Daywatch: Stay-at-home orders could be near, Lightfoot’s budget warning to aldermen and garages remodeled as pandemic-safe space

Good morning, Chicago. On Thursday, Illinois officials announced 12,702 newly confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and an additional 43 deaths. The new cases set yet another record for a daily high, and the average number of new infections over the past week now stands at 11,625.

With a vaccine drawing closer, officials across the country are gearing up for the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. history — a monumental undertaking that must distribute hundreds of millions of doses, prioritize who’s first in line and ensure that people who get the initial shot return for the necessary second one.

Here’s more coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.

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Pritzker and Lightfoot issue dire warnings urging people to stay home to avoid more drastic measures

As coronavirus cases continue spiking across Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned that stay-at-home orders could be coming soon but stopped short of imposing such sweeping restrictions on residents, instead urging people to stay home voluntarily and cancel holiday gatherings.

“If things don’t take a turn in the coming days, we will quickly reach the point when some form of a mandatory stay-at-home order is all that will be left,” Pritzker said. “With every fiber of my being, I do not want us to get there. But right now, that seems like where we are heading.”

Earlier Thursday, Lightfoot announced she was issuing a non-mandatory stay-at-home advisory to take effect Monday.

Is the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as good as it sounds? What is Chicago’s color-coded travel quarantine list? Experts answer your questions here.

Lightfoot has delivered a warning to Chicago aldermen who might vote against her budget, sources say

As Mayor Lori Lightfoot works behind the scenes to muster the votes she needs to pass her 2021 city budget, she has delivered a message to City Council members: those who vote against her spending plan should not expect their wards to be prioritized, according to aldermen.

“Don’t come to me for s--- for the next three years” if you don’t support the budget, two aldermen recalled her saying.

From property taxes to layoffs, here are 5 things you need to know about Lightfoot’s 2021 budget plan.

AP declares Underwood winner in Illinois’ 14th District over Oberweis

Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood won her bid for a second term Thursday, narrowly defeating Republican challenger Jim Oberweis in the west and north suburban and exurban 14th Congressional District, The Associated Press declared.

Oberweis claimed victory the day after the election, then said he would seek a recount after mail-in vote results found him trailing. He said Thursday that he was not conceding.

See full 2020 election results here.

Meanwhile in Washington, Republicans are standing firmly behind Trump and his unsupported claims of voter fraud — but a few cracks have emerged.

Illinois universities brace for budget cuts without graduated income tax

In Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s first remarks after voters rejected his proposal for a graduated-rate income tax, the first-term Democrat singled out higher education as one of the many state-supported areas that could lose funding as lawmakers try to balance the next budget.

While Illinois universities are not expecting any budget changes for this fiscal year, some advocates and policy experts said the long-term implications for Illinois higher education could be severe if new sources of funding aren’t found.

Chicagoans are remodeling garages, outdoor spaces to socialize safely as winter approaches

Residential remodeling companies in the Chicago area are seeing a boom in business from people wanting to spruce up garages and other overlooked spaces during the health crisis.

“I was inspired by the garage parties of my youth,” said Katie Wrobel of Evanston, who wants to use the updated space as a room where her family can safely socialize and work as colder weather limits options for spending time outdoors.

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