Masks required on campus, Cook County transmission spikes and tension after Lollapalooza
Plus national headlines you won't want skip
Wow! It’s August already. Thanks for sticking with us this summer as we bring you the most important updates coming out of DePaul, Chicago, and beyond. As always, it’s your summer newsletter team — Claire, Kate, Cam, Ally and Grace — back with more news from this week.
Masks now required indoors on campus
If you’re headed to campus today, be sure to wear a mask. DePaul announced Saturday via email that everyone on campus is required to wear a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status. Face masks are still optional outdoors, and also optional if individuals “are alone in an office with the door closed.”
This mask mandate was created in response to the CDC and Chicago Departmentof Public Health’s (CDPH) recommendation that all individuals over the age of 2, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in regions with “substantial or high” transmission of COVID-19. At present, Cook County and the surrounding “collar counties” that make up metro Chicagoland are at the “substantial” level -- all but one, according to NBC Chicago. (Kankakee County is currently at a “moderate” level of transmission.)
Over 60 percent, or just under 2,000, counties are currently at the “high” level of transmission, a 14.78% jump from last week, according to data collected by the CDC. An additional 19%, which makes up 609 counties, are at “substantial” levels of transmission, where Chicago sits right now.
The COVID-19 Delta variant is shown to spread more easily than other variants of COVID-19, and more easily than SARS, Ebola, MERS and other infectious diseases; according to an internal report from the CDC acquired by the New York Times, the Delta variant is just as infectious as chicken pox. The CDC and CDPH’s recommendations are to help stop the spread of this highly transmittable disease.
As of today, DePaul has not announced any additional COVID-19 precautions on campus, though new developments in the past month include mandatory vaccines for students, faculty and staff.
Chicago Headlines
In sports news, the Chicago Cubs are going to look pretty different leading up to playoffs: many fan-favorite staples of the team, including Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Báez, were traded in the eleventh hour, leading team owner Tom Ricketts to issue a letter reassuring season pass holders, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has spent more than $2.5 million in risk mitigation and crisis management following a massive Russian cybersecurity breach in April, according to Jared Rutecki and Ray Long from the Better Government Association and the Tribune, respectively.
Today, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill banning local jails from detaining people facing deportation, according to Stefano Esposito of the Chicago Sun-Times. The law will go into effect on January 1, 2022, and makes Illinois the second state to require local officials to end contractual agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Over 385,000 people attended Lollapalooza across four days this past weekend, according to city officials and Block Club Chicago. Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to continue with the largest music festival in the country amid rising COVID-19 cases in Chicago was called into question by aldermen and residents alike; she claimed the city could put it on “because of the vaccinations” and restrictions put in place on festival attendees.
National Headlines
Vaccinated people can spread the Delta variant of Covid-19, causing the CDC to alter their mask recommendations. The CDC was scheduled to review its mask guidelines this week and released its suggestions after an outbreak in Massachusetts. While the state has a high level of vaccinated individuals, the majority of the cases from the outbreak were reported in vaccinated people. Vaccinated folks are now encouraged to wear a mask indoors to prevent spreading the Delta Variant to others who are vaccinated or unvaccinated, according to NPR’s Laurel Wamsley.
This week, USA Olympic gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the all-around competition to focus on her mental health. As of today, Biles is expected to compete in the balance beam final. The 24-year-old won five gold medals at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and was scheduled to win many more in Tokyo, USA Today’s Rachel Axon reports.
Two teens were killed in a movie theater in Corona, California, during a screening of the new “Purge” movie. Anthony Barajas, 19, and Rylee Goodrich, 18, were found on the floor after the show by theater cleaning employees. Both had gunshot wounds to the head. While a motive for the crime has not yet been released, there is a suspect charged with murder and attempted murder. Joseph Jimenez, 20, is charged with the murder of both teens. However, the connection between them remains unknown. Jesus Jimenez of the New York Times has the story.
