COVID-19 in Illinois updates: Heres whats happening Friday – Chicago Tribune

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and labor leaders whose members could bear the brunt of layoffs or furloughs as the city tries to close a yawning 2021 budget deficit called on Illinois' Congressional delegation this week to work toward passage of a federal aid package that could forestall the deepest cuts.

Its not likely the letter they sent to legislators from Illinois will have much impact on the partisan Washington D.C. impasse over aid to cities and other units of government hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the coronavirus in Illinois has passed 8,500, according to state public health officials who say more than 1,600 people are currently hospitalized with the disease, more than 350 of them in intensive care units.

Public health officials said there have been more than 283,000 positive cases of COVID-19 out of more than 5.3 million tests administered in the state. On Friday, 69,793 tests had been done over the past 24 hours, putting the states seven-day positivity rate at 3.6%.

However, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has warned that Region 1 in northern Illinois, which includes the Rockford and Dixon areas, has seen positivity rates rise to 7.5%, near the 8% threshold that would bring additional restrictions on public gatherings.

Heres whats happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:

1:37 p.m.: Mayor Lori Lightfoot, labor leaders call for congressional help on Chicagos coronavirus revenue hole

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and labor leaders whose members could bear the brunt of layoffs or furloughs as the city tries to close a yawning 2021 budget deficit called on Illinois' Congressional delegation this week to work toward passage of a federal aid package that could forestall the deepest cuts.

Its not likely the letter they sent to legislators from Illinois will have much impact on the partisan Washington D.C. impasse over aid to cities and other units of government hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But it illustrates how Lightfoot and union heads are trying to show theyre working together before the mayor introduces a budget proposal next month that she has warned could include significant payroll cuts in many front line city departments to help close a shortfall for next year she estimates at $1.2 billion.

Whilelaying out that financial holelast month, Lightfoot said a federal revenue deal is the best way to avoid cuts that would impact city services.

1:35 p.m.: Buffalo Grove to allow Halloween trick-or-treating with safety suggestions

Buffalo Grove trustees agreed to accept staff recommendations to not ban trick-or-treating in the village on Halloween, but instead offer alternatives and suggestions to improve safety during the annual candy gathering in the time of coronavirus.

The board agreed with that approach, Assistant Village Manager Jennifer Maltas told Pioneer Press in an interview following Mondays combination virtual and in-person meeting.

Regarding trick-or-treating, Maltas said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has categorized the traditional door-to-door candy collection as a high-risk activity in light of the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic and she said the Illinois Department of Public Health is expected to finalize its guidelines in the coming days.

Village officials may tweak their recommendations after reviewing that information, she said.

12:12 p.m.: 2,514 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25 additional deaths reported

Illinois public health officials reported Friday they had logged 2,514 newly diagnosed cases and 25 additional confirmed deaths of people with COVID-19, raising the statewide tally to 283,885 known cases and 8,563 deaths.

11:42 a.m.: 20 Valparaiso, Indiana, football players quarantined after positive COVID-19 case; games against Crown Point, Merrillville canceled

Valparaiso High School has announced that both junior varsity and varsity football teams will suspend practice and competition until Oct. 5, effectively canceling games against Crown Point and Merrillville.

In a statement sent to football parents, Head Coach Bill Marshall and Athletic Director Stacy Adams said school officials received word of a positive COVID-19 case at the high school.

In collaboration with the Porter County Health Department, those in direct contact with the individual who tested positive were identified, notified and instructed to quarantine for 14 days.

10:59 a.m.: Coronavirus cases are on the rise in the US heartland, where anti-mask sentiment runs high

It began with devastation in the New York City area, followed by a summertime crisis in the Sun Belt. Now the coronavirus is striking cities with much smaller populations in the heartland, often in conservative corners of America where anti-mask sentiment runs high.

The spread has created new problems at hospitals, schools and colleges in the Midwest and West.

Wisconsin is averaging more than 2,000 new cases a day over the last week, compared with 675 three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations in the state are at the highest level since the outbreak took hold in the U.S. in March.

Utah has seen its average daily case count more than double from three weeks earlier. Oklahoma and Missouri are regularly recording 1,000 new cases a day, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch opponent of mask rules, tested positive for the virus this week. And South Dakota, Idaho and Iowa are seeing sky-high rates of tests coming back positive.

The U.S. is averaging more than 40,000 new confirmed cases a day. While that number is dramatically lower than the peak of nearly 70,000 over the summer, the numbers are worrisome nonetheless. The nations death toll eclipsed 200,000 this week, the highest in the world.

9:09 a.m.: Neiman Marcus is notifying employees of a new round of staff cuts

Neiman Marcus is exiting its bankruptcy with a smaller workforce.

Significant staff cuts at both its Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores have started this week. The company didnt say how many people are permanently losing jobs.

We plan to separate from selling and non-selling associates, the Dallas-based luxury retailer said in emailed statement. These are difficult decisions we must make at this time and we are so grateful for our dedicated stores associates.

7:11 a.m.: What will it take to make diners feel safe indoors? Nearly 60% feel uneasy eating inside, so restaurants try sterilizing UV wands, tabletop air purifiers as winter looms.

The host greeting diners at Formentos, an Italian restaurant in the West Town neighborhood, now offers guests something new alongside the menu and wine list: a portable air purifier for their table.

The tabletop devices are among a series of air quality upgrades the restaurant introduced this month to assure customers they can breathe easy dining inside.

Diners can also expect to see bussers using ultraviolet wands to sterilize glassware and utensils, and little air-sucking robots in various corners of the restaurant that use heat to kill microorganisms. Unseen are new air filters installed in the HVAC system meant to trap virus particles.

The changes were costly for a restaurant that continues to lose money due to COVID-19.

5 a.m.: With the pandemic, parents and educators embrace outdoor preschools. Many hope the move will be permanent.

On a hazy September afternoon near a willow tree, a boy with a bright red backpack spotted something slimy on the ground.

Hello, all the mushrooms, he said, gently tapping the fungus, trying not to crush any as his small feet moved through the grass.

A teacher asked why they might be growing in that spot. The boy thought for a moment. Because its shady and wet!

That was just one lesson for the group of kids at the Chicago Botanic Garden Nature Preschool, a program thats part of the growing field of nature-based early childhood education.

Nature preschools were increasing before the pandemic, more than doubling in the last three years, according to a report from the Natural Start Alliance, a project of the North American Association for Environmental Education. The report estimates 585 schools across the country have nature-based education at their core, meaning a significant amount of time is spent outside. Illinois is among the states with the most programs topping 20. California and Washington, with about 50 programs each, lead the list.

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COVID-19 in Illinois updates: Heres whats happening Friday - Chicago Tribune