chicagotribune--2020-05-28--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Statewide COVID-19 death toll passes 5,000 as US tops 100,000 fatal

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Statewide COVID-19 death toll passes 5,000 as US tops 100,000 fatalities

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 100,000 on Wednesday , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
This news came as Illinois officials on Wednesday announced 1,111 new known cases of COVID-19 and 160 additional deaths , pushing the statewide known case count to 114,306 total cases since the pandemic began .
The statewide death toll now stands at 5,083 .
With desperate Chicago restaurants set to be allowed to host outdoor diners within weeks under the next phase of Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s coronavirus reopening plan , city officials are still trying to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them can legally do so .
Lightfoot has also said the city likely will move to the next phase in early June , meaning many offices , day care centers , retailers and gyms also will open with new rules about cleanliness , face coverings and capacity .
The administration has dubbed the third phase “ Cautiously Reopen.
” The guidelines for Chicago come as many businesses across Illinois are preparing to reopen at the end of the week as all four regions of the state move into the next phase of Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan .
7:54 p.m. : What ’ s the recovery rate for COVID-19 in Illinois ?
That number is now available .
But it ’ s complicated .
As the state moves toward easing restrictions aimed at curbing the coronavirus pandemic , health officials have offered a new way to study how often people are recovering from the infection .
It ’ s called the recovery rate , and the Illinois Department of Public Health began publishing the figure on its website over Memorial Day weekend .
The site states that , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those who tested positive for the virus have recovered .
The figure may seem self-explanatory , but experts caution that the latest number must be interpreted carefully , with a heavy dose of context .
For example , the 92 % rate is based on a group of people whose cases were confirmed more than six weeks ago , at a time when testing was offered mainly to very sick patients .
Read more here .
— Joe Mahr 5:50 p.m. : Worker at Springfield convention center where Illinois House convened for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 Jessica Basham , chief of staff for House Speaker Michael Madigan , shared the news in an email to lawmakers and staff Wednesday , noting that “ at this time it appears this individual had no interaction with any member or other staff person.
” The person who tested positive worked an eight-hour shift on Thursday , and was not in the space that was used for the makeshift House floor or a public viewing area , Basham wrote , adding that she is unaware of anyone else who was in Springfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more here .
— Jamie Munks 4:59 p.m. : As non-COVID-19 patients return to Chicago-area emergency rooms , doctors see skyrocketing blood pressure and other side effects of delays in care .
‘ It ’ s terrible , and it ’ s frightening.
’ One patient ran out of medication during the COVID-19 pandemic and ended up in the Loyola University Medical Center emergency room with dangerously high blood pressure .
Others , unwilling or unable to get consistent treatment for chronic conditions during the pandemic , have come in with out-of-control asthma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chronic kidney failure .
And then there are the patients who have been putting off treatment for chest pain .
“ The ones that worry me the most are the patients that say I ’ ve been meaning to go to the doctor , but I couldn ’ t get in .
And now they show up , and instead of anginal chest pain , they ’ re having an acute heart attack and injuring the heart , ” said Dr. Mark Cichon , director of emergency medical services at Loyola University Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
— Nara Schoenberg 4:54 p.m. : U.S. death toll from the coronavirus has surpassed 100,000 , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University 100,000 deaths , a once-unthinkable toll that now appears to be just the beginning of untold misery in the months ahead as Las Vegas casinos and Walt Disney World make plans to reopen , crowds of unmasked Americans swarm beaches and public health officials predict a resurgence by fall .
Read more here .
— The Associated Press 4:41 p.m. ( Updated ) : Chicago ’ s courthouses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopenings , will remain in coronavirus shutdown mode And Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans will order a continuation of county courts ’ shutdown until July 6 , though that system could start to reopen earlier if circumstances allow , his office announced Wednesday .
Both court systems have been operating on a bare-bones basis since March due to the coronavirus threat .
While the Dirksen U.S .
Courthouse remains open , as do most county courthouses , hearings are largely being held remotely via video or teleconference .
Read more here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow ‘ shared streets ’ program for residents to walk and bike in neighborhoods Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s administration is planning to create several blocks of shared streets on the North and Northwest sides to give people more room to walk and bike while social distancing , according to published reports .
“ You may have seen that most other major cities in the United States have implemented shared streets programs which allows pedestrians more space to socially distance while walking or running , ” Martin ’ s newsletter said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a shared street does not close the street to local traffic , but does discourage through traffic.
” The stretches of roadway identified are Cortland Avenue from Ridgeway Avenue to Rockwell Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood ; Glenwood Avenue from Carmen Avenue to Devon Avenue , which runs through Edgewater and Uptown ; Leland Avenue from Lincoln Avenue to Sheridan Road in Lincoln Square and Uptown ; Palmer Street from Long Avenue to Kedzie Boulevard , in Hanson Park and Logan Square ; Roscoe Street between Narragansett Avenue and Long Avenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Belmont Cragin ; and Wood Street from Cortland Street to North Avenue , in Bucktown .
There also are plans in the works to create similar set-ups on the South Side , according to a city official .
All the streets listed are residential .
As such , none of them has metered parking for cars , which would require the city to pay the company to which it leased its meters in a roundly derided 2008 deal for taking the spaces offline .
Other cities have set up streets with only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who live on them and those who need to make deliveries .
CDOT spokesman Michael Claffey said the city has been “ engaging both the general public and key stakeholders to better understand transportation issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss potential solutions .
As the City anticipates transitioning into a new phase of its re-opening plan sometime in June , CDOT is preparing plans to equitably re-allocate street space to residents , where feasible , for various uses beyond driving a car.
” Read more here .
— Chicago Tribune staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ Cook County medical examiner ’ s office tops 2019 caseload with more than 6,600 cases this year — over half from the coronavirus The toll of Cook County ’ s death investigations during the first five months of 2020 already has surpassed last year ’ s total medical examiner ’ s caseload as the region continues to fight the deadly coronavirus , officials announced on Wednesday .
From the start of the year until now , the Cook County medical examiner ’ s office has ruled on more than 6,600 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients , board president Toni Preckwinkle said in a Wednesday press conference .
That ’ s hundreds of more cases than the county saw in all of 2019 , which logged 6,274 cases .
Preckwinkle , noting 2020 has yet to reach its halfway mark , said this was a “ grim milestone.
” Read more here .
— Alice Yin 2:48 p.m. : Entering the marijuana industry is hard .
For those applying under social equity rules , the coronavirus adds a new challenge .
The industry is highly regulated .
Weed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which makes it harder for companies to land financing .
And finding a site can be difficult and expensive because the rules on where a cannabis business can locate vary wildly from town to town .
To foster opportunities for entrepreneurs of color to break into an industry that has seen sales of about $ 147.5 million of recreational weed just in the first four months , the state ’ s recreational marijuana law laid out specific social equity rules .
But now the COVID-19 pandemic could threaten some startups ’ efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run out of time and money .
Read more here .
—Ally Marotti State officials on Wednesday announced 1,111 new known cases of COVID-19 and 160 additional deaths , pushing the statewide known case count to 114,306 total cases since the pandemic began .
The statewide death toll now stands at 5,083 .
With desperate Chicago restaurants set to be allowed to host outdoor diners within weeks under the next phase of Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s coronavirus reopening plan , city officials are still trying to come up with a process so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Speaking to reporters Wednesday about the Lightfoot administration ’ s phase three industry guidelines , Commissioner Rosa Escareno of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection urged restaurateurs to apply for the city ’ s existing sidewalk cafe permits .
The annual permits must be renewed each year and start at $ 600 .
