Note: Any press conferences from Gov. J.B. Pritzker or Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will be streamed live in the video player above.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she and city officials won't hesitate to bring back restrictions meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus if cases, particularly among young people, continue to rise.
Her warning came as organizers announced the 2020 Bank of America Chicago Marathon would be canceled.
Here are the latest coronavirus updates from around Illinois today, July 13:
Illinois Reports 883 New Coronavirus Cases, 6 Additional Deaths Monday
The state of Illinois reported 883 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, along with six additional deaths, and reached a significant milestone, as health officials say the state has now conducted more than two million coronavirus tests since the pandemic began.
Over the last 24 hours, state labs have taken in 30,012 specimens, putting the state’s total number of tests at 2,012,994 during the four months data has been available.
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Monday’s new cases bring the state to 154,799 total confirmed cases during the pandemic, with 7,193 fatalities associated with the virus.
The new numbers published Monday leave the state’s rolling 7-day positivity rate unchanged at just over 3%.
Chicago Marathon Canceled Due to Health Concerns Over Coronavirus Pandemic
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has been canceled for its 2020 race due to "the ongoing public health concerns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic," organizers announced Monday.
The race was set to step off on Oct. 11, but event organizers announced the decision "citing the challenges of staging an event of this scale at this time and out of concern for the safety of event participants, volunteers, event staff and spectators."
“Hope drives us as runners and as humans. My hope was to see everyone on the start line on Sunday, October 11, but our highest priority has always been the safety of our participants and our volunteers,” Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski said in a statement. “We understand the disappointment, but when we return to the streets of Chicago, it will be a celebratory moment and an uncompromising statement about the collective spirit of who we are as a running community: we are powerful, we are persistent, and we will reach the finish line again.”
Those who registered for the race will have the option to receive a refund for their entry or defer their place and entry to a future Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2021, 2022 or 2023. Anyone who registered for the International Chicago 5k will also have the same options.
Last year's Bank of America Chicago Marathon saw history made as Brigid Kosgei, of Kenya, broke not one but two records with her finish, setting a world record and breaking the course record in Chicago.
Lightfoot Says Shutting Down Bars, Indoor Dining Is a Possibility
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday that she would not hesitate to reinstate restrictions to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus, including shutting down indoor dining and bars once again, as the city sees an uptick in cases, particularly among younger age groups.
"I'm not going to take anything off the table," Lightfoot said at a news conference when asked specifically if she was considering rolling back indoor dining, which resumed across Illinois when the state entered phase four of its reopening plan on June 26.
"I don't think we're at that point just yet," she continued. "But I am deeply concerned because we're starting to see this uptick. We're starting to see an uptick in the number of daily cases, deaths are going down, which is great. Most of our hospital indicators are good, but the case rate, the daily accumulation of cases is something I'm definitely concerned about. And we're not going to hesitate to take the steps that are necessary if we continue to see a rise in that number."
"In Chicago, we continue to be on a good trajectory. However, we do have concerns and we specifically have concerns in the 18-to-29-year-old cohort where we're starting to see an uptick in cases," she said, pleading once again with young people to adhere to public health guidelines.
"I can't emphasize enough why wearing a face cover every single time you leave your house is critically important. Now, that's a challenge with that cohort, because we'll all hearken back to the time when we were that age, we felt like, you know, we were invincible. But this virus doesn't discriminate," she said.
"If you're young, it's still coming for you. And if you're young and you're out there and you're not wearing face coverings, if you're not social distancing, not only are you putting yourself at risk, you're putting at risk every single person that you come into contact with, whether a stranger or a loved one in your home," Lightfoot continued.
More details can be found here.
Alinea Pop-Up Temporarily Closes After Staffer Tests Positive
A pop-up restaurant from the group behind Chicago's most awarded restaurant became the latest to temporarily close its doors after a staffer tested positive for coronavirus.
Acclaimed chef Grant Achatz announced Saturday that the Alinea in Residence rooftop pop-up was closed Friday after an employee tested positive for coronavirus.
"The employee had not worked in days due to scheduling and felt fine. All employees with direct contact as defined by the CDC were removed from service and sought testing at [The Alinea Group's] expense," Achatz tweeted. "Because easily accessible testing is currently lagging in Chicago we arranged alternative testing options and are in process of getting all contact traced employees tested. Thus far, every result is negative."
Achatz had hoped to reopen Saturday evening, but said it depended "on the pace of testing." It remained unclear if the restaurant would be open Monday.
AIR launched from the Alinea group late in June.
The restaurant recently received some social media backlash after debuting a coronavirus-inspired dish on the menu that some said was in poor taste. Achatz told the Chicago Tribune the intention behind the meal did not match the public response.
David Ross Releases Statement as He, 5 Others Skip Workout to Await Test Results
Chicago Cubs Manager David Ross and at least five other people will not attend the team's morning workout Monday as they await their coronavirus test results, the team announced.
The group completed their tests on Saturday along with several others, the team said, but while many results were reported "these six individuals anticipate further clarity later [Monday]."
“We’ve decided to do the prudent thing so myself and the five others will not attend this morning’s workout,” Ross said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we think it makes sense for the six of us to wait for clarity. Situations like this have not been a worrisome indicator of a positive test result to date.”
The five others not attending practice were listed as "Tier 1" employees, which includes on-field personnel.
Illinois Revenues Drop $1.1B in Fiscal 2020
Illinois revenues dropped more than $1.1 billion in the fiscal year that ended last month due to the coronavirus’ impact on the state’s economy, according to state officials.
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the General Assembly’s bipartisan fiscal forecasting arm, found that the state ended the 2020 fiscal year with a $1.135 billion decline in base revenues compared to the previous fiscal year.
Although tax revenues declined across the board, the steep drop of $947 million in personal income tax had the highest impact overall. Corporate income taxes saw a $430 million decrease, nearly a 14% decline. Sales tax collections fell by $206 million.
Illinois’ fiscal year spans from July 1 to June 30.
More details can be found here.
Illinois Sets New Record for Coronavirus Tests Over Last 24 Hours
Illinois set another single-day testing record on Sunday, reporting nearly 39,000 new coronavirus tests while confirming another 954 new cases of the virus.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, a total of 38,894 tests were turned in to state labs over the last 24 hours, smashing the previous record of 36,180, which had been set on Thursday.
That large number of tests, along with a decline in the number of cases reported Sunday, helped drop the state’s 7-day positivity rate from 3.03% to 3.01%, according to data from IDPH.
Sunday’s 954 new cases bring the state’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 153,916 since the pandemic began.
Gov. Pritzker Says Officials ‘Remain Concerned’ About Increases in COVID-19 Cases
With cases of coronavirus inching upward in Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is urging residents to continue adhering to state protocols, including the requirement to wear masks in public.
Pritzker sent out a series of social media posts on Sunday emphasizing those rules, saying that they are an “effective tool” to combat the spread of COVID-19.
“We remain concerned that cases are rising and positivity rates are inching up,” the governor said. “Now more than ever, we must rely on what the science is telling us. Wearing a face covering is an effective tool in the fight against COVID-19. Join me.”
Lake Zurich Hosts Mobile COVID-19 Test Facility After Positive Tests
Health officials have stationed a mobile coronavirus testing site at a suburban high school after multiple cases of COVID-19 were identified among participants of a sports camp recently held in the area.
The mobile testing site, located at the Lake Zurich High School’s Performing Arts Center, will be open until 5 p.m. Sunday.
The mobile COVID-19 testing was organized after multiple participants in a sports camp at the high school tested positive for coronavirus.
