Daywatch: Pritzker targets bars as hot spots, first virus vaccine tested in US and Manny’s Deli pleads for help
Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. 5/8 Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker 5/8 Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription 5/8 Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page
Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
The number of new coronavirus cases in Illinois declined for the third straight day Tuesday, with state officials reporting 707 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19
The positivity rate for the state’s Northeast region — which includes Chicago and its suburbs — moved down to 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.
Again facing questions about whether Illinois needs to scale back its reopening as COVID-19 cases inch up, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday sidestepped any discussion of imminent changes and shifted the focus to bars as potential hot spots for transmission of the new coronavirus.
As he has since introducing his five-phase “Restore Illinois” plan in early May, Pritzker said he continues to monitor the data closely and consult with public health officials and epidemiologists.
Lightfoot adds Iowa to Chicago’s quarantine list, won’t rule out Wisconsin if needed
The first COVID-19 vaccine tested in the U.S. revved up people’s immune systems just the way scientists had hoped, researchers reported Tuesday — as the shots are poised to begin key final testing. The experimental vaccine, developed at the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., will start its most important step around July 27: A 30,000-person study to prove if the shots really are strong enough to protect against the coronavirus.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday said it’s too soon to decide whether to reopen Chicago public schools this fall in spite of the coronavirus, but promised the school district will shortly announce plans to begin talking with parents and others about the best way to proceed. The final decision might not be coming until late August, she said.
Illinois schools reopening updates: What suburban Chicago districts plan for fall
More than 21,000 former students of the City Colleges of Chicago system could benefit from a debt forgiveness program that Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on Tuesday. Aiming to boost Chicago’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery, the “Fresh Start” initiative will offer those who left City Colleges in good academic standing over the past 10 years the chance to complete their degrees or certificates debt-free, as soon as this fall. The mayor’s office estimates this group of former students currently holds $17.7 million in debt.
Manny’s Deli takes to social media to plead for support: ‘We are struggling. This isn’t a joke.’
Manny’s Coffee Shop & Deli took to Facebook and Twitter to plead for more business. The deli still does carryout and delivery, parking the logo-painted van in a parking lot where people could drive over, pop open the trunk and have the food placed inside. The North Shore suburbs were a reliable source of business. But business, as their Facebook post indicates, has been declining.
———
©2020 the Chicago Tribune
Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
