COVID-19 continues to have a disproportionate impact on Latino communities. We discuss the pandemic with Dr. Marina Del Rios, director of social emergency medicine at the University of Illinois hospital in Chicago.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 12,438 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, exceeding by more than 2,000 the previous record for new infections reported in a 24-hour period, which was set Friday.

As Illinois saw more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases Friday, state health officials released new data showing there have been 10 school-based coronavirus outbreaks, while hundreds of schools have faced potential exposures.

“If we don't slow this down, and soon, we will have hundreds of thousands of new COVID cases by the end of the year in Chicago,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.

The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 9,935 new cases of COVID-19, a single-day record, and 97 deaths. In Illinois, 10,030 have now died as a result of the virus.

“This amount of disease in our community, it’s hard to think you could go anywhere and not be exposed,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the state’s top doctor.

Regardless of the presidential election outcome, a vexing issue remains to be decided: Will the U.S. be able to tame a perilous pandemic that is surging as holidays, winter and other challenges approach? 

With a return to in-person learning nearing for some groups of Chicago Public Schools students, the district has announced it will spend $8.5 million on air purifiers for classrooms and staff spaces to protect against the coronavirus.

“Local officials who are not doing the right thing are going to be the ones responsible for our rates of infection going through the roof,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday.

If you plan to vote in person on Election Day, state health officials have some requests. “Don’t forget to wear a mask and keep your distance,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday.

The largest party shut down by inspectors took place at the Chicago Sports Complex in Brighton Park, where 600 people gathered, none of them wearing masks, city officials said.

For three days in a row, state health officials reported record highs in the number of new COVID-19 cases in Illinois. That streak ended Sunday but the state’s positivity rate crept up to 8%.

State health officials reported 7,899 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, the third consecutive day in which Illinois saw its highest number of new infections within a 24-hour period since the coronavirus pandemic hit the state.

“It’s unfortunate,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday. “Look, this disease is unrelenting, it doesn’t care about what the location is and what we’re trying to do here is to limit the cases, the hospitalizations and the deaths.”

Brandis Friedman sits down with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to talk about where things stand now with the pandemic and where they’re headed. 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a grave warning on Thursday as Illinois officials reported 6,363 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, telling residents that the pandemic has entered the most dangerous phase since the spring.