In cases submitted to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois tested a record number of people, which is a record for the second straight day.The state positivity rate remained at 4.4%, but that number has increased over the last four weeks even as the nationwide rate has gone down. Chicago is at 5.1% positivity and suburban Cook County at 6.4%, which is just short of the 8% threshold set by the state. The southern Illinois region is in the same boat, at 7.4%.
Here is what happened today in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago, the state and the nation.
News
9 p.m. Precautions urged to stop run of four-digit COVID-19 caseloads and ‘prevent us from getting into a very bad spot’
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Health officials on Thursday announced 1,832 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 across Illinois, another four-digit caseload that has become the norm as the virus flares back up statewide.
Illinois has reported an average of 1,807 new cases per day over the last two weeks, up from an average of 1,063 cases per day this time last month.
The newest cases were confirmed among 51,612 tests submitted to the Illinois Department of Public Health, setting a testing record for the state for a second straight day.
Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout here.
8:35 p.m. Catholic school teachers ‘terrified,’ call on archdiocese to move school fully online
A group representing hundreds of teachers and parents with the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools Thursday called for all fall classes at the parochial school system to be held online.
“Now is the wrong time to gather hundreds of human beings into enclosed spaces,” James Cahill, a history and religion teacher at Wilmette’s St. Francis Xavier School, said at a news conference outside the archdiocese’s downtown offices, at 835 N. Rush St.
“The decision to do so boggles the mind, defies science and potentially endangers the lives of students, teachers, staff, and all of our families and communities.”
In an email to families earlier this month, Catholic Schools Supt. Jim Rigg said the archdiocese is starting the school year with full-time in-person learning, saying it’s “in the best interests of children and our mission.”
Read the full story by Clare Proctor here.
8 p.m. AMC Theaters reopens its doors, cautiously
The doors to the AMC Waterfront 22 were locked. They had been for five months, along with most indoor theaters in the U.S. because of COVID-19. But in 20 minutes that was about to change and four people in masks were already gathered outside the theater eight miles southeast of Pittsburgh in eager anticipation. They were there to see the Vin Diesel movie “Bloodshot” for 15 cents a ticket. After so many months, 20 extra minutes didn’t seem like all that long to wait.
The lights started slowing coming back on in theaters nationwide Thursday with AMC Theaters, the country’s largest chain, leading the charge.
AMC opened some 113 locations across the U.S., including several in the Chicago area, advertising retro pricing and retro screenings to entice audiences back to the movies. Regal, the second largest exhibitor, is following suit Friday.
6:50 p.m. Old US Soccer jerseys become unique protective masks
Some frontline nurses and doctors battling the coronavirus pandemic head on now have a bit of soccer history for protection.
When a bunch of old U.S. national team soccer jerseys were found in the basement of the Soccer House, a stately old mansion that serves as U.S. Soccer’s headquarters in Chicago, the federation’s chief medical officer, Dr. George Chiampas, thought they could be put to a unique use.
“Several of our staff, our federation said, ‘What can we do to use this beautiful game to be able to support frontline workers? To disseminate a message to make a difference?’” said Chiamas, who works at Northwestern Memorial hospital.
5:45 p.m. 1 in 5 nursing homes short on PPE and staff in coronavirus rebound
One in five U.S. nursing homes faced severe shortages of protective gear like N95 masks this summer even as the Trump administration pledged to help, according to a study released Thursday that finds facilities in areas hard-hit by COVID-19 also struggled to keep staff.
Significantly, there was no improvement from May to July in the shortages of personal protective equipment, known as PPE, or in the staffing shortfalls, according to the analysis of federal data by academic researchers. The summer has seen the coronavirus surge across the South, and much of the West and Midwest.
People living in long-term care facilities represent less than 1% of the U.S. population, but account for 43% of coronavirus deaths, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Similar glaring disparities have been seen with nursing home residents in other countries, but in the U.S. the issue has become politically sensitive for President Donald Trump, who is trying to hang on to support from older voters in his reelection bid.
