Daywatch: Fears of a COVID-19 death surge in Illinois, opioid overdoses skyrocket and what to expect upon return to the office
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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
Illinois reported 965 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state’s total case number to 161,575. State health officials also said six more people have died after contracting the virus.
The positivity rate for the state’s Northeast region — which includes Chicago and its suburbs — stands at 4.1%. Here’s where each region stands on key COVID-19 metrics.
Want to know how many COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in your neighborhood? Search our database by ZIP code.
COVID-19 took a big toll in Illinois. Will deaths surge again?
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the United States, Illinois was one of the first hot spots in the country, fueling a death toll that remains among the nation’s highest. Now — after big drops in daily deaths in Illinois and other hard-hit states — the Sun Belt is seeing a massive surge.
The sharp increases in deaths in these Southern and Western states have added to growing unease in Illinois, where the downward trends on cases and positive test results have started to inch back up. Researchers say that while the latest data is not cause for outright alarm, it does suggest that the state, without changes, could be on the verge of another deadly surge.
For decades, the diminutive Michael J. Madigan has stood tall as a political constant in Illinois, displaying equal parts of power, arrogance, defiance and vindictiveness, while holding a singular ability to dictate much of the state’s policy agenda under governors both Democratic and Republican.
The extent of Madigan’s power over Democratic politics was evident from the muted responses of a number of members of his own House majority after federal prosecutors implicated the nation’s longest-serving statehouse leader as the beneficiary of a near-decadelong bribery and influence scheme conducted through Commonwealth Edison.
Opioid overdoses skyrocket in the face of COVID-19 pandemic; stronger drugs, scarce treatment blamed
In Cook County, opioid overdose deaths this year are on pace to double last year’s figures, with the long-simmering public health crisis spiking while Chicago also faces increased gun violence and continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The deaths in the three overlapping crises are disproportionately impacting the Black community, highlighting racial inequities in health care, housing, education and other areas. The toll is particularly heavy on the city’s West Side, where since late March, nearly 80 people have died in just a few ZIP codes.
When public swimming pools and beaches closed, the key to surviving a sweltering Chicago summer during the pandemic was simple for those who could afford it: Buy a pool. For the rest of us, the options are scarce and mostly illegal, like sneaking a swim in sometimes-dangerous waters where there are no lifeguards. And that’s increasingly worrying safety experts, who say the risk of drownings has rarely been higher as Chicago suffers through one of its hottest summers.
Some Chicago offices are starting to reopen with a limited number of employees who are volunteering to return. As they do, companies are using new safety policies to protect workers from COVID-19. The early steps, from practical safeguards to quirky solutions, such as sticky notes on the bathroom door to prevent overcrowding, offer a glimpse at what office life might be like once more companies bring employees back.
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