The latest
Pritzker to self-isolate after staff member tests positive for COVID-19
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will self-isolate for 14 days after a member of his staff tested positive for COVID-19.
The staff member, who was not identified by state officials, tested positive for the virus Monday after testing negative for the virus last week during weekly testing, according to Pritzker’s office.
That staffer attended events with Pritzker on Wednesday in Chicago, Thursday in Marion and Sunday in Marseilles; both the governor and the staffer were wearing masks during their interactions.
News
10:21 a.m. Will extended hours be enough to save Chicago bars?
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/20003959/1226139906.jpg "Gov. J.B. Pritzker in self isolation after interacting with
staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19 (LIVE
UPDATES) 2")
The news about the city easing capacity restrictions and extending hours for bars and restaurants was a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark sky for many business owners.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Pete Douvalakis, owner of Pete’s Place — a tavern in Irving Park.
“Is it going to solve our problems? No. We’re way behind on bills, five months behind on rent, three months behind on insurance. So it’s day-by-day with us; the doors might close tomorrow,” he said.
The only reason he’s been able to make it this far during the pandemic is because he has a food license, which has kept people on barstools eating pizza and drinking beer.
His capacity will jump from 12 to 22 when the new rules kick in Thursday.
“The extended hours is the biggest thing because we make most of our money between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m.,” he said, echoing a common refrain among bar owners.
Read the full story from Mitch Dudek here.
10:07 a.m. Titans stop in-person team activities amid ‘several’ positive COVID-19 tests
In what could be the NFL’s first significant in-season test of its coronavirus protocols, the Tennessee Titans announced Tuesday they would not be holding in-person activities after the team had “several” positive COVID-19 tests in the aftermath of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.
“Out of the abundance of caution, the organization has decided to work remotely today as we follow NFL protocols related to the COVID-19 virus,” the team said in a statement. “Several tests have come back positive and [we] are working through the process of confirming them. We will have more information tomorrow.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement that the Titans returned three new positive tests from players and five from team staffers on Tuesday morning. The Vikings also are suspending team activities as both clubs follow the league’s protocols on COVID-19.
“Both clubs are working closely with the NFL and the [NFL Players Association], including our infectious disease experts, to evaluate close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments,” Goodell said. ”All decisions will be made with health and safety as our primary consideration. We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available.”
8:53 a.m. Will CPS kids go back to schools this fall? Lightfoot says ‘we’re not there yet’
Public health conditions have not yet improved to a point that would allow Chicago Public Schools students to return to classrooms in November as officials have hoped, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday.
Despite the challenges remote learning poses for 300,000 students and 30,000 teachers and support staff, Lightfoot and CPS officials have said health will be the main priority in a decision to resume in-person learning.
“We have to see more progress in order for us, I think, to have a conversation about in-person learning,” the mayor said at an afternoon news conference at which she announced an easing of restrictions on indoor seating at bars and restaurants. “We’re not there yet.”
“I don’t want to speculate about the chances. It’s something we are focused on every single day, and we’ll make an announcement relatively soon because we’ve got to give parents and the school community enough time to adapt if we’re going to make a change. But we’re not there yet.”
Reporter Nader Issa has the full story.
New cases
- Illinois’ coronavirus death toll surpassed 8,600 on Sunday after Illinois state officials announced 14 more deaths due to the virus.
- The state’s test positivity rate — the number used to gauge how quickly the virus is spreading — rose to 3.7 % Sunday after the latest batch of 50,822 tests were reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Analysis & Commentary
10:29 a.m. Let Mr. COVID Answer Man help you cope during the pandemic
Dear Mr. COVID Answer Man: I’ve realized there are certain friends I haven’t talked to since mid-March. Is it too late now to reach out? — Lonely
Dear Lonely: Yes. The truth is, if you haven’t spoken to someone in more than six months of the most intense crisis to grip our country in living memory, you never need to speak again. This is sad, of course. Think of them like a neighbor you really liked who moves away. You hug and swear you’ll stay in touch. Then you don’t, because you aren’t living next door to each other anymore. That’s how life goes.
Dear Mr. COVID Answer Man: I work in a small store, where I’m required to wear a mask. But it gets claustrophobic, so I slip it below my nose. Occasionally a customer will say, “Would you mind putting your mask on properly?” This makes me very angry. Am I wrong to feel this way? — Miffed
Dear Miffed: Of course not. Tell yourself, you are WEARING a mask, technically, just not in the precise fashion that pleases every germaphobe fussbudget to walks in the door and starts issuing orders like they own the place, just because they don’t want to die a horrible death. The good news is that most customers are too inhibited to actually complain. Try saying, “Oh sorry, it slipped,” in a sarcastic tone, the way you would say, “Mind your own business loser,” and without moving the mask. That will convey your point in a witty fashion.
Read the full opinion piece here.
9:17 a.m. Even before any second COVID wave, many Chicagoans are still in need from the first one
The calls come daily to state Rep. Lindsey LaPointe’s office on the Northwest Side from people who need help navigating the state bureaucracy.
They call about unemployment benefits, housing assistance and food stamps. They call about utility bills, problems with state licenses and support for their small businesses.
Many of the callers these days are in tears, not knowing where to turn. Some can’t pay the rent. Others are worried about feeding their families.
Yet what’s striking to LaPointe’s chief of staff, Jessica Genova, is how apologetic many of the callers are, as if they’re feeling guilty about their predicament and needing help.
“I’ve never done this before,” they say.
It’s important to understand that the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic shocks have left many of our neighbors in crisis, facing financial strains they’ve never experienced.
With people isolated from each other to an even greater extent than normal, this isn’t always easy to see, especially for those lucky enough to still have their jobs.
But for those who have not been so fortunate, the disruption and pain are all too real, sometimes leading to an overwhelming sense of helplessness amid the uncertainty over when life will return to normal.