4:35 p.m. Young children pose a dilemma for airlines with coronavirus mask rules
Two recent incidents involving young children who refused to wear face masks show how airlines are struggling to balance safety with compassionate treatment of all their customers during a pandemic.
JetBlue Airways forced a woman and her six children off a plane this week when her 2-year-old daughter wouldn’t keep her mask on.
“It was horrible, the whole experience was traumatizing,” the mother, Chaya Bruck, told the New York Daily News from the airport in Orlando, Florida, where the Brooklyn family was stranded.
Last week, a Texas woman said Southwest Airlines booted her family off a plane after one of the children, a 3-year-old with autism, refused to wear a mask. Alyssa Sadler said her son became upset because he does not like to have his face touched.
All major U.S. airlines have mask rules and have banned at least a couple hundred passengers who have refused to comply. Typically, the violators are adults who argue that there is no government requirement to wear a mask — there isn’t; the Federal Aviation Administration has declined to impose one, leaving it up to the airlines.
3:45 p.m. CPS starts fall sports practices under strict COVID-19 guidelines
Lane senior Theo Canji was excited to be back practicing with his cross-country team on Wednesday, but there is no way to fully escape from COVID-19 concerns.
“I’m worried,” Canji said. “I really don’t want to give COVID to my parents. We try to keep our distance and wear our masks. The danger is very real and present and something that I think about a lot.
“We run in a small group of seven and we’ve been training together since it all started. So I feel like when we are alone in our group working out it is a little bit less of a concern. But around all these other people that I have never seen before it is a little different.”
Chicago Public Schools runners have likely dealt with more turmoil than any other high school athletes in the country over the last year.
Read the full story by Michael O’Brien here.
2 p.m. James Beard Awards won’t announce 2020 chef, restaurant winners in wake of pandemic
The James Beard Foundation on Thursday announced it will not be announcing 2020 chef and restaurant winners due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating impact on the industry.
The recipients of the annual awards for outstanding achievement in 23 categories — often referred to as “the Oscars of the culinary world” — were scheduled to be announced via Twitter in a live virtual ceremony from Chicago on Sept. 25.
Instead, the 2020 ceremony will now celebrate previously announced honorees in the categories of America’s Classics, Lifetime Achievement, Humanitarian of the Year, Design Icon, and Leadership Awards.
This year’s list of Chicago finalists included a “clean sweep” in the category of best chef Great Lakes region, with Gene Kato of Momotaro, Jason Hammel of Lula Cafe, Noah Sandoval of Oriole, John Shields and Karen Urie Shields of Smyth, Erick Williams of Virtue, and Lee Wolen of Boka restaurants vying for the prestigious honor.
Read the full story by Miriam Di Nunzio here.
1 p.m. Youth programs could deter gun violence as pandemic closes schools, coach says
Since June 22, five children 10 years old or younger have died from gun violence in Chicago, according to Sun-Times records. Ernest Radcliffe, the founder and director of several youth sports programs, including “The Show” baseball team and Wolfpack football, called the recent fatal shootings involving minors “disturbing” and “troubling.”
“I felt in my heart, I needed to step up,” he said. “It’s a proven fact that if we capture our youth at a young age and put them in something that’s very positive, put them in youth sports, that they will prosper and move on to be better people.”
Radcliffe asked for more funding and proper resources to help the youth sports organizations connect with children and teens throughout the city. This is especially paramount now, Wolfpack coach Rynell Morgan said, with the coronavirus pandemic forcing schools to go online this fall.
“With the pandemic that’s going on throughout the country and throughout the world, it is very important that we have programs for these kids to do something,” Morgan said.
Radcliffe also called on the YMCA and Park District to bring back their youth programming amid the pandemic.
Read the full story from Madeline Kenney here.
11:58 a.m. Sister Jean discusses quarantining, basketball’s fate, life lessons ahead of 101st birthday
One year ago Friday, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt peered over a large birthday cake and blew out her special “1-0-0” candles burning in front of a crowd of several hundred at Damen Student Center.
