The health officials of Illinois stated that countries are at an alarming risk from the rising level of virus indicators and there have been surging cases of the virus in schools.
The state has announced
approximately 2000 newly confirmed cases and 24 deaths which adds in the total
of 215,929 cases and 7,857 deaths since the pandemic.
The warning alerts in the counties
are set on the basis of at least two indicators, which could be the number of
deaths, weekly admissions of the patients in the hospitals and availability of
beds. The counties that have been put on the alert are -
- Bureau
- Cass
- Clay
- Clinton
- Franklin
- Greene
- Grundy
- Hancock
- Henderson
- Jefferson
- Logan
- Madison
- Monroe
- Moultrie
- Randolph
- St. Clair
- Union
- White
- Will
- Williamson
Following the events that
happened on 21 August 2020, w.e.f. Friday, Chicago and Illinois faced some
serious challenges because of the COVID-19 outbreak. They took place in the
following way-
7:35 p.m.
A COVID-19 outbreak
sidelined 6 therapists at a North Shore mental health clinic. Now, they are
treating hospital workers free of charge.
Few employees of the Josselyn
Center in Northfield began experiencing flu-like symptoms in mid of March. The
therapists suspected that they might have got this from Michael Scholl,
director of mental health clinic. In the end of the week, stay-at-home ordered
was announced and it shut down the mental health clinic. The director was in
the hospital on a ventilator.
After 5 months, after constant
requests of Scholl, the mental health clinic of the community is now providing
free therapy sessions for first responders.
6:30 p.m.
World Business
Chicago cut 9 positions as pandemic cuts into revenue.
World Business Chicago is a
public-private partnership (PPP) which works for economic development of the
city. It has cut it’s 9 out 39 positions to tackle the degrading revenues.
The reason behind this is the
sudden outbreak of pandemic which has changed the ways of working into the work
from home. The agency relies on face-to-face interactions to recruit talent,
which has become to a halt due to COVID-19.
Andrea Zopp, President and CEO
stated, “The economy is struggling and that’s impacting people’s ability to contribute
in the ways that they used to.” The
factors added up and the agency faced reduced revenue for the whole year.
6:15 p.m.
Coronavirus at
Illinois long-term care facilities: 26,357 confirmed cases and 4,319 deaths.
As of August 21, 2020, the number
of confirmed cases is 26,357 with 4,319 deaths, which were tied to long-term
care facilities. According to the data of Department of Public Health, it has
been shown that virus outbreak has occurred at 767 long-term care facilities in
69 counties. Amongst them 523 facilities had ‘active’ outbreak, defined as a
positive test result.
5:30 p.m.
Chicago postal unions
rally in front of Bronzeville post office to attack Trump, postmaster general
for mail delays.
There was a rally carried out on
the same day by about 30m postal unions and political readers in front of a
Bronzeville U.S. Postal Service branch to condemn Trump and the postmaster
general for delays in mail service amidst of the electoral environment. The
people involved in rally wore black masks and chanted the slogan “Save the
USPS!” They gathered in front of the Henry McGee station, 4601 S. Cottage Grove
Ave.
The cause of the rally was
supported by Keith Richardson, who is the President of the Chicago area local
of the American Postal Workers Union. He said that “We stand here to day with
our allies, community partners and elected officials to send a clear message to
the postmaster general to save USPS.”
4:00 p.m.
U. of I. expects
hundred of COVID-19 cases, but says it’s prepared to stop any surge.
There is a possibility of
increased cases in the Urbana-Champaign area when students join back classes in
the University for the fall semester. The officials said that University of
Illinois is ready to do the saliva-based tests before continuing the semester
and they found about 100m positive cases. They expect more cases if precautions
are not taken.
2:40 p.m. (updated at
4:40 p.m.)
Where to securely
drop off your mail-in ballot in Chicago and the suburbs.
Mail-in ballots were requested to
by the registered voters because of the pandemic. Ballots were mailed to the
voters and secured drop boxes were installed at various places in Chicago so
that voters can drop off their completed mail-in ballots instead of mailing
them. If voters wish to vote in person then they are supposed to drop their
mail-in ballots at the polling place and they will rather be provided with a
ballot to vote in person.
