Coronavirus live blog, July 10, 2020: Cashing in on COVID-19 billions despite Medicare fraud, millions in settlements

On Friday, the numbers of new cases of the coronavirus kept creeping up in Illinois — 1,317 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest daily total in more than five weeks and the first two-day stretch with tallies exceeding 1,000 since May and another 25 people have died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

In Chicago, the health officials released information that coronavirus cases in the city remain stable, despite a rise in cases elsewhere in the country and that Chicagoans between the ages of 18 and 29 — members of Generation Z as well as young Millennials — now have the highest daily case rates in the city.

And on Friday, the Riverwalk was opened with expanded hours — from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Riverwalk reopened to the public in June, but with limited hours and other restrictions.

Here’s what happened today in the fight against the coronavirus in the city, state and nation.

News

9 p.m. Cashing in on COVID-19 billions despite Medicare fraud, millions in settlements

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

A not-for-profit healthcare giant based in Chicago that’s paid more than $80 million in settlements since 2010 over Medicare and Medicaid fraud and other violations of federal law has received about $2 billion in federal money under a program aimed at giving businesses a boost during the coronavirus pandemic.

CommonSpirit Health has gotten the second-highest amount of federal dollars of any Illinois-based company during the COVID-19 pandemic — $718 million in grants and $1.9 billion in loans, records show.

The only Illinois parent company getting more money under the CARES Act — the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act — was United Airlines.

CommonSpirit is one of a handful of Illinois companies that have gotten emergency funds during the coronavirus pandemic even after paying out millions in recent years to settle federal violations, according to data compiled and analyzed by Good Jobs First, a nonprofit organization focused on government and corporate accountability.

Read the full story by Stephanie Zimmerman here.

8 p.m. Black health, well-being were struck a brutal double blow by coronavirus, George Floyd death

Well before the resounding cries of “Black Lives Matter,” doctors have known that Black people suffer disproportionately.

As a group, they face countless challenges to good health, among them food, transportation and income. The stress of living with racism has real, physical effects. And they are especially prone to diabetes, hypertension and other chronic diseases that can be tricky to manage even in normal times.

Then came COVID-19 and George Floyd. It quickly became clear that institutions designed to ensure the two most important things in life — health and safety — had converged to turn against one segment of the population in a brutal blow to Black people’s well-being that has renewed calls for racial justice in all realms, including health care.

“We are exhausted, and we are not OK,” said Dr. Patrice Harris, a psychiatrist who just ended her yearlong term as president of the American Medical Association.

Read the full story here.

5:15 p.m. Illinois records over 1,000 new coronavirus cases for second straight day

Illinois has recorded its second straight day of more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time since May, as officials Friday announced an additional 1,317 people have tested positive for the virus.

Another 25 people have died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, according to new figures released by the Illinois Department of Public Health, raising the state’s pandemic death toll to 7,144.

The latest cases account for 4% of the 32,987 tests done in the past day, leaving the state with its highest single-day positivity rate since early June. The number of new cases is also the most since June 2, and has pushed the state’s total case count to 151,767.

Read the full story by Nader Issa here.

4:20 p.m. As coronavirus surges in Republican territory, so does rage over masks

After waiting hours for his turn to speak to the Montgomery City Council on June 16, pulmonologist Dr. William Saliski spoke slowly and in basic terms about what he had seen on the novel coronavirus front lines in his hospital in an area hit harder than any other in Alabama.

He described emergency units overrun with COVID-19 patients, roughly 90-percent of whom were Black, and warned that if the spread continued, “we will be overrun.”

He offered a simple partial solution: the council should pass the ordinance it was considering to require people to wear masks in public.

“This mask slows that down,” Saliski said while waving a piece of fabric. “Ninety-five percent protection. Something as easy as this cloth.”

But the doctor was met with skepticism, including from a councilman who suggested that to order Montgomery residents to wear masks would be to “throw our constitutional rights out the window.”

