Stay Home Order Extended to May 30
Face Coverings Mandatory Starting May 1
How to Protect Your Health
Dear Neighbors,

Today, Governor Pritzker extended Illinois' Stay at Home order through May 31, with some modifications. A copy of the press release is attached below. The extension will include the following modifications, effective on May 1:

FACE COVERINGS: Beginning on May 1, individuals will be required to wear a face-covering or a mask when in a public place where they can’t maintain a six-foot social distance. Face-coverings will be required in public indoor spaces, such as stores. This new requirement applies to all individuals over the age of two who are able to medically tolerate a face-covering or a mask. 

OUTDOOR RECREATION: State parks will begin a phased reopening under guidance from the Department of Natural Resources. Fishing and boating in groups of no more than two people will be permitted. A list of parks that will be open on May 1 and additional guidelines can be found on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website. Golf will be permitted under strict safety guidelines.

NEW ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES: Greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries may reopen as essential businesses. These stores must follow social distancing requirements and must require that employees and customers wear a face covering. Animal grooming services may also re-open.

NON-ESSENTIAL RETAIL: Retail stores designated as non-essential businesses and operations may re-open to fulfill telephone and online orders through pick-up outside the store and delivery.

ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES AND MANUFACTURING: Essential businesses and manufacturers will be required to provide face-coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain six-feet of social distancing, as well as follow new requirements that maximize social distancing and prioritize the well-being of employees and customers. This will include occupancy limits for essential businesses and precautions such as staggering shifts and operating only essential lines for manufacturers.

SCHOOLS:  Educational institutions may allow and establish procedures for pick-up of necessary supplies or student belongings. Dormitory move-outs must follow public health guidelines, including social distancing.

Additionally, IDPH will also be issuing guidance to surgicenters and hospitals to allow for certain elective surgeries for non-life threatening conditions, starting on May 1. Facilities will need to meet specific criteria, including proper PPE, ensuring enough overall space for COVID-19 patients remains available, and testing of elective surgery patients to ensure COVID-19 negative status.

You can read the Governor's Press Release with more details here. I applaud the Governor's efforts to speed the end of this pandemic, which I sought by ordinance yesterday. The Chicago Tribune has more.
Guidelines for Wearing a Face Covering

A cloth face covering should:

  • Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
  • Be secured with ties or ear loops
  • Include multiple layers of fabric
  • Allow for breathing without restriction
  • Be able to be laundered and dried without damage or change to shape

You can watch a video on the CDC Facebook page.

Questions and Answers:

Should cloth face coverings be washed or otherwise cleaned regularly? How regularly? Yes. They should be routinely washed depending on the frequency of use.

How does one safely sterilize/clean a cloth face covering? A washing machine should suffice in properly washing a face covering. If you don't have a washing machine, wash it by hand with warm water and scrub with soap.

How does one safely remove a used cloth face covering? Individuals should be careful not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth when removing their face covering and wash hands immediately after removing.

How to make a face covering:

Click here to download a document on how to make your own face mask. You can also look up our earlier newsletters .
Small Business Resiliency Fund
Deadline Friday, April 24 at 5:00 p.m.

The the deadline for applying for the Small Business Resiliency Loan Fund is tomorrow, Friday, April 24 at 5:00 p.m.

The Small Business Resiliency Fund is a $100 million fund to help retain employees and maintain operations as businesses face decreased revenue. This program is available to City of Chicago businesses with 1 - 50 employees that can demonstrate at least a 25% decrease in revenue as a result of COVID-19. Eligible businesses will receive a zero interest loan for six months covering up to 50% of their payroll and additional expenses . Businesses can access up to $50,000.


Visit the Small Business Resiliency Fund for details and to apply.
SBA Town Hall for Churches, Parishes and Non-Profit Community Organizations
Tomorrow, Friday, April 24
12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Join Commissioner Bridget Gainer and Robert Steiner, District Director of the SBA to learn about your SBA loan options. Register using this link. If you have any questions, please email district10@cookcountyil.gov.
Your Personal Health
How to Protect Yourself Against COVID19

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 is to stay home as much as possible, practice good hand hygiene, use social distancing and wear a face covering when going out in public
Who should be tested
Not everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19. Most people have mild illness and are able to recover at home. There is no special treatment for COVID-19 and even if you get tested, you will receive the same medical advice.

If you’re over 60 or have underlying medical conditions, call your health care provider to see whether you need to be tested.

What to do if you are sick
If you’re sick, follow the steps below to care for yourself and to help protect other people in your home and community. If you’re in one of the high risk groups (over 60 or with underlying medical conditions), call your doctor. They may decide to monitor your health or test you for COVID-19.

Stay home and away from others until:
  • at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared; and,
  • at least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since your fever has resolved (i.e. no fever without the use of fever reducing medications) and your other symptoms are improving.

Watch Dr. Arwady from the Chicago Department of Public Health explain what to do if you are sick. For more information check out the City's COVID19 FAQ page.
Your Mental Health

Senator Sara Feigenholtz and Representatives Ann Williams and Yoni Pizer have complied a wealth of   resources related to general mental health during the pandemic, various helplines, ways to help children through the crisis, resources related to mindfulness, and much more.  Click on the images below for information.
Volunteers Taking Action
Sew Masks for Chicago
43rd Ward Drop-Off Site
April 14 - May 2
10:00 a.m - 2: 00 p.m.
Tuesdays and Saturdays
43rd Ward Office
2523 N. Halsted

Now that masks will be mandatory, the need for masks in underserved populations is greater than ever. If you know how to sew, please donate homemade cloth masks to support Chicago's COVID-19 relief efforts at homeless shelters, community health clinics, and other places to prevent outbreaks among the City’s most high-risk residents, which data has shown to be vulnerable residents on Chicago’s South and West Side communities.

You can donate masks at my office beginning this Saturday. For details of the types of masks requested, click   here  .

Important Requirements:
  • All masks must be laundered before packaged.
  • All donations must be in a sealable, clear plastic bag indicating the quantity per bag.
Masks for a Safe Chicago
Donates Masks to our Seniors

Masks for a Safe Chicago is a charitable effort based in our Ward that is providing living wage work for local seamstresses and tailors to produce high-quality cotton face masks that are being donated to Chicagoans in need.

Today, Angela Atkins from Habitat accepted 500 masks created for some of our CHA senior residents.

Please give generously at their Gofundme page and thank our very own resident, Tanya Polsky, for spearheading this effort.
Helping Our Seniors Get Face Coverings:
Local Student Delivers Packages to Seniors

Latin School student Mia Banks delivered 83 "smile packages" to our seniors at The Elizabeth Woods Apartments. Each kit contains a mask and toiletries like hand sanitizer to help protect our seniors. NBC covered the story.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone in our community who is pitching in to provide meals, masks and cheer to those in need. Please help by donating your time, money and skills to make sure every Chicagoan can get the help they need.
Be safe and take care of each other,
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#43WearsMasks
Coronavirus Resources :

If you have any additional questions, please email:  coronavirus@chicago.gov  or call 312-746-4835

The Doctor Is In: Ask Dr. Arwady. Live-stream by Chicago Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., daily at 11:00 am on  Twitter and  Facebook Live.

Sign up to receive the latest updates on Coronavirus:  https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/VwvbSW5/coronavirus
 
State of Illinois
 
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
43rd Ward Office Hours: M - F 9 AM - 5 PM 
  2523 N Halsted  |  773-348-9500 |  yourvoice@ward43.org |  www.ward43.org