Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

Federal mass-vaccination sites using the Johnson & Johnson, single dose COVID-19 vaccine were expected to hit pause on distribution Tuesday as federal agencies investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.

Chicago’s mass-vaccination site at the United Center had been scheduled to switch to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on April 20. Officials had not made an announcement about plans for the United Center site yet early Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the third wave of COVID-19 in Illinois is putting pressure on the health care system in some parts of the state, while the statewide positivity rate continues to trend upward.

Also on Monday, all Illinois residents ages 16 and older became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination outside of Chicago. The Tribune reached out to several Illinois vaccine hunters for their best tips on getting appointments.

The Chicago Teachers Union said Monday that members could refuse to report to high schools starting Wednesday if they still don’t have a deal with the school district for reopening high schools.

Chicago Public Schools has identified April 19 as the target date to reopen high schools and required high school employees to begin working in person Monday.

•How to try to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Chicago

•Illinois COVID-19 vaccine tracker: Here’s where the state stands

•COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on key metrics in your area

•Illinois coronavirus graphs: The latest data on deaths, confirmed cases, tests and more

•COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

•Join our Facebook group to get the latest COVID-19 information from Tribune reporters and editors

Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area:

6:25 a.m.: CDC, FDA recommend ‘pause’ for Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of blood clots

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are recommending a “pause” in administration of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.

In a joint statement Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said it was investigating clots in six women in the days after vaccination, in combination with reduced platelet counts. More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S.

U.S. federal distribution channels, including mass vaccination sites, will pause the use of the J&J shot, and states and other providers are expected to follow.

Chicago’s mass-vaccination site at the United Center had been scheduled to switch to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on April 20. Officials had not made an announcement about plans for the United Center site yet early Tuesday.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet Wednesday to discuss the cases and the FDA has also launched an investigation of the cases. Read more here. — Associated Press

6 a.m.: Lightfoot to announce winners of a new Mayor’s Medal of Honor award

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Tuesday will announce winners of a new mayoral award — the Mayor’s Medal of Honor — for people and organizations “who have made extraordinary contributions to Chicago’s residents throughout 2020 and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the city said.

The award will be given annually. A ceremony honoring this year’s selections will be livestreamed by the city on April 20.

—Chicago Tribune staff

6 a.m.: ‘Black Ink Crew: Chicago’ star talks COVID-19 symptoms and plans for his Pilsen tattoo shop

“Black Ink Crew: Chicago” star Ryan Henry recalled losing his ability to smell and taste while he battled COVID-19 last year. He suspected he contracted the virus at a birthday party he attended around May 2020.

“I had it in the time where you couldn’t tell nobody. We had been practicing safely the entire time, and then I think I went to a birthday for one of my best friends that had passed, ran into somebody who was sick,” Henry said. “I think losing my smell and my taste was the worst. ... That whole feeling was like something that you ain’t really understand.”

Henry’s comments were made in December at a Los Angeles studio used for a “Black Ink Crew: Chicago” reunion special that aired Monday on VH1. Since 2015, the series has followed Chicago tattoo artists as they work and play. Cast members were filming Season 6 when Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a “stay-at-home” order in March 2020.

Henry temporarily closed his 9Mag tattoo shop in Pilsen, where much of the show’s drama takes place. Star Charmaine Bey was preparing to give birth to her first child at the time. “It was the scariest thing any new mom could ever go through. I was so paranoid,” she said on a video call from her 2nd City Ink shop before introducing her daughter, Nola.

Read more here. —Tracy Swartz

6 a.m.: Second pandemic Ramadan for Chicagoland Muslims means finding purpose, indulging in nostalgia

Like most things derailed by the coronavirus’s many restrictions on regular life, Ramadan 2021 is no different. No large prayer crowds at the mosque, no visiting with friends and family, no iftar parties or potlucks and no anticipating that triple hug combo on Eid.

Yet as Muslims everywhere embark on a second pandemic Ramadan, many are hoping to make the most of another opportunity to focus on the real purpose of the Islamic holy month, which can get buried beneath the deep-fried food and weekly get-togethers.

Saba Khan, a periodontal surgeon and newly elected village trustee for Morton Grove, is looking forward to spending the month with her family without distractions. Instead of going to the mosque for taraweeh, which involves reading long portions of the Quran each night, she’s setting up space for a small prayer congregation in her basement.

“We usually see Ramadan as a time of celebration with prayers, but it’s a lot about, ‘What are we going to cook for iftar? Where’s the next party? What am I going to wear?’’' Khan said. “Now with the pandemic, it feels like OK, let’s get our act together and be grateful that we don’t have to be somewhere during it. Down the road, I really hope we all remember what the true essence of Ramadan is.”

Read more here. —Zareen Syed

In case you missed it

Here are some recent stories related to COVID-19.

•Coronavirus metrics in Illinois continue to move in wrong direction, stressing hospital ICU capacity in some regions.

•You just became eligible for a COVID-19 shot. Try these vaccine hunter tips to score an appointment.

•Chicago Teachers Union prepares for possible walkout Wednesday over reopening plans; high school staffs would refuse to work in person.

•Block-by-block analysis of where the Magnificent Mile stands after impact of pandemic and unrest.

•Downtown Chicago hotels are starting to reopen. Laid-off workers worry they might not get their jobs back.