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

The city of Chicago will shut down bars that arent following social distancing guidelines and increase patrols in problem areas, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other officials told liquor license holders on a conference call ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.

If you squander this opportunity we will shut you down and you will not reopen anytime soon, Lightfoot said on the call, according to two sources.

On the call, the city said that the Chicago Police Department and Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department would be proactively canvassing problems areas, with potential for immediate closure orders and citations of up to $10,000 each on bar owners that arent following rules.

Illinois health officials Thursday reported 869 new known cases of COVID-19 and 36 additional confirmed fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 144,882 and the confirmed death toll to 6,987.

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

5:23 p.m.: Lightfoot orders anyone coming to Chicago from states where COVID-19 is surging to quarantine for 14 days

People coming to Chicago from 15 states experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases must self-quarantine for 14 days upon entering the city beginning next week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced late Thursday afternoon.

The city ordered the quarantine for anyone who has spent more than 24 hours in the following states before arriving in Chicago: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

The order, which will go into effect on Monday, does not apply to people who are at the airport for a connecting flight or driving through the city on their way elsewhere, city officials said.

Like every action we have taken in response to the COVID-19 crisis, this decision was difficult but necessary in order to ensure the continued health and safety of Chicagos residents and businesses, Lightfoot said in a statement.

Anyone violating the order could face fines of $100 to $500 per day, up to a maximum $7,000, the city said.Under the order, quarantine means staying at a single designated home or dwelling for 14 days before doing any activities outside of the home or dwelling, the city said.

The order by Lightfoot mirrors a similar measure taken in New York City. It was unclear how the city plans to monitor or enforce the order.With neighboring Indiana and other states pausing their reopening plans or even moving backward as new cases of the coronavirus surge, officials in Chicago and Illinois said Wednesday they have no plans to alter loosened rules that took effect statewide last week.

Lightfoot previously said the city tracks its data closely and will not hesitate to take action if they see an upward swing. Gregory Pratt

4:23 p.m.: Hurricane Harbor may reopen soon, but Six Flags Great America still questionable

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water parks in Gurnee and Rockford may be reopening soon, though a reopening for Six Flags Great America remains less certain.

More than a month has passed since Six Flags laid out how it thought it could reopen as safely as possible considering the ongoing pandemic, but its Gurnee-based amusement and water parks remain closed, as do all amusement parks, trampoline parks and indoor playgrounds.

Six Flags has received word from the Governors Office that its two water parks are allowed to begin opening, spokeswoman Caitlin Kepple said. An opening date has not yet been set.

Our full-time team is now back on property and working to implement our comprehensive reopening safety plan so that we can welcome guests to Hurricane Harbor Chicago and Hurricane Harbor Rockford soon, she said in an email. Read more here. Emily K. Coleman

4:21 p.m.: Of the COVID-19 pregnancy cases reported in Illinois, Black and Latina women make up over 70%

At around 25 weeks pregnant with her first child, a 21-year-old Hispanic woman became infected with COVID-19.

The young womans doctors at St. Anthony Hospital in Little Village were just learning more about the coronavirus as it hit Illinois in the spring, and they wanted to monitor the babys growth.

But her insurance did not initially approve the growth ultrasound, her doctors said. So they had to wait to schedule a scan to check her baby. This delayed their ability to assess the pregnancy and created extra stress.

There were a lot of barriers for her, said Margarita Flores, a St. Anthony midwife who helped treat her.

When she delivered in June, she was diagnosed with preeclampsia high blood pressure in pregnancy that can lead to serious, or even fatal, complications for both mom and baby. The baby was born small.

The mom and her baby, whose names were not shared for privacy reasons, are doing well now, said Flores and her doctors.

The coronavirus has amplified the challenges pregnant women face. And even more so for Black and Latina women, who might be disproportionately affected by COVID-19, according torecent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, and who experience extra burdens of not only implicit racism within the health care industry, but also socioeconomic factors that can impact their ability to access care. Read more here. Alison Bowen

3:32 p.m.: Chili Davis, the former Cubs hitting coach, will work remotely when the Mets open camp because of COVID-19 concerns

Former Chicago Cubs hitting coach Chili Davis will keep working remotely when the New York Mets open summer training camp Friday.

The New York Post was first to report that Davis, 60, wont be on site at Citi Field for the beginning of practices because of concerns about the coronavirus.

The timeline for him to join us is uncertain yet, Mets manager Luis Rojas said on a video call Thursday.

The Post, citing unidentified sources in its report, said Davis does not have the virus.

Davis was the Cubs hitting coach in 2018 but was fired nine days after the Rockies beat the Cubs in the National League wild-card game. Read more here. Mike Fitzpatrick

2:31 p.m.: 869 new known COVID-19 cases, 36 additional deaths

Illinois health officials Thursday reported 869 new known cases of COVID-19 and 36 additional confirmed fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 144,882 and the confirmed death toll to 6,987.

1:44 p.m.: Federal judge denies GOP request to prevent Pritzkers crowd limit rule from applying to political gatherings

A federal judge on Thursday denied the Illinois Republican Partys request to temporarily block Gov. J.B. Pritzkers ban on gatherings of more than 50 people from applying to political gatherings.

