Chicagoans are getting creative as the first week of the state’s stay-at-home order draws to a close. Birthdays, instead of going uncelebrated, are now opportunities to bond — while keeping our distance. Restaurants are making extra food to give to senior citizens stuck inside.
Like the rest of the world, Chicagoland is making its way through this, one day at a time.
Along with the latest news updates and a running list of Chicago-area closings and cancellations, the Tribune is taking a look at how our day-to-day lives are changing.
Here are the latest updates Friday on how we’re living in the time of COVID-19:
10:40 a.m.: Chicago craft breweries scramble amid coronavirus downturn, trying to react to a crisis they don’t quite understand
Dovetail Brewery spent a day this week doing something it had never envisioned: transferring beer, by hand, from 50 kegs to more than 5,000 16-ounce cans. It took 13 hours.
In a city where every bar and restaurant is closed — and so is Dovetail’s taproom — the kegs were useless. Dovetail hopes instead to sell the beer in 4-packs directly to socially-distancing customers at its makeshift, walk-up sales kiosk at the brewery’s front door, where a bottle of hand sanitizer sits beside each day’s beer offerings.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s when things suddenly change you have to suddenly change with them to survive,” Dovetail co-founder Hagen Dost said. “Turning all of our keg beer into can beer? We did not expect that.”
Such a dramatic pivot was necessary, however, as the Ravenswood brewery, like craft breweries across the Chicago area and beyond, take an uncertain and incremental approach to navigating the COVID-19 outbreak. — Josh Noel
10:37 a.m.: In some Illinois towns, internet shortfalls and lack of computers putting out-of-school students at a disadvantage. ‘A poverty issue, pure and simple.’
To encourage learning while schools are shut down, Illinois education officials have gathered online tools for educators and promoted the hashtag #keeplearning.
Some students in Illinois, however, won’t be able to watch their teacher conduct live science experiments or download a story time video. They don’t have a computer or high-speed internet at home, or a cellphone data plan that would support it.
A Chicago Tribune-ProPublica Illinois analysis found digital inequities across the state, the effects of which will be exacerbated as families are isolated inside their homes during the coronavirus pandemic. In more than 500 of the state’s roughly 3,100 census tracts, there were fewer than 600 quality connections per 1,000 residents, accounting for a significant portion of Illinois geography. At least 54 census tracts had even lower rates of connectivity as of the end of 2017, the analysis showed.
Read more here.
8:58 a.m.: Like most of us, this 91-year-old packaging designer hopes to be back on the job soon, working ‘as long as I can draw a straight line.’
Like most workers at Armour Packaging Technology in Itasca, Ron Palacz is at work by 9 a.m. When he arrives, Palacz turns on the radio to the classical jazz station and grabs a cup of joe before heading to his drawing board.
But Palacz is not like most of his colleagues.
At 91, Palacz works three days a week for about five hours, measuring product dimensions and drawing sketches to create custom packaging for items ranging from treadmills to door hinges. His job is the first step in the process of packaging and shipping goods for many Chicago-area companies. And he shows no signs of stopping.
“Until I drop,” Palacz said about working. “I’m serious. I’m not being facetious.”
A growing number of Americans are working past the age of 66 — when most workers are eligible to receive full Social Security retirement benefits — not out of financial need but because they enjoy their careers. Human resources experts say baby boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964, remain in the labor force because they grew up in a culture that values a strong work ethic.
Read more about what keeps Palacz clocking in here.
Thursday, March 26
5:28 p.m.: Chicago hotel donates its rooms to medical workers amid coronavirus pandemic
The Sophy Hyde Park plans to close to the public Friday and open — free of charge — to University of Chicago Medical Center staff responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
The boutique property that opened less than two years ago at 1411 E. 53rd St. is donating its guest rooms to doctors, nurses and other medical workers at the South Side hospital, which is roughly a mile away from the hotel.
“This will be a place for staff to rest and relax between long shifts,” hotel spokeswoman Gayle Conran said, noting that room reservations will be handled by the medical center.
The vast majority of the hotel’s 98 guest rooms will be available to hospital workers, Conran said. The few that aren’t will remain empty. The offer runs at least until April 17.
Read more here.
5:26 p.m.: ‘All dressed up and nowhere to go’: Luke Yaklich is UIC’s new men’s basketball coach — only he has to work more than 1,100 miles away for now
Luke Yaklich posted a social media video Thursday addressing Illinois-Chicago men’s basketball fans, expressing his excitement about being named the program’s new coach.
Typically, he would meet with players at an athletic facility on campus. He’d meet important boosters and staff members. He’d start reaching out to recruits and interviewing staff members.