“ Our office actually has continued to operate , and we have continually processed sidewalk cafe permits , and we encourage restaurants who are interested in that permit to certainly come to our website or call us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process , ” Escareno said during a conference call with reporters .
Lightfoot has said the city likely will move to the next phase in early June , meaning many offices , day care centers , retailers and gyms also will open with new rules about cleanliness , face coverings and capacity .
The administration has dubbed the third phase “ Cautiously Reopen.
” Read more here .
—John Byrne 2:27 p.m. : Illinois movie theater owners push for 50 % capacity rather than 50-person limit when they reopen during Phase 4 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Illinois movie theater owners is pushing the state to revise its guidelines to allow cinemas — when they re-open — to seat more than 50 people .
That number is currently the maximum outlined under Governor J.B. Pritzker ’ s Restore Illinois plan , which has five phases .
Later this week , the state will be moving into Phase 3 , which allows for gatherings of up to 10 people in businesses including retail stores , salons and offices .
Movie theaters are part of the Phase 4 re-openings , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
The Illinois chapter of the National Association of Theater Owners ( NATO ) is hoping to see that number revised and is advocating for a proposal that would instead limit auditorium attendance to 50 % of an auditorium ’ s seating capacity .
New details – including the date of the virtual event and how it can be viewed – were released Wednesday by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot .
With traditional graduation ceremonies and other year-end milestones canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting shutdown of schools , city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the achievements of Chicago ’ s graduating seniors .
Read more here .
—Ariel Cheung 1:32 p.m. : More businesses are opening up in Illinois Friday : Tell us about your plans With much of Illinois — the big exception is the city of Chicago — moving to phase three of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s plan to reopen the state , more businesses will be open for consumers .
Restaurants and bars , gyms , salons , nonessential retail .
What do you plan to do Friday and this weekend ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what you ’ re thinking about as you make them .
Cook County courts will remain in shutdown mode until July 6 , though the system could start to reopen earlier instead if circumstances allow , Chief Judge Timothy Evans ’ office announced Wednesday .
Only essential and emergency court operations have been conducted in Cook County courts since mid-March .
Evans ’ order extending the shutdown was set to expire May 31 .
Evans considered slowly reopening more court proceedings on June 15 .
But more time and discussion are needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure that more proceedings will be conducted in a way that protects everybody , ” according to the statement .
Instead , he plans to enter an order on Thursday extending the slowdown until July 6 or until further notice .
The court system is also trying to get more Zoom licenses to conduct more court proceedings over the videoconferencing app , which has been used extensively to broadcast hearings since mid-April .
—Megan Crepeau The painful arithmetic of making up lost revenue for Chicago-area restaurants will not abate in June — even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming month — but some makeshift solutions are drawing ire from already shrunken customer bases .
Lettuce Entertain You , the city ’ s largest restaurant group with 85 restaurants across Chicagoland , recently added a 4 % surcharge to delivery and carryout orders .
Its dozens of eateries range from the high-end RPM Steak and French bistro Mon Ami Gabi to casual joints like Bub City .
“ These fees are a necessary step during a time when unanticipated costs have jeopardized the survival of our business , ” company president R.J. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Melman said the surcharge helps cover the expenses like personal protective equipment for employees and “ absorbing the greatest increase in food pricing since 1974.
” Meanwhile , backlash on social media forced the Lakeview-based Harold ’ s Chicken on Broadway to pull back on a surcharge the same day it was announced mid-May .
Customers posted photos of their receipts , highlighting the 26 % COVID-19 surcharge , and left one-star reviews on Yelp complaining of the practice .
Read more here .
—Ariel Cheung 10:41 a.m. : Large majority of CPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 2,200 have had no contact with teachers More than two months since schools statewide closed their doors because of COVID-19 , Chicago Public Schools has been unable to contact more than 2,250 students , according to newly released data .
And though the district is requiring schools to make contact with each student at least once a week , no school contact was recorded with 15 % of students for the week of May 11 , the only week broken down in data provided by CPS .
More than 93 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access and have connected in some way , according to the district .
9:29 a.m. : Jury trials again put off at federal court in Chicago The federal court system has been operating on a bare-bones basis since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
While the Dirksen U.S .
Courthouse downtown remains open , most hearings are being held remotely via video or teleconference .
Big groups of people need to gather for jury selection , and at least 12 jurors need to be in the same room to hear evidence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crepeau That ’ s surprisingly low considering the effort going into the global race for a vaccine against the coronavirus that has sparked a pandemic since first emerging from China late last year .
But more people might eventually roll up their sleeves : The poll , released Wednesday , found 31 % simply weren ’ t sure if they ’ d get vaccinated .
Another 1 in 5 said they ’ d refuse .
The CBOE Options Exchange ’ s trading floor , closed since mid-March because of the coronavirus , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host of new rules and likely far fewer traders .
Temperatures checks and medical screenings will occur at entrances .
Face coverings will be required at all times .
Testing for COVID-19 may occur .
Six feet of social distancing must be observed .
Drinking water on the trading floor will be permitted , but food delivery won ’ t .
And public transportation should be avoided .
The exchange ’ s trading floor has been enlarged and reconfigured and new capacity limits have been put in place .
As a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exchange expects half of traders to return .
The exchange ’ s offices in Chicago , as well as its global locations , will remain closed , with employees working remotely .
CBOE said anyone violating the pandemic safety rules could be subject to informal or formal disciplinary action or barred from the facilities .
Read more here .
—Mary Ellen Podmolik Deadlocked over the next big coronavirus relief bill , Congress is shifting its attention to a more modest overhaul of small-business aid in hopes of helping employers reopen shops and survive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give small employers more time to take advantage of federal subsidies for payroll and other costs is expected to pass the House this week , as lawmakers return to Washington for an abbreviated two-day session .
Yet absent from the agenda is formal talks between congressional leaders on the next phase of the federal coronavirus response .
Democrats have already pushed a $ 3 trillion-plus measure through the House , but negotiations with the GOP-controlled Senate and White House have yet to begin .
“ We can ’ t keep propping up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell said Tuesday in Lexington .
It was one of his first public appearances in his home state of Kentucky since mid-March because of the pandemic .
“ The ultimate solution is to begin to get back to normal , ” he said .
“ There are three things that are essential to have full normalcy — testing , treatment and vaccine.
” Read more here .
—Associated Press 6:35 a.m. : Deaths of more than two dozen residents of Far North Side nursing home tied to COVID-19 : ‘ It seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ For days , Mirella Bogdan tried reaching her father by phone after she found out he had been exposed to the novel coronavirus at his Far North Side nursing home .
She was never able to reach him .
Then , she was told he was taken to an area hospital .
A week later , after she ’ d been able to see him on a video chat but not talk to him , her father , Mitchel Bogdan , died from COVID-19 , acute hypoxic respiratory failure and pneumonia along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
—Elvia Malagon 6:30 a.m. : Preckwinkle vetoes ‘ extraordinarily bad ’ plan to share coronavirus-positive addresses with first responders In the first veto of her administration , Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Tuesday moved to block a resolution to share addresses of COVID-19 individuals with 911 dispatchers , the latest blow to a controversial practice at the center of a debate on protecting first responders at the cost of individuals ’ civil liberties .
Cook County Board members narrowly approved the resolution , which only applies to suburban Cook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion about the effects of the measure on black and Latino communities .
Read more here .
—Alice Yin 6:25 a.m. : The General Assembly adjourned its special pandemic session in the wee hours of a holiday weekend .
Here ’ s what you might have missed .
In a special legislative session called in response to the coronavirus pandemic , state lawmakers debated bills through masks and the Illinois House met on the floor of a downtown Springfield convention center to provide proper social distancing .
The three-day session stretched into four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a fifth day , Sunday , before lawmakers adjourned until the fall .
Here ’ s a look at what got done — and what didn ’ t .
—Dan Petrella Here are five things that happened Tuesday that you need to know :

