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  • Justin Reyes administers a COVID-19 test to Maria Suarez outside...

    Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

    Justin Reyes administers a COVID-19 test to Maria Suarez outside Heartland Health Centers in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood on July 10, 2020.

  • A worker holds a metal stake as another uses a...

    John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune

    A worker holds a metal stake as another uses a sledgehammer to sink ground anchors for vaccine center tents outside the United Center on Feb. 26, 2021. According to officials, a mass vaccination site there will be capable of inoculating up to 6,000 people per day.

  • Cars line up as Tamira Perkins, center, and Kiara Flowers...

    Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Cars line up as Tamira Perkins, center, and Kiara Flowers administer a COVID-19 test at a walk-up and drive-thru test site in the Evanston Township High School parking lot on Jan. 3, 2021.

  • Kitty Horne, the school secretary, takes the temperature of students...

    Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

    Kitty Horne, the school secretary, takes the temperature of students arriving for in-person student learning on Dec. 11, 2020, at The School of Saints Faith, Hope and Charity in Winnetka

  • Kay Haines and Amber Smith relax along the lakefront near...

    E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune

    Kay Haines and Amber Smith relax along the lakefront near Diversey on July 14, 2020.

  • People work out during a Studio Three outdoor "High Def"...

    Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune

    People work out during a Studio Three outdoor "High Def" class, held in a Fifth Third Bank parking lot and drive-thru Jan. 13, 2021, in Chicago. The studio typically specializes in indoor workouts so it built an outdoor workout area so it could continue holding classes under coronavirus restrictions.

  • Few people are seen at State and Lake streets as...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    Few people are seen at State and Lake streets as the stay-at-home advisory begins in Chicago on Nov. 16, 2020.

  • General manger Jaidah Wilson-Turnbow, 45, sets up chairs on the...

    Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

    General manger Jaidah Wilson-Turnbow, 45, sets up chairs on the patio behind Frances Cocktail Lounge in the Chatham neighborhood on Oct. 22, 2020, in Chicago.

  • Reflected in her rearview mirror, Tonya McDaniel, waits in her...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Reflected in her rearview mirror, Tonya McDaniel, waits in her car to be COVID-19 tested outside of Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights.

  • Chicago City Wide Orchestra holds its outdoor recording session in...

    Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago City Wide Orchestra holds its outdoor recording session in concertmaster Martha Ash's backyard in Evanston on Oct. 11, 2020.

  • Andrew Marinelli cleans the bar as the staff prepares for...

    E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune

    Andrew Marinelli cleans the bar as the staff prepares for dinner service in the rooftop canopy area of Roots Handmade Pizza South Loop on Sept. 28, 2020.

  • Mourners add to a memorial on Sept. 9, 2020, during...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    Mourners add to a memorial on Sept. 9, 2020, during a vigil in memory of Dajore Wilson, 8, near where she was killed at 47th Street and South Union Avenue in the Canaryville neighborhood.

  • Two determined customers brave cold temperatures and wind for outdoor...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    Two determined customers brave cold temperatures and wind for outdoor breakfast at Wildberry's on Randolph Street in Chicago on Jan. 19, 2021.

  • Wearing a protective mask hostess Kelsey Roden walks by patron...

    Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

    Wearing a protective mask hostess Kelsey Roden walks by patron Mike Flaherty while he sits on the the Lakefront Restaurant patio at Theater on the Lake on Aug. 6, 2020 in Chicago. The restaurant was hosting a soft launch and is expected to open Friday.

  • Linda Veasley-Payne say final goodbye at the end of funeral...

    Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune

    Linda Veasley-Payne say final goodbye at the end of funeral service for her mother Johnnie D. Veasley, 76, and grandmother Lela Reed, 95, at Leak & Sons funeral home in Country Club Hills on April 24, 2020. Bridget Stewart and her sister Linda Veasley-Payne are mourning the loss of their mother and grandmother, both victims of COVID-19.

  • A news ticker in Chicago's Loop announces new COVID-19 cases...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    A news ticker in Chicago's Loop announces new COVID-19 cases on Sept. 3, 2020.

  • Clinical research nurse Samantha Gatewood finishes administering the second shot...