Yaklich is doing most of that — just differently. He’s beginning a new job during an unprecedented pandemic, for the time being stationed 1,160 miles away from his campus office.
“All dressed up and nowhere to go,” he said with a laugh.
Read more here.
4:33 p.m.: Skydeck Chicago looks to brighten the skyline for Chicago residents this weekend
Need a distraction — no matter how fleeting — during this stay-at-home order?
Skydeck Chicago is providing one, in the form of a Twitter poll asking residents to choose a color that will light up Willis Tower on Sunday. The four options each carry significance Each of the four options has a specific meaning: Green stands for renewal and safety; red signifies energy and action; blue symbolizes trust and loyalty; and yellow stands for hope and positivity.
“We chose the standard primary colors, in addition to green, as they are the most recognizable and all symbolize different sentiments,” said general manager Randy Stancik. “While each color may resonate differently with individuals, we hope that Chicagoans will feel a sense of positivity and togetherness when they look out their windows at the iconic Willis Tower this Sunday night.”
The Skydeck team is giving area residents the chance to vote for the color they want to see on the tower by 9 a.m. Friday as a reminder of Chicago’s sense of community. The antennae will remain lit in the chosen color throughout Sunday evening and into Monday morning, Stancik said.
The poll was posted Thursday morning.
“Our team has been thoughtfully brainstorming ideas on how to bring a little light and happiness to our city,” he said. “We felt this would be a fun, encouraging way to connect with our community.”
What say you, Chicago? Pick a color, any color, and look to the horizon come Sunday. — Darcel Rockett
3:38 p.m.: Chicago chefs, owners react to Illinois grant, loan programs: Great start, but restaurants will close without more
Chicago chefs and restaurateurs are reacting mostly favorably Thursday to the state’s Hospitality Emergency Grant Program and the Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund, both announced Wednesday.
But while they agree that the help is welcome and needed, they say that the industry — and especially furloughed workers — need more.
“The grants are wonderful news, exactly what’s needed,” said Paul Fehribach, chef and owner of Big Jones in Andersonville. “To be honest, it’s not a lot of money, but grants of $10,000 to $25,000 may make the difference for a lot of businesses just trying to stay afloat with a skeleton crew, as we are. Our revenue hole looks like it will be more than $100,000 a month, to put it in perspective.”
Here’s what other restaurant owners had to say.
3:31 p.m.: Crestwood giving families $100 worth of vouchers for meals at restaurants
In a bid to help stimulate business for village restaurants impacted by the coronavirus, Crestwood will offer vouchers totaling $100 to all village households that can be redeemed for meals.
The village has earmarked $500,000 in village budget surpluses to offer “a little stimulus plan,” with 27 restaurants participating, Mayor Lou Presta said Thursday.
Essentially putting free money in the pockets of 5,070 households in the village “should help the restaurants until things get better,” Presta said.
“They are really hurting,” he said.
Read more here.
2:52 p.m.: UIC engineers pitch in to ease shortage of protective gear for health workers: A face shield that can be made in 20 seconds
As coronavirus cases continued to soar last weekend, Dylan Lynch got an urgent call from the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center: It desperately needed protective gear for workers who might be exposed to patients with the highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease.
By Monday, Lynch and two others came up with some help for a shortage that is plaguing hospitals across the country: a face shield made from thin plastic that could be manufactured at UIC’s Engineering Makerspace in 20 seconds.
“We can turn them out almost as fast as we can move,” said Lynch, assistant director of the Makerspace, a campus facility outfitted with 3D printers, laser cutters, and milling and scanning equipment for engineering students to build prototypes or manufacture products.
The shield, basically a sheet of thin plastic held over the face by a plastic band, passed initial hospital safety tests. While it does not offer as much protection as the N95 respirator or other face masks held close to the nose and mouth, Lynch says they do help protect health care workers. — Sophie Sherry
1:38 p.m.: Chicago music venues look for a helping hand through crowdfunding
A Chicago without live music is just another major city. Known as the birthplace of many genres — from house to drill to blues — Chicago’s reputation as a place where music lives and thrives extends far beyond the borders of the city.
And yet, as the city faces the ongoing novel coronavirus crisis (which more than a week ago closed all bars and restaurants for public seating), many of the city’s most beloved music venues have faced another crisis: their own survival.
Although some venues like Schubas and Thalia Hall also include a food service component, many restaurants rely solely on the culture around live music.
In the past, GoFundMe and crowdfunding platforms like it were commonly used by individuals to help cover costs for things like education and medical bills. But now, venues like The Promontory, Cole’s Bar, and Tonic Room have launched fundraisers for their workplaces. The first, created by The Hideout, came as little surprise to other venue owners around the city.
