Coronavirus live blog, Oct. 15, 2020: Illinois announces highest single day total of positive cases to date

On Thursday, state health officials announced the highest number of new coronavirus cases ever reported throughout the COVID-19 pandemic — 4,014, which was one greater than on May 12, when the state was weathering the worst days of the crisis.

Sources tell the Sun-Times that the majority of Chicago Public Schools students won’t return to classrooms for the start of the second quarter next month as public health conditions worsen this fall.

Here’s what we learned today in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago, the state and the nation.

News

9 p.m. Illinois announces highest single day total of positive cases to date

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file

Public health officials Thursday announced 4,015 more people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Illinois, the highest number of new cases ever reported by the state throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The staggering caseload is one greater than the 4,014 cases confirmed by the Illinois Department of Public Health on May 12, at the state’s initial pandemic peak.

Almost three times as many people are being tested on average per day compared to the spring — May’s high figure was confirmed among 29,266 tests, compared to 67,086 with this latest batch of positives — but COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have all gradually risen over the last two weeks.

Mitchell Armentrout has more details.

8:10 p.m. Ask the Doctors: Is herd immunity realistic when it comes to COVID-19?

Dear Doctors: Can you explain herd immunity? We have it with diseases like smallpox and polio, but when it comes to the coronavirus, everyone keeps saying it’s a bad idea. Why wouldn’t it work for COVID-19?

Read what the Doctors say about herd immunity here.

7 p.m. Falcons close practice facility after 2nd positive COVID-19 test

The Atlanta Falcons shut their facility Thursday following one new positive test for COVID-19. The team remains scheduled to play at Minnesota on Sunday.

Defensive tackle Marlon Davidson was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list this week, and the addition of a second unidentified person caused the Falcons to act out of caution. All team activity will be done virtually.

“This decision was made in consultation with the NFL and medical officials,” the team said in a statement. “The health and safety of our team is our highest priority.”

Read the full story here.

6:10 p.m. Open House Chicago 2020 moves online because of COVID, so pick a neighborhood — or two — and spend the day during

Open House Chicago, the annual event giving architecture enthusiasts a closer look at some of the area’s most treasured buildings, will go on this year despite the pandemic.

Still, the coronavirus has forced some changes.

The biggest change: people won’t be able to go inside the more than 100 sites featured this year. Instead, the festival has gone virtual, with a mobile app that the Chicago Architecture Center launched Wednesday.

Read the full story by Manny Ramos here.

5:05 p.m. NFL’s top doc: cold and flu symptoms could force players out – even with negative COVID-19 test

The NFL’s top doctor said Thursday that players will miss practices, and perhaps even games, with cold and flu symptoms even if they test negative for the coronavirus.

Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, said on a conference call Thursday that teams should “err on the side of caution” sending symptomatic players and coaches home from practice — in case they have the coronavirus.

While it’s unclear who would make the game-day decision if a player has cold and flu symptoms and a negative coronavirus test, Sills said the league will rely on the team’s medical staff and their own expertise in a case-by-case basis.

Read the full story by Patrick Finley here.

4:15 p.m. Most CPS students won’t return to classrooms for start of 2nd quarter, sources say

The vast majority of Chicago Public Schools students won’t return to classrooms for the second quarter of the academic year as public health conditions worsen this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to three sources with knowledge of the school system’s plans.

In a call with principals Thursday, officials said most of CPS’ 300,000 students at the 500-plus district-run, non-charter schools will continue learning from home as the second quarter gets underway in early November, sources said.

Preschool students and children in special education cluster programs, however, are returning to classrooms next month because of their unique difficulties with remote learning, sources said. A decision on all other students returning to in-person learning for the third quarter in February is still under consideration.

Read the full story by Lauren FitzPatrick and Nader Issa here.

3 p.m. Over 100 MBA students at U. of C. quarantined after possible COVID-19 exposure at gathering

The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business moved its classes online this week after more than 100 students are quarantining after possible coronavirus exposure from attending an off-campus party.

In an email to students, faculty and staff, school administrators on Wednesday said Booth’s downtown and Hyde Park campuses are closed for at least two weeks as the potentially infected students quarantine.

The outbreak was traced to a large, off-campus gathering among full-time MBA students last week that included some students who tested positive for the coronavirus, according to multiple reports. The school is asking anyone who attended the event to get tested for the contagious respiratory virus.

Read the full story by Madeline Kenney here.

12:40 p.m. Kamala Harris suspends travel after staffer tests COVID-19 positive

Joe Biden’s presidential campaign said Thursday that vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will suspend in-person events until Monday after two people associated with the campaign tested positive for coronavirus.

