Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Sun-Times: Coronavirus cases in Illinois reach 93
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Illinois has reached 93, state health officials announced Sunday.
That includes new cases in five additional counties. In all, residents in 13 counties have been confirmed testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.
WBEZ: Illinois Gov. Pritzker: ‘we’re gonna go ahead’ with Tuesday’s primary elections
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pledged that Illinois’ primary election will proceed as planned on Tuesday, even as Chicago election authorities encouraged residents to vote early Sunday and Monday because of worries over the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re gonna go ahead with it,” Pritzker said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday morning, when asked about whether Illinois would cancel the upcoming primary, as states like Louisiana and Georgia have due to the pandemic.
The Center Square: Illinois restaurants, bars concerned about future after Pritzker orders closures over coronavirus
Beginning at the close of business Monday, all restaurants and bars in Illinois will be closed to dine-in customers through March 30 on orders of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who said it’s an effort to help cut down on the spread of COVID-19.
“I am ordering all bars and restaurants in the state of Illinois to close to the public at the close of business Monday night March 16th through March 30th,” Pritzker said in Chicago. “We are working with restaurant owners and food delivery services across the state to see if restaurants can safely keep their kitchens open so the restaurants can continue food delivery at their homes. Additionally, we are allowing drive through and curbside pickups over this period.”
Chicago Tribune: Chicago teachers plan for remote learning in anticipation of coronavirus closures
With one final day of classes before Illinois schools are closed in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, educators throughout Chicago are cobbling together materials for students who may have limited access to technology or be expected to help care for younger siblings.
At Lane Tech High School in Lakeview, Charity Freeman’s computer science classes already use online elements including Google Classroom, and she’s expecting a relatively smooth transition. But at John Hancock College Prep in West Elsdon, Ray Salazar has never used the tool in his AP English or journalism classes. And at Dixon Elementary in Chatham, though Alese Affatato already has subscriptions to academic websites for reading and math, without a teacher guiding them, her young kindergartners require much more parent involvement.
WBEZ: Chicago restaurant owners shaken by shutdown order
As COVID-19 cases continue to grow, Gov. JB Pritzker ordered all bars and restaurants in the state to be closed for dine-in service by end of business Monday, and to remain closed through March 30.
He said delivery and curbside pick-ups of food from restaurants, as well as drive-throughs, would be allowed.
Journal Star: Illinois’ state parks and wildlife centers closed due to COVID-19
The latest casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic are Illinois’ state parks and wildlife areas, which were ordered closed on Sunday.
“To further prevent the spread of COVID-19, and in accordance with the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation issued on March 9, 2020, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced the closure of all state parks, fish and wildlife areas, recreational areas, and historic sites as well as the cancellation of upcoming scheduled events,” the department announced in a news release late Sunday evening.
Crain's Chicago Business: Pritzker aims to expand health insurance amid coronavirus outbreak
“During this crisis my administration is working to ensure that those who fear that they may be getting sick have access to the testing and treatment that they need without being saddled with costly medical bills for their care,” Pritzker said during his daily press briefing.
State Journal-Register: Springfield alderman calls out mayor on coronavirus communications
Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner said there was “an information void” between the city’s alderman and Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder about the coronavirus situation.
Turner chided the mayor in an email she sent to him Sunday morning.
Daily Herald: DuPage ballots to include questions about pot, taxes
Voters in DuPage County on Tuesday will consider eight referendum questions dealing with a range of issues, including recreational marijuana sales and a school district’s master facility plan.
Here’s a look at the questions on the ballot.
Daily Herald: Lake County voters to decide on school upgrades, tax hikes
The public meetings have been held and messages driven home. Now it’s up to voters Tuesday to decide whether projects, tax proposals and other measures on the ballot in their areas merit financial support.
Here’s a recap of the referendum questions voters will be deciding.
Chicago Tribune: Deserted dorms, tuition complaints and virtual classes: Uncertainty looms as disappointed college students head home early because of the coronavirus
Austin Pinderski lifted a mini-fridge and shoved it into the trunk of a Jeep while his older sister rearranged suitcases inside, as if playing a game of Tetris, to make space for everything pouring out of his dorm room at Loyola University Chicago.
For the Pinderskis, both college students, the ritual of cramming a year’s worth of belongings into their car and driving home to suburban Lake Forest typically marks a joyous end to the season as classes wrap up. But on Friday, as the siblings lugged furniture across the Rogers Park campus, the process came much earlier than usual and with a slew of unexpected questions about how college life will look after dorms close and classes move online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Loyola gave students just a week’s notice to clear out.
Daily Herald: School district borrowing, term limits on Northwest suburban ballots
Whether a school district should borrow millions of dollars to pay for building projects, proposals to shift the clerk’s position from elected to appointed in two towns, and the future of recreational marijuana and video gambling in one of the region’s most-visited communities are among the referendums voters in the Northwest suburbs will decide Tuesday.
Here’s a look at some of top issues on the primary election ballot.