Find out how you can help here.
11:24 a.m.: Loyola’s Sister Jean provides message of hope and ‘team spirit’ during nation’s fight against coronavirus
Leave it to 100-year-old Loyola team chaplain Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt to deliver a pep talk.
Sister Jean delivered a video message that was a prayer and call to action about confronting the coronavirus during what she called “the strangest March Madness I have ever experienced.”
“What we’ve been asked to do by government officials, church officials, presidents, superintendents, directors and others in authority is not an easy thing to do but we must do it,” she said in a video posted on YouTube and Loyola’s website. “We must not only do it but we have to do it as a team in order to aid our global arena to find out about all about this deadly virus.”
11:22 a.m.: How one man salvaged a proposal that coronavirus cancellations nearly ruined
Matt Gorski had an entire plan. He had arranged for people to fly in from all over the country, hoping to surprise his girlfriend, Erica Swanson. They had flights, they had hotels; he had booked a trolley to take them all over Chicago to celebrate after he proposed.
But when the coronavirus pandemic began shutting down each part of his idea, he had to improvise.
Initially, Gorski had planned to start with a proposal on the lakefront path. All of the family members and friends who traveled to Chicago would arrive in a trolley to surprise Swanson; they would celebrate with dinner at Girl and the Goat, and brunch and March Madness the next day.
Here’s what he ended up doing instead.
10:30 a.m.: How do you celebrate a kid’s birthday during the stay-at-home order? Try a Coronavirus Caravan, with drive-by signs and songs and smiles.
Lucy Dressel wore an elegant gown, a silver tiara and sparkling blue shoes as her mom ushered her out the front door of their Berwyn home. Neighbors held a banner and blew bubbles. “You’re the queen today,” one of them yelled across the street.
Minutes later, Lucy’s eyes widened as minivans decorated with streamers, banners and homemade signs turned onto 30th Street to celebrate her sixth birthday.
Car horns blared. Families stuck their heads out car windows to sing “Happy Birthday.” Candy bars and lollipops were tossed into the Dressels’ front yard.
Behold the Coronavirus Caravan, a new way to celebrate children’s birthdays during a global pandemic.
“I was having a meltdown canceling my daughter’s birthday,” Andrea Dressel said. “When shelter-in-place took place, I hadn’t bought a present or done anything yet. I was telling some friends through text message that I was really upset. Our friend came up with idea: The parade for her.”
As parties are canceled in this new age of social distancing, families have been forced to find creative solutions for children’s birthdays. Traditional parties are suddenly taboo — and impossible — as businesses are closed and people have been ordered to stay indoors and not congregate outside of their families to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
After Lucy and her 2-year-old brother Leo scooped up all the candy from the curb, their mom hurried them to their own minivan.
On the schedule: Another drive-by party for a neighborhood birthday boy.
“Come on,” Dressel told her children. “We have another parade to go to.” — Shannon Ryan
9:52 a.m.: A Crown Point teenager’s birthday wish: surprise gifts for 18 friends. ‘Right now, people need to smile.’
Sophia Burke was surrounded by birthday gifts on her 18th birthday, a remarkable milestone in her life, yet none of them were for her.
The gift bags in the back of her mother’s vehicle, modified to accommodate Sophia’s wheelchair, were for 18 other recipients, most of them surprised by the gesture.
As a birthday gift to herself, Sophia asked her parents if they could personally deliver gifts and birthday cakes to 18 friends, in addition to the Crown Point police and fire departments who’ve assisted her many times in her life. All she asked in return is for them to sing her “Happy Birthday” and video record it.
“She’s been giggling to herself every time we talk about it,” her mom told me.
Read more here.
9:09 a.m.: Can’t wait to get back on the dating scene? ‘Love is Blind’ is casting in Chicago
The first season of Netflix’s hit relationship show “Love is Blind” was filmed in the Atlanta area, but Chicago was referenced within the first 10 minutes of the premiere.
Cast members Jessica Batten and Mark Cuevas bonded over their Illinois roots while sitting in individual “pods” where they couldn’t see each other. Batten told Cuevas she’s from a city about two hours west of Chicago; she loves the Cubs and the Bears (so much so that she named her dog Payton Hester); and she makes “the best” Italian beef sandwich.
Now “Love is Blind” is headed to Chicago for Season 2, and casting is underway.
Find out more here.
9 a.m.: White Sox fan is still hoping to attend his 50th home opener — and carry on the family tradition with his 4 daughters
April 9, 1971, will always have special significance for John Trznadel.