Saliski and other doctors stormed out of the meeting in disgust after the council members voted mostly along racial lines—Black members for the mandate and white members against it—and the ordinance failed.

Such combative scenes have increasingly become the norm in parts of the United States, especially as the virus has taken hold in more conservative regions in the South and West. Face masks or coverings of the sort recommended by top health officials to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus have become an unlikely focus of partisanship and racial division, leading to mass refusals to wear them or mandate their use even as government leaders have pushed to reopen the economy.

Read the full story here.

4:01 p.m. City Hall: COVID-19 cases stable, now most prominent among younger Chicagoans

Chicago’s public health commissioner said Friday that coronavirus cases in the city remain stable, despite a rise in cases elsewhere in the country.

Deaths, hospitalizations and emergency room visits related to COVID-19 in Chicago are at their lowest levels since March, according to City Hall. Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady said the city is likely in the next few weeks to even see a day without a coronavirus death for the first time in months.

However, Arwady also said in a conference call with reporters that Chicagoans between the ages of 18 and 29 — members of Generation Z as well as young Millennials — now have the highest daily case rates in the city.

The biggest hotspots for that age group are in Lincoln Park and New City, Arwady said.

Read the full story by Jon Seidel and Caroline Hurley here.

3:10 p.m. Catholic Church lobbied for taxpayer funds, got $1.4B: AP

The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups.

The church’s haul may have reached — or even exceeded — $3.5 billion, making a global religious institution with more than a billion followers among the biggest winners in the U.S. government’s pandemic relief efforts, an Associated Press analysis of federal data released this week found.

Houses of worship and faith-based organizations that promote religious beliefs aren’t usually eligible for money from the U.S. Small Business Administration. But as the economy plummeted and jobless rates soared, Congress let faith groups and other nonprofits tap into the Paycheck Protection Program, a $659 billion fund created to keep Main Street open and Americans employed.

By aggressively promoting the payroll program and marshaling resources to help affiliates navigate its shifting rules, Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other ministries have so far received approval for at least 3,500 forgivable loans, AP found.

Read the full story here.

2:30 p.m. All bars must now close by midnight to prevent ‘late-night congregating,’ city says

Beginning Friday, the Riverwalk will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., the city announced. The Riverwalk reopened to the public in June, but with limited hours and other restrictions.

In other city coronavirus-related news, the city announced, effective immediately, all bars, restaurants, breweries and any other establishments that serve alcohol will be required to close no later than midnight.

“While the majority of establishments are following regulations and taking important preventative steps, this directive will minimize the spread of COVID-19 by preventing late-night congregating that could occur after the cutoff of sales,” according to a statement from the city.

“Only curbside pickup or delivery of food can occur after midnight, provided that patrons do not enter or remain in the establishment. Restaurants [that] do do not have a liquor license are not subject to the midnight closure order.”

Read more from Stefano Esposito here.

1:47 p.m. United, pilots reach tentative furlough deal

United Airlines and the union representing its pilots have reached a tentative agreement governing furloughs, leaves of absence and early retirements, both sides said Friday.

The agreement is designed to reduce the number of forced job losses, said Capt. Todd Insler, chairman of the United bargaining unit at the Air Line Pilots Association International.

The Chicago-based airline said Wednesday that up to 36,000 employees may be furloughed, including up to 2,250 pilots.

Insler said the bargaining unit’s board will consider the agreement next week. Spokesmen for the union and United said they would not discuss details until it is approved.

“These programs are designed to find as many volunteers as possible interested in stepping back from active flying,” Insler said in a letter to fellow pilots Thursday night.

Read the full story from David Roeder here.

10:22 a.m. Starbucks in-store customers will be required to wear face masks starting July 15

Starbucks will now require customers and employees to wear face masks when they enter stores.

The policy applies to all company-owned café locations in the U.S., according to a statement by Starbucks.

