For the second time in a week, Illinois officials reported a new daily count of coronavirus cases that hovered just under 2,000.
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 1,953 new known cases of COVID-19 in the state over the prior 24 hours, and 21 additional deaths of people with the highly contagious illness. Today’s number is the highest daily count of cases since the end of May.
Those numbers raise the statewide totals to 188,424 known cases and 7,594 deaths since the pandemic began earlier this year. The seven-day statewide average positivity rate stands at 4%. It was 2.6% a month earlier.
Earlier Thursday, the Chicago Park District has announced that restaurants and concessions east of Lake Shore Drive are now allowed to reopen. Beachside establishments must adhere to the same COVID-19 safety guidelines that pertain to other businesses and restaurants in the city. While the Park District is working with each concession on its health and safety plans, proprietors can open as early as this week.
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
9:03 p.m. (update): Coronavirus relief talks in Washington on brink of collapse as sides still ‘far apart’
Washington talks on vital COVID-19 rescue money are teetering on the brink of collapse after a marathon meeting in the Capitol Thursday night generated lots of recriminations but little progress on the top issues confronting negotiators.
“There’s a handful of very big issues that we are still very far apart” on, said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who depicted impasses on aid to states and local governments and renewing supplemental unemployment benefits.
Both sides said the future of the talks is uncertain. President Donald Trump is considering executive orders to address evictions and on unemployment insurance, but they appear unlikely to have much impact.
A breakdown in the talks would put at risk more than $100 billion to help reopen schools, a fresh round of $1,200 direct payments to most people, and hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local governments to help them avoid furloughing workers and cutting services as tax revenues shrivel.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York emerged to give a pessimistic update about the chances for an agreement.
“We’re very far apart. It’s most unfortunate,” Pelosi said.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
8 p.m.: Chicago alderman who was at news conference with Lightfoot tests positive for COVID-19
A day after attending a news conference with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other top city officials, West Side Ald. Michael Scott announced he tested positive for COVID-19.
Scott, who’s Lightfoot’s education committee chairman on the City Council, said he was tested last week during a community event and received the results on Thursday.
“I am home now, currently with no symptoms,” Scott said. “I am following all the necessary health protocols in accordance with the Chicago Department of Public Health. As a public official, it is my responsibility to share this news because I have a public facing life.”
Scott was at City Hall with Lightfoot, Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson and public health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady when they announced Wednesday that CPS would start the year with remote learning in the fall.
A message to Lightfoot’s press office was not immediately returned. Earlier in the day, Lightfoot abruptly canceled an afternoon news conference without explanation.
Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
7:30 p.m.: What went wrong? How the US has uniquely failed to control the coronavirus
Nearly every country has struggled to contain the coronavirus and made mistakes along the way.
China committed the first major failure, silencing doctors who tried to raise alarms about the virus and allowing it to escape from Wuhan. Much of Europe went next, failing to avoid enormous outbreaks. Today, many countries — Japan, Canada, France, Australia and more — are coping with new increases in cases after reopening parts of society.
Yet even with all of these problems, one country stands alone as the only affluent nation to have suffered a severe, sustained outbreak for more than four months: the United States.
When it comes to the virus, the United States has come to resemble not the wealthy and powerful countries to which it is often compared but instead to far poorer countries, like Brazil, Peru and South Africa, or those with large migrant populations, like Bahrain and Oman.
As in several of those other countries, the toll of the virus in the United States has fallen disproportionately on poorer people and groups that have long suffered discrimination. Black and Latino residents of the United States have contracted the virus at roughly three times as high of a rate as white residents.
How did this happen? The New York Times set out to reconstruct the unique failure of the United States through numerous interviews with scientists and public health experts around the world. The reporting points to two central themes.
Read more here. —The New York Times
7:11 p.m.: Illinois will test athletes daily in hopes of containing the spread of the coronavirus and kicking off the football season
Illinois offensive tackle Alex Palczewski wore a mask and couldn’t hug his teammates, but he smiled as he talked about returning to the practice field Thursday after limited interaction for months amid COVID-19 restrictions.
“We have to sacrifice a few months,” said Palczewski, a senior from Mount Prospect whose mom is an intensive care unit nurse. “If at the end of the season, we’re Big Ten champs, it’s all worth it.”
Illini players, coach Lovie Smith and athletic director Josh Whitman stressed during video conferences with reporters the importance of reducing the spread of the coronavirus in hopes of completing a season as uncertainty swirls around the nation about the possibility of kicking off this fall.