The White Sox played their home opener that day against the Twins at Comiskey Park. Rod Carew batted second and Harmon Killebrew hit cleanup for the Twins, while the Sox lineup included Bill Melton and Carlos May.
And Trznadel, who grew up in Cicero and now lives in Bolingbrook, watched from the stands with his older brother, Michael, and four cousins.
“I just remember being in awe of the way the field looked, the red, white and blue decorations hanging from the side walls,” Trznadel said in a phone interview Saturday. “The field was ready. All the fans. That struck a chord in me, like, ‘This is my first (home opener), I don’t want it to be my last.'”
Trznadel, who turns 65 in April, said Thursday would have marked his 50th consecutive home opener. His goal is to be in the stands watching them whenever the 2020 opener takes place.
“I will be there,” he said. “When they announce the first game that people are able to attend, I’ll be there, no matter what. I’ll retire from work if I have to. Usually they are pretty good about it, they understand how big of a Sox fan I am.
“I just love baseball, I really do. And I’m missing it.” — LaMond Pope
8:31 a.m.: In Evanston, sibling duo use their soul food restaurant to churn out free meals for seniors housebound by coronavirus
Last week, when state officials were starting to order mass closures and other distancing measures, an out-of-state friend called Jennifer Eason and her brother William, who run Jennifer’s Edibles in Evanston, and asked them to bring some meals to his elderly mother. He was worried about her leaving her Evanston apartment, and he wasn’t sure whether she had enough groceries to get by.
“We went by there, and she wasn’t really in the best shape and didn’t have much support,” Jennifer Eason said. “We decided then to see if we could afford to feed five people a day for as long as we could.”
Word got out. People started to call and request one of Jennifer’s meals for themselves or their elderly relatives, neighbors or friends.
On the second day, they prepared and delivered 18 meals. By the third day, it was up to 24. This week, they prepared and delivered 52 meals a day.
“Jennifer has established herself in the community as somebody that looks out for folk,” William Eason said of his baby sister. “Adversity breeds leaders, and she’s been a lighthouse. She’s been a beacon to people. That’s why this has grown exponentially.”
Read more about their efforts to lend a hand here.
8 a.m.: With opening day on hold, here’s the best of Mike Royko’s annual Cubs quiz
Paul Sullivan, who covers baseball for the Tribune, has found one way to keep the sport on his mind, despite the delayed season opener. He writes:
Whenever opening day rolls around, I get wistful for the days when the late, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mike Royko would present his annual Cubs quiz.
I’m not sure when he began doing it, but every year like clockwork, Royko would roll out his quiz, ostensibly to test the knowledge of Cubs fans while offering a humorous history lesson on what then was considered the most futile franchise in sports.
“A true Cub fan should be capable of intelligently discussing the great Cubs heritage,” Royko wrote in the opening of an early Cubs quiz column in the Daily News in 1971. “Who could kick a ball better, Smalley or Merullo; who was slower, Harry Chiti or Bill Serena; who was shorter, Peanuts Lowrey or Dom Dallessandro?”
He offers some of his favorite questions for Cubbies here.
Wednesday, March 25
8:51 p.m.: How will Chicago-area schools make e-learning work when some kids don’t have internet? Officials vow to do ‘whatever we can to bridge the digital divide.’
Elizabeth Maldonado has four school-aged children and one laptop for them to use.
The computer belongs to her oldest son, a high school sophomore in Little Village. But with Chicago Public Schools closed for more than a week already — and with nearly another month to go — the 16-year-old has been sharing so his younger siblings can access remote-learning materials that don’t work well on their phones.
It’s not ideal.
“They need computers to do more,” Maldonado said.
With the coronavirus pandemic prompting unprecedented school closures in Illinois, many school systems are hastily rolling out or trying to improve distance-learning methods. But with the prospect looming that Illinois may start asking schools to formalize e-learning, questions about how to provide equal access for all students are becoming even more pressing.
Here’s how schools are trying to prepare.
7:57 p.m.: Despite the risks, retired Illinois health care providers are answering the call as hospitals battle a pandemic
Robin Schmidt retired from her job as a rehabilitation nurse in 2018, thinking she was done with patient care. She later took a job screening patients for clinical trials.
But the Naperville woman is now ready to return to the bedside, if need be, as the COVID-19 outbreak threatens to fill hospital beds across Illinois.
“I’ve been a nurse for over 40 years, and that’s what I do,” said Schmidt, 64. “I would like to help if possible.”