At select locations where a local government mandate is not in place, customers that may not be wearing a facial covering will have various options to order their Starbucks, including ordering at the drive-thru, curbside pickup through the Starbucks app or placing an order for delivery through Starbucks Delivers.

“The company is committed to playing a constructive role in supporting health and government officials as they work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” reads the statement.

Read more here.

8:35 a.m. Employers report 15,600 job cuts to state in June

Illinois employers in June notified the state of layoffs involving 15,600 people, the highest monthly total since the start of the coronavirus.

Dominating the list of job cuts were hotels, casinos, restaurants and caterers, all areas hit hard when the pandemic took hold in the Chicago area during March. The layoff notices are supposed to come at least 60 days in advance of any cuts, but many employers appeared to be playing catch-up, listing reductions that they said began in March. Many described the layoffs as temporary.

Prominent on the list was the Hyatt hotel chain, run by the Pritzker family, which detailed layoffs for its Hyatt Regency hotels downtown, at McCormick Place and at O’Hare Airport. Among the many other hotel chains cutting jobs here were Renaissance, Marriott, Westin and Hilton.

The Hollywood casinos in Joliet and Aurora reported layoffs, as did Argosy Casino in Alton.

The largest layoff at a single location was 990 at SMG Food & Beverage, located near McCormick Place and with a business that depends on conventions, which have been shut down. SMG told state officials the layoffs would be temporary.

Read the full report from David Roeder here.

7:18 a.m. Would you go to the beach or a public pool if you could? What Chicagoans told us.

With temperatures in the 90s for day after day, we asked Chicagoans whether they’d venture out to the city’s pools and beaches if they were open. Some answers have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

“I would go to a pool to swim laps where you have a reservation to keep the numbers to a minimum, but hell no to any ‘free swims.’ I don’t really go to the beach because the lake is cold, and sand is annoying.” — Shannon Heath Jeropke

“I would not because it would be flooded with people — taking no safety precautions, of course — and I’m trying to stay healthy! Plus I have my own pool in my backyard.” — Jaleesa Flores

“Ugh. I’d love to go to the beach. I live in Indiana. The national park beaches are beautiful. But they are totally crowded with people coming from Illinois. Can’t find parking, can’t find a socially distanced place to sit, and everyone is leaving loads of trash behind.” — Chris Jacobs Clark

Read more responses from our readers on the topic here.

New cases

• Brazil’s President Bolsonaro tests positive for COVID-19.
• llinois was hit with its worst day for new coronavirus cases in over a month Thursday as health officials announced an additional 1,018 people have tested positive, sending the state’s overall case tally over 150,000.
• The Illinois Department of Public Health also said another 20 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19, raising the state’s pandemic death toll to 7,119.

Analysis & Commentary

7:52 a.m. We can’t fly; we can’t hug; at least let us grin

When my boss asked me to gather thoughts on Alinea’s new novel coronavirus-shaped canapé, conscientious newsman that I am, I suggested heading over right away to try the tidbit. To comment intelligently, I had to first sample the purplish sphere of coconut custard with Szechuan peppercorn, dotted with freeze-dried raspberries that caused some on Instagram to grouse that lives lost to COVID-19 are being mocked by a confection.

Shoe-leather reporting. Direct experience. Can’t beat it.

Alas, time is of the essence. So all I could do is acquaint myself with the thorough treatment by Block Club Chicago, which sadly chose to quote one, count ’em, one disgruntled person, complaining on Instagram.

“This isn’t ok ... this isn’t ‘cute.’ This is shameful,” wrote the irked individual.

No, what’s shameful is Donald Trump insisting America’s schools re-open in the fall, pandemic be damned. As is the same people who are willing to sacrifice Grandma to stay behind him now tossing Junior onto the pyre as well. Our nation marinates in humiliation like Hawaiian chicken.

Read Neil Steinberg’s full column here.