Illinois athletes will be required to take daily tests, with at least two PCR tests per week required by Big Ten protocol and saliva tests administered through the university. Currently, saliva tests are available only on weekdays, but the university expects those to be available soon on weekends too.
The amount of testing at Illinois exceeds what most programs have announced.
Read more here. —Shannon Ryan
6:34 p.m.: Tribune Publishing in talks to leave Prudential Plaza offices amid pandemic
The Chicago Tribune’s offices could be on the move for the second time in less than three years, as the newspaper’s parent company seeks an exit from Prudential Plaza amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Tribune Publishing is in talks with Prudential Plaza owner Sterling Bay for a buyout of its approximately 137,000-square-foot lease in the office complex overlooking Millennium Park, according to real estate sources.
Sterling Bay and Tribune Publishing’s brokers from Jones Lang LaSalle have begun informally marketing the entire space to potential tenants in anticipation of the company’s exit, according to sources.
Tribune Publishing is among many companies taking steps to reduce real estate and other costs during a pandemic that has left many office employees working from home since March.
Measures companies are taking include stopping rent payments, seeking rent relief and offering space for sublease. Uber and Groupon are among those with sublease space on the market, and a wave of additional sublease offerings is expected to flood the market in the coming months.
Read more here. —Ryan Ori
6:10 p.m.: Diversey Express Driver Services Facility temporarily closed after positive test
An employee at the Diversey Express Driver Services Facility tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Office of the Secretary of State. The facility will be closed until August 10 “out of abundance of caution,” according to a news release Thursday afternoon.
“The Illinois Department of Public Health has been consulted and confirmed that public is not directly impacted by this situation,” the statement said.
Employees who work at the facility are being quarantined for 14 days. The facility is scheduled to be cleaned and sanitized.
—Jessica Villagomez
5:32 p.m.: Loyola University Chicago says it won’t open residence halls this fall amid ongoing COVID-19 fears
Loyola University Chicago announced Thursday it will not reopen its residence halls this fall because of continued worries about the spread of COVID-19.
“Evaluating current health conditions, and factoring for uncertainty in the months ahead, has led us to make the very tough decision to suspend plans to host students in on-campus residence halls until conditions are favorable,” according to a letter that went out Thursday, signed by President Jo Ann Rooney and several other administrators.
“Like you, we hoped that the trajectory of the virus would subside over the summer. In fact, it grew stronger,” the statement reads.
The campus leaders said that under Chicago’s emergency travel rules, 700 dormitory residents would be coming from “hot spot” areas and would have to begin a two-week quarantine upon arrival.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
4:40 p.m.: City Colleges faculty and staff threaten to strike if everyone isn’t allowed to work remotely this fall
Faculty and staff at City Colleges of Chicago are threatening to hold their first strike in more than a decade if administrators don’t allow all employees to work from home when fall classes begin in late August.
While most instructors have been approved to teach remotely next semester, about 450 employees, including academic advisors and technological support and clerical staff, were required to return to campuses on Monday, according to unions representing those workers. Employees deemed essential by the community college network have been working in person since May despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tony Johnston, president of the Cook County College Teachers Union, said his members plan to hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss taking a vote of no confidence in the administration, a move that could potentially escalate into a safety-related strike.
“The simple truth is that our colleges, much like K-12 schools, were not made to deliver instruction and student services under these pandemic conditions,” Johnston said.
A spokeswoman for CCC, the state’s largest community college system with seven campuses, said in-person services are being offered because not all students can access technology from home.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
4:17 p.m.: Illinois is extending unemployment benefits by 20 weeks. Meanwhile, some gig workers are learning they’ve been overpaid.
Illinois extended jobless benefits another 20 weeks as laid off workers continued to struggle with the claims process, including some who say they have to return funds because they were overpaid.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security, the state agency tasked with handling jobless claims, said the extension was available starting Thursday to people who have gone through 26 weeks of state benefits. Illinois is among 19 states providing 20 weeks of extended benefits, the agency said in a news release.
More than 25,000 Illinoisans filed for unemployment insurance for the first time in the week ending Aug. 1, down from more than 33,000 the week before, according to the state’s latest figures.
At the same time, several gig and contract workers who were able to apply for benefits under the federal coronavirus relief package told the Tribune they owe thousands of dollars back to the state after learning they were overpaid.
Some claimants say the state is deducting funds from their weekly benefits to pay down the debt.