At least 180 retired nurses, doctors, physician assistants and respiratory care therapists have answered Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s call for retired health care workers to return to the workforce by applying to have their professional licenses temporarily restored. “We’re in the middle of a battle and we need reinforcements,” Pritzker said Saturday in announcing the request.
But for some retired doctors, nurses and other health care workers, deciding whether to come back to work at this time could be difficult. Many of the retirees are in their 60s or older, which puts them at higher risk of becoming seriously ill if they become infected with the new coronavirus.
Here’s what some of them had to say.
7:39 p.m.: Golfers return to a suburban golf course — and promise to keep their distance in light of the coronavirus: ‘This is the happiest I’ve been in 10 days’
The headline on the Chicago Tribune’s weather page Wednesday sounded more like a commandment than a prediction: “Enjoy today before a wet end to the week.”
For many Chicagoans, that meant retrieving golf clubs from the garage and ignoring the “stay at home” requests from elected officials.
For Jeff Carrier, it meant playing nine holes under a sunny sky at the Village Links of Glen Ellyn.
“This is the happiest I’ve been in 10 days,” he said. “I hate being cooped up indoors. I’m getting exercise and interacting with human beings.”
Officials at area golf courses learned Tuesday afternoon that lobbying efforts by groups including the Chicago District Golf Association had resulted in a revision by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Courses could remain open provided golfers and staff maintain social distancing. Among the new rules: Golfers had to walk (no cart), pay by credit card and were instructed not to touch the flagstick.
Read more here.
6:14 p.m.: Mini-library set up outside Elgin school finds new use as tiny food pantry
The Little Free Library outside Harriet Gifford Elementary School is usually stocked with books. People drop them off and pick them up as they like.
In the last week, however, it’s found a new use.
In addition to books, people have been dropping off bottled water, cans of soup, boxes of pasta and other nonperishable food items free to anyone who needs them, Principal Joe Corcoran said.
“People are creative in how they’re helping their neighbors,” Corcoran said, describing it as an “act of kindness.”
“We didn’t ask for it, someone just did it,” he said. “I thought it was awesome.”
Read more here.
6:12 p.m.: Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus
As the number of deaths attributable to the coronavirus ticks upward, the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have lost their lives in the Chicago area or who have connections to our region. These are some of those victims.
4:58 p.m.: ‘Hamilton’ star Miguel Cervantes calls on Illinois high school theater kids for #AroundBroadwayIn80Days
Calling all high school musical theater stars! Your show hasn’t gone dark yet.
Check out this introductory video from Miguel Cervantes, the recent lead in the Chicago production of “Hamilton” and a booster of all things Chicago theater.
He and Loop theater owner Broadway in Chicago want to see your efforts and share them online via “Around Broadway in 80 Days,” a replacement of sorts for this year’s Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards.
The Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards, hosted by Broadway in Chicago, take nominations from musical theater singers and productions at public and private high schools around the state and recognize them at an awards ceremony — which this year was to have been June 1 at the Broadway Playhouse. — Doug George
4:14 p.m.: Hinsdale Humane Society uses pet drawings as way to raise money and promote adoptions during coronavirus shutdown
The Hinsdale Humane Society is finding creative ways, such as drawing portraits of pets, to raise money for programs and continue pet adoptions while the shelter is closed during the coronavirus crisis.
Members of the staff and volunteers are ready to create drawings from photographs people email them of their pets. The talent of the illustrators varies greatly, however.
“You might get one of our extremely talented artists, or you might get someone who can’t draw their way out of a paper bag,” warns Robin Carroll, the humane society’s director of marketing.
The staff will scan the drawing and email it to the pet owner for a $15 donation.
Some of the drawings may include a caption, such as one titled “Surly Cat.” The caption is the animal’s response to the drawing: Thank you. I hate it. — Kimberly Fornek
3:37 p.m.: Classmates, teachers join family from church parking lot for Valparaiso teen’s funeral
Kim Stento, a health teacher at Chesterton Middle School, joined more than 90 other cars full of mourners Wednesday in the Portage church’s parking lot to honor the life of Elijah “Eli” Bolinger, 14, of Valparaiso, who died Saturday after what officials said were life-threatening injuries suffered March 19 while he was skateboarding.
United in grief but separated by distance because of COVID-19, the mourners gathered in their cars for a live-stream of the funeral service being held inside the church with the family. The live-stream was broadcast on a memorial Facebook page set up for Eli.
“We miss our kids so much right now,” said Stento, failing to fight back her tears. “In times like this, we miss them more because we want to be there for them more but we can’t be.”
Read more here.