    E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune

    Clinical research nurse Samantha Gatewood finishes administering the second shot in the COVID-19 trial to participant Gregory Bowman at Rush University Medical Center on Dec. 3, 2020.

  • Bartender Rory Toolan delivers a drink for Jessica Wolfe, right,...

    John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Bartender Rory Toolan delivers a drink for Jessica Wolfe, right, in the outdoor patio at Ludlow Liquors on Oct. 22, 2020, in Chicago.

  • Stacey Michelon, left, and Elizabeth Posner raise their fists while...

    John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Stacey Michelon, left, and Elizabeth Posner raise their fists while repeating a chant during a gathering to remember late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Federal Plaza on Sept. 19, 2020, in Chicago.

  • Matt Krawczyk receives ashes sprinkled on the top of his...

    Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

    Matt Krawczyk receives ashes sprinkled on the top of his head outside Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago on Feb. 17, 2021. Ash Wednesday looked a little different because of COVID-19 with the sprinkles on the top of the head for safety.

  • A first grader stretches her legs during Nicole Almodovar's class...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    A first grader stretches her legs during Nicole Almodovar's class March 4, 2021, at Kershaw Elementary School in Chicago.

  • A person walks by outdoor plastic dining bubbles on Oct....

    Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

    A person walks by outdoor plastic dining bubbles on Oct. 15, 2020, in the Fulton Market district of Chicago.

  • Betty Hermanek winces as she receives her COVID-19 vaccine at...

    Win McNamee/Getty Images/Chicago Tribune/TNS

    Betty Hermanek winces as she receives her COVID-19 vaccine at the Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care in North Riverside on Jan. 12, 2021.

  • Tommy Beltazar, from left, dines with Angelisa Ocic, as Claudia...

    John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Tommy Beltazar, from left, dines with Angelisa Ocic, as Claudia Carmona dines with Patricia Resendiz at Sushi Para M on March 2, 2021, in Chicago. The city is allowing 50% indoor dining capacity, or 50 people, starting today.

  • People wear masks on a very hot day in Chicago,...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune

    People wear masks on a very hot day in Chicago, July 9, 2020.

  • Prekindergarten students wait for lunch at their desks on the...

    Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

    Prekindergarten students wait for lunch at their desks on the first day of in-person learning at Dawes Elementary School in Chicago on Jan. 11, 2021.

  • Sink use is separated in a student bathroom at Our...

    Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

    Sink use is separated in a student bathroom at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood on Sept. 2, 2020.

  • A sign asking patrons to wear a mask sits at...

    Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

    A sign asking patrons to wear a mask sits at Empire Burgers & Brew on Oct. 20, 2020, in Naperville, Ill.

  • National Guard Spc. Sean Sumugat gives a COVID-19 vaccination to...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    National Guard Spc. Sean Sumugat gives a COVID-19 vaccination to pharmacist specialist Jay Trivedi at Cook County Health's North Riverside Health Center on Jan. 22, 2021, as the National Guard began its latest mission to help with vaccinations across the state.

  • Joggers and bicyclists use the reopened the Lakefront Trail in...

    Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

    Joggers and bicyclists use the reopened the Lakefront Trail in Chicago on June 22, 2020, after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot closed the trail and the lakefront for nearly three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Map Room bartender Chris Jourdan works behind the bar in...

    Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

    Map Room bartender Chris Jourdan works behind the bar in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood on July 14, 2020.

  • Patrons get their temperatures checked before entering Moe's Cantina on...

    Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune

    Patrons get their temperatures checked before entering Moe's Cantina on Clark Street in Wrigleyville during the Cubs season opener.

  • Valerie, age 9, takes shelter from the rain while carrying...

    Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

    Valerie, age 9, takes shelter from the rain while carrying her masked doll, Teresa, after visiting stores with her family along North Michigan Avenue, Aug. 2, 2020.

  • DuPage County security personnel direct traffic as dozens of people...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    DuPage County security personnel direct traffic as dozens of people wait to get COVID-19 tests in Wheaton on Nov. 12, 2020.

  • Crowds cool off along the lakefront near Diversey on July...

    E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune

    Crowds cool off along the lakefront near Diversey on July 14, 2020.