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 100,000 on Wednesday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. This news came as Illinois officials on Wednesday announced 1,111 new known cases of COVID-19 and 160 additional deaths, pushing the statewide known case count to 114,306 total cases since the pandemic began. The statewide death toll now stands at 5,083.
With desperate Chicago restaurants set to be allowed to host outdoor diners within weeks under the next phase of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s coronavirus reopening plan, city officials are still trying to come up with a process so many of them can legally do so. Lightfoot has also said the city likely will move to the next phase in early June, meaning many offices, day care centers, retailers and gyms also will open with new rules about cleanliness, face coverings and capacity. The administration has dubbed the third phase “Cautiously Reopen.”
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The mayor on Tuesday released new rules for phase three of Chicago’s reopening plan.
The guidelines for Chicago come as many businesses across Illinois are preparing to reopen at the end of the week as all four regions of the state move into the next phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s five-phase reopening plan.
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[ When can Illinois reopen? Check our daily charts on where each region stands. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:54 p.m.: What’s the recovery rate for COVID-19 in Illinois? That number is now available. But it’s complicated.
As the state moves toward easing restrictions aimed at curbing the coronavirus pandemic, health officials have offered a new way to study how often people are recovering from the infection.
It’s called the recovery rate, and the Illinois Department of Public Health began publishing the figure on its website over Memorial Day weekend. The site states that, as of the last count, 92% of those who tested positive for the virus have recovered.
The figure may seem self-explanatory, but experts caution that the latest number must be interpreted carefully, with a heavy dose of context. For example, the 92% rate is based on a group of people whose cases were confirmed more than six weeks ago, at a time when testing was offered mainly to very sick patients. Read more here. — Joe Mahr
5:50 p.m.: Worker at Springfield convention center where Illinois House convened for special session last week tests positive for COVID-19
A worker at the Springfield convention center where the Illinois House convened for special session last week has tested positive for COVID-19.
Jessica Basham, chief of staff for House Speaker Michael Madigan, shared the news in an email to lawmakers and staff Wednesday, noting that “at this time it appears this individual had no interaction with any member or other staff person.”
The person who tested positive worked an eight-hour shift on Thursday, and was not in the space that was used for the makeshift House floor or a public viewing area, Basham wrote, adding that she is unaware of anyone else who was in Springfield for the session testing positive. Read more here. — Jamie Munks
4:59 p.m.: As non-COVID-19 patients return to Chicago-area emergency rooms, doctors see skyrocketing blood pressure and other side effects of delays in care. ‘It’s terrible, and it’s frightening.’
One patient ran out of medication during the COVID-19 pandemic and ended up in the Loyola University Medical Center emergency room with dangerously high blood pressure.
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Others, unwilling or unable to get consistent treatment for chronic conditions during the pandemic, have come in with out-of-control asthma, mental health crises or inadequately treated chronic kidney failure.
And then there are the patients who have been putting off treatment for chest pain.
“The ones that worry me the most are the patients that say I’ve been meaning to go to the doctor, but I couldn’t get in. And now they show up, and instead of anginal chest pain, they’re having an acute heart attack and injuring the heart,” said Dr. Mark Cichon, director of emergency medical services at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. Read more here. — Nara Schoenberg
4:54 p.m.: U.S. death toll from the coronavirus has surpassed 100,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University
U.S. death toll from the coronavirus has surpassed 100,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
100,000 deaths, a once-unthinkable toll that now appears to be just the beginning of untold misery in the months ahead as Las Vegas casinos and Walt Disney World make plans to reopen, crowds of unmasked Americans swarm beaches and public health officials predict a resurgence by fall. Read more here. — The Associated Press
4:41 p.m. (Updated): Chicago’s courthouses not yet ready to join list of reopenings, will remain in coronavirus shutdown mode
Operations in Chicago’s federal and county courthouses have again delayed resuming normal operations, as crowded courtroom galleries and jury boxes continue to be risky propositions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Jury trials at Chicago’s federal courthouse will not resume until at least Aug. 3, Chief Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer has ordered.
And Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans will order a continuation of county courts’ shutdown until July 6, though that system could start to reopen earlier if circumstances allow, his office announced Wednesday.
Both court systems have been operating on a bare-bones basis since March due to the coronavirus threat. While the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse remains open, as do most county courthouses, hearings are largely being held remotely via video or teleconference. Read more here. — Megan Crepeau
4:23 p.m.: Chicago to allow ‘shared streets’ program for residents to walk and bike in neighborhoods
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration is planning to create several blocks of shared streets on the North and Northwest sides to give people more room to walk and bike while social distancing, according to published reports.
Chicago Ald. Matt Martin, 47th, told residents in his newsletter Wednesday that the city’s shared streets pilot program will start Friday.
“You may have seen that most other major cities in the United States have implemented shared streets programs which allows pedestrians more space to socially distance while walking or running,” Martin’s newsletter said. “It’s important to know that a shared street does not close the street to local traffic, but does discourage through traffic.”
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The stretches of roadway identified are Cortland Avenue from Ridgeway Avenue to Rockwell Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood; Glenwood Avenue from Carmen Avenue to Devon Avenue, which runs through Edgewater and Uptown; Leland Avenue from Lincoln Avenue to Sheridan Road in Lincoln Square and Uptown; Palmer Street from Long Avenue to Kedzie Boulevard, in Hanson Park and Logan Square; Roscoe Street between Narragansett Avenue and Long Avenue, at the border of Portage Park and Belmont Cragin; and Wood Street from Cortland Street to North Avenue, in Bucktown.
The city’s plan was first reported by the transit Website Streetsblog Chicago. It was reported second by Block Club.
There also are plans in the works to create similar set-ups on the South Side, according to a city official.
All the streets listed are residential. As such, none of them has metered parking for cars, which would require the city to pay the company to which it leased its meters in a roundly derided 2008 deal for taking the spaces offline.
Other cities have set up streets with only limited access to vehicles, for people who live on them and those who need to make deliveries.
CDOT spokesman Michael Claffey said the city has been “engaging both the general public and key stakeholders to better understand transportation issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss potential solutions. As the City anticipates transitioning into a new phase of its re-opening plan sometime in June, CDOT is preparing plans to equitably re-allocate street space to residents, where feasible, for various uses beyond driving a car.” Read more here. — Chicago Tribune staff
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3:47 p.m.: In ‘grim milestone,’ Cook County medical examiner’s office tops 2019 caseload with more than 6,600 cases this year — over half from the coronavirus
The toll of Cook County’s death investigations during the first five months of 2020 already has surpassed last year’s total medical examiner’s caseload as the region continues to fight the deadly coronavirus, officials announced on Wednesday.
From the start of the year until now, the Cook County medical examiner’s office has ruled on more than 6,600 deaths, over half of whom were COVID-19 patients, board president Toni Preckwinkle said in a Wednesday press conference.
That’s hundreds of more cases than the county saw in all of 2019, which logged 6,274 cases. Preckwinkle, noting 2020 has yet to reach its halfway mark, said this was a “grim milestone.” Read more here. — Alice Yin
2:48 p.m.: Entering the marijuana industry is hard. For those applying under social equity rules, the coronavirus adds a new challenge.
Opening a marijuana business has never been easy.
The industry is highly regulated. Weed is still illegal under federal law, which makes it harder for companies to land financing. And finding a site can be difficult and expensive because the rules on where a cannabis business can locate vary wildly from town to town.
To foster opportunities for entrepreneurs of color to break into an industry that has seen sales of about $147.5 million of recreational weed just in the first four months, the state’s recreational marijuana law laid out specific social equity rules. But now the COVID-19 pandemic could threaten some startups’ efforts to diversify the largely white-owned industry as they run out of time and money. Read more here. —Ally Marotti
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2:40 p.m.: Officials report 1,111 new known COVID-19 cases and 160 more deaths
State officials on Wednesday announced 1,111 new known cases of COVID-19 and 160 additional deaths, pushing the statewide known case count to 114,306 total cases since the pandemic began. The statewide death toll now stands at 5,083.
2:30 p.m.: Lightfoot’s administration outlines Chicago’s rules for outdoor dining, office capacity under next phase of city’s coronavirus reopening
With desperate Chicago restaurants set to be allowed to host outdoor diners within weeks under the next phase of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s coronavirus reopening plan, city officials are still trying to come up with a process so many of them can legally do so.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday about the Lightfoot administration’s phase three industry guidelines, Commissioner Rosa Escareno of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection urged restaurateurs to apply for the city’s existing sidewalk cafe permits. The annual permits must be renewed each year and start at $600.
“Our office actually has continued to operate, and we have continually processed sidewalk cafe permits, and we encourage restaurants who are interested in that permit to certainly come to our website or call us, and we are definitely continuing that process,” Escareno said during a conference call with reporters.
Lightfoot has said the city likely will move to the next phase in early June, meaning many offices, day care centers, retailers and gyms also will open with new rules about cleanliness, face coverings and capacity. The administration has dubbed the third phase “Cautiously Reopen.” Read more here. —John Byrne
2:27 p.m.: Illinois movie theater owners push for 50% capacity rather than 50-person limit when they reopen during Phase 4 of the state COVID-19 plan
