The coronavirus toll in Illinois: working from home, tough calls and St. Patrick’s revelers without a parade

As the global coronavirus crisis was declared a pandemic, markets plunged, cancellations grew and new cases of COVID-19 announced Wednesday by Illinois officials brought the total number in the state to 25, including the first case tied to a bustling downtown office building.

The effects of the illness cascaded by midweek, leaving more Chicagoans working from home, officials tasked with tough calls and St. Patrick’s revelers without a parade.

“This was not an easy decision, and we don’t take it lightly,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said at a morning news conference with Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other officials announcing the decision to cancel St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

Saturday’s downtown parade -- including the dyeing of the Chicago River green -- and Sunday’s South Side Irish parade were called off, along with a smaller Northwest Side parade. Lightfoot said officials would work to reschedule.

But bars and restaurants will still be doling out green beer, and CTA buses and trains will continue to operate.

“Look, the reality is, we’re not shutting down the entire city and state, but we want people to be smart and exercise common sense,” Lightfoot said.

“It was a very difficult call for the mayor,” said Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd. “Nobody is more sensitive to the concerns of the downtown business community than I am, so this is very disappointing. But, as the son of a public health doctor who ran County Hospital, I can say this is 100% the right call.”

Illinois officials announced six new cases of the coronavirus Wednesday. Five patients -- a woman in her 50s and four men, one in his 80s, two in their 70s and one in his 40s -- are all from Cook County, officials said. A Lake County man in his 50s marked the third case outside of Cook County.

“With these new cases, we are experiencing more spread in our community,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.

Measures to combat the spread of the illness were taken Wednesday at the two-tower Prudential complex, after an employee of CA Ventures tested positive for COVID-19. Some nearby companies and those in the 2.3 million-square-foot property, including the Chicago Tribune, responded with a range of efforts, from encouraging working from home to shutting down an office.

On Wednesday morning at City Hall, a few blocks over from Prudential Plaza, a coalition of labor unions, faith leaders, government officials and politicians held what they called “the press conference of the people,” pushing for paid sick leave policies across the country for those affected by the coronavirus, especially lower-wage workers.

They chanted: “What do we need? Fifteen sick days. When do we need it? Now."

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez, 33rd, said, “We are facing an emergency situation, and this is a time to make sure we are covering the needs of all people."

SEIU Local 73 President Dian Palmer said the union represents 30,000 public sector workers whose employers should not put them or the public at risk.

“Choosing between staying home and risking spreading this virus" should not depend on whether a worker can afford to, she said.

Outside Chicago, Lombard School District 44 was set to reopen Thursday after a day of “disinfection and cleaning” tied to coronavirus concerns. Meanwhile, Dundee-Crown High School and Perry Elementary School, both in Carpentersville, will be closed Thursday and Friday after School District 300 officials learned a student at the high school was being tested for coronavirus.

Colleges across the state canceled classes and introduced sweeping measures.

The University of Illinois System, Northwestern University and Illinois State University all announced that classes will be moved to online formats for several weeks in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus.

Earlier Wednesday, the University of Michigan and Notre Dame made the decision to halt classes and other large gatherings on campus that could increase the risk of community exposure. The decisions followed similar moves made by schools nationwide.

Along with colleges shutting down, cancellations of everything from blood drives to session days in Springfield continued to roll in throughout the day.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders both canceled campaign rallies planned for the state, as Illinois voters prepare to head to the polls Tuesday with the state’s 155 pledged delegates at stake.

The Sanders campaign had been finalizing plans for a rally in Downstate Illinois before deciding Wednesday to cancel the event. Biden had plans for a Friday night rally in Chicago that now will be replaced with a “virtual event.”

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx canceled her election night watch party, and instead plans to host a news conference with only her campaign staff.

Some anticipated games in the sports world will also go on without an audience.

The NCAA Tournament for both men and women will be played without fans this year. And the Big Ten announced its men’s basketball tournament, which started with two games Wednesday evening, will be played without fans starting Thursday.

But with opening days fast approaching, most professional sports games in Chicago will continue -- for now.

“We’re mindful of the fact that the Fire (home opener) is on March 21st, and that opening day for the (Cubs and White Sox), obviously the Blackhawks and the Bulls are playing,” Lightfoot said. “This is something that we are in conversation with them about. And we’re looking, and as the situation evolves, we will be continuing those discussions on an ongoing basis. But we’re not there yet.”

Late Wednesday, the NBA announced it would suspend the season after a player on the Utah Jazz “preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19.”

The number of coronavirus cases in the United States, according to a tally cited by the Associated Press, jumped Wednesday to more than 1,000 -- with at least 31 of them fatal, according to Centers for Disease Controld and Prevention Director Robert Redfield. No deaths have been reported in Illinois.

Mild or moderate symptoms include fever and cough. But severe symptoms can develop, leading to illnesses including pneumonia. Officials have urged older adults and those with underlying health conditions to take extra precautions, including avoiding large gatherings.

After the coronavirus outbreak in a Washington state nursing home that so far has killed at least 19 people, Illinois facilities that cater to susceptible populations are preparing for the possible spread of the disease by shoring up their rules and health screenings.

“I think the fact that we know the dangers, we know the risks, because of the high level of regulation we have and requirements we have on preventing infectious disease, I think we’re already a little better prepared for this than the general public,” said Matt Hartman, executive director of the Illinois Health Care Association, which represents about 250 skilled nursing centers in the state.

If entire communities are affected by the virus, however, it could be cause for concern for nursing homes, given a general shortage of nurses, he said.

As part of an $8.3 billion federal emergency spending bill signed by President Donald Trump on Friday, Illinois is getting $17.4 million in direct federal grants to fight COVID-19, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Human Services.

The virus has been reported in 118 countries, with more than 118,000 people infected and nearly 4,300 deaths recorded, according to the World Health Organization.

“We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief.

“All countries can still change the course of this pandemic. If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize their people in the response,” he said. “We are deeply concerned by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction.”

Chicago Tribune’s Dan Petrella, Bill Ruthhart, Elyssa Cherney, Jessica Villagomez, Lisa Schenker, John Keilman, Liam Ford and Lolly Bowean; Elgin-Courier News’ Rafael Guerrero; and the Associated Press contributed.

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