Latest coronavirus news for June 22, 2020: Live updates

The latest

Daily coronavirus totals: 26 additional deaths and another 462 cases — lowest number of new infections in nearly three months

Scott Olson/Getty Images

State health officials on Monday announced 462 new coronavirus cases and 26 additional deaths.

That brings the state’s total number of cases to 137,224 and the total number of deaths to 6,671.

The 462 new cases is the lowest daily tally on any given day since March 30, when 461 were reported.

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity rate for cases from June 15 to June 21 is 2%.

Health officials also announced an additional 18,219 coronavirus tests had been performed, raising the state’s total to 1,379,003.

Read the full report from Mitch Dudek here.

News

7:04 p.m. Details revealed of Chicago’s move on Friday into Phase 4 of reopening plan

Lincoln Park Zoo will remain free, but with reservations required for certain time slots to avoid having too many people descending on the gate at the same time, exceeding the 100-person capacity limit.

Gyms will be open, but face masks will be required and workout equipment will either be six feet apart — or, in smaller facilities, separated by clear plastic screens. Saunas and showers will remain closed.

Movie theaters, as well as other heaters and live performance venues can open to audiences of 50 or fewer, but all but the smallest theaters are likely to remain closed because production costs will far exceed the gate. Standing-room-only live music venues will remain closed — and likely will be the last to reopen.

That’s just a snapshot of what will happen Friday, as Chicago moves into Phase 4 of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to cautiously reopen the Chicago economy.

Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman here.

6:11 p.m. Trump: US doing ‘too good a job’ on testing

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday the United States has done “too good a job” on testing for cases of COVID-19, even as his staff insisted the president was only joking when he said over the weekend that he had instructed aides to “slow the testing down, please.”

The president’s comments at a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday brought quick rebukes from the campaign of likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as well as scores of Democratic lawmakers.

In an interview with Scripps for its local TV stations, Trump was asked Monday whether he did indeed tell aides to “slow it down.” He did not directly answer the question.

“If it did slow down, frankly, I think we’re way ahead of ourselves, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said. “We’ve done too good a job,” adding that the reason the United States has more coronavirus cases is that it does more testing.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said any suggestion that testing has been curtailed is not rooted in fact, saying Trump made the slow-it-down comment “in jest.”

Read the full report here.

4:20 p.m. Surging US virus cases raise fear that progress is slipping: ‘It is snowballing’

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Alarming surges in coronavirus cases across the South and West raised fears Monday that the outbreak is spiraling out of control and that hard-won progress against the scourge is slipping away because of resistance among many Americans to wearing masks and keeping their distance from others.

Confirming predictions that the easing of state lockdowns over the past month and a half could lead to a comeback by the virus, cases surpassed 100,000 in Florida, hospitalizations are rising dramatically in Houston, and a startling 1 in 5 of those tested in Arizona are proving to be infected.

Over the weekend, the virus seemed to be everywhere at once: Six staff members helping set up for President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tested positive, as did 23 Clemson University football players in South Carolina. At least 30 members of the Louisiana State University team were isolated after becoming infected or coming into contact with someone who was. Meatpacking plants were also hit with outbreaks.

“It is snowballing. We will most certainly see more people die as a result of this spike,” said Dr. Marc Boom, CEO and president of Houston Methodist Hospital, noting that the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions has tripled since Memorial Day to more than 1,400 across eight hospital systems in the Houston metropolitan area.

Read the full story here.

3:05 p.m. Lincoln Park Zoo, Brookfield Zoo to reopen in coming weeks

Two Chicago area’s biggest outdoor attractions will start welcoming visitors again soon as Lincoln Park Zoo and Brookfield Zoo plan to reopen in the coming weeks. Both zoos will operate under limited capacity with strict guidelines for social distancing to comply with local orders.

Lincoln Park Zoo plans to reopen to the general public next Monday after a members-only weekend for donors. Brookfield Zoo will follow up a week later with the general public being welcomed back July 8.

Both zoos will be implementing online ticket reservation systems for all visitors. At Lincoln Park Zoo, reservations will be free, but guests will be required to leave after approximately two hours in order to maintain capacity limits.

— Satchel Price

2:23 p.m. CSO’s Riccardo Muti looks to reopen Chicago’s classical music scene

RAVENNA, Italy — Conducting a joyful Mozart motet, Riccardo Muti sent a resounding message Sunday night, that live classical music has returned to the Italian stage after the coronavirus lockdown.

A full summer festival program is planned in his adopted home of Ravenna, even as the musical outlook remains grim in the United States, where he also conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

The 78-year-old renowned conductor said the coronavirus had ‘’destroyed music,’’ with shuttered venues depriving the world of ‘’spiritual food’’ as it faced a pandemic that still threatens uncalculated economic repercussions beyond the lives lost.

Even during two world wars, Muti noted, theaters stayed open to provide cultural relief except during the worst of the bombings.