A trade group of Illinois movie theater owners is pushing the state to revise its guidelines to allow cinemas — when they re-open — to seat more than 50 people. That number is currently the maximum outlined under Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, which has five phases.
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Later this week, the state will be moving into Phase 3, which allows for gatherings of up to 10 people in businesses including retail stores, salons and offices. Movie theaters are part of the Phase 4 re-openings, which limits gatherings to no more than 50 people.
The Illinois chapter of the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) is hoping to see that number revised and is advocating for a proposal that would instead limit auditorium attendance to 50% of an auditorium’s seating capacity.
The trade group is also pushing to open earlier. Read more here. —Nina Metz
1:40 p.m.: New details announced for Oprah-led graduation ceremony for Chicago’s high school seniors
Chicago’s first-ever citywide virtual graduation ceremony will features city-connected names including Oprah Winfrey, Miguel Cervantes of “Hamilton” and Katie Kadan of “The Voice” and more “surprised celebrities.”
New details – including the date of the virtual event and how it can be viewed – were released Wednesday by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
With traditional graduation ceremonies and other year-end milestones canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting shutdown of schools, city officials sought a unique alternative for celebrating the achievements of Chicago’s graduating seniors. Read more here. —Ariel Cheung
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1:32 p.m.: More businesses are opening up in Illinois Friday: Tell us about your plans
With much of Illinois — the big exception is the city of Chicago — moving to phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to reopen the state, more businesses will be open for consumers. Restaurants and bars, gyms, salons, nonessential retail.
What do you plan to do Friday and this weekend? We would love to hear your plans and what you’re thinking about as you make them.
Click here to fill out a survey to let us know. —Chicago Tribune staff
1:10 p.m.: Cook County courts will remain in shutdown mode until July 6
Cook County courts will remain in shutdown mode until July 6, though the system could start to reopen earlier instead if circumstances allow, Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ office announced Wednesday.
Only essential and emergency court operations have been conducted in Cook County courts since mid-March. Evans’ order extending the shutdown was set to expire May 31.
Evans considered slowly reopening more court proceedings on June 15. But more time and discussion are needed to plan a phase-in that would “ensure that more proceedings will be conducted in a way that protects everybody,” according to the statement. Instead, he plans to enter an order on Thursday extending the slowdown until July 6 or until further notice.
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Reopening plans have not been finalized but would involve face coverings, physical distancing and room capacity limits among other measures, the statement read.
The court system is also trying to get more Zoom licenses to conduct more court proceedings over the videoconferencing app, which has been used extensively to broadcast hearings since mid-April. —Megan Crepeau
12:30 p.m.: Chicago restaurants test COVID-19 surcharges as costs mount, but customer backlash forces one to retreat
The painful arithmetic of making up lost revenue for Chicago-area restaurants will not abate in June — even if reopening plans move forward in the coming month — but some makeshift solutions are drawing ire from already shrunken customer bases.
Lettuce Entertain You, the city’s largest restaurant group with 85 restaurants across Chicagoland, recently added a 4% surcharge to delivery and carryout orders. Its dozens of eateries range from the high-end RPM Steak and French bistro Mon Ami Gabi to casual joints like Bub City.
“These fees are a necessary step during a time when unanticipated costs have jeopardized the survival of our business,” company president R.J. Melman said in an emailed statement. Melman said the surcharge helps cover the expenses like personal protective equipment for employees and “absorbing the greatest increase in food pricing since 1974.”
Meanwhile, backlash on social media forced the Lakeview-based Harold’s Chicken on Broadway to pull back on a surcharge the same day it was announced mid-May. Customers posted photos of their receipts, highlighting the 26% COVID-19 surcharge, and left one-star reviews on Yelp complaining of the practice. Read more here. —Ariel Cheung
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10:41 a.m.: Large majority of CPS students participate in remote learning, but more than 2,200 have had no contact with teachers
More than two months since schools statewide closed their doors because of COVID-19, Chicago Public Schools has been unable to contact more than 2,250 students, according to newly released data.
And though the district is requiring schools to make contact with each student at least once a week, no school contact was recorded with 15% of students for the week of May 11, the only week broken down in data provided by CPS.
More than 93% of students in district-managed schools have digital access and have connected in some way, according to the district.
But engagement rates were lower among black and Latino students. Read more here. —Hannah Leone
9:29 a.m.: Jury trials again put off at federal court in Chicago
Jury trials at Chicago’s federal courthouse will not resume until at least Aug. 3, Chief Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer has ordered.
The federal court system has been operating on a bare-bones basis since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse downtown remains open, most hearings are being held remotely via video or teleconference.
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While bench trials, pleas and sentencing hearings can proceed remotely in some circumstances, criminal jury trials present a particular problem in a pandemic, and Pallmeyer’s order Tuesday urged caution.
"Social-distancing guidelines might render juror participation difficult or unsafe, including during juror check-in and jury selection," she wrote.
Big groups of people need to gather for jury selection, and at least 12 jurors need to be in the same room to hear evidence and deliberate. Read more here. —Megan Crepeau
9:25 a.m.: AP poll: Only about half of Americans would get a COVID-19 vaccine
Only about half of Americans say they would get a COVID-19 vaccine if the scientists working furiously to create one succeed, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
That’s surprisingly low considering the effort going into the global race for a vaccine against the coronavirus that has sparked a pandemic since first emerging from China late last year. But more people might eventually roll up their sleeves: The poll, released Wednesday, found 31% simply weren’t sure if they’d get vaccinated. Another 1 in 5 said they’d refuse.
Health experts already worry about the whiplash if vaccine promises like President Donald Trump’s goal of a 300 million-dose stockpile by January fail. Only time and science will tell — and the new poll shows the public is indeed skeptical. Read more here. —Associated Press
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9:24 a.m.: CBOE to reopen trading floor, but with far fewer traders and a lot more rules
The CBOE Options Exchange’s trading floor, closed since mid-March because of the coronavirus, will reopen June 8 in Chicago with a host of new rules and likely far fewer traders.
Temperatures checks and medical screenings will occur at entrances. Face coverings will be required at all times. Testing for COVID-19 may occur. Six feet of social distancing must be observed. Drinking water on the trading floor will be permitted, but food delivery won’t. And public transportation should be avoided.
The exchange’s trading floor has been enlarged and reconfigured and new capacity limits have been put in place.
As a result of the guidelines detailed by CBOE, the exchange expects half of traders to return. The exchange’s offices in Chicago, as well as its global locations, will remain closed, with employees working remotely.
CBOE said anyone violating the pandemic safety rules could be subject to informal or formal disciplinary action or barred from the facilities. Read more here. —Mary Ellen Podmolik
7:29 a.m.: Congress shifts focus to overhauling Paycheck Protection Program
Deadlocked over the next big coronavirus relief bill, Congress is shifting its attention to a more modest overhaul of small-business aid in hopes of helping employers reopen shops and survive the pandemic.
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Bipartisan legislation that would give small employers more time to take advantage of federal subsidies for payroll and other costs is expected to pass the House this week, as lawmakers return to Washington for an abbreviated two-day session.
Yet absent from the agenda is formal talks between congressional leaders on the next phase of the federal coronavirus response. Democrats have already pushed a $3 trillion-plus measure through the House, but negotiations with the GOP-controlled Senate and White House have yet to begin.
“We can’t keep propping up the economy forever,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday in Lexington. It was one of his first public appearances in his home state of Kentucky since mid-March because of the pandemic.
“The ultimate solution is to begin to get back to normal,” he said. “There are three things that are essential to have full normalcy — testing, treatment and vaccine.” Read more here. —Associated Press
6:35 a.m.: Deaths of more than two dozen residents of Far North Side nursing home tied to COVID-19: ‘It seemed like there was nothing we could do’
For days, Mirella Bogdan tried reaching her father by phone after she found out he had been exposed to the novel coronavirus at his Far North Side nursing home.
She was never able to reach him. Then, she was told he was taken to an area hospital. A week later, after she’d been able to see him on a video chat but not talk to him, her father, Mitchel Bogdan, died from COVID-19, acute hypoxic respiratory failure and pneumonia along with other illnesses contributing. Read more here. —Elvia Malagon
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6:30 a.m.: Preckwinkle vetoes ‘extraordinarily bad’ plan to share coronavirus-positive addresses with first responders
In the first veto of her administration, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Tuesday moved to block a resolution to share addresses of COVID-19 individuals with 911 dispatchers, the latest blow to a controversial practice at the center of a debate on protecting first responders at the cost of individuals’ civil liberties.
Cook County Board members narrowly approved the resolution, which only applies to suburban Cook County, last week following a heated discussion about the effects of the measure on black and Latino communities. Read more here. —Alice Yin
6:25 a.m.: The General Assembly adjourned its special pandemic session in the wee hours of a holiday weekend. Here’s what you might have missed.
In a special legislative session called in response to the coronavirus pandemic, state lawmakers debated bills through masks and the Illinois House met on the floor of a downtown Springfield convention center to provide proper social distancing.
The three-day session stretched into four and then into the early morning hours of a fifth day, Sunday, before lawmakers adjourned until the fall. Here’s a look at what got done — and what didn’t. —Dan Petrella
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
May 26
Here are five things that happened Tuesday that you need to know:


