Illinois residents shopped for more guns and applied for more firearm permits in 2020 than at any other time in history, according to statistics released Wednesday by state police.

With events during this unprecedented year driving the demand, there had been more than 500,000 serious inquiries to date about purchasing guns, authorities said, representing a 45% increase over 2019.

The state also has received a record 445,945 applications for firearm owner’s identification cards as of November 2020, a 167% jump from the 166,649 applications in 2017. The Illinois State Police did not release numbers for any other years but said the 2020 applications “blew past” a previous surge in 2013 after concealed carry licenses were first offered.

With the holidays approaching, Illinois’ top doctor has advised residents to stay home and avoid gatherings to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

At the state’s daily coronavirus news briefing Friday, Illinois Department of Public Health Director, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, acknowledged that despite her pleas, some people are going to travel anyway.

“For those of you who will not heed this recommendation or people who have family or friends traveling to see you, I do recommend testing before or after your visits or your travel,” she said.

As the fight continues over the safe reopening of Chicago Public Schools in the midst of a raging public health crisis, the Chicago Teachers Union has released for the first time a list of demands it wants met before members return to schools, including lower COVID-19 test positivity rates, testing and vaccination protocols and changes to both hybrid and remote learning.

Some of the demands are likely to face strong and immediate rejection by city officials who have been adamant that it’s up to them to decide how and when the nation’s third-largest school district will return to classrooms for the first time since March.

Chicago’s stay-at-home advisory has not only devastated restaurants, but foot traffic is down significantly in the city.

The Chicago Loop Alliance reports foot traffic is down about 70% from last year.

This is noteworthy, especially this time of year, when the holidays typically bring tourists to town.

The agency that owns Guaranteed Rate Field expects Chicago taxpayers will have to chip in next year to help meet its debt obligations as the COVID-19 pandemic wrecks its budget.

The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, which operates the Chicago White Sox stadium and pays the bond debt tied to the 2003 renovation of Soldier Field, reported during its board meeting yesterday that its hotel tax proceeds during the three months ended Sept. 30 were down nearly 91 percent year over year. The authority relies on hotel taxes to pay back the state of Illinois for an annual advance it receives to make its debt service payments to bondholders.