The lawsuit, filed last month by the state GOP and three local Republican organizations, alleges the rules in Pritzkers order violate the First and 14th amendments. It asks the court to exempt political parties from the cap on gatherings and seeks permission to hold in-person events without size restrictions in the runup to the November election.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis wrote in a 21-page ruling Thursday that the GOP groups have not shown how this exemption is a plain invasion of their constitutional rights and denied their request for a temporary restraining order.

1:24 p.m.: Illinois Holocaust Museum reopens July 15 in Skokie

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in north suburban Skokie will reopen to visitors July 15 with free admission for the day and limits on the number of visitors at any one time. The museum, devoted to the subject of the Holocaust in mission but in practice embracing a wide range of subjects and exhibits having to do with tolerance and human rights, also has announced an extension of the popular current Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The exhibit about the Supreme Court justice and her popularity now will run through Jan. 3, 2021. Before the closure, said museum marketing vice president Marcy Larson, RBG had been on track to be one of the most popular weve ever had.

1:22 p.m.: Brookfield Zoo has reopened, and the animals might outnumber the humans

Brookfield Zoo is reopening this week, albeit slowly, with lions and tigers and zoo members first. The zoos gates swung open Wednesday for those holding seasonal memberships, with the general public to follow July 8. Tickets are being sold at reduced capacity, with timed admissions and only in advance.

On a hot and sunny first morning with temperatures edging their way towards 90 degrees, those admissions were just a trickle, with whole tree-lined boulevards inside the park free from strollers, crowds, humans of any kind. If youve ever wanted to feel like it was just you and the animals, this is your chance.

But be warned not all exhibits are open yet. Visitors will not be able to enter any of the indoor habitats so still closed are the primate houses, the dolphins and aquatic shows, and all of the indoor bird and aviary exhibits. But that leaves a lot open in the zoos 216 acres of grounds including the lions, tigers and big cats, bears, hoofed animals such as bison and zebra, kangaroos and more.

1:21 p.m.: Mayor Lori Lightfoot, city officials threaten to shut down bars that dont follow social distancing guidelines

The city of Chicago will shut down bars that arent following social distancing guidelines and increase patrols in problem areas, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other officials told liquor license holders on a conference call ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.

If you squander this opportunity we will shut you down and you will not reopen anytime soon, Lightfoot said on the call, according to two sources.

Maureen Martino, executive director of the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, said the message from the mayor was clear and stern.

Obviously the mayor has been very careful about reopening because of the virus and we dont want to go backwards. Its everyones best interests to follow the rules, Martino said. A couple bad operators can set us back. Were hoping to make the mayor proud this weekend.

On the call, the city said that the Chicago Police Department and Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department would be proactively canvassing problems areas, with potential for immediate closure orders and citations of up to $10,000 each on bar owners that arent following rules.

A PowerPoint slide with that message said: The time for education is over.

12:23 p.m.: Horses stand idle and clowns call it quits as the coronavirus cancels Illinois rodeos. This is the first time ever that we wont have a rodeo.

Forty horses are crowded around Lenora Calzavara, their breath hot and their tails swishing.

These arent riding horses, waiting for someone to take them out for a trot. These are rodeo horses, bred for their ability to buck riders off in less than eight seconds.

A horse named Mafia Witch is the queen bee in the bunch, with her witchy-white mane blowing in the wind. She was the 2016 world champion bareback horse.

Theres her son, a blonde called Capone; another bareback bronc, the copper-colored mare named Angel Heart, and Shaken Not Stirred, a light brown saddle bronc who bucks his riders out of the saddle.

Summer is usually the busiest time of year for the horses, who travel from rodeo to rodeo, throwing off riders and entertaining crowds.

But for months, the horses havent done much besides graze on Calzavaras pasture in Harvard, Illinois.

They are all bored to death because this is the first time ever that we wont have a rodeo, said Calzavara, owner of Big Hat Rodeo.

10:25 a.m.: Alabama college students held coronavirus parties and whoever got virus first won cash prize, officials say

Several college students in an Alabama city organized COVID-19 parties as a contest to see who would get the virus first, officials said.

Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry said students hosted the parties to intentionally infect each other with the new coronavirus, news outlets reported.

McKinstry said party organizers purposely invited guests who tested positive for COVID-19. She said the students put money in a pot and whoever got COVID first would get the cash.

It makes no sense, McKinstry said. Theyre intentionally doing it.

10:20 a.m.: Bars and nightclubs are becoming dangerous hot spots for COVID-19, health experts warn'

When the bars in Michigan reopened in June, Tony Hild forgot about face masks, social distancing and caution and headed out to Harpers Restaurant and Brewpub, a popular spot in the college town of East Lansing. There was a line out the door. Inside were 200 people dancing, drinking and shouting over the music.

It was just so crowded, and Im like, This is going against everything Im told not to do, said Hild, 23, a college student. But I didnt think I was going to get it.