chicagotribune--2020-05-28--What’s the recovery rate for COVID-19 in Illinois? That number is now available. But it’s complicate

What’s the recovery rate for COVID-19 in Illinois? That number is now available. But it’s complicated.

The figure may seem self-explanatory , but experts caution that the latest number must be interpreted carefully , with a @ @ @ @ @ For example , the 92 % rate is based on a group of people whose @ @ @ @ @ six weeks ago , at a time when testing was offered mainly to very sick @ @

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)
As the state moves toward easing restrictions aimed at curbing the coronavirus pandemic, health officials have offered a new way to study how often people are recovering from the infection.
It’s called the recovery rate, and the Illinois Department of Public Health began publishing the figure on its website over Memorial Day weekend. The site states that, as of the last count, 92% of those who tested positive for the virus have recovered.
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The figure may seem self-explanatory, but experts caution that the latest number must be interpreted carefully, with a heavy dose of context. For example, the 92% rate is based on a group of people whose cases were confirmed more than six weeks ago, at a time when testing was offered mainly to very sick patients.
“They were disproportionately sampling the most severe cases,” said University of Chicago associate professor Sarah Cobey, who runs a lab that studies pathogens and their hosts and, more recently, has created models forecasting the coronavirus’ spread.
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[ When can Illinois reopen? Check our daily charts on where each region stands. ]
Here are some things to know about the state’s recovery rate, and other ways to look at how deadly the virus is:
What’s a recovery rate?
To do the math, the health department took data from May 21 and focused on cases of people who had tested positive for the virus more than 42 days earlier. Focusing on the earliest cases helped ensure that people had had sufficient time to fight off the virus.
The health department broke that group into those who remained alive and those who died. Then it divided the number of survivors by the total number of people known to be infected.
Here’s the math: 19,725 recovered cases divided by 21,440 total cases equals 92%.
Asked Wednesday about the figure, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state decided to post it online because state officials had been asked to address how often people recovered.
“What we’re trying to do is to make sure that people understand that, when you get COVID-19, it is not a death sentence,” Pritzker told reporters.
But if you continue the math, it means the rest of those infected — or 8% — did not recover. And that’s where the interpretation gets trickier.
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
So 8% of infected people die from the virus?
No. Experts say it’s important to note that the rate is based only on known COVID-19 cases identified awhile back. And that’s a big caveat.
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Remember how hard it was to get tested in the early part of the pandemic? With supplies scarce, often only the sickest of the sick could obtain a test.
“Six weeks ago, the people who were being tested were primarily very sick people due to the low availability of testing. So sadly, they were more likely to die,” said Nigel Goldenfeld, a University of Illinois physics professor who has worked with university colleague Sergei Maslov to develop COVID case forecasts for the state.
Illinois has since ramped up testing, from about a few thousand tests a day in late March to about 20,000 to 25,000 a day now.
With more testing, Goldenfeld said, the calculated recovery rate should increase. But that rate is not the only way to look at how dangerous the virus is.
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
How else is mortality studied?
Some researchers use another metric that is a bit simpler to understand, but also isn’t perfect. They take the total number of deaths, and divide by the total number of known cases, to compute a case fatality rate.
Here’s how it would look for Illinois, as of Wednesday: 5,083 total deaths divided by 114,306 total cases equals 4.4%. In other words, of all known infections, regardless of when they occurred, at least one of every 23 has been fatal.
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Johns Hopkins University uses this formula for its mortality research on the pandemic. It has calculated a COVID-19 death rate of 5.9% in the United States.
That figure is higher than Illinois'. But, again, the amount of testing plays a key role.
Illinois has been testing a higher percentage of its residents than most states. Why does that matter? Doing more tests will turn up more cases among people who aren’t that sick.
Those people are less likely to die. So discovering more milder cases decreases a state’s death rate.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
What’s the bottom line? How deadly is COVID-19?
Researchers say what they really want to figure out is something called the infection-fatality rate: Of all the people infected, regardless of whether they were ever tested, how many died?
That calculation would account for people who were not tested because they had no symptoms, or they showed symptoms at a time when they were encouraged not to seek a test if they could tough it out at home.
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In Illinois, any person showing symptoms is now encouraged to be tested. Essential workers are also encouraged to get a test even if they don’t have symptoms. But researchers still believe many cases are going unrecorded.
“We’re missing the majority of infections that are occurring in the state,” Cobey said.
Scientists across the world have arrived at various infection-fatality rates after estimating the true number of people infected. Australian researchers whittled those estimates down to 13 that could be synthesized to come up with a universal figure. That figure: 0.75%, or roughly one death for every 133 people infected.
Pritzker alluded to that figure Wednesday in discussing ways that fatality is measured.
But the Australian researchers cautioned that the true rate likely could be anywhere between 0.49% (roughly 1 in 204) to 1.01% (1 in 99).
Even then, experts note, more research needs to be done on how widely this rate varies among different age groups and people with underlying health conditions.
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In other words, the true odds of any individual recovering from the virus depend on many factors and are difficult to know.
jmahr@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-29--Facing multiple legal battles with churches, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to lift 10-person limit