  • A woman has a nasal swab test at Prism Heath...

    José M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune

    A woman has a nasal swab test at Prism Heath Lab on Aug. 6, 2020.

  • Hostess Camille Webb, right, leads customer Michael Harris to the...

    Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune

    Hostess Camille Webb, right, leads customer Michael Harris to the outdoor sitting at Ja' Grill Hyde Park restaurant on Aug. 25, 2020. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new statewide rules requiring patrons in restaurants and bars to wear masks while interacting with waitstaff and other employees.

  • Beth Bond tries to work from home while entertaining her...

    Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune

    Beth Bond tries to work from home while entertaining her daughter Mady, 6, and her husband Lee Madsen feeds daughter James, 9 months, on March 17, 2020 at their River North apartment during the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Mayor Lori Lightfoot puts on her mask at the conclusion...

    Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

    Mayor Lori Lightfoot puts on her mask at the conclusion of a Chicago City Hall news conference where she threatened to reimpose stricter guidelines on businesses.

  • Chandra Matteson, nurse practitioner with the Night Ministry, pauses for...

    E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune

    Chandra Matteson, nurse practitioner with the Night Ministry, pauses for a break between stops as she delivers sandwiches and checks temperatures on CTA Blue Line trains early, April 22, 2020. Social service agencies have reported an uptick in the number of homeless people sheltering on CTA trains during the pandemic.

  • Monica Gomez, a staff nurse at Amita St. Alexius Medical...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Monica Gomez, a staff nurse at Amita St. Alexius Medical Center, puts on PPE on Sept. 10, 2020, in Hoffman Estates. Gomez is the nurse who treated the first diagnosed coronavirus patients in Illinois, the earliest known person-to-person transmission of the new virus in the U.S.

  • David Cedras, 25, wears a mask while riding a Brown...

    Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/TNS

    David Cedras, 25, wears a mask while riding a Brown Line train in the Loop on June 9, 2020, in Chicago.

  • Members of the National Guard prepare to give vaccines at...

    Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Members of the National Guard prepare to give vaccines at the Tinley Park Convention Center COVID-19 vaccination site in Tinley Park on Jan. 25, 2021.

  • Food Fetch delivery driver Vuk Simovic picks up a carryout...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    Food Fetch delivery driver Vuk Simovic picks up a carryout order from Cozy Corner owner Georgia Dravlas on Oct. 26, 2020 in Oak Park.

  • From left, Ines Linares, Cristian Garain, Dominic Cervantes and Maricela...

    Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune

    From left, Ines Linares, Cristian Garain, Dominic Cervantes and Maricela Santigo dine in at Frontera Grill in Chicago on Oct. 27, 2020.

  • Mary Hensel, 9, hugs the family dog Pepper, while her...

    Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune

    Mary Hensel, 9, hugs the family dog Pepper, while her brother Joshua Hensel, 15, and sister Hannah Hensel, 9, pet him outside their home, April 7, 2020 in Chicago. Their mother Sarah passed away in 2018 at the age of 41, leaving their father David Hensel to look after their six children. Hensel, a food stamp recipient, is unable to order groceries online because customers using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are required to pay for purchases at the time and place of sale. He has cut back on the number of trips he makes to the grocery store each week, wearing gloves and a mask when he goes.

  • Members of the Illinois National Guard work at the COVID-19...

    Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune

    Members of the Illinois National Guard work at the COVID-19 test site at South Suburban College in South Holland on July 2, 2020.

  • The Rev. Manuel Padilla, left, and the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    The Rev. Manuel Padilla, left, and the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez carry the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe after it was removed from the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines on Dec. 11, 2020. Religious leaders have urged devotees to avoid pilgrimages to the site.

  • With empty seats everywhere, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks...

    Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

    With empty seats everywhere, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks delivers to the Milwaukee Brewers in the second inning of the Cubs season opener, July 24, 2020 in Chicago.

  • Jo Padilla speaks with a proxy outside a residential building...

    Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

    Jo Padilla speaks with a proxy outside a residential building while attempting to enumerate residents for the U.S. census in the Ravenswood neighborhood on Sept. 24, 2020, in Chicago.

