Stories by Erica Gunderson

With Illinois schools closed through at least April 7 – and April 20 in Chicago – parents are suddenly finding themselves thrust into an uncomfortable new role: their children’s educator.

The coronavirus is taking a toll on individuals’ pocketbooks, but it’s also hurting government budgets across the nation. What it could mean for Illinois.

Coronavirus-related city and state shutdowns have had an impact across Chicago, but neighborhoods like Little Village on the city’s Southwest Side are feeling them a littler harder. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot shut down Chicago’s lakefront, 606 trail and Riverwalk to encourage social distancing. But will limiting access to public space reduce the demand for it? We look to other cities’ ideas.

Illinois health officials on Thursday reported the largest single-day jump in COVID-19 cases in the state – 673 – surpassing a record set just a day earlier.

The U.S. House is expected to pass a $2 trillion stimulus and relief package — the largest bailout in American history. But will it be enough to save workers and businesses ravaged by the virus?

The Chicago Police Department on Wednesday issued warnings to 56 separate groups of people and made one arrest for failing to abide by the governor’s order to stay home.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold and layoffs and business closures mount, food pantries all over Illinois are bracing for increased need.

A day after Mayor Lori Lightfoot threatened to close off access to city parks if Chicagoans continued to flout social distancing rules, the city shut down the lakefront trail, beaches and adjoining parks, the Bloomingdale Trail and the Chicago Riverwalk.

Watch the March 26, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Despite promises from the government that supplies are on the way, some area hospitals are worried they won’t have enough for a likely surge in COVID-19 patients. Swedish Hospital turned to the community for help, and an innovative duo stepped up.

How is the coronavirus impacting businesses and residents in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood? We speak with Ald. Leslie Hairston, whose 5th Ward includes much of Hyde Park and Woodlawn, and sections of South Shore. 

The number of Cook County Jail detainees who have tested positive for COVID-19 nearly tripled between Wednesday morning and evening, according to the sheriff’s office, which has now tested 50 individuals who have begun exhibiting flu-like symptoms.

From small businesses to health care facilities to residents, the coronavirus shutdown is impacting neighborhoods across the city. We visit the South Shore community to find out how area residents and businesses are handling the crisis.

The city named 2020 the Year of Chicago Music, and this week was supposed to be Cabaret Week. We visited a few jazz and cabaret folks and found a vast music scene that’s singing the blues.

The struggling airline industry will get a $32 billion infusion as part of the $2 trillion congressional stimulus bill. But will it be enough to resurrect an industry that is one of the most essential for the economy?

The Board of Education unanimously voted to approve the spending authority, which CPS says it will use to fund emergency personnel, remote learning and meal distribution.

The Chicago Youth Centers network serves around 1,400 children, but the coronavirus pandemic has halted its in-person services – and that will have lasting repercussions on families in need, the group says.

In a move aimed at softening the economic impact of the novel coronavirus, Illinoisans will have an additional three months to file their state taxes. Gov. J.B. Pritzker made the announcement as the state reported it’s largest single-day jump in COVID-19 cases.

While Illinois residents have been following a stay-at-home order since Saturday, people in China have been dealing with restricted living conditions for months. We speak with a Chicago native who now teaches high school in the Chinese city of Zhangjiagang.

Chicago’s mayor says too many people are flouting the governor’s order to stay home and maintain social distance, particularly along the lakefront and at playgrounds. “This situation is deadly serious,” she said Wednesday.

People without health insurance can receive care if they think they have the novel coronavirus, and no patient will be turned away because of inability to pay, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Watch the March 25, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Tony Grammatis, owner of Snappy Printing and Graphics, is offering free banners to small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis.

Chicago’s plan to reserve at least 1,000 hotel rooms through partnerships with five hotels is the first such sweeping strategy unveiled in the U.S. aimed at relieving the pressure on hospitals that are the only option for the seriously sick. 

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Illinois doctors are increasingly seeing their patients online, and executive actions last week by President Donald Trump and Gov. J.B. Pritzker make it easier than ever.