A doctor’s advice: You can enjoy Chicago’s summer without risking a new wave of COVID-19

We’re starting the summer in Illinois on a positive note: the numbers of COVID-19 cases here are decreasing.

That’s great news. It means that 10 weeks of separation has resulted in countless lives saved. But it does not mean the virus is gone, or that cases won’t escalate again.

If we let our guard down, there will be new infections that lead to another escalation of cases, and in turn, a higher risk to everyone. The less the virus spreads this summer, the less chance it can escalate in the fall and winter.

Summer 2020 is not going to be typical. We will have to find ways to enjoy the sunny days without inhaling the virus from a friend or stranger.

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Let’s take advantage of the summer months to spend time outdoors, where the wind blows the virus away. I will be enjoying hikes, bike rides, the occasional run and spending time with my family in the back yard.

If you’ve returned to the workplace, taking the mask off at lunch while eating with co-workers is risky. If it’s an exposure in an office to one person and that person self-

isolates, that’s only one more infection. But if it’s an exposure in a social gathering or in a crowded building, that could be an outbreak leading to a chain of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

I’m taking the long view, looking to the summer of 2021. By then, there may be a safe and effective vaccine, more studies on medications and widely available treatments for COVID-19.

I am going to enjoy a quiet summer this year.

I look forward to the summer of 2021, cautiously optimistic that someday we can safely gather again and celebrate the precious lives we still have.

Dr. Jonathan Pinsky, Medical Director of Infection Control & Prevention, Edward Hospital

Working together to stop evictions

Landlords who illegally lock tenants out of their home for non-payment of rent, especially during a global pandemic, make an already difficult situation extraordinarily worse. The rise of illegal apartment “lockouts” is an unfortunate indicator of rising financial pressures on housing providers, exacerbated by the broad moratorium on evictions. But that is no excuse.

The Chicagoland Apartment Association has proactively called on our apartment owners and managers to show grace to residents struggling to pay rent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage our industry partners to do the same.

Those who cannot pay their rent must communicate proactively with their landlord and seek an extension, payment plan, and other relief. Thousands of collaborative plans are currently being used across Chicagoland.

And very importantly, those who can pay their rent have a civic responsibility to do so. The governor’s moratorium on evictions prevents landlords from taking action against bad actors, but those who choose a “rent strike” hurt their neighbors who most need aid. Long-term, Intentionally withholding rent has a negative impact on the housing supply.

Cook County’s recent dramatic increase in property tax assessments for multifamily buildings adds another challenge for property owners and managers. Many of them are also suffering the impact of COVID-19 and the recession.

We must work together to find solutions. We are indeed all in this together.

Michael Mini, executive vice president, Chicagoland Apartment Association