Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

Illinois public health officials Thursday announced 6,363 newly known cases of COVID-19, a new daily high for the state. There were also 56 additional fatalities confirmed. That brings the statewide total to 395,458 known cases and 9,675 deaths, as most of the state is either under new restrictions to slow the spread of the virus or set to fall under the restrictions this weekend.

The previous high was 6,161 on Saturday and Thursday was the second straight day with more than 6,000 cases reported. There were 83,056 tests in the 24 hours leading up to the state’s announcement, only the sixth time that the state has had more than 80,000 tests reported in a single day. The seven-day statewide positivity rate was 6.9%.

Meanwhile, the 18-county west-central region of the state that includes Springfield and Quincy reached a positivity rate at or above 8% for the third consecutive day, one of the ways a region can trigger a rollback in its reopening under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan. The region will be the ninth of 11 regions in the state to come under state rules that call for temporarily suspending indoor dining and bar service and lowering gathering caps to 25 people, from 50.

Earlier on Thursday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she will reverse a curfew she imposed on liquor sales and allow businesses to sell alcohol until 11 p.m., as the city was set to go under new state coronavirus restrictions Friday.

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Here’s what’s happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:

7:03 a.m.: Chicago joins other parts of the state under tighter COVID-19 restrictions

Chicago went under tighter state coronavirus restrictions Friday, after Mayor Lori LIghtfoot dropped her opposition to Illinois officials' imposition of the rules.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order, effective Friday in Chicago after being imposed in DuPage, Kane, Will and Kankakee counties last week, orders restaurants and bars to stay closed to indoor dining. Lake and McHenry counties will fall under the restrictions this weekend. The restrictions also cap indoor gatherings to 25 people or 25% of capacity.

In addition to limits on indoor service and gathering sizes, the restrictions require bars, restaurants, gaming and casinos to close by 11 p.m., and casinos are limited to 25% capacity.

The tightened regulations are triggered when a region under the state reopening plan hits an 8% positivity rate for three consecutive days or goes above other benchmarks in COVID-19 case levels. — Chicago Tribune staff

5 a.m.: Confronting 2020 1/4 u2032s workplace challenges takes creativity, compassion, courage

Mental health. Physical well-being. Diversity. Inclusion. Isolation.

The list of challenges facing organizations and their employees in 2020 is unlike any that people currently in the workforce have encountered. Agile employers have answered the adversity by listening to stressed colleagues and undertaking initiatives to keep employees focused and engaged, maintaining and even improving their organization’s culture.

Finding creative ways to keep a corporate culture thriving goes far in nurturing a sense of community as companies look ahead to business as usual — pandemic and beyond.

It’s important for companies to understand the opportunity they have, said Kate North, vice president at Colliers International’s Workplace Advisory, which helps organizations develop work-from-home and workplace strategies.

Read the full story here. — Brenda Richardson

In case you missed it

Here are five stories from Thursday related to COVID-19:

Illinois saw another record daily high as another region was hit with tighter restrictions.

Bars and restaurants in Park Ridge and McHenry County sued to roll back new restrictions imposed by the state, as the Libertyville mayor said he won’t enforce state rules.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the city will extend hours for liquor sales at Chicago bars and restaurants.

With COVID-19 on the rise, some parents have nixed trick-or-treating: “It doesn’t seem worth the risk.”

The United Center will serve as a city “super-site” polling place on Election Day.

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