It was the party of the century — at least in Sister Jean’s eyes. There was cake, appearances by Gov. J.B. Pritzker along with other prominent Illinoisans, and a star-studded video tribute featuring NBA legend Charles Barkley, Bears owner Virginia McCaskey and former Cubs manager Joe Maddon among many others.
But what made it extremely special, she said, was the opportunity to share her 100th birthday with the Loyola community of students, faculty and alumni.
“It was a wonderful day,” Sister Jean recalled.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Loyola can’t do the same this year when Sister Jean celebrates her 101st birthday, a milestone she said she wasn’t sure she’d reach. But they’re going to do what she believes is the next best thing — hold a virtual birthday party Friday. And Loyola’s No. 1 fan is welcoming everyone to be part of her special day.
See more of Madeline Kenney’s conversation with Sister Jean here.
7:28 a.m. Eviction risk of 250K Cook County homes if state doesn’t extend moratorium, Sheriff Dart warns
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart Wednesday urged Gov. J.B. Pritzker to extend the state’s evictions moratorium past the expiration date this weekend as residents await funding assistance that is still being doled out.
In a letter to Pritzker and Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans, Dart warned that not extending the moratorium past Saturday would put as many as 250,000 households in the county at risk of eviction.
Evicting residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dart wrote, would force them to go to homeless shelters or the homes of friends and families, increasing the risk of exposure in the community.
“Like you, I have been tremendously concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, not just on the health and safety of residents, but on the economic future of the entire community,” Dart wrote. “The evictions moratorium set to expire on August 22nd has been a critical component of ensuring economic stability along with government efforts to aid both tenants and property owners.”
Reporter David Struett has the full story.
New Cases
- Five Notre Dame football players test positive for COVID-19.
- Illinois’ coronavirus climb took another dangerous step up Wednesday as health officials announced an additional 2,295 Illinoisans have contracted COVID-19, the latest nearly three-month high for the state.
- The newest cases were confirmed among a record-high 50,299 tests reported to the state, but they were still enough to raise Illinois’ testing positivity rate over the last week to 4.4%, the number experts look to to gauge how quickly the virus is spreading. It had been down to 2.5% last month.
Analysis & Commentary
5:40 p.m. My dreams of a birthday celebration, deferred by COVID-19
August is my birthday month. Back in April, when I foolishly assumed the coronavirus would pass over us eventually like a thunderstorm, I planned a celebration in my head. I imagined summer sunshine renewing Chicago. No more hibernation, no more quarantine.
I anticipated singing and dancing to “Everybody Rejoice” from “The Wiz.”
Everybody’s glad
Because our silent fear and dread is gone
Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully
Just look about
You owe it to yourself to check it out
Can’t you feel a brand new day?
The last line is the chorus, sung repeatedly. A brand new day symbolized, to me, walking outside without social distancing and the return of social gatherings. I dreamed of inviting friends to come on the second Sunday in August to the Stony Island Arts Bank in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, where DJ Duane Powell spins a soulful mix of house music at a day party called Sunday Service.
Read the full column by Natalie Y. Moore here.
7:53 a.m. Chicago schools plan for remote learning falls woefully short
In a letter to the Sun-Times editors, Muriel Balla of Hyde Park writes:
I’m not surprised the Chicago Teachers Union objects to the fall framework for remote learning presented by the Chicago Public Schools. I, too, object.
The CPS press release says nothing about additional staff needed to implement remote learning. Nor does it address any of the following:
Has free wifi been made available on every block in Chicago? Does every CPS family have at least one computer?
If the answers to those two questions are not “yes,” then how many children are being left out of CPS’ remote learning plan?
I spent almost six hours on Zoom recently. I had a virtual high school reunion and two organization meetings on the same day. I could barely sit through all that; I found myself frequently jumping up and walking around and away. CPS’ so-called plans for older elementary and high school students are laughable.