Facing multiple legal battles with churches, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to lift 10-person limit on services in new stay-at-home order

The move comes as the state moves into phase three of Pritzker ’ s reopening plan , with a wider @ @ @ @ @ doors for the first time in more than two months .
On Thursday , the @ @ @ @ @ issued new guidelines for houses of worship , hours before the state responded to the @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit by two churches seeking to block Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order .

Banners hang over windows at Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood on Sunday, May 17, 2020. The church is one of two Chicago-area churches challenging a provision in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order that limited the number of people who can gather for in-person religious services. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Facing a barrage of legal challenges from churches, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to remove a provision limiting the number of people who can attend in-person religious services when he signs a new version of his statewide stay-at-home order on Friday.
The move comes as the state moves into phase three of Pritzker’s reopening plan, with a wider range of businesses opening their doors for the first time in more than two months. On Thursday, the Illinois Department of Public Health issued new guidelines for houses of worship, hours before the state responded to the U.S. Supreme Court in a lawsuit by two churches seeking to block Pritzker’s stay-at-home order.
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Pritzker’s extended stay-at-home order, issued April 30 and set to expire after Friday, added religious services to the list of “essential” activities for which residents are permitted to leave their homes but mandated that they be limited to 10 or fewer people.
In its Supreme Court filing, the state argues that the churches’ request is moot because Pritzker “has announced that after that date religious gatherings will no longer be subject to mandatory restrictions.”
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“Having received many plans and ideas from responsible faith leaders, IDPH has reviewed many detailed proposals and has provided guidance, not mandatory restrictions, for all faith leaders to use in their efforts to ensure the health and safety of their congregants,” Pritzker said Thursday at his daily press briefing.
That includes “suggestions” for capacity limits and limited indoor gatherings to 10 people or fewer, he said.
The health department’s guidelines stress that holding remote services, like those that are broadcast or held online, or drive-in services continues to be the safest way for people to worship.
“The desire for the human connection of worshiping together, particularly during a time of crisis, is understandable,” the guidelines say. “However, gatherings of any size pose a risk of COVID-19 transmission.”
Faith communities that choose to hold in-person services can limit the risk by holding them outdoors or limiting indoor gatherings to 10 or fewer participants, in all cases following precautions including wearing masks and keeping 6 feet of distance between people from separate households, according to the health department.
“Where the 10-person limit cannot be followed in places of worship,” the guidelines recommend steps such as limiting attendance to 25% or normal capacity or 100 people, whichever is lower.
Public health officials also discourage the “riskiest activities,” including singing, group recitation, sharing food and drinks, and hugging or shaking hands.
A pair of Chicago-area churches are challenging the provision in Pritzker’s statewide stay-at-home order that has limited the number of people who can gather for in-person religious services.
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Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries requested an emergency writ of injunctive relief from the U.S. Supreme Court by Sunday, the Christian holy day of Pentecost.
In a legal filing, the churches say the gathering limit in Pritzker’s statewide stay-at-home order amounts to “arbitrary and discriminatory treatment of houses of worship” and violates their constitutional rights.
“Churches do not seek to undermine Illinois’ unquestionable interest in protecting its citizenry, or to be wholly exempt from reasonable restrictions imposed for the good of their congregants and communities — whom they love,” the filing states.
It goes on to add that that Pritzker’s orders “inflict irreparable harm” when “worship services are threatened by criminal and regulatory enforcement actions.”
Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church, in the Northwest Side’s Albany Park neighborhood, held worship services May 10, and in the legal filing contends it exceeded public health guidance for social distancing and disinfecting and took temperatures of worshippers upon their entry.
“Concerns about being fined, arrested, hauled off to jail, or subjected to other punitive measures have interfered with and diminished its collective worship experience, to a much greater extent than COVID-19 and the resulting precautionary measures it has voluntarily employed, ever could,” the lawsuit states.
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Elim Romanian Pentecostal was among three churches fined by Chicago police for holding worship services earlier this month.
On May 13, Judge Robert Gettleman denied the two churches’ attempt to hold services despite the stay-at-home order, calling the request for a preliminary injunction “both ill-founded and selfish,” and said a restraining order would put congregants and their greater communities at risk.
The pastor of Logos Baptist Ministries, in Niles, vowed to continue to hold in-person services after the federal ruling.
The initial statewide stay-at-home order took effect March 21, and the state is slated to move Friday into phase three of Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” reopening plan. The order has largely been upheld to date in the face of legal challenges by other churches and religious organizations, businesses and Republican lawmakers.
State Rep. Darren Bailey, a Republican from Xenia, sued Pritzker over the order last month and a Clay County Circuit Court judge ruled in his favor, issuing a temporary restraining order allowing him, but only him, to disregard Pritzker’s order.
The Illinois attorney general’s office appealed the ruling, and Bailey withdrew the lawsuit, to refile it with new information, which he did earlier this month.
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dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-29--Trump extends National Guard deployments after outcry over benefits

“ After four letters and a new bill , Trump finally got my message : The 40,000 National Guards troop @ @ @ @ @ deserve full benefits for putting themselves at risk to protect the rest of us , @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m glad that , after repeatedly trying to nickel and dime our troops @ @ @ @ @ cynical ploy to cut off the Title 32 authorization at 89 days to deny members @ @ @ @ @ to federal benefits that require 90 days of service .
”