  • Vaccine supplies are shown at the Iroquois County Public Health...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    Vaccine supplies are shown at the Iroquois County Public Health Department Feb. 10, 2021, in Watseka. Iroquois County has one of the state's highest vaccination rates.

  • Abi Carbajal stands in the kindergarten line with her daughter...

    Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

    Abi Carbajal stands in the kindergarten line with her daughter Liani Uribe, 7, who is entering the second grade and Abi's little brother, Jacob Rebollar, 5, who begins kindergarten on the sidewalk outside of Newton Bateman Elementary School in Chicago's Irving Park neighborhood on Sept. 2, 2020.

  • Erika Cardoza, 22, Gustavo Martinez, 22, and their son Eli,...

    Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune

    Erika Cardoza, 22, Gustavo Martinez, 22, and their son Eli, 3, get a free COVID-19 test provided by Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) at "I Grow Chicago" in West Englewood on Aug. 31, 2020.

  • A staff member with personal protective equipment looks out from...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    A staff member with personal protective equipment looks out from the front entry door of the Illinois Veterans'­ Home in LaSalle on Dec. 3, 2020. At least 33 veterans have been killed by the virus.

  • A COVID-19 tester retrieves mouth swab samples from people at...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    A COVID-19 tester retrieves mouth swab samples from people at a free testing event at Harrison Park in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, July 24, 2020.

  • Phlebotomist Tina Novick administers COVID-19 tests to occupants in their...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    Phlebotomist Tina Novick administers COVID-19 tests to occupants in their vehicle as hundreds of people drive up to be tested for the coronavirus in Aurora on Nov. 12, 2020. As numbers in Illinois surge, hundreds lined up for testing in Aurora and Wheaton.

  • Ksenia Belajeva takes glasses from the table while Mario Carrasco,...

    Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

    Ksenia Belajeva takes glasses from the table while Mario Carrasco, 60, dines with his daughter Jalyssa Carrasco, 17, and wife Maddy Carrasco, 41, at Empire Burgers & Brew on Oct. 20, 2020, in Naperville.

  • Will Grimes, 4, greets Santa Claus with a high-five through...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    Will Grimes, 4, greets Santa Claus with a high-five through plexiglass, Nov. 24, 2020, at Bass Pro Shops in Gurnee.

  • An apologetic sign at a restuarant in the 2500 block...

    John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune

    An apologetic sign at a restuarant in the 2500 block of North Clark Street in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on Oct. 14, 2020.

  • Clinical nurse Noemy Godina prepares COVID-19 vaccinations for patients at...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    Clinical nurse Noemy Godina prepares COVID-19 vaccinations for patients at Cook County Health's North Riverside Health Center in North Riverside on Jan. 22, 2021.

  • Coach cleaner Gerardo Garibay uses a sprayer to clean and...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    Coach cleaner Gerardo Garibay uses a sprayer to clean and disinfect seating inside a Metro train car at Metra's Western Avenue Coach Yard in Chicago on Sept. 15, 2020.

  • Dozens of people line up several blocks to enter the...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    Dozens of people line up several blocks to enter the United Center mass vaccination site on March 9, 2021. The site will be the biggest COVID-19 vaccination center in he state, with a goal of 6,000 vaccines per day.

  • Families, seated at the backs of their social-distanced vehicles, await...

    John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune

    Families, seated at the backs of their social-distanced vehicles, await the start of The Beatrix Potter Drive-In Theatre Experience on Oct. 9, 2020, in Chicago.

  • Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

  • A man wears a mask as Italian Americans and supporters...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    A man wears a mask as Italian Americans and supporters celebrate at Chicago's Arrigo Park on Columbus Day on Oct. 12, 2020.

  • More than 4,000 hospital workers at University of Illinois Hospital...

    E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune

    More than 4,000 hospital workers at University of Illinois Hospital went on strike on Sept. 14, 2020, after failing to agree on a contract with the hospital.

  • A medical worker prepare doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine,...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    A medical worker prepare doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Dec. 17, 2020, at Roseland Community Hospital on Chicago's South Side.

  • Jacob Rooth turns on the heat for outdoor seating on...

    Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Jacob Rooth turns on the heat for outdoor seating on Clark Street in downtown Chicago on Oct. 27, 2020.

  • Dozens of people wait in line to get tested outside...

    Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/TNS

    Dozens of people wait in line to get tested outside a mobile COVID-19 testing site Nov. 9, 2020, at Resurrection Project in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.

  • A child runs past a vote mural along Clark Street...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    A child runs past a vote mural along Clark Street near Addison Street on March 30, 2021.

  • While the inside sits empty, Bob Hook and Holly King...

    Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

    While the inside sits empty, Bob Hook and Holly King drink and dine outside the Jarvis Square Tavern in the Rogers Park neighborhood on Sept. 28, 2020, in Chicago.

  • Pedestrians mostly wearing masks In the Wicker Park neighborhood Oct....

    E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune

    Pedestrians mostly wearing masks In the Wicker Park neighborhood Oct. 22, 2020.

  • Robin Kiamco, cousin of ICU nurse Neuman Kiamco, helps to...

    Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

    Robin Kiamco, cousin of ICU nurse Neuman Kiamco, helps to light candles for health care workers from MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn as the group remembers Neuman Kiamco, 48, who died on Aug. 30, 2020, after a two-month battle with COVID-19. The candlelight vigil took place outside MacNeal on Sept. 12.

  • Ian Van Cleaf, assistant principal, takes the temperature of a...

    Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

    Ian Van Cleaf, assistant principal, takes the temperature of a student arriving on the first day of school at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood before Anna can enter the school on Sept. 2, 2020.

  • Owner Erik Archambeault, right, and Wally Andersen sit under a...

    Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune

    Owner Erik Archambeault, right, and Wally Andersen sit under a tent with a heat lamp outside Rogers Park Social as they discuss new indoor bar restrictions Oct. 27, 2020, in Chicago.

  • Suzanne Heuberger, 55, visits with her 89-year-old mother Vera Heuberger...

    Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune

    Suzanne Heuberger, 55, visits with her 89-year-old mother Vera Heuberger through glass in the entryway at the Selfhelp Home, April 13, 2020, in Chicago. Suzanne, who's been visiting her mother Vera through glass since early March, uses a cell phone to talk with her mother when the two meet.

  • People wait in line before being sworn as U.S. citizens...

    Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune

    People wait in line before being sworn as U.S. citizens in the courtyard of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Oct., 16, 2020. Because of the coronavirus, the naturalization process was held outside.

  • Server Chloe Climenhaga disinfects an outdoor pod after diners departed...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    Server Chloe Climenhaga disinfects an outdoor pod after diners departed Dec. 2, 2020, at Bien Trucha restaurant in Geneva.

  • Maurice Gordon receives a mask as Leo High School faculty...

    Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune

    Maurice Gordon receives a mask as Leo High School faculty and staff members distribute meals and 1,000 masks to families and the elderly in Chicago on April 29, 2020. The meals and masks were donated by a relief fund created by Leo alumni and Big Shoulders Fund.

  • Guests eat inside an enclosed, outdoor dining room outside Boqueria...

    John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Guests eat inside an enclosed, outdoor dining room outside Boqueria restaurant at 807 W. Fulton Market, Dec. 31, 2020, in Chicago.

  • A masked scooter rider maneuvers through downtown Evanston as Illinois...

    E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune

    A masked scooter rider maneuvers through downtown Evanston as Illinois reports four days of record numbers of COVID-19 cases, Nov. 13, 2020.

  • Students from School District 25 complete their e-learning in the...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Students from School District 25 complete their e-learning in the multipurpose room in South Middle School on Sept. 11, 2020, in Arlington Heights.

  • A sign tells travelers about COVID-19 testing Feb. 14, 2021,...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    A sign tells travelers about COVID-19 testing Feb. 14, 2021, at Terminal 5 of O'Hare International Airport.

  • From left, Brionna Walker, 27, drinks on the patio behind...

    Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

    From left, Brionna Walker, 27, drinks on the patio behind Frances Cocktail Lounge with Connie Holloway, 35, in the Chatham neighborhood on Oct. 22, 2020, in Chicago.

