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The four regions in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan are set to see some restrictions loosened on Friday.
Pritzker on Tuesday planned to outline the regional metrics needed to head into the third phase of his reopening plan. That includes a positivity rate under 20% and stable or declining hospital metrics. All regions are set to move forward on Friday, Pritzker’s office said.
Pritzker released guidelines Sunday for retailers, manufacturers, barbershops, salons, health and fitness centers, and other businesses that will be allowed to reopen when the state enters the next phase of its “Restore Illinois” plan.
In addition to social distancing, wearing masks and hand-washing, Phase 3 of Pritzker’s plan includes some specific guidelines for places like gyms, hair salons and day camps:
Read the full story for more on the Phase 3 guidelines here.
Newly released and long-awaited data from the nation’s third-largest school system show what many have suspected: In the best circumstances, remote learning has been an uneven and dubious replacement for in-person instruction; and in the worst, it has left students entirely disconnected from their teachers.
Fewer than 60% of all Chicago Public Schools students are engaging with online remote learning three or more days per week, data unveiled Wednesday shows. Vulnerable populations, such as kids who are homeless and black and Latino students whose families have been disproportionately hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, are logging on at lower rates. Tens of thousands of students aren’t being reached by their schools at all despite computer and internet access having largely been achieved.
The report, which includes some of the most detailed metrics in the country, measures 294,000 students at district-run schools and focuses on the week of May 11, the most recently measured time span which also saw the best engagement thus far. Officials said they don’t have access to data for another 60,000 who attend charters.
Read the full story from Nader Issa here.
The Museum of Science and Industry has laid off about one quarter of its staff citing the financial challenges of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
The museum is also requiring the remaining staff to take 10 furlough days and is introducing “graduated pay reductions” for the majority of employees, spokeswoman Julie Parente said.
“We made these decisions to protect the museum’s long-term future, so that we can continue to inspire the inventive genius in everyone,” Parente said in a statement. “We are grateful for everything that our staff has done for the museum and especially for the students, families, educators, schools and communities we serve.”
In total, the museum has laid off 84 of its 358 full-time employees, Parente said.
Read the full story from Stefano Esposito here.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday said he’ll sign legislation that will legalize “cocktails-to-go” to aid ailing business owners during the pandemic.
What that will look like in Chicago — a hotspot for COIVD-19 — and when that may happen remains unclear.
While Mayor Lori Lightfoot is supportive of the plan, mayoral aides says they are exploring changes to it. That’s allowed under the legislation, which gives municipalities local control to either opt out or make changes.
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for June 17, and it’s unlikely a meeting would be called earlier to take up the plan.
Read the full story from Tina Sfondeles here.
SPRINGFIELD — Suburban Republican Allen Skillicorn insists he would really rather Gov. J.B. Pritzker finish out his term than be booted from office.
“Frankly I just hope the governor fixes the unemployment system, so people can get their unemployment and we should move on from this,” the state representative said. “I mean, I would much prefer that.”
Whether the governor is able to solve the unemployment problems that have arisen during the coronavirus crisis remains to be seen, but Skillicorn isn’t waiting to find out.
The East Dundee Republican launched a recall effort to remove the Chicago Democrat from office — an uphill battle that would require bipartisan support from legislators and hundreds of thousands of signatures from voters to get on the ballot.
Skillicorn said troubles with the Illinois Department of Employment Security website was the last straw.
He said he would “happily” take his recall petition “off the table,” if the governor fixes the problem. But it might not matter what Skillicorn leaves on the table, given the high threshold for a successful recall petition.
Read the full report from Neal Earley here.
You’re familiar, perhaps, with those signs in restaurants and bars: “No shoes. No shirt. No service.” Add this one for the COVID-19 pandemic era as Illinois and Chicago start to phase in reopening plans: A fever keeps you out, too.
Temperature checks, staggered operating hours and eliminating many amenities taken for granted — from water fountains to dropping in anytime at the health club — are what Illinoisans could be dealing with in the coming days. Could be, because so far, the state does not have an enforcement mechanism in place.
For at least 10 industries in Illinois, guidelines for the “new normal” arrived Sunday when the state released a series of detailed reopening procedures to kick in as soon as Friday.
Whether employers and customers will adapt and whether businesses can be profitable under the new rules will be key to the revival of the Illinois economy.
Gov. J. B. Pritzker at his Tuesday briefing called the provisions “minimum expectations moving forward.” Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday issued guidelines tailored to Chicago and aligned with the state.
Maintaining six feet of social distancing at all times, using face coverings, frequent hand washing or sanitizing remain key to curbing the pandemic. To do this in a workplace will require extensive — and perhaps expensive — reconfiguring.
Lynn Sweet breaks down what’s ahead for owners, workers and customers.
