Latest coronavirus news for June 4, 2020: Live updates

The latest

116 more die in Illinois of COVID-19 as state opens up drive-thru testing sites for all

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Another 116 people have died in Illinois from COVID-19, but the state also saw another decline in the number of daily cases on Thursday, as officials announced 11 drive-thru testing sites will be open to everyone, regardless of whether they are experiencing symptoms.

That’s an effort to keep on top of the spread of the deadly virus as the state moves ahead in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Phase 3 of reopening. Chicago began that phase on Wednesday, with outdoor dining, barbershops and salons and other retail shops opening with strict safety guidelines. The rest of the state did so last Friday.

The state has lost 5,736 people to COVID-19. On Thursday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 929 new cases out of 22,841 tests results. That’s a 4.07% positivity rate, much lower than what the state saw through most of May.

The seven-day statewide positivity for cases — the metric Pritzker and health officials are using to gauge the reopening phases — is 6%. That seven-day figure must remain under 20% for 28 days for the state to move on to the next phase of reopening.

The 116 deaths suggest COVID-19’s deadly phase is not over. It’s the third consecutive day of deaths hovering around the 100 mark and the 25th day in the past seven weeks to see more than 100 Illinoisans succumb to the virus. But on a more promising note, the 929 cases is the lowest daily tally for new infections since April 5, when the state saw 899.

Read the full story from Tina Sfondeles here.

News

2:50 p.m. Lightfoot urged to throw struggling restaurants a financial lifeline

Mayor Lori Lightfoot was urged Thursday to throw a financial lifeline to Chicago restaurants fighting for survival after the one-two punch of rioting and the stay-at-home shutdown.

Ald. Ray Lopez (15th), the mayor’s most outspoken City Council critic, wants the city to grant a free, 60-day sidewalk café permit to “any restaurant or bar” meeting the city’s requirements for a sidewalk café.

The alderman said he was joined by the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council and 25 “family-owned restaurants and bars” in Brighton Park, Back of the Yards and Little Village.

“We need to be bold in our efforts in helping our local businesses in every neighborhood in Chicago,” Lopez was quoted as saying in a press release.

“We have the tools now to allow, within the context of the law, the ability to issue legitimate permits. Lightfoot has the emergency authority to defer fee collections.”

Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia said the request from Lopez doesn’t go nearly far enough.

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

12:45 p.m. Navy Pier set for ‘cautious,’ phased re-opening without Centennial Wheel

Navy Pier is set to “cautiously” re-open Wednesday, but without the Centennial Wheel and with “social distancing ambassadors” reminding visitors to be safe.

“Following Navy Pier’s longest closure in recent history, we, along with the rest of Chicago, are anxious to reopen our spaces and safely welcome guests back to the pier over the next few months as we work collectively to restore our local economy,” Marilynn Gardner, Navy Pier president and CEO, said in a statement.

“We recognize that our new reality is now accompanied by new standards, and as the people’s pier, we are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure the health, safety and comfort of all who visit the pier. Our goal is to provide guests with a safe space to reconnect with Chicago through our free public programs, on-site local dining, retail and attractions, and our beloved vistas and vast green space.”

The parking garages are set to reopen Wednesday, as well as outdoor restaurant spaces, the north and south docks, Polk Bros Park, Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion and Pier Park, pier officials said.

Read the full story here.

11:54 a.m. Registration for Chicago Park District summer day camp set to begin next week

Every summer, the city’s parks echo with the shrieks and giggles of kids enjoying soccer, swimming, tennis and countless other fun activities.

Registration is set to begin Monday, June 11, for the Chicago Park District’s Day Camp abbreviated program. Don’t expect your kid to have quite the same experience as in years past. For one, there’s no swimming or field trips — and kids will be expected to bring and wear masks every day.

Camp organizers say children should expect smaller group sizes, social distancing and if they have any possible symptoms of the coronavirus, they will be isolated and a parent will be called to take them home.

Day camp runs from July 6 through Aug. 14 at 148 parks across the city.

For more information about specific camp locations and start times, go to https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/programs-memberships/day-camp

— Stefano Esposito

10:32 a.m. Protests eclipse pandemic, but White House fears resurgence

WASHINGTON — For weeks, President Donald Trump has been eager to publicly turn the page on the coronavirus pandemic. Now fears are growing within the White House that the very thing that finally shoved the virus from center stage — mass protests over the death of George Floyd — may bring about its resurgence.

Trump this week has eagerly pronounced himself the “president of law and order” in response to the racial unrest that has swept across the nation, overshadowing the pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 105,000 Americans and imperiled his reelection prospects.

But political dangers for the president remain.

Thousands of Americans — many without protective face masks — have jammed the nation’s streets over the past week in defiance of social distancing guidelines from governors and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The White House coronavirus task force, which has dramatically scaled back its operations as states reopen their economies, is scrambling to track the potential impact on infection rates.

Any uptick in cases in the weeks ahead could slow the economic rebirth that Trump’s advisers believe he needs before he faces voters again in five months.

Read the full story here.

7:52 a.m. Chicagoans start adjusting to new normal with salons, restaurants in Phase 3

Shaggy-headed men formed a line outside Father & Son Barber Shop in Edgewater well before it opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Perched on a lawn chair, Andrew Carpenter, 36, worked remotely on his phone as he waited his turn.

It was safety, not vanity, that motivated him to show up early on the first day of Phase 3 of Chicago’s reopening.

“I was hoping to be one of the first, before the barbers have contact with a lot of customers,” he said, suspecting odds would be lower any barbers would have COVID-19 at the onset of reopening their business. “Then I’m going to wait a couple months before I get another cut.”

“I’m also here because it’s getting hot, and my wife really doesn’t like it this big and shaggy. But it’s always good to have a professional appearance as well,” said Carpenter, a real estate agent.

Read the full story here.

6 a.m. Daily COVID-19 cases dip under 1,000, but officials warn it could take 2 weeks to see if protests prompt uptick

Another 97 people died Wednesday of COVID-19 in Illinois, and health officials are warning that it could take up to two weeks to see if mass protests in the state will spark any upticks in new cases.

An Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman called it a “moving timeline” of up to 14 days to see if anyone gathered in a crowd has contracted COVID-19. They could also be asymptomatic.

The department is urging all protesters to get tested — whether they show symptoms or not.

In total, 5,622 people have died from the coronavirus in Illinois. The state also reported 982 new positive cases, bringing the tally to 123,830 cases. The virus remains in 101 of 102 counties.

Read the full story by Tina Sfondeles here.

New cases

• Pat Dye, former Auburn football coach, dies at 80.
• Illinois officials on Tuesday reported another 113 deaths due to COVID-19, a day after the state saw the lowest daily death count in two months.
• Another employee at the Cook County Circuit Court clerk’s office has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the overall total to 26.
• Federal health authorities have received reports of nearly 26,000 nursing home residents dying from COVID-19 across the country.
• A pair of Cook County judges have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first cases of the coronavirus in judges of the Circuit Court, officials announced Thursday.

Analysis & Commentary

7:04 a.m. A smarter way to trace the spread of COVID-19 without violating your privacy rights

Decision-makers across the country are exploring tools they can use in the battle against COVID-19. The latest device to be considered? The smartphone in your hand.

Many believe that the same phone you use to stay connected with your loved ones, get breaking news and play games might slow down the spread of COVID-19. But using our phones for this purpose is not a quick fix, and it runs the risk of tapping into private data stored on them.

Just think about all the ways you use your phones. All the places it goes with you. All the information you share with it. Now imagine giving the government or another third party access to all that information.

Read the full column by Sapna Khatri here.