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The Week in Review: COVID-19 Cases Soar as McCormick Place Facility Opens

Illinois saw its largest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases on Friday, with an additional 1,209 people testing positive for the virus. A growing number of Chicago cases prompts the creation of a field hospital at McCormick Place.

Face Coverings Recommended, But Trump Says He Won’t Wear One

President Donald Trump announced new federal guidelines Friday recommending that Americans wear face coverings when in public to help fight the spread of the new coronavirus. The president immediately said he had no intention of following the advice himself, saying, “I’m choosing not to do it.”

Pritzker, Lightfoot Tour McCormick Place COVID-19 Facility as Cases, Deaths Soar

Illinois health officials on Friday reported the largest single-day jump in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the state – 1, 209 cases and 53 deaths – as Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot toured the alternate care facility at McCormick Place.

Virus Cost May Top $4 Trillion; Americans Arm Up on Guns

The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. 

US Sheds Most Jobs in a Decade, Ending Record Hiring Streak

The job loss of 701,000 reported Friday by the government — the worst since the depths of the Great Recession in 2009 — is still just a small indication of what’s to come.

Ed Farmer, White Sox Broadcaster, Former Pitcher, Dies at 70

Ed Farmer rooted for the White Sox growing up on Chicago’s South Side and went on to become an All-Star reliever for them.

Water Main Work Not Stopping for COVID-19

Water and sewer work across Chicago is going forward as planned. That means water shutoffs are possible, even as many city residents follow a statewide stay-at-home order.

Shutdown Hits Suburban Highwood on Multiple Fronts

Coronavirus-related shutdowns have had a dramatic impact on communities all across Chicago, but north suburban Highwood has felt the squeeze on two fronts.

How Highwood’s Nuestro Center is Continuing to Serve the Community

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Illinois, more than half of the families the social service agency works with are now facing unemployment or underemployment. We speak with the group’s director of Latino and youth services. 

Social Service Organizations Race to Help At-Risk Communities

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is being felt by just about every segment of American society, but for those already facing difficult circumstances, the pain can be even sharper. 

Lyric Opera Crafts Future Seasons with Postponed Productions, and Muti Turns to CSO Archives

Lyric’s canceled productions of “42nd Street” and “Blue” are now slated to run in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Meanwhile, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is partnering with WFMT on a series beginning next week.

Lightfoot Taps Ex-Dallas Chief to Head Chicago Police Force

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday named former Dallas police Chief David Brown to head the police force in the nation’s third largest city, touting his humility and calling him “a leader who commands respect.”

Chicagoan in Italy Discusses Everyday Life Under Quarantine

Paolo Palazzi-Xirinachs was about four weeks into his post-retirement studies at the University of Florence when Italy went into full quarantine. Now he’s stuck in a country with the highest reported coronavirus death toll in the world.

Transit Union Says CTA Isn’t Doing Enough to Protect Bus, Train Drivers

Ridership on city bus and train lines is down, but the CTA is still operating its regular schedule. What the agency is – and is not – doing to protect riders and operators during the pandemic.

Environmental Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns Seen from Space

It’s estimated that roughly two billion people around the globe are now under some form of stay-at-home order. This significant slowdown in economic activity has also led to an environmental impact, particularly in the air.