Coronavirus live blog, June 6, 2020: 72 more Illinois coronavirus deaths

The gradual recovery from the coronavirus pandemic inches forward as fewer COVID-19 occur each day. The large protests going on around the city could result in an increase the numbers of cases, so we will see in two weeks if that will be the case. A rebound in the numbers could throw a wrench in the reopening plans.

Here’s what happened in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago and around the state.

News

5:45 p.m. 72 more Illinois coronavirus deaths

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Health officials on Saturday announced 72 more people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois, raising the state’s death toll from the pandemic to 5,864.

Another 975 people tested positive for the coronavirus from among the latest batch of 21,155 samples taken, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Since the state’s first case was confirmed more than four months ago, a total of 126,890 have tested positive for the virus. The vast majority have recovered.

Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout here.

1:30 p.m. Lightfoot hopes to reopen lakefront soon — with restrictions

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday she hopes to reopen parts of the lakefront “very soon” — during designated hours and only for certain activities, presumably those that keep moving.

On March 26, Lightfoot famously closed the lakefront and all of its parks, trails and beaches because Chicagoans couldn’t be trusted to maintain social distance.

On Friday, the mayor was asked when and how the lakefront would be reopened.

“Obviously, the circumstances of this week have required us to focus our attention on other issues. But I’m hoping to be able to announce a reopening of the lakefront relatively soon with a plan toward safely minimizing crowding and really having some designated time for particular activities along the lakefront,” she said.

Read the full story here.

12:17 p.m. With Illinois’ drive-thru COVID-19 test sites open to all, we asked: Do you plan to get tested?

Now that Illinois has opened its state-run drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites to everyone, regardless of symptoms, we asked Chicagoans whether they’ll go get tested, and why.

Some of these answers have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

“Yes, I found it very hard to do it through a hospital.” — Rolf Baker

“Yes. I’m an essential worker who has been working this entire time, and I’m traveling out of state in two weeks. It’s the responsible thing to do.” — John Tacopina

“Absolutely not.” — Jim Cooper

“No, at least not anytime soon. There should be a priority system that labels me as low-priority for the following reasons: I am a student who is functioning with minimal social interactions, and I wear a mask whenever I’m outside my apartment. My roommates are also healthy individuals in their 20s. A thoughtfully designed testing system should never be congested by people like me.” — Ian Hsieh

“No. The whole thing is a scam.” — Mike Farbin

Read more responses here.

10:30 a.m. Archdiocese gives its blessing for dozens of Chicago-area churches to resume mass on Sunday, but urges ‘they start slow’

As houses of worship across the country grapple with how to welcome back believers following the coronavirus shutdown, the Chicago-area faithful could be returning for mass at dozens of Catholic churches this Sunday.

About 80 parishes have been cleared by Chicago’s local arm of the Catholic Church to enter its next reopening phase, which allows for regular masses “for larger groups,” according to the Archdiocese of Chicago.

That’s almost a quarter of its 316 parishes, but just because churches have been certified doesn’t mean they’ll resume mass right away, according to archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Thomas.

“It’s encouraged that they start slow,” she said.

Read the full report from Mitchell Armentrout here.

7:30 a.m. Illinois schools prepare to reopen for summer classes

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order Thursday allowing Illinois schools to reopen this summer with enhanced safety precautions to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

Ultimately though, local school districts will determine whether to resume in-person learning.

Chicago Public Schools previously announced that classes would continue to be held virtually this summer. Students who don’t complete all their work during remote learning this spring will be told to register for summer school to make up, officials have said.

A district spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on whether that plan could change in light of Pritzker’s order.

Over the summer, all schools must follow the Phase 3 requirements of Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, which went into effect May 29. All grade levels, from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, can resume classes under the plan, which prohibits private and public schools from having more than 10 people in any single space.

Read the full story from Tom Schuba here.

New cases

• The coronavirus has claimed another 59 lives in Illinois, officials said Friday, as the state has surpassed more than 1 million tests performed.
• Two more detainees, employee at Cook County Juvenile detention center test positive for COVID-19.
• Pat Dye, former Auburn football coach, dies at 80.
• Another employee at the Cook County Circuit Court clerk’s office has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the overall total to 26.
• Federal health authorities have received reports of nearly 26,000 nursing home residents dying from COVID-19 across the country.

Analysis & Commentary

7:04 a.m. A smarter way to trace the spread of COVID-19 without violating your privacy rights

Decision-makers across the country are exploring tools they can use in the battle against COVID-19. The latest device to be considered? The smartphone in your hand.

Many believe that the same phone you use to stay connected with your loved ones, get breaking news and play games might slow down the spread of COVID-19. But using our phones for this purpose is not a quick fix, and it runs the risk of tapping into private data stored on them.

Just think about all the ways you use your phones. All the places it goes with you. All the information you share with it. Now imagine giving the government or another third party access to all that information.

Read the full column by Sapna Khatri here.