As the days of social distancing turn into months, anxiety and frustration continue to mount. We get advice on safeguarding kids’ emotional well-being during the pandemic.

Health officials on Monday reported 46 deaths in Illinois from the coronavirus. “When I saw that number today, I was hopeful that this is the beginning or continuation of a trend I’ve been praying for,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.

Those who have died are parents, grandparents, cousins, friends and loved ones — not just statistics, Mayor Lori Lightfoot told reporters on a conference call Monday. The coronavirus death toll in Chicago now stands at 1,014 people.

Luft Balloons is bringing smiles, the best medicine, to front-line hospital workers, with massive helium-filled displays of gratitude.

“We know physicians find it very difficult to ask for help,” said Dr. Smita Gautam, co-founder of the Physician Support Line, a free, national and confidential support line. “We’re here for you, and you deserve this help.”

Italy started stirring Monday, with millions of people allowed to return to work as Europe's longest coronavirus lockdown started to ease, while the U.S. took halting steps to lift some restrictions even as tens of thousands of new cases were reported every day.

The lawsuits say students should pay lower rates for the portion of the term that was offered online, arguing that the quality of instruction is far below the classroom experience. Colleges, though, reject the idea that refunds are in order. 

Illinois labs ran 19,417 coronavirus tests during a 24-hour period from Saturday to Sunday – a state record that nearly doubles the 10,000 per day goal Gov. J.B. Pritzker set in early April that took nearly all of last month to reach.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he’s grateful for the 600,000 swabs Illinois will receive from the federal government, but that the Trump administration should have done more — and still can — to help Illinois and other states.

The governor’s latest stay-at-home order will expire at the end of May. But Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not take the possibility of an extension off the table. “We’re going to stay in the status quo as long as we need to,” she said. 

“Don’t make us treat you like a criminal,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Saturday, “but if you act like a criminal and you violate the law and you refuse to do what is necessary to save lives in this city during a pandemic we will take you to jail, period.”

The steady rise of cases is “really is a function of doing more tests,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Saturday as labs processed 15,208 specimens in a single day – more than double the tests that were being processed a month ago.

Farmers, growers and operators of open-air markets are heading into one of their busiest times of year while facing the added challenge of the coronavirus.

“Today, we are pleased to report that the curve is flattening, and our local hospitals and health care systems continue to operate with capacity,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a joint statement.

The operation will begin with a slow rollout, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that at its peak, there could be about 30 workers per 100,000 Illinois residents – a total of more than 3,800. The governor estimated the cost could reach $80 million.

Several hundred protesters swarmed the Thompson Center in the Loop and the Capitol in Springfield on Friday, calling for Gov. J.B. Pritzker to end the stay-at-home order he says is necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus.