Illinois officials are dipping their toes into the idea of allowing swimming as the state begins its second week in phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan.

As the number of COVID-19 cases decline at the Cook County Jail, Sheriff Tom Dart announced Monday he would resume allowing in-person family visits for detainees for the first time in months.

Chicago Public Library branches are reopened as of Monday, but patrons will experience a few new restrictions. 

Illinois’ total number of coronavirus cases reached 127,757 on Sunday as the state again reported fewer than 1,000 new cases over the past 24 hours. But doctors and officials fear that number could spike in the near future.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the milestone was the result of the “incredible work of so many people behind the scenes.”

Several authors of a large study that raised safety concerns about malaria drugs for coronavirus patients have retracted the report, saying independent reviewers were not able to verify information that’s been widely questioned by other scientists.

According to a new study, cycling through Cook County Jail — a facility once dubbed the “largest-known source” of COVID-19 in the U.S. — is associated with roughly 16% of all documented cases of the virus in Illinois and Chicago through mid-April.

The placenta provides nutrients and oxygen to a developing fetus, among other things. In a small study, researchers found the placentas from pregnant women with COVID-19 showed signs of injury.

Chicago has officially moved into phase three of its reopening plan. We discuss the public health implications of reopening with Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.

The protests have come just as communities across the nation loosen restrictions on businesses and public life that have helped slow the spread of the virus, deepening concern that the two factors taken together could create a national resurgence in cases.

Cloth face coverings should be washed after each use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shares tips on how to get yours squeaky clean. 

Officials are worried Chicago may see a spike in COVID-19 cases after a weekend of not just protests but a general abandoning of public health guidelines. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said plans to lift some restrictions in Chicago on Wednesday designed to stop the spread of COVID-19 may be delayed after violent protests sparked by the death of George Floyd swept the city.

Just days after the state began slowly reopening, public health officials said 120,260 people have so far tested positive for the virus in Illinois, including an additional 1,343 between Saturday and Sunday.

The massive protests sweeping across U.S. cities following the police killing of a black man in Minnesota have  elevated fears that the huge crowds will lead to a new surge in cases of the coronavirus.

Another 1,462 Illinoisans tested positive for the coronavirus, health officials reported Saturday, as many communities across the state begin to emerge from the governor’s stay-at-home order.