1:24 p.m.: ‘I’m angry and I’m scared’: Chicago-area lupus patients face shortages of the life-prolonging drug Plaquenil, now in demand as a possible coronavirus treatment
The lupus drug Plaquenil helps protect Julianne Taylor’s kidneys and heart from her overactive immune system, and it beats back the fevers and exhaustion that once plagued her.
“It’s made a huge difference in my life,” she said.
But when Taylor, 49, of Crystal Lake, called around for a routine prescription refill Monday, her local Meijer, Jewel and Walmart stores all turned her down, saying the manufacturer was out of stock.
She couldn’t even get a 30-day supply of the popular lupus and rheumatoid arthritis medication, which is being snapped up as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus.
“I’m angry and I’m scared,” said Taylor, noting that the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has said the evidence for Plaquenil’s effectiveness against the coronavirus is only “anecdotal.” President Donald Trump has fanned interest by calling the medication — also known as hydroxychloroquine — a potential game-changer in the war against the coronavirus.
Read more here.
1:16 p.m.: Social distancing: If you’re not uncomfortable right now, you’re not doing it right
Tribune features reporter Christopher Borelli offers a lighthearted take on the awkward aspects of not-so-close encounters:
If you haven’t been outside lately, let me paint a picture: People are outside but not many are outside, and wherever people are going right now — to grocery stores, jogging trails, gas stations — an elaborate dance is happening, a social distancing pas de deux, being learned on the fly, more awkward than a junior-high slow dance to “Stairway to Heaven.”
Just this morning:
A man in a car was in front of me at a red light, he got out of that car and walked around to the trunk, hunted for something, forced me to sit through another cycle of traffic lights, took his sweet time, then pulled out what resembled an Apple cord, waved thanks for my assumed patience, climbed into his car and, despite a new red light, drove through.
I arrived in a mostly empty parking garage, and as I walked to the elevators, a cleaning person looked up and jumped back, startled by the sight of another person. He said nothing, I said nothing and we continued on, as if one of us were a deer that suddenly appeared.
Outside, while walking toward an office building, a woman wearing headphones, coming from the other direction, stepped further away from me the closer I approached, and I did the same, two magnet poles, pushing each other towards the edges of the sidewalk.
Step outside, you’ll see: Our rules of engagement are fracturing.
Read more here.
12:02 p.m.: Therapy goes digital while clients are stuck at home
Need to get some of this coronavirus stress off your chest? Now, you can talk to your therapist while sitting on your own couch.
Therapists are more easily able to use technology like FaceTime under recently relaxed federal rules. In guidance released this month, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services empowered medical providers to serve patients during the public health emergency.
Joyce Marter, psychotherapist and founder of Urban Balance, which has multiple Chicagoland locations, said the group is “conducting an enormous amount of telehealth services,” and that new referrals are coming in rapidly.
“Couples, families and roommates are spending more time together than usual, leading to relationship conflict. Many people are experiencing financial concerns or duress,” she said. “Some are experiencing loneliness and social isolation, which can exacerbate depression.”
FaceTime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts and Skype are all included as allowed applications.
Some of the remote communication technologies, the agency cautioned, might not fully comply with HIPAA requirements, however. And the agency cautioned against Facebook Live, Twitch, TikTok and similar public-facing applications. — Alison Bowen
11:44 a.m.: Some Chicago couples see coronavirus leading to baby boom — or more divorces
During the first few surreal days of the coronavirus scare, there were predictions far and wide of a huge number of corona babies that would be born in nine months. Maybe they’ll be described as “coronials.”
In fact, Lori Sapio, a Chicago photographer, plans to post a CV19 newborn special in April similar to her Cubs newborn special that she announced after the team won the World Series.
“The boom is coming,” Sapio said.
But is it really coming? Or will the social distancing and forced time together cause more divorces than babies? Experts and local couples weigh in. — Danielle Braff
10:03 a.m.: Craving the normal at Superdawg, Chicago’s least-normal hot dog stand
Superdawg is one of the few restaurants nearly unaffected by the statewide shutdown of restaurants to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The dining room is closed, but did you even know it had one? Most customers drive into a parking spot, order from an intercom and wait a few minutes until a carhop runs out the food. This is all still currently allowed in Illinois during these pandemic times.
Sure, there are little changes. Instead of bringing out a tray with all the food, which the carhop would attach to the driver’s-side window, all the food comes out in a bag. Since there is no tray, you don’t flip a switch for someone to retrieve the tray at the end. But those are tiny differences.