Chris Markacek, of Orland Park, has been out of work as a DJ since March due to event cancellations. He said the state notified him he owes about $4,000. By late July, Markacek said his benefits were being deducted to pay off the amount.
“There was no explanation for anything. It all happened very sudden and it was confusing,” Markacek, 34, said.
Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
3:50 p.m.: Indiana state superintendent says schools can safely reopen
Indiana’s top education official said Thursday that she think schools can safely reopen despite mounting reports of students and staffers testing positive for the coronavirus within days of returning to the classroom in some districts.
Jennifer McCormick, the state’s school superintendent, said that she thinks it’s best for medical experts to determine if, when or how schools should reopen.
“Based on what I have been told, we are good to go — with provisions,” she said during a webinar in Indianapolis.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
(Updated: 2:40 p.m.) 12:33 p.m.: Negotiators trade public broadsides on stalled coronavirus relief package, likely to miss agreement deadline
President Donald Trump and the Senate’s top Republican huddled Thursday over a huge COVID-19 rescue package, but hopes on Capitol Hill for a deal are souring and there’s increasing worry that bipartisan congressional negotiations might collapse.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is a key player in the troubled talks and possesses far more experience than Trump’s negotiating team, which is publicly frustrated by the inflexible tactics of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The Democratic duo has not yielded much ground from an unprecedented $3.5 trillion House-passed rescue package.
McConnell seemed to downplay the significance of the Trump meeting, telling a reporter “we talked a little bit about everything.”
Pelosi and Schumer are exuding confidence in a political and legislative landscape that’s tilted in their favor. Trump and McConnell both badly want an agreement, but Democrats control the House and may actually provide the lion’s share of votes in the Senate.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
(Updated: 2:08 p.m.) 12:11 p.m.: 1,953 new known COVID-19 cases, 21 additional fatalities
For the second time in a week, Illinois officials reported a new daily count of coronavirus cases that hovered just under 2,000.
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 1,953 new known cases of COVID-19 in the state over the prior 24 hours, and 21 additional deaths of people with the highly contagious illness.
Those numbers raise the statewide totals to 188,424 known cases and 7,594 deaths since the pandemic began earlier this year. The seven-day statewide average positivity rate stands at 4%. It was 2.6% a month earlier.
Officials reported 1,941 new known cases on Friday, which was the highest daily tally of new cases since late May.
—Jamie Munks
1:09 p.m.: Chicago’s legendary FOBAB beer festival canceled due to COVID-19, but the competition will go on
Few things could be less appealing in the era of COVID-19 than getting buzzed on intensely boozy beer while crushed shoulder-to shoulder with a bunch of strangers in a bland event space.
So it comes as no surprise that Chicago’s legendary Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer has been canceled for 2020, the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild announced Thursday.
However, the Guild will press on with FOBAB’s annual competition, in which medals are handed out across 12 categories to honor excellence in wood-aging beer and cider.
Read more here. —Josh Noel
1 p.m.: Millions of Americans thrown out of work because of the coronavirus endure loss of $600 aid: ‘My worst nightmare is coming true’
An unemployed makeup artist with two toddlers and a disabled husband needs help with food and rent. A hotel manager says his unemployment has deepened his anxiety and kept him awake at night. A dental hygienist, pregnant with her third child, is struggling to afford diapers and formula.
Around the country, across industries and occupations, millions of Americans thrown out of work because of the coronavirus are straining to afford the basics now that an extra $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits has expired.
“My worst nightmare is coming true,” said Liz Ness, a laid-off recruiter at a New Orleans staffing agency who fears she will be evicted next month without the added help from Washington. “Summer 2020 could be next year’s horror movie.”
Read more here. —The Associated Press
12:32 p.m.: Working from home leaving necks aching and shoulders sore? Ergonomic experts weigh in on how to make your workspace work for you.
Neck ache, back pain, sore shoulders — it’s not just you. University of Chicago physical therapist Zachary Stapleton said these are the most common complaints he receives from people who work desk jobs. “Desk jobs” these days may be more aptly called “couch jobs” or “kitchen table jobs” for some, but as more companies move to make work-from-home a more permanent measure, it might be time to reevaluate your workspace for the long term.
“I encourage people to establish environments that lead them to be as efficient as possible,” said Stapleton, who is also board-certified in orthopedics. Whatever your setup, he said it’s important that you have your feet on the floor and elbows at a 90-degree angle. The top of your computer monitor should be even with your brow and angled upward to take some tension off of your neck, he said.
