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Good morning, Chicago. Here is the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
Illinois officials reported 986 known new COVID-19 cases and 42 deaths on Wednesday — the highest number of daily deaths reported since the outbreak began— bringing the state totals to 6,980 known infections and 141 deaths
The U.S. recorded about 210,000 infections and about 4,600 deaths, with New York City accounting for about 1 out of 4 dead, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday
Worldwide, more than 900,000 people have been infected and over 45,000 have died as of Wednesday, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University
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The daily count of new coronavirus cases again pushed 1,000 Wednesday as the Illinois National Guard’s duties expanded to include a 30-member detail to Stateville Correctional Center, where one inmate has died and dozens of inmates and staff have been stricken.
In Chicago, efforts continued to round up health care workers to staff a field hospital being assembled in McCormick Place. Officials have repeatedly said they expect the outbreak to peak in Illinois this month, and the convention center could house as many as 3,000 beds, which are being set up in phases.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot blasts Trump for ‘wildly wrong’ statements, says Chicago faces a coronavirus peak and must ‘stay diligent’ or risk erasing progress
As Chicago households fill out 2020 census during coronavirus pandemic, some Latino neighborhoods are falling behind in participation
Favorite for Chicago police superintendent emerges as search officially narrows to three
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s next police superintendent will either be a woman leading a suburban police department, a former police chief from Texas, or a high-ranking Chicago police official, though sources familiar with the process said a favorite had emerged late Wednesday.
Those sources said former Dallas police Chief David Brown was the leading candidate, and a decision was imminent. Lightfoot is expected to name her choice Thursday, the sources said.
Home should be a refuge. But for people reporting to a hospital during the coronavirus crisis, home is just one more place to dread. Doctors, nurses and others working at Illinois hospitals where COVID-19 patients are being treated fear returning to their families, who might be more at risk because of invisible dangers they unwittingly bring home.
Each has a routine. It usually looks like this: Disrobe. Leave scrubs in the garage. Bleach shoes. Run to the shower. No hugs from the children, no welcome from a spouse. Shower, scrub.
‘Our vacation was stolen’: VRBO guests fume over refunds on trips dashed by coronavirus
When Erin Haughton planned her family’s spring break getaway to Mexico earlier this year, she booked a place to stay with VRBO, a popular vacation home rental site she’d used in the past.
Like other would-be travelers, the coronavirus pandemic means she’s stuck at home. And like other VRBO customers, she’s fighting a bitter battle to get her money back.
Zoom’s popularity has skyrocketed as millions of homebound people settle into new remote work and learning routines during the pandemic. The platform has been used in recent weeks for everything from business meetings and yoga classes to virtual happy hours. But the increased use of Zoom has brought more opportunities to hack into it.
