Daywatch: Illinois enters next-to-last reopening phase, ex-Blackhawks player sues the team for an alleged sexual assault and restaurants navigate new normal

Chicago Tribune staff, Chicago Tribune
·3 min read

Good morning, Chicago. Illinois public health officials on Thursday reported 1,918 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 35 deaths. There were 68,035 doses of the vaccine administered Wednesday.

In a big turning point in pandemic guidance Thursday, the CDC announced that people who have been fully vaccinated can largely forgo masks indoors. The move opens the door for fully vaccinated people to return to some activities in a way like life was before the pandemic, but reactions vary as people consider what they are comfortable doing. So how do you feel about it? Tell the Tribune here.

Meanwhile, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday people who are fully vaccinated will not count toward capacity limits in the city starting this weekend. Also Thursday, kids 12 to 15 began receiving COVID-19 vaccinations across the Chicago area.

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Crowd limits eased, mask mandates likely next as Illinois enters next-to-last phase of COVID-19 reopening plan Friday

Life may start to feel closer to normal in Illinois beginning Friday, as more people are allowed into stadiums, amusement parks, restaurants and shops, and masks are expected to soon become optional in most situations for people who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The move to the next-to-last phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s coronavirus reopening plan is a precursor to all restrictions being lifted, which could happen as soon as June 11. In addition to the looser guidelines of Pritzker’s bridge phase, officials offered some incentives for those who haven’t yet gotten their shots.

Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson pleads not guilty to federal charges in bank probe

Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, grandson and nephew of two legendary Chicago mayors, pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges stemming from a probe into the collapse of a clout-heavy bank in his family’s longtime Bridgeport neighborhood.

Ex-Chicago Blackhawks player sues the team for an alleged sexual assault by a former assistant coach

A former Chicago Blackhawks player from the 2010 Stanley Cup championship squad has sued the team, alleging negligence in their handling of a sexual assault complaint against a former assistant coach.

The player, identified only as “John Doe,” alleges in the lawsuit filed April 30 that former video coach Bradley Aldrich also sexually assaulted a teammate. The player who filed the lawsuit is seeking $150,000 in damages.

Chicago’s two-, three- and four-flats are disappearing, changing communities and who can afford to live in them

As Chicago looks to combat a shortage of affordable housing, its communities face a key challenge: the loss of the city’s iconic two-, three- and four-flats.

In high-cost communities, the buildings often were replaced with single-family homes. In lower-cost neighborhoods they were often demolished, leaving behind empty lots.

Chicagoans are flocking to restaurants and bars as COVID-19 restrictions loosen. That’s great for business, but it brings a host of new challenges.

Diners are back. And restaurants are struggling to keep up.

After months of industry anxiety about whether customers would return to eating out as the COVID-19 pandemic persisted, people are indeed filling booths and tables once more. Now comes the hard part: being open during the pandemic.