Over the weekend, the eviction moratorium came to an end, after lawmakers failed to extend it. Initially, federal protections were put in place to protect Americans from the potential of eviction during a pandemic. Speaker Nancy Pelosi was unable to pass a bill in time for the additional effort to remain. Protesters at the Capitol included Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) who has first-hand experience with eviction. Bush was spotted in a sleeping bag at the Capitol after having spent the night with protestors. Politico’s Eugene Daniels reported this story.
Wildfires continue to spread across the American West after nine fires were reported in California, Idaho, Montana and Oregon over the weekend. The United States Forest Service is predicting more fires to come with increased drought conditions and high winds. The term “fire season” is becoming obsolete as fires continue to burn into the winter months, NPR’s Dustin Jones reports
Recommendations
If you’re searching for a hilarious comedy show to watch, look no further than I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. The sketch comedy series’ first season aired in April 2019 to great critical acclaim with its hysterical and utterly absurd premises. Featuring insane, original sketches and fast-paced timing, the series boasts everything that recent seasons of Saturday Night Live have lacked.
The second season of the Netflix original series hit the streaming service last month to equal praise — with the season currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The series’ creator, producer and titular funny-man Tim Robinson, remains an audience favorite, making appearances as wild and off-beat characters like the “guy who chokes on a hot dog during a lunchtime work meeting” and the “inappropriate guest on a ghost tour.” With only six episodes per season and each episode running at about 15 minutes long, the series is perfectly binge-worthy. Give it a watch and soon you’ll be begging for a third season. | Claire Malon
Resources
Rental Assistance
The Illinois Housing Development Authority periodically offers rental payment programs which send vouchers directly to landlords to subsidize rent costs. The program is currently closed to new applicants. However, housing stability service providers are offered year-round. Check out the resources here.
The City of Chicago’s Rental Assistance Program provides funding for Chicagoans who are at risk of becoming homeless.
The Brave Space Alliance currently offers multiple housing resources. In order to distribute aid accordingly, they have a housing intake and assessment form that you can find here.
COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Resources
All of these testing sites and vaccination sites can be accessed for free and without insurance.
Howard Brown offers free, walk-in COVID-19 viral and antibody testing at multiple locations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, in addition to mobile testing sites that are updated weekly. The organization also offers the Moderna vaccine for individuals 18 and older. You can check all of their current COVID-19 resources here.
The Illinois Department of Public Health and the city of Chicago offer free COVID-19 testing sites in the city and surrounding counties, which are listed with more information here. IDPH also offers COVID-19 vaccines to all residents 12 years and older. Call 833-621-1284 to schedule an appointment.
The city of Chicago partnered with the Community Organized Relief Effort to set up free drive-thru and walk-in testing sites in the city, primarily on the South and West sides, with appointments available Monday through Friday. Register here.
The city has also updated its COVID-19 testing program with more mobile sites, which change weekly. More info here.
Know someone 12 years of age or older who has yet to receive their COVID-19 vaccine? Check out appointments via Zocdoc, the city of Chicago’s Vaccine Finder or pharmacy websites such as Walgreens and CVS to see what is available in or around your ZIP code.
Mental Health Resources
At Open Counseling, there’s a list of people and nonprofits with counseling services available for free or low cost.
This website compiles mental health resources, including therapist directories and other online resources.
The Center on Halsted offers behavioral health, anti-violence and educational resources for LGBTQ+ people.
Howard Brown Health offers anti-racism resources and sliding scale counseling specializing in the LGBTQ+ community.
This document is a resource for Black people experiencing racial trauma. The master list includes specific resources as well as protesting tips and donation links.
This link is a directory of Black therapists in Chicago who provide services for under $75.
Here’s 7 virtual mental health resources supporting Black people right now, including Chicago-based community organization Sista Afya’s support groups.
The Trans Lifeline’s peer support hotline is a resource operated by transgender and nonbinary staffers for the trans community: 877-565-8860.
The Center for Religion and Psychotherapy in Chicago is a nonprofit that provides affordable, sliding-scale counseling. Call 312-263-4368, ext. 9081 to schedule an intake appointment (counseling is not religious-centered).
That’s it for this week! We hope you’re hanging in there and enjoying your last month of summer. Catch you back here next Monday!
The 14 East Summer Newsletter Team
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