As people eager for a night out flood back into public after months of confinement, public health experts say that college-town bars, nightclubs and corner taverns are becoming dangerous new hot spots for the coronavirus, seeding infections in thousands of mostly young adults and adding to surging cases nationwide.

Louisiana health officials tied at least 100 coronavirus cases to bars in the Tigerland nightlife district in Baton Rouge. Minnesota has traced 328 recent cases to bars across the state.

And in East Lansing, home to Michigan State University, nearly 140 cases have been linked to Harpers, Hild included. He came down with a sore throat, chest pains and fatigue, and by then more than a week later he had already visited four other restaurants.

10:18 a.m.: For some suburban theaters, reopening not feasible with fraction of audience capacity

As some entertainment venues are starting to slowly welcome patrons back, others are finding its not feasible to open under the states Phase 4 guidelines.

Among those is the Tivoli Theatre in downtown Downers Grove, part of the family-owned Classic Cinemas movie theaters. The historic 1,012-seat theater had planned to open June 26, but was caught off guard when the guidelines issued June 22 in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan allowed for a lower audience capacity than anticipated. Per the states guidelines, theaters should operate at lesser of 50 guests OR 50% of overall theater or performance space capacity.

We can open, but ... because (the Tivoli) only has a single screen, that would be 50 people per show time and theres no way we can make that work financially, said Chris Johnson, CEO of Classic Cinemas.

It doesnt mean we wont reopen at some point, it just makes it extremely challenging.'

10 a.m.: Wrigley Field rooftops reach agreement with city to open for Cubs games, rooftop manager says

The city of Chicago has approved rooftops around Wrigley Field opening at 25 percent capacity for Cubs games, according to the general manager of a rooftop venue.

"We can open our rooftop," said Freddy Fagenholz, general manager of Murphy's Rooftop.

Fagenholz said he received a call from the city Wednesday that their license was approved with safety restrictions related to COVID-19.

9:15 a.m.: Whats it like as COVID-19 Phase 4 allows jazz clubs like Andys to reopen

When Chicago guitarist Andy Brown headed out for his gig Wednesday night at Andys Jazz Club, he realized hed forgotten something.

I was so excited as I walked out of my house, I was halfway to my garage when I realized what he had left behind, Brown told the audience during his first set. My guitar.

So he rushed back inside to get it.Thats what happens when you havent played a concert gig in 3-1/2 months.

But Brown and his bandmates pianist Jeremy Kahn and bassist Joe Policastro clearly have been practicing during the shutdown, judging by their exuberant performance at Andys, which reopened last weekend. Each instrumentalist packed so much melodic content and rhythmic drive into their solos, it sounded as if they were unleashing a torrent of pent-up musicality. Which, of course, they were.

I was sort of planning for this period, said Brown in an interview. The game hadnt even begun till this past weekend, when phase four of the states reopening plan allowed clubs to reopen at 25% occupancy.

7:05 a.m.: Chicago to focus on ticketing bar, restaurant violations of COVID-19 guidelines over July 4 weekend

Chicagos Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department on Thursday will begin ramping up its enforcement of health guidelines for phase four of the states coronavirus reopening plan, especially at bars and restaurants, according to a news release from the mayors office.

The city has focused on reaching out and educating businesses up to this point, but this weekend expects to focus on writing tickets up to $10,000 related to social distancing, capacity limits and face coverings, according to the release.

City inspectors also are now able to immediately order the close of businesses they believe are committing egregious violations of the guidelines, according to the release.

Among the rules under the citys version of phase four: customers must practice social distancing and use face coverings; bars and restaurants have to keep to 25% of indoor capacity or 50 people; alcohol sales end at 11 p.m.; and lines outside must be managed.

The citys encouraging anyone who sees violations to call 311.

Since phase three of COVID-19 reopening began June 3, the city has issued 59 warnings or notices to correct and 9 citations, after 377 investigations of violations.

6 a.m.: Lightfoot dismissed questions about ability to afford new CTU contract if economy tanked. Then COVID-19 hit, damaging CPS budget for years.

After the Chicago Board of Education approved an expensive new teachers contract last fall following a bitter strike, Mayor Lori Lightfoot dismissed as 100% wrong the notion that the school district could have trouble affording the deal if there was an economic downturn.

Then came COVID-19, stay-at-home orders and a resulting recession that has hammered public finances across the country. Now, the financial fault lines that the Tribune identified have been breached as Chicago Public Schools officials try to put together a new spending plan in the coming weeks.

There are short-term problems: The state, which has its own financial woes, did not include extra education funding in its new budget that CPS was counting on to help pay for the teacher contract. And property tax collections the district is heavily relying on could decline because people and businesses might not have the wherewithal to pay their bills.

Over the longer haul, the school district faces the double-whammy prospect of further erosion in property tax collections and higher pension contribution costs triggered by the economic downturn, budget analysts said.

6 a.m.: You think the first half of 2020 was unpredictable? Wait until the second half.

The first six months of 2020 have been, shall we say, a lot: a whipsaw presidential primary, a worldwide pandemic, economic collapse and massive, sometimes violent protests over police brutality and racial injustice.

See more here:

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