The campaign said Biden had no exposure, though he and Harris spent several hours campaigning together in Arizona on Oct. 8.

Harris had been scheduled to travel Thursday to North Carolina for events encouraging voters to cast early ballots.

For more details, click here.

10:30 a.m. Numbers heading in “a concerning direction,” as state records its highest daily coronavirus death toll in over three months

Illinois suffered its highest daily coronavirus death toll in over three months on Wednesday, the average statewide testing positivity rate rose for a 10th consecutive day, and nearly 2,900 more cases of the deadly disease piled up.

With numbers heading in “a concerning direction” as the season turns, Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned “this virus isn’t taking a holiday. It only wants to find new hosts.”

“To date, Illinois has had relative success in keeping this virus at bay, and we’re still doing better than many of our neighbors, but we can’t let up,” the Democratic governor said at a weekly coronavirus briefing.

Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout here.

7:30 a.m. New initiative seeks to transform health care on the South Side

Medical, community and religious leaders on the South Side are racing to build a new health care model to address chronic illness, poor access to treatment and a pandemic that is disproportionately hitting Black and Latino neighborhoods.

The coalition will seek millions of dollars in state money to fund what’s being called the South Side Health Transformation Project, an initiative led by University of Chicago, Advocate Trinity and St. Bernard hospitals to address the decades-old problem of an overwhelmed medical care system that’s been exasperated even more by COVID-19.

“Looking at the impact COVID has ravaged on our community, it spotlighted a lot of things we’ve known all over the years,” said Rashard Johnson, president of Advocate Trinity Hospital.

The three hospitals, working with community leaders, propose a system alongside area health clinics and social service organizations to build a preventative care network that would better utilize technology and create a group of community health workers to help guide patients, many of whom have chronic health conditions, toward the best treatment options. The plan also calls for hiring primary and specialty doctors and creates a shared database for patient records. The South Side has long had a large proportion of residents suffering from diabetes, asthma, heart conditions and other health issues, the plan’s advocates say.

Read the full story by Brett Chase here.

7:06 a.m. Bears OL coach Juan Castillo quarantining through Sunday

Bears offensive line coach Juan Castillo will quarantine away from the team through at least Sunday after he came into contact outside of Halas Hall with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, coach Matt Nagy said Wednesday.

Castillo has not tested positive for the coronavirus, Nagy said. Castillo self-reported the contact. He was not present at practice Wednesday but will continue to coach the team with Zoom. He will not fly with the Bears to Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday to play the Panthers on Sunday.

Assistant offensive line coach Donovan Raiola will take his place on Sunday and during practices this week.

Saturday, the Bears placed rookie Badara Traore, a practice-squad offensive lineman, on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list. Since his test — which was taken Friday — no other Bears players have tested positive.

Read the full story here.

New cases

• Fred Dean, fearsome pass rusher in 49ers’ dynasty, dies at 68 after being hospitalized with the coronavirus.
• First lady: Son Barron Trump was positive for COVID-19, now negative.
• Alabama coach NIck Saban tests positive for COVID-19, but says he doesn’t have symptoms.
• Soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo tests positive for COVID-19.
• Illinois’ seven-day positivity rate — the metric by which health experts measure the virus’ spread — increased Monday, this time to 4.3%, the highest it’s been in a month. On Oct. 3, the state’ positivity rate was 3.3%.
• State health officials announced Monday another 2,742 people in Illinois had tested positive for COVID-19, with 13 more dying of the virus.

Analysis & Commentary

8:05 p.m. A Cook County budget built to ‘weather the storm’ — but the rain had better be moving on

Since the pandemic first swept in, we have argued that it’s important for local governments to continue functioning as normally as possible.

That’s a tall order given how COVID-19 has driven up costs and decimated tax revenues. But a government that can’t provide essential services now — when those services are most needed — is failing in its basic responsibilities.

We’re encouraged, so far, by Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle’s proposed $6.9 billion county budget for 2021, presented to the public on Thursday.

Read the full editorial by the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board here.

7:15 a.m. Every word Donald Trump speaks is best ignored when sizing up the dangers of COVID-19

The stupidity just keeps coming.

Hours after leaving the hospital on Monday of last week, President Trump tweeted that COVID-19 is “far less lethal” than the flu for “most populations.”

This is not true.

Two days later, he bragged that he probably would have bounced back from the virus even if he had not been treated with powerful drugs.

Doctors might disagree.

On Saturday, he claimed the virus is “disappearing.”

It is not. It is surging.

Read the full editorial by the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board.