Chicago Tribune - 04.04.2020

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172nd year No. 95 © Chicago Tribune

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McCormick Place con-
tinued its dramatic trans-
formation into a medical
center Friday, as Gov. J.B.
Pritzker unveiled the first
500 beds finished in antici-
pation of a possible crush of
COVID-19 cases that could
overwhelm Chicago-area
hospitals.
The sprawling tent city,
which is being called an
alternate care facility, even-
tually will be able to hold
3,000 beds for patients,
most of whom would have
mild symptoms and not
require intensive care. Offi-
cials described the site as a
last resort that would be-
come operational if Chi-
cago and surrounding sub-
urbs run out of hospital
beds.
“Monumental, round-
the-clock dedication got
this done before we need it
— preparing for saving lives
in the event things become
as bad as some have predic-
ted,” Pritzker said.
It was against this back-
drop that Pritzker con-
firmed 1,209 new
COVID-19 cases and 53
more deaths. That brought
the statewide total to 8,
known infections and 210
dead — the biggest jump in
both cases and deaths in
one day since the outbreak
began. He also recom-
mended that residents start
to wear masks on the rare
times they venture outside.
Illinois has been under
Pritzker’s stay-at-home or-
der since March 21, a fort-
night during which the
city’s cavernous conven-
tion center was converted
into a field hospital and the
relationship between local
elected officials and the
Trump administration
grew even more acrimoni-
ous. Both were on clear
display Friday as Pritzker
and Mayor Lori Lightfoot
toured McCormick Place
with a small group of re-
porters.
The newly finished
rooms are in the conven-
tion center’s Hall C, which
has been home to the Chi-
cago Auto Show and packet
pickup for the Shamrock
Shuffle during better times.
There are 500 individual
bays with three walls and
cloth doors that can be
drawn for privacy.
Each spartan 10-by-10-
foot room has a single cot
with a gray utilitarian blan-
ket, a folding chair and a
lamp. A small bowl,
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot conduct a news conference Friday in Hall C of the COVID-19 field hospital inside McCormick Place.
CHRIS SWEDA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Dramatic transformation

McCormick Place becomes coronavirus field hospital as Pritzker

announces biggest single-day jump in reported cases and deaths

By Stacy St. Clair,

Jamie Munks,

Gregory Pratt

and Dan Petrella

Turn to Hospital, Page 2

Rosa Gaytan was at

Sanad Social Services in

West Lawn before 10 a.m.

Wednesday with her chil-

dren, ages 9 and 5, picking

up food items for herself

and her brother — who

have lost their jobs as a

waitress at a nearby restau-

rant and a worker at a

mattress factory, respec-

tively.

The Chicago Lawn resi-

dent was able to get two

bags with groceries like

beans, oatmeal, rice,

peanut butter, fruits and

vegetables, eggs and choc-

olate truffles.

“I found this pantry

when I was Googling,” she

said. “I’m looking for other

locations. Maybe I’ll come

back next week.”

A rise in unemployment

and the closing of food

pantries are exacerbating

the problem of food inse-

curity around the Chicago

area. In food deserts, areas

where people live more

than a mile from a grocery

store, it’s getting even

harder to find fresh, heal-

thy foods. The United

States Department of Agri-

culture classified 39 census

tracts in Cook County as

food deserts in 2010 —

among those tracts were

areas in West Pullman,

Pullman, Woodlawn,

Roseland, Riverdale and

Englewood. Outside of

Chicago, most of the tracts

were in Thornton, Bloom,

Bremen, Calumet and

Worth. In the meantime,

about one-third of the

Greater Chicago Food De-

pository network pantries

Jamilah Salahuddin and her 12-year-old daughter Jennah sing Friday while they package

food at the IMAN Youth and Family Health Center in the Marquette Park neighborhood.