  • People dance while musicians play on Aug. 9, 2020, during...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    People dance while musicians play on Aug. 9, 2020, during a weekly event organized by El Corrillo de Humboldt Park. Bystanders picnic in the grass and enjoy the show each Saturday and Sunday during the free gathering.

  • Fitness instructor Martha Patricia Montes addresses her students before a...

    John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Fitness instructor Martha Patricia Montes addresses her students before a virtual yoga class from her home studio in the North Mayfair neighborhood Jan. 15, 2021, in Chicago. Montes has been teaching fitness classes from her home since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • New social distancing circles are drawn on a lawn as...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    New social distancing circles are drawn on a lawn as visitors relax June 15, 2020, at Millennium Park as the park reopens following COVID-19 pandemic closures.

  • Guests dine inside tents along the Chicago River outside RPM...

    John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Guests dine inside tents along the Chicago River outside RPM Seafood, Dec. 31, 2020, in Chicago.

  • People in cars line up for drive-thru COVID-19 testing on...

    Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune

    People in cars line up for drive-thru COVID-19 testing on Jan. 7, 2021, at Charles A. Prosser Career Academy in Chicago. Illinois COVID-19 infection numbers surpassed 1 million on this day.

  • CTA riders with facemarks to protect them from coronavirus disembark...

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    CTA riders with facemarks to protect them from coronavirus disembark from a CTA train at Addison, in Chicago, March 30, 2021.

  • Mary Zalatoris, a registered nurse at Amita Health St. Alexius...

    Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune

    Mary Zalatoris, a registered nurse at Amita Health St. Alexius Medical Center, cares for COVID-19 patient Paul Kjeldbjerg, 90, of Chicago on Jan. 7, 2021, in Hoffman Estates. Kjeldbjerg, who lives in an assisted living home in Chicago, had been in the hospital for 12 days. He said he most looks forward to the days when he can visit the garden at the home where he lives and walk two miles a day.

  • A shopper in downtown Oak Park on Nov. 13, 2020....

    Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

    A shopper in downtown Oak Park on Nov. 13, 2020. A stay-at-home advisory has been issued for suburban Cook County.

  • Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    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.

  • Server Katherine Ceron delivers food to customers dining on the...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    Server Katherine Ceron delivers food to customers dining on the outdoor patio at Tweet in Edgewater on June 3, 2020, for the first time since coronavirus restrictions closed restaurants.

  • Nurse clinician Vicki Johnson gives a second COVID-19 vaccine injection...

    Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

    Nurse clinician Vicki Johnson gives a second COVID-19 vaccine injection to Tracy Everett, an emergency room nurse at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago on Jan. 7, 2021.

  • Cate Readling of the People's Lobby lights candles inside paper...

    Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune

    Cate Readling of the People's Lobby lights candles inside paper bags, formed into a heart shape to remember the lives lost in the COVID-19 pandemic, during a rally demanding changes from the incoming Biden-Harris administration at Federal Plaza on the eve of the Inauguration, Jan. 19, 2021, in Chicago. Readling said she was in attendance to support Cassandra Greer-Lee, whose husband passed away from COVID-19 in Cook County jail.

  • Tom Wilschke plays with his dog Jasper as his wife...

    Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune

    Tom Wilschke plays with his dog Jasper as his wife Jess Mean, from left, talks with James Moes and his wife Bridget McMullan at Loyola Beach on a sunny and warm Nov. 8, 2020, in Chicago.

  • Paul Hogan warms up as his coach Ryan Nightingale looks...

    Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

    Paul Hogan warms up as his coach Ryan Nightingale looks on at CrossTown Fitness in Chicago on June 24, 2020.

  • CTA "L" riders wait for a train at the State/Lake...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    CTA "L" riders wait for a train at the State/Lake station in downtown Chicago on July 14, 2020.

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Chicago Tribune
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:

Illinois public health officials on Sunday announced 1,382 new confirmed case of COVID-19 and eight additional deaths.

The numbers came after the statewide count surpassed 2,000 in Illinois for two straight days. The state has now reported 194,080 cases overall and 7,636 confirmed deaths.

On Sunday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot had fencing put up and police officers posted at entrances to Monroe Harbor, a day after she criticized a large beach party there.