This makes it possible, even for the briefest moment, to feel some sense of normal — to sit in your car, isolated from other diners but still close, and live life like before you’d even heard of the virus. All you must do is admire the classic Superdawg package, flip open the lid and devour one of Chicago’s best hot dogs. — Nick Kindelsberger
9:59 a.m.: Medline Industries hustling to meet increased demand for medical supplies due to coronavirus
A Lake County medical supply company finds itself under pressure on two fronts as it attempts to comply with stricter state regulations that have shut down one of its manufacturing facilities while continuing to produce vital medical equipment that hospitals need to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medline Industries Inc., the largest privately owned manufacturer and distributor of medical equipment, has come under fire in recent months after a federally funded study showed people living near the company’s Waukegan sterilization plant had higher levels of the cancer-causing chemical ethylene oxide in their bloodstream.
Now, while Medline is waiting on analysis of its new emissions technology by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, a spokesman said, the company has simultaneously been forced to grapple with a worldwide health pandemic, ensuring its medical equipment — which supplies more than 80 percent of Illinois hospitals — is still produced and its employees are kept safe.
“This is what we were made to do,” said Jesse Greenberg, company spokesman. “We’re here to serve our customers, particularly in times of need.” — Grant Morgan
8:40 a.m.: ‘Do you have the corona?’: Asians in Chicago worry about damage done after Trump repeatedly called COVID-19 the ‘Chinese virus’
Ro Nguyen thought it would play out differently.
The 30-year-old had just watched a movie at a Streeterville cinema with a friend on March 12 and was strolling down East Grand Avenue around 8 p.m., the two of them marveling at the deserted streets.
As they headed toward the Red Line station, Nguyen said a man walking nearby saw them and yelled out, “F— China!”
Then the man spat on Nguyen, he said. The saliva splattered on his jacket.
Nguyen, who is of Vietnamese and Filipino descent, had imagined this moment. Having read news stories about harassment and attacks against Asians as coronavirus cases rose, he wondered if he would be next. If he was, he thought he would take a stand on behalf of himself and other Asians.
“In that instance, I was just kind of shocked, or dumbfounded, of what occurred,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen worries that East Asians in the United States will face even more harassment and attacks as coronavirus cases continue to rise. He said he believes President Donald Trump stoked such hate-filled reaction during a press briefing last week when he defended his use of “Chinese virus.”
Read more here.
7:49 a.m.: Houses of worship, forced to close due to COVID-19, get inventive to stay connected with their congregations
Members of faith communities around the country are grappling with a new and uneasy reality: Locked doors on their houses of worship at a time when many are turning to prayer for comfort.
But houses of worship are adapting and working to keep their faithful connected during social distancing directives. Their primary tools? A camera, the internet and messages of positivity.
Across the Chicago area, Sunday services are being streamed online, either live or recorded, so self-isolating congregants can participate from their own homes, watching the clergy they know. The videos are appearing on sites like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, or directly on the congregation’s website.
“What I’m hearing the most is people saying that in these moments of anxiety and uncertainty, we need our church, we need our faith,” said the Rev. Britto Berchmans of St. Paul of the Cross. “This is when we need God to tell us everything is OK.”
Read more here.
Tuesday, March 24
Chicago scores an ‘A’ in social distancing, according to a GPS analysis project, but expert says: ‘I need Chicago at an A+. Maybe an A++’
The face of Chicago’s fight against a pandemic, Dr. Allison Arwady, remains accessible in difficult times
Estate planning in the time of coronavirus: ‘For most people, they’re off busy living, and not thinking about dying’
Emergency day care centers stay open in Illinois, but only for children of essential workers
Police answer a different call, assisting food pantry fighting to serve during coronavirus threat
Commentary: During this pandemic, light a candle of sweet kindness
Column: Ronald McDonald House, a port in the storm for families with sick kids, asks public to fill coronavirus-prompted gap where volunteers used to be
Coronavirus pandemic produces the inevitable for Chicago: Malort hand sanitizer
How to donate protective gear to Chicagoland hospitals
With no games and no patrons, Chicago sports bars scramble to stay afloat during the coronavirus shutdown: ‘I would imagine most restaurants have a month or so, and then they shutter forever’
What to do when ordered to stay home? Well-spaced jaunts to the lakefront: ‘It’s like a sanctuary.’
Empty windows, boarded-up storefronts dot the Magnificent Mile during coronavirus shutdown
Forget bourbon and gin — in the era of coronavirus, distilleries (and even some breweries) go all in on hand sanitizer
Frozen tavern-style pizzas and Negroni slushies to go: Chicago-style restaurant family meals and kits to pick up now
How Chicago TV journalists are broadcasting live from home during coronavirus: ‘We’re making do with the best we have’
Online shopping won’t get you hard-to-find items during coronavirus. ‘They’re not going to have any more success getting toilet paper than you are.’