E. JASON WAMBSGANS/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

In food deserts, virus

exacerbates problems

Residents struggle

to find fresh and

healthy groceries

By Darcel Rockett

Turn to Deserts, Page 4

WASHINGTON — Presi-
dent Donald Trump an-
nounced new federal guide-
lines Friday recommending
that Americans wear face
coverings when in public to
help fight the spread of the
new coronavirus. But the
president said he had no
intention of following the
advice himself, saying, “I’m
choosing not to do it.”
The new guidance from
the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention en-
courages people, especially
in areas hit hard by the
spread of the coronavirus,
to use rudimentary cov-
erings like T-shirts, bandan-
nas and non-medical masks
to cover their faces while
outdoors.
Trump exempted him-
self from his administra-
tion’s guidelines, saying he
could not envision himself
covering his face while sit-
ting in the Oval Office greet-
ing world leaders.
“It’s a recommendation;
they recommend it,” Trump
said. “I just don’t want to
wear one myself.”
The guidance, an-
nounced at a time when
states are bracing for critical
shortfalls like those that
other parts of the world
have experienced, raises
concern that it could cause a
run on masks if Americans
turn to private industry to
meet the expected surge in
demand.
Trump and other admin-
istration officials sought to
minimize any burden by
stressing the recommenda-
tions did not amount to
requirements and a variety
of homemade coverings
were acceptable. Federal of-
ficials stressed that surgical
masks and N95 respirators
should be left for those on
the front lines of fighting
the spread of the infection.
In Illinois, Gov. J.B.
Pritzker on Friday called
wearing a mask in public “a
good idea” to prevent the
spread of coronavirus, after
previously discouraging
people from buying up
masks needed by medical
workers, and as the federal
government has begun ad-
vising people to wear cloth
masks in public.
“The doctors all agree
that this virus can be spread
through droplets, like when
you sneeze or cough. So
blocking that by wearing a
mask in public seems like a
common sense way to do

CDC

advises

masks

in public

But Trump says he

will not wear one

despite guidance

By Eric Tucker,
Zeke Miller
and Mike Schneider
Associated Press

Turn to Masks, Page 4

attorney’s office late into

the evening on Wednes-

day to find a way to restore

full services to the Cook

County Domestic Vi-

olence Courthouse at 555

W. Harrison St.

“In fairness to the

state’s attorney, they are

scrambling to come up

with a timely solution in a

bad situation,” Robinson

said. “But I was not in-

formed. I was infuriated

and disappointed. We are

in a crisis.”

The lack of screenings

by prosecutors makes it

more difficult for victims

to get criminal charges

filed against alleged abus-

ers, and it also means

victims may be given mis-

leading information by

Chicago police and do-

mestic violence advocates

say they were caught off

guard this week when

Cook County State’s Attor-

ney Kim Foxx announced

she was removing prose-

cutors from the domestic

violence courthouse for 14

days after an employee

tested positive for the co-

ronavirus.

Except in the most vi-

olent cases, prosecutors

have stopped accepting

criminal complaints in

person from people seek-

ing the arrest of their

alleged abusers. The office

said it is setting up a way to

handle the complaints by

phone. Also, people are

being told they can peti-

tion in civil court for

emergency orders of pro-

tection, then return in two

weeks for a personal re-

view by prosecutors.

The cutbacks come as

hotline calls are ticking up

amid the stay-at-home or-

der and the stresses

caused by the coronavirus

outbreak.

Aileen Robinson, coor-

dinator of the Chicago

Police Department’s do-

mestic violence program,

said she and others were

working with the state’s

Court operations

stalled as domestic

violence calls rise

Prosecutors out

for 14 days after

positive test report

By David Jackson

State’s Attorney Kim Foxx

is removing prosecutors

from the domestic

violence courthouse.

E. JASON WAMBSGANS/TRIBUNE

Turn to Calls, Page 4

Police: Cop’s death linked
to coronavirus will be
considered on-duty. Page 2

Jail: Nonprofit uses funds
to bail out dozens from
Cook County Jail. Page 3

Schools: Teachers’ car
parades help to combat
students’ isolation. Page 3

Cook County: Head of
public health department
out amid pandemic. Page 3

Nation: Trump changes
rules on stockpile to be
more stringent. Page 5

Florida: Passengers are
allowed to disembark from
ill-fated cruise ship. Page 5

MORE COVERAGE