CPS Schools Reopen Wednesday
Ward-Wide Vaccine Clinic this Saturday
Get Vaccinated/Tested
Attend Your Local Beat Meeting
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Dear Neighbors,
We are pleased that the CTU and CPS have reached an agreement that will allow children to return to school on Wednesday, with teachers reporting today. A compromise reached between the parties will be voted on by CTU rank and file. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the proposed agreement will:
- Increase testing at all schools to at least 10% of their student population every week. Testing is offered to all staff every week.
- Commitment by CPS to work with the CTU to increase student testing and vaccination to 100% by Feb. 1. Establish CPS phone banks where staff would help call parents. Currently, only about 20% of students are signed up for testing now.
- Shut down a building for at least five days if 30% or more of the teachers are absent for two consecutive days because of positive cases or quarantines, and if substitutes aren't able to get the absences at least under 25%. A school would also experience a closure if 40% of its students were quarantined.
- Provide KN95 masks to all children and staff.
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CPS DID NOT guarantee the missed days would be made up at the end of the year, leaving CTU members without assurances they would be paid.
This was a frustrating event, particularly when it is quite established that CPS schools are not sources of significant spread of COVID. CPS has in place hundreds of millions of dollars in mitigation measures, including extra air cleaning, ventilation, and mandatory mask-wearing. While individual children have of course become sick, there are few documented cases of the spread of the disease at schools.
Instead, classrooms can be shut down based on exposure and contact tracing. We all know that being in school is the best for our students.
In addition to children returning to school on Wednesday, the following services will also be available:
- Food Service
- Athletics
- After-School Activities
- Before and After-Care (for those schools that offer this service)
- Transportation
- COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Events
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43rd Ward and St. Pauls Church Vaccination Clinic
Everyone 5+, plus Boosters
Saturday, January 15th, 2022
11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
St. Pauls United Church of Christ
2335 N. Orchard St.
The 43rd Ward Office, St. Pauls Church, Lighthouse UCC and Instavaxx have partnered to host a vaccination clinic for all ages 5 and up, including boosters for people ages 12 + this Saturday, January 15th, 2022.
This clinic will be hosted in the gym at the church. REGISTER HERE.
Please review all materials before your appointment.
- Please review this Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccination Fact Sheet for Ages 5–11 prior to your appointment.
- Please arrive at your appointment 15 minutes early in order to complete the necessary paperwork. (See Required Forms below.)
- One parent/guardian must be present during vaccination.
- Parents/guardians must bring their own photo ID and, if available, a health insurance card.
- Parents/guardians may register more than one child using the sign-up links, but each child will need their own appointment.
Arrive at your appointment early to complete these forms or fill them out in advance and bring them with you:
Note: An individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose.
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COVID Updates You Need to Know
Get Vaccinated
Our area's rates of vaccination are still way too low - we are 33rd and 38th in the city for ages 18-64. Why get vaccinated? See the above graphic. The more people vaccinated, the fewer deaths or hospitalizations, and the more secure we can all feel. Read more about the data here.
Booster Shots for Kids
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved Pfizer booster shots for kids 12-15 if it’s been at least five months since a child’s second dose of the vaccine. Children aged 5-11 who are immunocompromised can also now receive a booster shot if it’s been 28 days since their second shot.
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Get Tested
There are many testing locations in the neighborhood at pharmacies and immediate care locations in addition to those provided if you have a regular doctor.
Here are some close by:
MedStar: 2444 N Clark St., Walk-ins only. Open Mon-Sat 9 am -7 pm
Ally Health: 2246 N Clark St. Walk-Ins only. Open Mon-Sat 10 am - 6 pm
The CDC has some new recommendations:
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If you don't feel well, don't go out, and isolate yourself at home, no matter what you think you may have. According to Dr. Arwady, "Assume it is COVID."
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Wear a better mask - now that better grades of masks are easily available, time to ditch the cloth mask. Wear a good grade KN95 mask, and if you like, wear a cloth mask over it.
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Keep your mask on when inside in a group, especially at parties and family gatherings.
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If you have been exposed, but have all your vaccine shots AND you were wearing a good mask when exposed, you don't have to quarantine. Instead, get a test after five days to confirm you don't have COVID. If the test is negative, you don't need to do anything else. If the test is positive, or you develop symptoms, isolate yourself. Click here for more details.
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Get an online verification of your vaccine status with Vax Verify from the Illinois Department of Public Health. You can print and download your SMART health card to use as COVID vaccination verification to businesses, venues, restaurants as required.