Muti suggested that concerts could be held in Chicago’s Millennium Park, with 2,000 guests instead of the 30,000 capacity, and by first testing musicians for the virus and possibly sticking to a repertoire that limits the number of musicians on stage.

During part of the CSO’s season that was canceled, Muti was to have conducted in April a symphony by African American composer Florence Price, which the program said “gives powerful voice to the African American experience.” Muti, who has been watching the Black Lives Matters protests from afar, said classical music must do more to integrate people of color.

Read the full story here.

1:46 p.m. CTA to give free ‘travel healthy kits’ to riders this week

Provided by CTA

Customers returning to Chicago’s public transit this week will be offered free “travel healthy kits” at several of CTA’s busiest “L” stations and bus terminals.

The kits, which include a 2-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer, a reusable cloth mask and a guide to healthy riding tips, will be distributed for free from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at different locations each morning this week. Here’s where the CTA says they’ll be offering them by day:

• TUESDAY: Clark/Lake, Polk (Pink Line) and 95th Street (Red Line)
• WEDNESDAY: Howard (Red Line) Roosevelt (Red, Green, Orange Lines)
• THURSDAY: Jefferson Park (Blue Line) Roosevelt (Red, Green, Orange Lines)
• FRIDAY: Midway (Orange Line) Harlem/Lake (Green Line)

“As the city reopens and CTA welcomes customers back, we want to encourage everyone to continue to follow the healthy habits we’ve all learned since mid-March,” CTA president Dorval R. Carter, Jr. said in a statement. “Wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer are two simple and effective ways to help keep yourself and your fellow customers healthy.”

— Satchel Price

12:09 p.m. Chicagoans return to lakefront trail on first day of reopening

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

The throaty growl of a passing motor boat. A dog yapping at the waves. And, as far as the eye could see, the lake shimmering like a million silver coins.

“Enjoying the lakefront, that’s what Chicago is all about,” said Matt Zellmer, 27, out for a walk with his Australian Shepherd dog, Tucker, near Montrose Harbor.

Zellmer said it was a real “treat” to be able to escape from his “700-square-foot box” of an apartment.

“So far, everyone has been really responsible. Staying far apart,” he said.

For Annie Reising, 31, of Wrigleyville, it was her first ever trip to the city’s lakefront. She moved here last October.

“I was out of town a lot and then the holidays hit. It was cold. Then the coronavirus,” she explained. “I missed my chance. I’ve been waiting for this for months.”

— Stefano Esposito

11:48 a.m. Pritzker releases safety guidance for Phase 4 with reopening of indoor restaurant services, gyms, museums

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration Monday released safety guidance for the state’s next phase of reopening, which allows indoor restaurant services, gyms and museums to open with capacity limits beginning Friday.

Notable changes for Phase 4 include allowing gatherings of 50 people or less — and reopening of indoor restaurant services to groups of 10 or less, with tables spaced 6-feet-apart. Indoor seating at restaurants would also be capped at 25% capacity.

Indoor gyms can reopen at 50% capacity, with group fitness classes capped at 50 people, according to the guidelines designed by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The use of face coverings and social distancing is still encouraged under the public safety and health guidelines. Businesses are also encouraged to continue to conduct regular cleanings, to screen employees for temperatures upon entry and to allow employees who can continue working from home to do so. Pritzker’s office said about 400,000 Illinoisans will get back to work in Phase 4.

Read the full story from Tina Sfondeles here.

10:39 a.m. Chicagoans hit Lakefront, 606 trails on first day of reopening

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

A cyclist swerved suddenly and yelled, “On your left! Watch where you’re going!” to an oblivious walker wearing headphones.

After three months away, it may take some time for the walkers, joggers and cyclists to remember how to peacefully coexist along the 606, which reopened Monday morning.

Ned English missed the elevated trail so much he used it twice Monday morning — once to go jogging and then a little later for a stroll with his 3-year-old daughter, Frida.

English, who lives near Humboldt Park, said he’s seen plenty of people using the trail during the lockdown.

“I didn’t feel right doing that with a little kid,” said English, 43.

It was worth the wait.

“It’s beautiful. There is no traffic, and it’s one of the nicest parks around here,” he said.

Daniel Salas and his wife, Eliud Corona, were out pushing a stroller. Inside were their tiny chihuahuas, Elsa and Topo Grigio.

Stefano Esposito/Sun-Times

“We were excited to hear it was opening today,” said Corona, 42, who lives in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Both she and her husband said while they enjoy the park after which their neighborhood is named, they have missed the changing scenery the trail offers. Salas massaged his belly and explained the other reason he was out walking Monday.

“We’ve gained a few pounds,” he said. “My doctor recommended exercising.”

—Stefano Esposito

9:13 a.m. Nursing home cases, deaths rising in Illinois

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities continue to represent a large portion of the pandemic’s impact on Illinois.

