Stories by Patty Wetli

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s tough love in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has spawned a million memes. Now the mayor gets in on the joke with her own video.

Grocery stores remain one of the few places in Chicago where large numbers of people are still able to mingle, and that — rightfully — has put both employees and customers on edge.

Beverly and surrounding communities have been hit hard with business closures and worker furloughs. But the area is infused with a spirit of collaboration, especially when it comes to helping those most vulnerable to the virus.

The Chicago Medical Society says that intensive care units in Chicago are full as of Monday. But experts say a peak in cases is still two to three weeks away. 

Democratic lawmakers are calling out an apparent lack of racial data that they say is needed to monitor and address disparities in the national response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The 19th Ward alderman is calling for greater protections for police officers amid the coronavirus pandemic. As of Monday evening, 50 Chicago police officers have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused organizers to postpone this summer’s Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. We discuss the delay with three Olympic athletes from the Chicago area.

Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 have described a range of symptoms, and they’ve lived with a fear of spreading the illness to their family and friends. A Chicago-area resident shares her story.

A portion of the convention center will become an alternate care center for patients with mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus, according to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Small business owners are awaiting help from the $2 trillion rescue package signed into law Friday. But with bills fast coming due, no end to business closings and an economy that’s all but shut down, owners are worried about survival.

The new instruction plan includes the distribution of 100,000 technology devices to the highest-need families as well as both online and non-digital learning activities.

Watch the March 30, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

For millions of seasonal allergy sufferers, the annual onset of watery eyes and scratchy throats is bumping up against the global spread of a new virus that produces its own constellation of respiratory symptoms. 

A number of grocers and big-box retailers have announced special shopping hours for senior citizens and others vulnerable to COVID-19 to ensure less crowded situations, as well as access to essential items.

As Chicagoans hunker down amid the pandemic, we check in with some familiar faces on how they’re weathering the storm and meet a new couple that is finding creative ways to stay connected with their grown children.

We’re spending a lot more time indoors. Join us as we get reacquainted with our beloved city through film. The polls are now open!

Most trails remain open in Cook County’s forest preserves, offering people a respite from home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that could change if people congregate like they did along Chicago’s lakefront. 

As President Donald Trump looks for ways to restore normalcy in parts of the U.S., his foremost infection disease expert says the country could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the coronavirus pandemic.

The latest coronavirus cases and deaths in the state. Lakefront and park closures — what might be next? And what the $2 trillion economic rescue package means for the state budget — and your wallet.

The EPA is relaxing enforcement of “environmental legal obligations” during the coronavirus pandemic, and activists are seething.

Closed Loop Farms is leading a group of local food producers to deliver everything from Michelin-worthy greens to naturally fermented sodas directly to your door.

Animal shelters are offering innovative ways to adopt pets during the statewide stay-at-home order. We reach out to two Chicago shelters to find out how the pandemic is changing their operations – but not their missions.

There are 3,026 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, officials said Friday, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker is urging licensed health care professionals to join an alert system for urgent needs. “Your fellow Illinoisans need you. Your state needs you,” he said.

President Donald Trump signed an unprecedented $2.2 trillion economic rescue package into law Friday, after swift and near-unanimous action by Congress this week to support businesses, rush resources to overburdened health care providers and help struggling families.

Masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and other vital supplies can be dropped off Sunday at the United Center and will be distributed to health care providers in Illinois.

Nearly 40 detainees have so far tested positive for the virus at Cook County Jail. Officials on Friday discussed those rapidly changing circumstances and said they’re working to “safely” reduce the detainee population.