Good morning, Chicago.
After weeks without restrictions, Chicago officials added two states back to the city’s travel advisory yesterday. The additions come as the delta variant surges in certain pockets of the U.S., and rising case numbers are being recorded throughout the country. Here’s a reminder of the rules of the travel advisory, which states were added and which states are at risk of being next.
Meanwhile, a second hospital system in the Chicago area is mandating that its workers receive a coronavirus vaccine. The requirement will apply to employees, volunteers and contractors at University of Chicago Medicine sites.
And in other news, about 2,000 Cook County employees ended an 18-day strike and are returning to work after a tentative agreement was reached on a contract, union officials said. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said the strike led to “damaged relationships.” My colleague Alice Yin has the full story here
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Pilsen resident Blair Rohrbach, 37, tested positive for COVID-19 in September of last year and has been experiencing symptoms ever since — fatigue, brain fog, migraines that last for days at a time.
Rohrbach has long COVID-19, a range of symptoms that can last weeks or months after first being infected with COVID-19 or can appear weeks after infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now, national and local initiatives are being formed to understand and treat patients with the condition.
Superintendent David Brown used Londre Sylvester, a local rapper who recently was ambushed and gunned down, as his latest example for why he believes the court system needs to increase its bond threshold.
The comments came a day after Brown’s Monday meeting with President Joe Biden. The president and other police leaders discussed short- and long-term solutions to crime deduction, including how to reduce the flow of illegal guns into the city.
United Airlines plans to buy 100 small electric planes for regional flights
United Airlines and one of its regional carriers each plan to buy up to 100 small electric planes that could be used on short-haul United flights. The 19-seat planes could be used to fly passengers up to 250 miles by the end of the decade, United said Tuesday morning.
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The Chicago Park District this summer will resume its annual coed adult 16-inch softball tournament after a 10-year hiatus.
While the game of softball was founded at the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago in 1887, 16-inch softball came around during the 1920s, according to the Hall of Fame’s website. And it has been a Chicago staple since.
Permanent outdoor dining? Chicago Alfresco grant program is helping make it happen.
Outdoor dining is poised to become a permanent fixture in neighborhoods across the city with the help of Chicago Alfresco, a city initiative announced in March to open streets and create places for dining, public life and more.
When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted normal operations, outdoor dining provided a lifeline to businesses in the service industry. The new initiative provides a way to continue elevating the importance of outdoor community space for both residents and businesses beyond the pandemic.