day averages for statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations, intensive care bed and ventilator use continue to decline as they have for most of December.
ayin@chicagotribune.com
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jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--How full are hospitals in Illinois? Search our list to find out.

The figures cover all adult inpatient beds that a hospital is staffing , as well as the subset of beds @ @ @ @ @ unit .
COVID-19 patients include confirmed cases as well as those considered to be under @ @ @ @ @

Amid pandemic fears of overrun hospitals, federal regulators have released figures that show how full each hospital is — including with COVID-19 patients — and how many beds each has to spare.
The figures cover all adult inpatient beds that a hospital is staffing, as well as the subset of beds staffed in an intensive care unit. COVID-19 patients include confirmed cases as well as those considered to be under investigation for the virus.
The data covers the most recent Friday-to-Thursday period, and the figures are a daily average from that week.
Search below for any hospital in Illinois, then click on the name to get more detailed information. (Figures weren’t provided for hospitals with very small patient loads.)
Data as of Dec. 21.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Data limited to only hospitals with an average of four or more patients in a category. For more information, see this website.


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Coronavirus at Illinois long-term care facilities: 62,600 confirmed cases and 7,910 deaths

The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois .
The @ @ @ @ @ at 1,473 long-term care facilities in 94 counties .
Of those , 1,001 facilities have @ @ @ @ @ , defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days .
In all @ @ @ @ @ be tied to long-term care facilities , with 7,910 deaths , as of Dec. 25

The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois. The data shows outbreaks have occurred at long-term care facilities in 94 counties. Of those, 1,003 facilities have an “active” outbreak, defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days. In all, 71,103 confirmed cases can be tied to long-term care facilities, with 9,263 deaths, as of Jan. 22.


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area

Among the metrics ( see below ) tracked under guidelines set by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses , and the capacity of hospitals @ @ @ @ @ state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
To assess how different parts of Illinois are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, officials look at the state through the 11 regions of Emergency Medical Services. The city of Chicago is one region, for example, and the rest of Cook County is another.
Among the metrics (see below) tracked under guidelines set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of coronavirus tests that return positive, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses, and the capacity of hospitals to take in new patients.The state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics. (Cases, deaths and tests data is as of Dec. 31).
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus.
• Other Chicago, suburbs and Illinois COVID-19 metrics.
• See how the governor’s plan to manage the regions works.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Created by the Chicago Tribune dataviz team. On Twitter @chitribgraphics


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

Search below by street address , ZIP code or city , then click on the map to see the number @ @ @ @ @ .
The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or @ @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
Illinois releases the number of positive COVID-19 cases by ZIP code daily. The map below shows the cumulative cases for each area as well as other analysis of the data.
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Tracking daily Illinois coronavirus deaths, cases and tests.
Search below by street address, ZIP code or city, then click on the map to see the number of confirmed and probable cases. The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer.
Data as of June 10.
The map search tool above works best in Chrome or Firefox and may not perform consistently in Internet Explorer.
Note: Because of a coding error this map was displaying the incorrect rates for new cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 people — the issue should now be resolved.. The Tribune adjusted the data shown on the map below to focus on new cases, those the state tracked in the last 7 seven days. The totals for the entire pandemic are still available, but in the pop-up after tapping or clicking on a ZIP.


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 106 new deaths, 5,644 new confirmed and probable cases and 66,786

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 106 new deaths, 5,644 new confirmed and probable cases and 66,786 new test results

Illinois announced 5,644 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Tuesday for a total of 948,006 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 16,179 and 66,786 new test results for a total of 13.1 million @

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Wisconsin removed from ‘red’ tier states in Chicago travel order, negative COVID-19 test needed to a

Wisconsin removed from ‘red’ tier states in Chicago travel order, negative COVID-19 test needed to avoid quarantine

Up until last month , any state averaging an infection rate higher than 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents over @ @ @ @ @ to the city ’ s list .
Then the city revamped its travel order introduced @ @ @ @ @ weekend to require a quarantine only from people coming from red-tier states , or those @ @ @ @ @ than Chicago .
The city is now at 40 cases per 100,000 residents .

CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Travelers heading to Chicago from Wisconsin can now bypass the 10-day quarantine by receiving a negative COVID-19 test result before coming into the city.
Illinois’ neighbor to the north was bumped down from the most severe “red” designation under Chicago’s travel order to “orange,” effective Friday, according to the city’s travel order website. But 10 other states moved up from orange to red, which mandates a 10-day quarantine for travelers returning to Chicago from those states.
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Chicago’s public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said this New Year’s Eve, people should avoid gatherings and nonessential travel — and that it’s not too late to change plans to accommodate a COVID-19-safe holiday.
“This is not a year for gathering,” Arwady said during a news conference. “The bottom line is that still COVID is absolutely surging across the U.S., and you should delay travel if at all possible.”
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As of Friday, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia will be added to the red tier. Alaska, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming will move down to the orange designation. Only Vermont and Hawaii will not be under any additional restrictions.
Up until last month, any state averaging an infection rate higher than 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period was added to the city’s list. Then the city revamped its travel order introduced during the Fourth of July weekend to require a quarantine only from people coming from red-tier states, or those with higher COVID-19 case rates than Chicago. The city is now at 40 cases per 100,000 residents.
Those coming from orange states, which have numbers between 15 cases-per-100,000 and Chicago’s rate of 40-per-100,000, should get a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours before arriving or quarantine for 10 days. Those coming from a “yellow” state must only observe regular social distancing and mask rules.
The travel order is updated every two weeks and goes into effect the following Friday.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Watch live: Dr. Arwady gets COVID-19 vaccine as city launches new vaccination site

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady will be vaccinated as the city launches a new vaccine site @ @ @ @ @ Malcolm X College .
Get the latest coronavirus updates here .