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Here's How to Buy Your Guest Parking Passes Online
As a result of the surge of COVID cases in our ward, the 43rd Ward Office will be working remotely 9:00 - 5:00.
In the new year, new parking passes are required. Please get yours at ezbuy.chicityclerk.com. You can learn how to order online by using our Guest Parking Passes 101 guide or watch our video for step-by-step details on how to purchase your passes or stickers online. If you need extra assistance, please call us at 773-348-9500 or email us at yourvoice@ward43.org, and someone from the office will call you back.
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Buying Passes at City Hall
You can buy passes in person at any of the Chicago City Clerk offices including City Hall and its Northside Office at 5340 W. Gale Street, which are now open from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Please plan for increased wait times due to social distancing protocols. Increased safety measures have been put in place to mitigate the exposure of COVID-19. Make sure you have the list of required documents before you go in person. |
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Committee on Rules Redistricting Public Hearings
Tuesday, January 11th, 2022 at 1 p.m.
Thursday, January 13th, 2022 at 10 a.m.
Friday, January 21st, 2022 at 10 a.m.
Watch the Livestream here.
As we have been reporting, the City Council needs to hear our voices to keep our neighborhood together. To sign up for public comment for the hearings, please keep reading.
Anyone wishing to comment at a City Council committee meeting conducted by videoconference will need to call (312) 744-6800 in advance of the meeting and leave a voice message with their name and telephone number. Requests to comment will be accepted from 10:00 a.m. two business days before the scheduled meeting until 9:00 a.m. the business day before the scheduled meeting. Any individual wishing to participate must be available at the scheduled start time of the committee meeting and have access to a touch-tone telephone. More about what to expect here.
Please note that City Council Rule 58E limits the public comment period to 30 minutes overall, with each participant limited to three minutes (both subject to modification in the reasonable, non-discriminatory discretion of the Committee chairman), so there is no assurance that every person who calls will have the opportunity to speak.
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43rd Ward Winter Weather Reminders
- When clearing snow, please do not shovel it into the street. Please pile snow on the parkway.
- Please continue to lend a hand and help your neighbor's clear sidewalks, walkways, alleys, and parking spots. If you would like to volunteer to help others shovel, please email maggies@ward43.org
- If there is a fire hydrant near your home, please shovel it out so that it can be accessible to fire trucks in the event of an emergency.
- Watch for falling ice and icicles on homes, buildings, and trees.
- Please clear snow away from your garbage carts/cans, otherwise, the crews can't get to them.
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Click here to view the Plow Tracker to see where plows are during snow episodes.
- Property owners are responsible for keeping the sidewalk in front of their property free and clear of snow AND ice. Please attend to your property or you will suffer the risk of fines.
- Please check in on your elderly neighbors during the winter time. If you know of a senior in the community who might need additional resources and support during the inclement weather, please email maggies@ward43.org
Please call my office at 773-348-9500 or email with information about unshoveled sidewalks after 24 hours of a snowfall or if you are unable to shovel.
Together, we can make the neighborhood safe for everyone.
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Beat Meetings this Week
In the 43rd Ward, we have five beats in the 018 District and two 019 District Beats. There are meetings for both 018 and 019 this week and we hope you can join them! You can find your beat easily here.
- Beat 1811 goes from Fullerton Ave to North Ave and from Sheffield St to the River.
- Beat 1812 goes from Fullerton Ave to Armitage Ave and from Sheffield St to Sedgwick St.
- Beat 1813 is from Armitage Ave to North Ave and Sheffield St to Sedgwick St.
- Beat 1814 is Fullerton Ave to North Ave and from Sedgwick St to the lake.
- Beat 1932's boundaries are from Fullerton Ave, Lincoln Ave, and Ashland St.
The meeting dates for these CAPS meetings and the Zoom Links are listed below. Please mark your calendars with the dates and Zoom information.
018 District Beat Meetings:
Beat 1811 (5 p.m.) & Beat 1813 (6 p.m.): January 11th
Beat 1812 (5 p.m.) & Beat 1814 (6 p.m.): January 13th
Meeting ID for all 018 District Beat Meetings: 8289-800-5076
019 District Beat Meetings:
Beat 1932 Meeting ID: 847-885-01324
Beat 1932 Passcode: 503502
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Support Local Restaurants |
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43rd Ward Office Closure for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
In observance of MLK Day, the 43rd Ward virtual and physical office will be closed on Monday, January 17th, 2022. We will return to the office on Tuesday, January 18th, 2022 at 9 a.m.
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See you in the neighborhood, |
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