2 p.m.
Complaints about Illinois nursing homes
not properly investigated during pandemic, state officials acknowledge.
Illinois Department of Public Health stated
that no proper investigation was carried out on the firing in state’s top
nursing homes and there were no records of complaints regarding the neglect and
abuse for more than 3 months during the pandemic.
1:15 p.m.
After nearly 18 years, Tin Fish restaurant
closed permanently by coronavirus.
Coronavirus led to the shut-down of another
top ranked restaurant Tin Fish in south-suburban Tinley Park. The closing down
was reported on August 11, 2020. The restaurant was an independent one and was
famous for seafood but it did not attract customers due to the pandemic
outbreak and thus, they had to shut down the place.
12:31 p.m.
AMC Theatres reopens: Did people get
their 15 cents’ worth?
AMC movie theatres were opened in 113
locations with a new motive in new normal- “Safe and clean”.
Hand sanitizers and compulsion of masks were
the two major precautions that were taken by the theatre chains and this was
promoted through a sign board which said- “Not feeling well? We’re excited to
see you return to the movies, but if you have symptoms such as fever or cough,
or have some in contact with someone who has symptoms, Please DO NOT see a
movie today.”
12:23 p.m.
Mounting US deaths reveal an outsize
toll on people of colour. New figures from the CDC highlight the stark
disparity.
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
came out with a report that showed the disparity in number of deaths in
minorities and whites. The number of deaths were higher in Blacks, Hispanics,
Native Americans and Asian Americans. Most of them are still unrecognised.
12:05 p.m.
2,208 new known COVID-19 cases and 24
more deaths reported.
Health officials reported new 2,208 known
cases of virus and 24 more deaths which added up to the numbers and came down
to 215,929 cases and 7,857 deaths since the pandemic began.
11:08 p.m.
Notre Dame had to suspend classes days
into the term as COVID-19 cases surged. Is that a cautionary tale for other
college campuses trying to reopen?
Clay Goldman, a first-year law student saw
that there were not enough chairs available for everyone who were waiting for
the results when he walked into campus testing centre to get himself tested.
He said that getting an appointment wasn’t
easy and he got it a whole day later when he requested for one. The University
identified 336 cases and it was said that it was so naïve of University to
assume that students wouldn’t do any things that college students do.
This strained the college resources and it
came out as a lesson for them to suspend the on-campus classes and stay on for
online mode only until the pandemic goes away.
10:51 p.m.
Is Chicago tourism done until 2021?
Facing fewer visitors and the possibility of losses, some venues are closing
early.
Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the
Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association said that social distancing is likely to
continue through out the year and it will make difficult to have the
travellers.
He also said that it is somehow good only as
staying open in such circumstances won’t do any good and hotel will lose money
and will continue to face revenue losses and fewer visitors as even city
attractions are also closed down to avoid the gathering due to COVID-19.
10:32 p.m.
Working from home due to COVID-19 will
remain the norm for many employees through 2020.
Due to the sudden outbreak of COVID-19,
workers are stuck inside the 4 walls of their homes and are working, not
knowing when to take a break or log off from their work.
Studies have shown that working hours have
increased by an average of 48.5 minutes longer than before the pandemic. It is
difficult to work in such condition and majorly stressful.
6:35 a.m.
A COVID-19 vaccine still hasn’t emerged-
but some are already wary of it.
Even after many assurances of the scientist
on the safety of vaccine, there are people who are still reluctant to get
vaccinated as they fear that it might not be safe and won’t work against the
virus which has infected and killed millions of people.
They are sceptical of what vaccine will do to
their bodies of if their bodies would be able to handle it or not.
Gerardo Victoria had big plans for the
fall: culinary school. But he fell ill from COVID-19 and died at the age of 23.
Gerardo “Jerry” Victoria died at the age of
23 as he was exposed to the virus and couldn’t fight it. It took him away and
his love for trying new recipes and sharing them. he became the youngest victim
of the virus in Cook County.
Written By - Somya Jain
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