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COVID-19 Updates and Resources
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Dear Friends,
With all that's going on in our country right now, it is hard to believe we are still combating a global pandemic, but we are, and unfortunately will be for a long time.
I shared with you earlier this week my fury and PHIMC's commitment to our collective fight against racism. Today, our message to you focuses primarily on COVID-19, with the understanding that racism and the chronic stress of violence at the hands of law enforcement deeply impact how the novel coronavirus affects our communities.
More than a year ago, the American Public Health Association published strategies for Addressing Law Enforcement Violence as a Public Health Issue, and
the American Medical Association, in their recent statement, discussed the link between racism, police violence, and the experience of COVID-19 in Black and Brown communities. Let's continue working together to use, create, and share resources like these to direct real systemic change.
Through our email and social media channels, we will continue to offer you resources and information to help navigate these public health crises. Please know that your feedback is always welcome.
To stay up to date on the phased re-opening of Illinois, and other COVID-19 information and resources, please visit the
State of Illinois
and/or the
City of Chicago
Coronavirus Response Center.
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Sincerely,
Karen A. Reitan
President & Chief Executive Officer
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Reopening: Phase 3 Transitions
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Illinois transitioned into Phase 3 of the
Restore Illinois Plan on Friday, May 29, 2020.
Each municipality has the power to transition more slowly and/or add restrictions to the orders already issued by the State of Illinois, particularly in areas such as Chicago, which is still a hotspot for COVID-19.
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Chicago
Chicago began transitioning to Phase 3 yesterday, June 3, 2020.
- Childcare centers and family childcare
- Non-lakefront parks (no contact sports)
- Libraries and other city services
- Office-based jobs, professional services, and real estate services
- Hotels / lodging
- Outdoor attractions (e.g., boating - not including the Playpen, non-Lakefront golf courses)
- Non-essential retail
- Personal services (e.g., hair/nail salons, barbershops, tattoo parlors)
- Restaurants and coffee shops (outdoor dining only)
- Manufacturing, construction, and warehousing
- Hospitals, dentists, community mental health centers, and Federally Qualified Health Centers
- Public transit, regional transit, taxis and rideshare
- Gyms (outdoor and 1:1 personal training only)
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More COVID-19 News and Resources
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- For Community-Based Organizations: Mayor Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Public Health announce $56 million Request-for-Proposals (RFP) to bolster contact tracing efforts for COVID-19 cases in Chicago. This new, $56 million, two-year grant will support community-based organizations (CBOs) to hire, train, and support 600 individuals to conduct case investigation of community-based COVID transmission - more commonly known as "contact tracing" - and build a resource hub to support individuals. As Chicago begins to exit "Stay at Home," contact tracing is one of the key tools to prevent spread of the disease, allowing for targeted quarantine of potentially infected individuals.
This work will address three goals:
- Prevent and mitigate community transmission of COVID-19.
- Provide "Earn-as-You-Learn" opportunities for community-based workforce to promote career pathways and long-term sustainable growth.
- Invest in our community areas experiencing economic hardship. The goal of this investment is to promote economic recovery by giving our residents the opportunity to invest in themselves and their own skills for a long-term career in health care.
Submissions are due June 9 at noon. Community based organizations can submit responses to the RFP through the City's eProcurement Portal. Use Solicitation # 7475, Specification # 1204299 to search for the RFP.
- For Child Care Providers: Governor Pritzker announced that child care providers may partially reopen under phase three of his five phase reopening plan. For the first four weeks, the providers may not serve more than ten students per classroom. Details here.
- For SNAP recipients: Beginning June 2, 2020, SNAP recipients can begin using EBT cards at participating retailers. This is an important development that will help make food more accessible to those in need. Details here.
- For Housing Providers: Emergency Relief for Affordable Multifamily Properties (ERAMP): The Department of Housing (DOH) has established a relief program to provide short-term, operating support to multi-family affordable housing providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic downturn. The ERAMP program includes both grants and no-interest, deferred payment loans of up to $75,000 per property, based on need. The purpose of the program is to preserve the availability of safe, clean, and affordable housing options for individuals and families that may experience financial hardship resulting from COVID-19. Find out more about ERAMP and how to apply here.
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If You Need to See a Doctor: Please Go.
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We invited Beatrice D. Probst, MD, FACEP, to speak directly to anyone seeking medical care during the coronavirus pandemic.
"[S]taying at home while experiencing serious health symptoms can be dangerous," Dr. Probst tells us. "Please know that the emergency departments and hospitals remain open and have created an environment to safely see you. We are committed to safely caring for you, should you be suffering from chest pains, weakness, dizziness, or shortness of breath - all signs that you may be suffering a heart attack, a stroke, or heart failure. Life threatening conditions such as these should be seen immediately."
Dr. Probst serves as Professor of Emergency Medicine for Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and as Associate Chief Medical Officer, Ambulatory, for Loyola University Health System. She is also a participating champion in PHIMC's Protecting Our Patients (POP) campaign.
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Mental Wellness Resources
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- Windy City Wellness, a microsite developed through a partnership between Ten Percent Happier and Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), includes a curated collection of talks, guided mindfulness activities, and sleep supports from a diverse set of wellness experts
- More online tools to cope with stress, fear, and anxiety: Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public Health announce other expanded mental health supports here.
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Mutual Aid for Chicago Youth
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If you are a youth service provider, please consult and share out their Master List of Needs frequently as it will be updated on an ongoing basis. Please direct any questions you may have to Thyannda Mack (they/she), YEPP Volunteer and Co-Coordinator of this Mutual Aid Effort, at [email protected].
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National Service Recognition Award
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Hosted by
Proviso Partners for Health (PP4H) during her year of service with
NHC Chicago, Jacey's contributions have been critical to Maywood residents whose food access is severely limited due to COVID-19. When PP4H's VeggieRx expanded suddenly to meet new needs during the pandemic, Jacey demonstrated strong leadership and adaptability by quickly designing an effective outreach and registration process to ensure community residents were connected with the program. Now, VeggieRx serves five times as many families as it served pre-COVID-19.
Each week, Jacey continues to make hundreds of outreach calls, develops and leads VeggieRx volunteer training sessions, and delivers bags of food to doorsteps.
You can read more about this award and Jacey's contributions to NHC Chicago and PP4H in our quarterly newsletter next month.
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Please consider supporting an organization on the front lines, such as the following:
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Thank you for working to support our communities each and every day.
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