Members of the Illinois National Guard perform vehicle checks on their convoy before sunrise March 26, 2020, in the parking lot of Rivers Casino to begin the day's work. The Guard is running a coronavirus testing facility open to first responders on the Northwest Side. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
President Donald Trump said Thursday he would extend federally covered National Guard deployments to deal with the coronavirus pandemic through mid-August amid an outcry that an earlier cutoff date would deny members access to benefits.
“The men and women of the National Guard have been doing a great job fighting the Coronavirus. This week, I will extend their Title 32 orders through mid-August, so they can continue to help states succeed in their response and recovery efforts,” the president tweeted.
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The Title 32 designation means that the Guard’s activations are federally funded, saving the states from the cost of utilizing Guard members. Trump’s previous extension of Guard deployment lasted until June 24 — one day before thousands of members would have qualified for education and retirement benefits.
Administration critics questioned whether the original date was set intentionally in an effort to avoid awarding benefits, including access to the post-9/11 GI Bill, that become available after 90 days of activation in a federal emergency.
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“While today’s decision to extend the service of our men and women in the National Guard is a step in the right direction, it shouldn’t have taken this long or required public pressure,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of Moline.
Bustos was among more than 70 members of Congress who sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper more than a week ago asking for an extension of Guard deployment.
“This pandemic has no end date, which is why we need these servicemen and women,” Bustos said of Trump’s latest extension. “They are vital to our response to COVID-19 and should be activated for the duration of the president’s emergency and disaster declarations.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois last week introduced legislation to mandate the deployment benefits in light of the situation Guard members faced.
“After four letters and a new bill, Trump finally got my message: The 40,000 National Guards troop responding to the COVID-19 pandemic deserve full benefits for putting themselves at risk to protect the rest of us,” she said. “I’m glad that, after repeatedly trying to nickel and dime our troops, he finally abandoned his cynical ploy to cut off the Title 32 authorization at 89 days to deny members of the National Guard access to federal benefits that require 90 days of service.”
The president’s deployment extension also came after 42 governors signed a letter to him requesting the continued Guard activation. The letter was signed by the bipartisan leaders of the National Governors Association and included the signature of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
“As states and territories move toward recovery and reopening, our National Guard will be critical in supporting operations such as testing, distribution of personal protective equipment, supply and food chain support, augmenting staff at nursing homes, and supporting warehouse operations,” the letter said.
“Likewise, our National Guard are perfectly positioned to support the federally defined core state preparedness responsibilities outlined in your Guidelines for Opening Up America Again,” it said.
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rap30@aol.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-29--Chicago Superintendent David Brown condemns police actions that led to death of George Floyd as prot

Chicago Superintendent David Brown condemns police actions that led to death of George Floyd as protesters march on South Side

“ There ’ s no mayor in any big city that has the diversity that we have here in Chicago @ @ @ @ @ thinking every single day , watching what ’ s happening in Minneapolis , ‘ this @ @ @ @ @ could be our city , this could be us going through this incredibly challenging time @ @ @ @ @ .
“ To watch the entirety of that video and to see the life leave @ @ @ @ @ ground , begging ... for his life , say he can ’ t breathe , @ @ @ @ @ then seeing when the paramedics came how callously they treated him , almost like he @ @ @ @ @ , it sickened me .
And I want to make sure that something like that @ @ @ @ @ our city .
”

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
To avoid a local repeat of the videotaped death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown on Thursday ordered that his officers undergo mandatory training in light of the incident that has generated outrage across the country.
The death of Floyd, who died after being restrained on the ground earlier this week, has sparked violent protests and prompted that city’s mayor to ask the governor to activate the National Guard. Floyd, who was black, was seen on video saying he could not breathe while a white officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
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[ Mayor Lori Lightfoot compares Minneapolis’ George Floyd case to Chicago’s Laquan McDonald slaying ]
In a statement, Brown said he addressed the incident with his CPD commanders Thursday morning and asked that they discuss it with their officers.
Protesters in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood clash with Chicago police on May 28, 2020, in reaction to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
“I have ordered mandatory training on positional asphyxiation to be completed by every officer throughout the department by the end of each tour today,” Brown said. “I have also required officers to view the video of this incident.”
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A Chicago protest of the incident began late Thursday afternoon at 68th and Halsted streets in Englewood. Several dozen marchers carried signs that read, “BLACK LIVES MATTER,” “WE DEMAND POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY” and “GEORGE FLOYD’S LIFE MATTERED,” as they chanted slogans.
As the group walked south down Halsted, at times in traffic as passing cars honked in support, one of the protesters, Shayla Turner, 18, said she was “fed up” due to the events in Minneapolis and violence in general. And she said she understood the anger that erupted in fires and property damage in that city.
“Peaceful protests don’t do anything anymore,” Turner said. “So yeah, I guess this would be the last straw, but I can’t speak for all black people.”
About 10 minutes later, several police squad cars raced down Halsted to 70th Street along with officers on bicycles. Police tried to maneuver the crowd back to the sidewalk as some protesters stood toe to toe with them. There was one arrest reported, but police said the march ended without incident.
[ Who was George Floyd? Unemployed due to coronavirus, he’d moved to Minneapolis for a fresh start. ]
In his statement, Brown joined the chorus of other police leaders around the country who have spoken out on Floyd’s death.
In response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, people protest against the police in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood on May 28, 2020. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
“What took place in Minneapolis earlier this week is absolutely reprehensible and tarnished the badge nationwide, including here in Chicago,” Brown said. “I want to make it clear that this behavior is not acceptable in Chicago, will not be tolerated under my command and quite frankly has no place in law enforcement anywhere.
“The Chicago Police Department has been working very hard to develop authentic relationships and restore trust with our communities, and the actions that led to George Floyd’s death certainly make our job more difficult.”
[ Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd by kneeling on his neck had nearly 20 prior complaints ]
Brown also said the actions of the Minneapolis police “are not reflective of the overwhelming amount of officers committed to constitutional policing nationwide” and that “any officer who abuses their power or stands by and allows it to happen does not deserve to wear the badge, period.”
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot also weighed in on Floyd’s death on Thursday, saying it reminded her of the trauma of the killing of black teenager Laquan McDonald by white Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke in 2014, which also was captured on video.
“There’s no mayor in any big city that has the diversity that we have here in Chicago who can’t be thinking every single day, watching what’s happening in Minneapolis, ‘this could be me, this could be our city, this could be us going through this incredibly challenging time,’ ” Lightfoot said. “To watch the entirety of that video and to see the life leave another human being on the ground, begging ... for his life, say he can’t breathe, getting no relief and just then seeing when the paramedics came how callously they treated him, almost like he was a piece of meat, it sickened me. And I want to make sure that something like that doesn’t happen in our city.”
jgorner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-29--Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Chicago will move to phase 3 of her reopening plan on June 3 but warns: ‘C

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Chicago will move to phase 3 of her reopening plan on June 3 but warns: ‘COVID-19 is still very much part of our present’

“ What I don ’ t want to see happen is scenes that we ’ ve seen , for example @ @ @ @ @ where you open up a resource that people really love and enjoy , and then @ @ @ @ @ see people abandoning all of the hard work and social distancing and public health guidance @ @ @ @ @ the point where we can even talk about opening , ” Lightfoot said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ thoughtful and methodical .
We ’ re talking to a lot of different stakeholders .
@

Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday delivered the news stir-crazy and out-of-work Chicagoans have been awaiting for weeks: Restaurants, hotels and many more businesses will get to start opening Wednesday, albeit with reduced capacities and tight rules in place designed to stop COVID-19 cases from spiking as more people emerge after months under a stricter stay-at-home order.
The opening of libraries and park buildings west of the lakefront, along with other city services, will happen on June 8, Lightfoot said. The mayor said she will have to see how things go with these initial steps before considering reopening the city’s lakefront.
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Even as she made the announcement, Lightfoot struck a warning note: Screw this up and I’ll send the city back to the tougher restrictions of phase two.
[ Lightfoot administration outlines Chicago’s rules for outdoor dining, office capacity under next phase of city’s coronavirus reopening ]
“Let’s be clear: Under no circumstances should our move to phase three be confused with this crisis being over because it’s not. COVID-19 is still very much part of our present. I can’t emphasize this enough," Lightfoot said. “And as we reopen, please understand that we are doing so with the full knowledge that we cannot totally eliminate risk of this virus.”
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“Having a resurgence in cases is more than just a risk, it’s a very real possibility, and we have seen this in other states. All we have to do is look to the north, the south, the east or the west for examples," she said. “And if this happens, we will not hesitate to take the necessary steps, including moving back into phase two if necessary. So folks, let’s just be smart.”
Restaurants will only be allowed to serve diners in areas deemed outdoors, including at tables that are inside but close to large doors or windows that are thrown open.
The mayor acknowledged these standards will be tough to meet for smaller neighborhood eateries. Lightfoot has pushed in recent weeks to include some indoor dining options, and said she has been discussing with Gov. J.B. Pritzker how to achieve that.
“I want to make sure that we are aligned with the governor’s vision, but I have talked to him specifically about the challenges that many of our neighborhood restaurants face,” Lightfoot said. “The reality is, they may not have the resources or the personnel to be able to have their dining be completely outside, completely alfresco. They need to have that indoor dining component.”
Lightfoot also said the city will set up a “fast-track permit” for restaurants to quickly apply for outdoor dining permits.
[ Here’s what will be different Friday, when most of the state (but not Chicago) moves into phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan ]
The news sent restaurateurs into overdrive to try to get ready for the new reality after months of very little revenue even as Chicago’s usually lucrative warm weather dining season got underway.
Fountainhead in Ravenswood is known for its rooftop scene and extensive whiskey selection. Aaron Zacharias, founder of the Fountainhead Hospitality Group, said the restaurant plans to reopen the rooftop June 3. Solidifying staffing before that date will be the biggest issue to navigate, Zacharias said.
“Trying to bring people back by June 3 is a very difficult task, (and) making sure that this fits within their schedules. So that’s really what we’re trying to figure out,” he said. “(We’re) making sure that … everyone is comfortable, and willing and able to come back to work in a healthy environment. … You have to get the whole team involved and kind of retrain (everyone). It’s a different operational system, and everyone needs to be very comfortable with it.”
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Zeeshan Shah, a co-owner and chef at Superkhana International in Logan Square, said the modern Indian restaurant’s enclosed courtyard area poses an extra complication because diners would still have to walk through the front door to get to it. Shah said the restaurant’s capacity would be “super limited.”
“We want to get to a point where we can serve people from the window on the Albany Street side, so we just want to get to that point sooner than later,” Shah said.
Though state legislators last week approved “cocktails-to-go” legislation to help beleaguered bars across Illinois sell more takeaway libations, Lightfoot said she wants aldermen to help craft the Chicago rules, which won’t happen until June at the earliest.
[ What to know if you plan to hang out with 10 people or fewer this weekend ]
Phase three also could see as many as 130,000 Chicago workers in retail and office buildings reentering the workforce.
Lightfoot on Thursday said many Loop businesses have said they won’t expect their employees to come back in until late summer or fall at the earliest, but she called on employers to let workers continue working from home or staggering start times to ease crowding that could spread the virus on CTA trains and buses.
And with summertime upon us, the mayor held her ground on waiting to open the lakefront. There’s too much risk of a backslide if people crowd beaches and the Lakefront Trail, which could lead to a spike in cases, she said.
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“What I don’t want to see happen is scenes that we’ve seen, for example, from other states, where you open up a resource that people really love and enjoy, and then it gets mobbed and you see people abandoning all of the hard work and social distancing and public health guidance that really got us to the point where we can even talk about opening,” Lightfoot said. “So we are being really thoughtful and methodical. We’re talking to a lot of different stakeholders.”
“We want a plan where we don’t have to say ‘OK, this is terrible, we’ve got to shut it back down,’" she said.
Lightfoot’s administration announced Chicago’s phase three reopening plans earlier this week for various industries including restaurants and child care facilities, nonessential retail stores, hotels and limited services at hair and nail salons as well as barbershops.
[ Illinois stores everywhere but Chicago can start reopening Friday. Here’s what to expect in phase 3. ]
Not included in Lightfoot’s plans are guidelines for reopening sporting events, bars, religious services, outdoor performances, summer programs and youth activities, the lakefront and museums. Those standards “will be available later in phase three when those entities are predicted to begin reopening,” according to the administration.
Lightfoot’s announcement Thursday afternoon came as the rest of the state prepares for looser coronavirus restrictions.
Pritzker, whose initial stay-at-home order went into effect on March 21, previously released his statewide guidelines for reopening and said Illinois is on track to advance to phase three on Friday. Lightfoot has the authority to set stricter rules for Chicago than Pritzker’s statewide framework, but she can’t enact looser ones.
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Pritzker confirmed Thursday that all four regions of Illinois will move to the third phase of his five-phase reopening plan on Friday. “And while it’s at least a few weeks off, I want to affirm that the three metrics that have brought us from phase two to phase three will be the same as those that will move us into phase four,” Pritzker said at his daily news briefing.
The 28-day tracking period for all four regions will reset on Friday, meaning the earliest any region could move into the next phase is June 26, Pritzker said. To move to the next phase, the percentage of positive tests must remain at or below 20% and not increase by more than 10 percentage points for 14 days, hospital admissions for COVID-19 must remain flat for 28 days, and there must be enough available hospital and intensive-care beds and ventilators to handle a 14% surge in patients.
The announcement came as officials reported 1,527 new cases of the coronavirus and 104 more fatalities, bringing the total of known cases to 115,833 and the death toll to 5,186 statewide since the start of the pandemic. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said 44% of those deaths are tied to long-term care facilities.
[ Suburban restaurants open for outdoor dining Friday. Here’s what to know. ]
The plan Pritzker presented in early May also says that to move into phase four — when restaurants could open for dine-in service, among other changes — coronavirus testing should be available to anyone who wants it, regardless of symptoms, and that each region should be able to begin tracing the contacts of those who test positive within 24 hours in 90% of cases.
Ezike called those “internal goals” rather than strict requirements such as stabilized positivity rates and hospitalizations and available health care capacity.
The state will continue to expand testing and contact tracing, she said, “but, again, that is not going to hold the state back.”
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“But we know that that is an important part of the master plan in order to keep our state safe, to be able to quickly, rapidly identify people who are positive and be able to identify their contacts so that they can stand down before they potentially infect someone else,” Ezike said.
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