Meanwhile, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday announced his administration is filing new emergency rules to require businesses to enforce mask requirements that include the possibility of fines up to $2,500.

Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:

Sunday

Pritzker urges public to embrace masks

Gov. J.B. Pritzker was joined by several medical experts Sunday afternoon to urge Illinoisans to mask up and help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

At a news conference at Northwestern’s Prentice Hospital, Pritzker called mask requirements and physical distancing during a pandemic “common sense,” noting the majority of Americans support a mask mandate, and that health professionals with whom he has spoken all count masking and distancing among the most effective ways to slow the virus’ spread.

“In the last few months, research has evolved from the early days of the coronavirus, when it was shown that wearing masks protected others you’re with,” Pritzker said. “Now, study after study after study has shown us that if you wear a mask, it protects you, too.”

Pritzker said the new emergency rules issued last week requiring businesses and schools to enforce mandatory face mask rules or face potential fines protects the public and treats businesses fairly. Read more here. — Morgan Greene

No pajama pants? In Springfield schools, students must adhere to dress code for remote learning.

Students in the capital of Illinois are not allowed to wear hats, bandannas, sunglasses, pajama pants or slippers in school buildings. And that dress code now extends to their bedrooms and kitchen tables.

“We don’t need students in pajamas and all those other things while on their Zoom conferences,” Jason Wind, the district’s director of student support, explained during an online board meeting of Springfield Public Schools this past week.

Along with the clothing requirements, the district’s remote learning guidelines mandate that students be “sitting up out of bed, preferably at a desk or table.”

A district spokeswoman, Bree Hankins, said in a statement that the remote learning guidelines were developed collaboratively with teachers, administrators and parents, and that the dress code reflected what the students would be wearing when in school. Read more here. —The New York Times

Montrose Harbor blocked by police, fence after Mayor Lori Lightfoot shuts down large beach party

For months, memes have appeared to show Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot watching for crowds and threatening to close parts of the city if residents don’t abide orders and closures during the coronavirus pandemic.

But on Saturday, Lightfoot herself — not just a Photoshopped picture of her, like those used in such memes — apparently had a hand in breaking up a large gathering at Montrose Harbor, according to social media posts by the mayor and crime blog CWB Chicago.

The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, Lightfoot on Saturday posted to Twitter an image of dozens of people engaging in what she called, “reckless behavior on Montrose Beach.”

“It’s called a pandemic, people,” said the mayor’s post, which included a picture of partygoers. “This reckless behavior on Montrose Beach is what will cause us to shut down the parks and lakefront. Don’t make us take steps backwards.”

In a follow-up tweet she confirmed she was there and seemed to suggest she had already ordered new fencing seen Sunday morning: “In case you were wondering, I stopped by to see for myself. It’s being addressed,” she wrote at 7:30 p.m., about 90 minutes after she posted a picture of the party.

Stoking concerns that the mayor had followed through on threats to close the “parks and lakefront,” were additional images circulating on social media of police cars blocking a Montrose Harbor entrance. The Lakefront Trail also was blocked by police officers at Montrose Avenue and Lake Shore Drive Sunday morning. Read more here. —Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas

US hits 5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, the highest of any country

With confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. hitting 5 million Sunday, by far the highest of any country, the failure of the most powerful nation in the world to contain the scourge has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe.

Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is America’s bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy, which was ground zero of Europe’s epidemic. Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February, and the country still has one of the world’s highest official death tolls at 35,000.

But after a strict nationwide, 10-week lockdown, vigilant tracing of new clusters and general acceptance of mask mandates and social distancing, Italy has become a model of virus containment.

“Don’t they care about their health?” a mask-clad Patrizia Antonini asked about people in the United States as she walked with friends along the banks of Lake Bracciano, north of Rome. “They need to take our precautions. … They need a real lockdown.” Read more here. —Associated Press

Franciscan Health Hammond seeking volunteers for COVID-19 treatment study

Franciscan Health Hammond wants volunteers for a COVID-19 study it hopes could lead to a new treatment.

The hospital is participating in pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly’s study to test if an engineered antibody drug, called LY-CoV555, could neutralize the virus early in patients that only show mild symptoms, before the condition progresses to hospitalization.