Illinois manufacturers are switching gears to make equipment to fight COVID-19. Here’s what they’re doing.
Monday, March 23
Free toilet paper with your pizza? North suburban restaurants get creative while worrying about surviving coronavirus pandemic
Just as the need soars for health care workers to fight coronavirus, Chicago-area medical schools are sidelined from seeing patients
Julia Steiner of Chicago band Ratboys is going live (stream) tonight, as her concert kicks at the door of isolation built by the coronavirus
Sign language interpreter at Illinois coronavirus press conferences thrust into spotlight: ‘The information is critical. It’s literally life or death.’
Chicago’s beauty pros offer a few tips and products to try from home, from touching up your roots to a DIY mani/pedi
Relief program for restaurant workers launches Tuesday at Big Star; donations welcome
With no opening day to prepare for at Sox Park, ‘The Sodfather’ watches his field from home
Help isolated seniors and people with disabilities during the outbreak — be a #PandemicPal
Le Petite Foxes crafts adorable dog treats to benefit restaurant staffers
How Olympic hopefuls are dealing with uncertainty and training interruptions, from baking to online Zumba classes
Volunteers are sewing homemade face masks for Chicago area doctors and nurses: ‘It’s really heartwarming’
Sunday, March 22
For 4 glorious minutes, Chicagoans joined together for a Bon Jovi singalong. Next up: Jackson 5.
For the first time, all Peace Corps volunteers are called back home: ‘It feels like a bad heartbreak’
‘Our lives, it’s about playing basketball overseas’: For Chicago athletes, the coronavirus brings travel — and financial — concerns as leagues shut down
Here’s what it’s like to do 4 hours of sports talk radio with no live games — and a statewide lockdown looming
Socially distant beer crawl: Chicago breweries adjust to shutdown with more than beer to-go
Saturday, March 21
Thanks to the coronavirus, charity galas are being canceled and nonprofit groups are losing crucial funding
The coronavirus is having a major impact on Chicago organizations assisting those in need. Here’s how you can help.
Cashiers. Janitors. CTA employees. While much of the public hunkers down at home amid coronavirus pandemic, some people must still show up for work.
Goodman Theatre leads other Chicago theaters in donating masks and safety equipment
Friday, March 20
When Olivia Grace’s 5th birthday party was canceled by coronavirus, the party came to her via a drive-by parade in Elgin
In Oak Park, first day of shelter in place was almost like any other day, but with a strangeness in the air
Customers volunteer to help Aurora family grocery store during coronavirus rush
Keep having that quarantine sex, Chicago — you can’t get coronavirus from it.
How does ‘shelter in place’ work without shelter? Agencies try to fill in the gaps
Coronavirus is keeping people away from Chicago-area animal shelters, so volunteers are needed immediately to foster pets
Marriage proposal outside Naperville’s Edward Hospital a bright spot amid tense circumstances
Split-shifting and other hacks for working from home while parenting
During the coronavirus outbreak, livestreamed ‘quarantine concerts’ provide a connection
For Chicago-area arts students in a coronavirus world, remote learning is necessary, but there are many challenges
‘He offered to pay me for a haircut that he wasn’t going to get’: In the coronavirus era, we’ll get by with a little help from our friends — and some strangers, too
As social distancing becomes new norm, craft beer purveyors offering curbside pickup, brew delivery
Thursday, March 19
Missing the Chicago Flower & Garden Show? Get blooms to go with City Grange pop-up
Shoebox guitars and kiddie concerts can help kids stay occupied
Now closed, Brookfield Zoo is ‘Bringing the Zoo to You’
Cast is locked up together at Annoyance Theatre to create a video show in 10 days — finding the funny in all our claustrophobia
A Lincoln Park high schooler’s beautiful idea to help hungry students, battered restaurants during coronavirus shutdown
Working from home? Send us your photos
Anxiety, guilt and Trader Joe’s: Day in the life of coronavirus through the diaries of 4 Chicagoans and suburbanites
As day cares shut down to stop the spread of COVID-19, Chicago-area parents must juggle child care and working from home. ‘It’s a very new groove.’
Wednesday, March 18
Chicago just launched a coronavirus relief fund for our hardest-hit residents. In one day, it raised $8 million.
Chicago-area gyms have closed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, but regulars are finding ways to stay active.
With toilet paper in short supply, Chicagoans are snapping up water-spraying bidets.
We’re sharing our favorite takeout spots from a list of hundreds of Chicago restaurants currently open for takeout or delivery. For Wednesday, we’re grabbing enough pork roast to feed the family from Flat & Point in Logan Square.