Read more here. —Lauren Leazenby
11:18 a.m.: Lakefront restaurants to reopen this week, many as early as Friday
While beaches remain closed, you’ll still get a chance to enjoy the sand and surf this summer: The Chicago Park District has announced that restaurants and concessions east of Lake Shore Drive are now allowed to reopen.
Beachside establishments must adhere to the same COVID-19 safety guidelines that pertain to other businesses and restaurants in the city. While the Park District is working with each concession on its health and safety plans, proprietors can open as early as this week.
Read more here. —Grace Wong
10:49 a.m.: Bright Horizons buys Chicago-based Sittercity as parents scramble for in-home child care and tutoring
With families scrambling to figure out child care options for kids attending school remotely this fall, day care company Bright Horizons announced it is purchasing Sittercity, an online platform that matches people with child care providers.
Bright Horizons said the partnership will help it fill the wide range of new child care needs families are facing as a growing list of workplaces and schools, including Chicago Public Schools, delay plans to return to offices and classrooms during the pandemic.
“With the child care strain families have been experiencing the last five months paired with the prospect of remote learning, this acquisition will allow us to expand our in-home offerings and virtual solutions that are increasingly critical to families,” Bright Horizons CEO Stephen Kramer said in a news release Thursday. Terms of the transaction with Sittercity were not disclosed.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
10:16 a.m.: ‘This is really devastating.’ Airline workers face tough decisions on whether to exit or hold on through COVID-19 pandemic.
American Airlines flight attendants were warned recently that flying won’t be the same after Oct. 1, even for those who avoid furloughs and keep their jobs.
Flight attendants will work more hours, trips will be longer and more will be assigned to on-call “reserve” shifts, even those with 35 years of experience. Some flight attendants may have to relocate across the country to remain employed.
The future of flying is starting to take shape at major airlines, and it won’t be as friendly as the past seven years have been for employees.
Read more here. —The Dallas Morning News
10:13 a.m.: Thinking of home schooling? Here’s how to do it.
Families across the Chicago area will be getting yet another taste of home schooling this fall, as many school districts opt for some degree of remote learning due to risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But others are thinking about untethering from traditional schools altogether, adopting their own, more flexible curricula that can be better adapted to parents’ schedules and children’s needs.
Indeed, interest in home schooling — which first gained traction among religious families over the past few decades — has spiked since the pandemic began. Taking responsibility for your children’s education, however, can seem daunting. We spoke with some experts for their tips on how to home-school this fall.
Read more here. —Jennifer Day
5 alternative school options parents are weighing as more Chicago-area districts opt for remote learning
8:24 a.m.: 1.2 million seek unemployment aid after $600 federal pandemic boost ends
Nearly 1.2 million laid-off Americans applied for state unemployment benefits last week, evidence that the coronavirus keeps forcing companies to slash jobs just as a critical $600 weekly federal jobless payment has expired.
The government’s report Thursday did offer a smidgen of hopeful news: The number of jobless claims declined by 249,000 from the previous week, after rising for two straight weeks, and it was the lowest total since mid-March.
Still, claims remain at alarmingly high levels: It is the 20th straight week that at least 1 million people have sought jobless aid. Before the pandemic hit hard in March, the number of Americans seeking unemployment checks had never surpassed 700,000 in a week, not even during the Great Recession of 2007-2009.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
7:20 a.m.: City Colleges unions to announce opposition to in-person classes
Unions representing teachers and other workers at the City Colleges of Chicago was scheduled to hold an online news conference Thursday to “announce (members’) willingness to strike for safety,” according to a news release.
The Cook County College Teachers Union as well as other unions representing City Colleges workers were scheduled to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. Thursday to call on the college system’s leadership to pause reopening “until a safe plan is in place,” according to the release.
The unions say that the City Colleges last week “demanded that student service employees such as college advisors and clerical staff return to buildings,” even though the unions say the workers “have been performing their jobs exceptionally well from home,” according to the release.
Check back for updates. —Chicago Tribune staff
Breaking coronavirus news
Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five stories related to COVID-19 from Wednesday.
Central Illinois Republican U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis said he’s tested positive for COVID-19.
Chicago nurses joined a national day of action over PPE and federal assistance.
Millions of US jobs may be gone for good because of the pandemic.
Alternative school options have seen a surge of interest as COVID-19 prompts districts to go remote.
A new University of Chicago center will collect thousands of X-rays and CT scans to aid with COVID-19 research.