Around 15 volunteers or more are needed at Franciscan in Hammond, Dr. Erica Kaufman West, a hospital infectious disease doctor said. Lilly’s study – called BLAZE-1 – is recruiting 400 volunteers in 24 sites nationwide, including another Franciscan hospital in Indianapolis. So far, about one-third total have signed up, she said. Read more here. —Meredeth Colias-Pete

Saturday

Coronavirus aid updates: Trump signs executive orders for $400-a-week unemployment benefit, deferral of payroll tax and federal student loan payments

Seizing the power of his podium and his pen, President Donald Trump on Saturday bypassed the nation’s lawmakers as he claimed the authority to defer payroll taxes and replace an expired unemployment benefit with a lower amount after negotiations with Congress on a new coronavirus rescue package collapsed.

At his private country club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump signed executive orders to act where Congress hasn’t. Not only has the pandemic undermined the economy and upended American lives, it has imperiled the president’s November reelection.

Perhaps most crucially, Trump moved to continue paying a supplemental federal unemployment benefit for millions of Americans out of work during the outbreak. However, his order called for up to $400 payments, one-third less than the $600 people had been receiving. Congress allowed those higher payments to lapse on Aug. 1, and negotiations to extend them have been mired in partisan gridlock, with the White House and Democrats miles apart.

Trump largely stayed on the sidelines during the administration’s negotiations with congressional leaders, leaving the talks on his side to chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

Trump’s embrace of executive actions to sidestep Congress runs in sharp contrast to his criticism of former President Barack Obama’s use of executive orders on a more limited basis. And the president’s step-back from talks with Congress breaks with his self-assured negotiating skills.

Now, Trump, who has not spoken with Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi since last year, sought to play the role of election-year savior, with the $400 weekly assistance, as well as a deferral of payroll tax and federal student loan payments and the continuation of a freeze on some evictions during the crisis.

Read more here. —Associated Press

2,190 new known COVID-19 cases, 18 additional deaths

For the second time in more than two months — and the second day in a row — the statewide count of newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpassed 2,000 in Illinois.

Public health officials said Saturday 2,190 new cases were logged during the last 24-hour period, and another 18 people with COVID-19 had died. Before Friday, when 2,084 new cases were reported, the last time the confirmed case number surpassed 2,000 was May 24, when the state reported 2,508 cases.

The new daily tally brings the statewide count of known cases to 192,698. There have been 7,631 deaths of people with COVID-19 in Illinois since the pandemic began earlier this year.

—Chicago Tribune staff

Friday

Chicago Public Schools delays release of remote learning plan but CEO promises more live instruction and accountability

Chicago Public Schools on Friday delayed the release of its plan for remote learning in the fall, days after the district announced it would start the new school year virtually rather than with the hybrid reopening model it first proposed.

The district now plans to issue its final reopening framework “in the days ahead,” according to an email to families Friday.

“We believe an improved remote learning model that engages students for the full school day is the right way to begin the new school year based on both the evolving public health situation and feedback from our families,” CPS CEO Janice Jackson and Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade said in the email. “… We are taking additional time to work with school leaders and labor partners to ensure the plan we finalize for the new school year is thorough and thoughtful, and we will be sharing those guidelines as soon as they are ready.”

Chicago Teachers Union leaders are demanding the district include members as equal partners in improving on how remote learning went in the spring. After the news that CPS would not be releasing its plan Friday, CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates tweeted about the tentative agreement on distance learning negotiated between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the United Teachers Los Angeles.

Read more here. —Hannah Leone

From hybrid model to remote learning: Inside Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago Public Schools’ fall pivot

In the days and hours before she gave up on in-school learning at Chicago Public Schools this fall, Mayor Lori Lightfoot was getting squeezed from the outside and the inside.

Coronavirus cases continued their seemingly implacable rise despite her constant entreaties to residents to wear masks and follow social distancing rules.

Her political nemeses in the Chicago Teachers Union repeatedly accused Lightfoot of putting students and teachers at risk, even as the rumblings about an impending strike vote grew louder.

Read more here. —John Byrne and Gregory Pratt

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