A total of 3,649 Illinois nursing home residents and staff have died of COVID-19, making up 55% of the state total, and 21,476 residents and staff have tested positive, comprising 16% of the state total.

Over the past week, 165 nursing home residents and staff died — representing 49% of the state’s coronavirus deaths over that time period — and 718 have tested positive, representing 17% of the state’s newly confirmed cases.

Five nursing homes have suffered five or more deaths over the past week: Grosse Pointe Manor; Symphony at 87th; Birchwood Plaza Nursing-Rehab and Lee Manor Rehab and Nursing in Cook County; and Cedar Ridge Health and Rehab Center in St. Clair County.

Read the full story from Ben Pope here.

7:41 a.m. Illinois announces 23 additional coronavirus deaths, 658 new cases

An additional 23 people have died of coronavirus in Illinois, state health officials announced Sunday.

That brings the state’s COVID-19 pandemic death toll to 6,647.

Despite the ever-increasing total, Illinois remains one of the most-improved states in terms of daily new death and case rate, contrasting the rapidly worsening situations in southern states like Florida, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas.

The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced Sunday another 658 new COVID-19 cases found among 23,816 newly processed tests.

That raises the state’s total case count to 136,762, although the vast majority — approximately 94% — of those have since recovered. More than 1.3 million Illinoisans have been tested so far.

The test positivity rate over the past seven days fell to 2%.

Read the full report here.

6:18 a.m. City requires visitors to wear masks, ‘keep it moving’ on newly reopened trails

After three months under lockdown because of the coronavirus, the Lakefront and 606 trails will officially reopen Monday to all manner of joggers, cyclists and pedestrians.

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, rages on, with 658 new cases being reported Sunday in Illinois. So, though exercisers and commuters are being welcomed back to the popular pathways, city officials are urging people to use them cautiously.

When the Lakefront Trail reopens Monday, users will be required to wear a face mask and stay at least six feet away from others, according to the Chicago Park District website. Anyone on the trail will be expected to “keep it moving,” meaning that any congregating will be prohibited.

The same guidelines will apply to the 606 Trail on the North Side, said Hali Levandoski, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office. Both trails will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.

Read the full story from Sam Kelly here.

New cases

• An additional 23 people have died of coronavirus in Illinois, state health officials announced Sunday.
• Comedian D.L. Hughley announced he tested positive for COVID-19 after collapsing onstage during a performance in Nashville, Tennessee.
• That brings the state’s COVID-19 pandemic death toll to 6,647.President Donald Trump’s campaign says six staff members helping set up for his Saturday night rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have tested positive for coronavirus.

Analysis & Commentary

4:43 p.m. College football amid a pandemic is not worth the risk to young men’s lives

How many lives of young men and women should be sacrificed for entertainment — and for billions in profit? That question can’t be ducked as the NCAA allows colleges to begin “voluntary” football practices, and other college teams begin to practice.

Colleges are desperate to open the full football season, a source of millions in profits for colleges and universities. Donald Trump, who pretends that COVID-19 is behind us, wants a return to normal, with stadiums filled with fans cheering their heroes. Players are eager to compete and to display their skills.

Only problem is that the coronavirus doesn’t care about profits or presidents, or about fans or coaches. It doesn’t follow polls, doesn’t care who wins the presidential election, and has no party. It is deadly and it’s still here, even spiking in more than 20 states.

And now, it’s hitting football players hard. Thirty Louisiana State players are in quarantine, either testing positive for the virus or from being in contact with those who tested positive. Twenty-three Clemson football players have tested positive since workouts started on June 1. Thirteen at Texas, 14 at Kansas State, and more at Alabama, Mississippi, Southern Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma State and others.

Read the full commentary from the Rev. Jesse Jackson here.

7:39 a.m. Illegal tenant lockouts an early warning sign of a national evictions explosion to come

From the moment the coronavirus pandemic hit Chicago, throwing thousands of residents out of work, the fear has been that evictions would follow.

Now, as reported by the Sun-Times on Friday, it’s beginning to happen. Unscrupulous landlords are using illegal methods to push out tenants who are behind in the rent. The problem threatens to grow worse, and could explode, unless government takes action.

We favor intervention at the federal level, given the national scope of the problem, and given as well the limited ability of local governments to help without subverting market forces in ways that could make things worse.

We favor the leveraging of federal assistance or tax breaks to encourage landlords and tenants to reach an accommodation. A specific bill we support, proposed by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., would offer forgivable federal loans to landlords who waive rent and extend leases during the pandemic.

As reported by Stephanie Zimmermann, calls to the Metropolitan Tenants Organization about illegal lockouts in Chicago roughly doubled from mid-March through mid-June compared to monthly averages.

The actual numbers are not yet high — about 41 calls a month compared to the usual 22. But only a fraction of tenants who are illegally evicted ever call for help. And in those rising numbers is a warning sign about a possible explosion in evictions once Chicago’s housing court reopens.

Read the full editorial here.