Chicago's New Normal

A man wearing a mask enters a public building.

With city COVID mandates going away, here’s what some businesses plan to do starting Monday

“We are going to go with the city guidelines because we’ve trusted the experts, and if they say it is OK, we just have to trust that,” said a restaurant owner who’s planning to drop all restrictions this week.

By Manny Ramos

Chicago police officers block Michigan Avenue at 36th Street, using a CTA bus and their bodies while protesters march toward Chicago police headquarters on June 4, 2020.

City Hall

Lightfoot to deliver her version of civilian police oversight on Thursday, ally says

Ald. Chris Taliaferro said he has no doubt Lightfoot will want to retain power to set the CPD budget and hire and fire the police superintendent, COPA chief and Police Board president. And she should, he added.

By Fran Spielman

Chicago’s New Normal

Depression, anxiety spike in Chicago, elsewhere amid pandemic, turbulent times

Calls from March through July to the U.S. government-funded Disaster Distress Helpline, which offers counseling and emotional support, surged 335% from the same period last year.

By Lindsey Tanner

Chicago’s New Normal

Video visits, drive-up services, mobile apps: The new normal of seeing a doctor

Doctor visits rapidly switched to video calls over the past several months, a practice that will live on beyond the pandemic.

By Brett Chase

Students put their coats in their lockers on the first day back to class at Roswell B. Mason Elementary School on the Southwest Side after last fall’s teachers strike. Students will find school very different come fall.

Chicago’s New Normal

New normal for reopened Chicago, suburban schools come fall likely to be very different

It won’t be ‘business as usual,’ state officials say, ‘but rather the convergence of a new reality.’ Like one-way hallways and quarantine rooms and daily temperature checks.

By Lauren FitzPatrick

A view of a walkway that connects buildings at McCormick Place.

Chicago’s New Normal

Convention planners squint to see an industry rebound

With McCormick Place and other halls idle, the industry tries to imagine a post-pandemic future.

By David Roeder

A rendering of the Fulton East building, 215 N. Peoria St., showing its balconies and rooftop open space.

Chicago Enterprise

Fulton Market office project tries new tactics to fight germs

Opening this summer, the building incorporates changes for the coronavirus.

By David Roeder

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have encouraged customers to pay via apps, credit or debit cards or online payments.

Chicago’s New Normal

Chicago’s new normal: Cashless, contactless transactions might become our default post-COVID-19

A similar switch happened after a 2016 cash crunch in India. This time, it could take hold permanently in the United States.

By Stephanie Zimmermann

Signs outside Carnival Grocery in Oak Park announce that face masks are required in the store and the reduced maximum number of customers allowed inside at one time.

Consumer Affairs

Chicago’s new normal: How grocery shopping will be left changed by coronavirus pandemic

Heightened sanitation, more online ordering, plenty of meal kits and the end of the salad bar. The coronavirus will leave us with many changes, experts predict.

By Stephanie Zimmermann

Chicago’s New Normal

Brave new world of commuting: Loudspeaker voices telling you to spread out, floor decals, cordoned-off seats

Will it be safe? Transit agencies seek to allay fears as much as possible as the city and state look toward loosening restrictions in the coming days and weeks.

By Mitch Dudek

UK Eases Some Restrictions In Eighth Week Of Coronavirus Lockdown

Chicago’s New Normal

Temperature checks on deck: Reopening guidelines usher in new normal

Whether employers and customers will adapt to reopening guidelines and whether businesses can be profitable under the rules will be key to the revival of the Illinois economy.

By Lynn Sweet

Millennium Park, a tourist mecca, sits empty. The coronavirus means fewer tourists will be visiting Chicago this year.

Chicago’s New Normal

Chicago’s new normal: When will tourists come back?

Unlike some places that have hurtled toward a rapid reopening, Chicago wants to be viewed as an intelligent destination that visitors can trust.

By Stephanie Zimmermann

An office conference room displays a sign limiting occupancy to two people. It’s an example of suggestions the design firm Gensler is providing to clients.

Chicago’s New Normal

Chicago’s new normal: How reopened workplaces will look different due to the coronavirus pandemic

Working from home will remain a factor, but those venturing back to the office in the coming months should expect see a host of new workplace protocols.

By David Roeder

Columnists

How COVID-19 is transforming our lives: What will change when the lockdown ends

Maybe one day I’ll be telling stories about living through this COVID-19 disaster. I’ll be like my mother recalling how she grew up during the Great Depression.

By Lynn Sweet