COVID-19 in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Monday

As public health officials work to increase COVID-19 vaccinations across the Chicago area and throughout Illinois, the CDC director on Sunday said any mandates requiring people to be vaccinated won’t come from the federal government.

“It may very well be that local businesses, local jurisdictions, will work towards vaccine mandates,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “That is going to be locally driven and not federally driven.”

There have been no plans to require vaccinations here, though the city of Chicago was considering vaccine passports, which could lead to preferred seating at sporting and entertainment events for those who are vaccinated. Some private businesses, such as Delta Airlines, and universities, such as Northwestern, may choose to require vaccines for students and staff.

Illinois public health officials on Monday reported 946 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and six additional deaths. It was the first time fewer than 1,000 cases have been reported since March 15.

There were 32,253 doses of the vaccine administered statewide on Sunday and the seven-day rolling average of daily doses is 61,275. The state said more than 64% of adults have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 37.7% of all eligible residents have been fully vaccinated.

Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area:

Illinois public health officials on Monday reported 946 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and six additional deaths. That brings the state’s totals to 1,367,214 cases and 22,445 deaths. It was the first time fewer than 1,000 cases have been reported since March 15.

There were 33,148 tests reported in the previous 24 hours and the seven-day statewide positivity rate as a percent of total test is 2.4%.

There were 32,253 doses of the vaccine administered statewide on Sunday and the seven-day rolling average of daily doses is 61,275. The state said more than 64% of adults have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 37.7% of all eligible residents have been fully vaccinated.

Indiana is dropping out of a federal program that provides an extra $300 in weekly payments to unemployed workers and other programs that expanded unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb announced the decision Monday, saying the changes would take effect June 19. Holcomb signed an executive order last week that reinstates a requirement that those receiving unemployment benefits will again have to show they are actively searching for work as of June 1.

The changes come as many businesses blame the extra $300 weekly payment and the ease of obtaining unemployment benefits with making it more difficult to fill job openings.

At least a dozen other states led by Republican governors have already announced they will stop paying the extra $300 benefit as soon as June or July.

The statewide eviction moratorium that’s been in place for more than a year to help renters affected by the coronavirus pandemic will be phased out by August, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday

The details on how moratorium will be phased out over the next few months will be provided at a later date, Pritzker said.

Pritzker made the announcement before signing a bill that establishes guidelines for how the state will distribute hundreds of millions of dollars in federal rental assistance.

Pitchfork Music Festival is set to return to Chicago in September with a female-powered lineup led by Erykah Badu, St. Vincent and Phoebe Bridgers, organizers announced Monday.

For entry this year, festivalgoers 12 years old and up will be required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within the past 24 hours for each day they attend. Masks must be worn in the Near West Side park, but they may be removed when eating and drinking. Organizers said they are “working closely with local health officials and will continue to update this policy” as government guidelines evolve with an increase in vaccinations and decrease in cases.

The Treasury Department said Monday that 39 million families are set to receive monthly child payments beginning on July 15.

The payments are part of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which expanded the child tax credit for one year and made it possible to pre-pay the benefits on a monthly basis. Nearly 88% of children are set to receive the benefits without their parents needing to take any additional action.

Qualified families will receive a payment of up to $300 per month for each child under 6 and up to $250 per month for children between the ages of 6 and 17. The child tax credit was previously capped at $2,000 and only paid out to families with income tax obligations after they filed with the IRS.

But for this year, couples earning $150,000 or less can receive the full payments on the 15th of each month, in most cases by direct deposit. The benefits total $3,600 annually for children under 6 and $3,000 for those who are older.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker was scheduled to hold a series of news conferences Monday morning regarding what his office is calling “rental relief” for people in Chicago and two other metro areas in Illinois. You can watch the 9 a.m. one in Chicago live here.

Pritzker was to join elected officials and community members to announce what his office is calling “major rental relief” program.

About 17% of renters were behind in payments across the country earlier this spring, analyses found.

The Illinois Rental Payment Program, which begins accepting applications Monday, offers help for up to 15 months in payments, with individual help of up to $25,000, according to the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

When applications for the program are live, they’ll be on the housing authority’s website.

Check back for updates. — Chicago Tribune staff

Riders are trickling back to buses and trains as more people get vaccinated and go back to restaurants, events and offices.

On weekdays, they’re finding open seats on trains and buses that once would have been standing room only and CTA trains that are noticeably cleaner. Mask-wearing, still required on CTA and Metra, is mixed: During recent trips by a Tribune reporter, on some train cars and buses every rider was masked, while on others and some ‘L’ platforms handfuls of unmasked customers could be found.

To woo back riders, CTA kicked off a marketing effort Friday that includes advertising, special events and new customer incentives. The “When you’re ready, we’re ready” campaign aims to provide information about mask requirements, cleaning efforts and investments in service and technology, such as an updated Ventra app.

CTA buses and trains are carrying more than 500,000 weekday riders, about one-third of their pre-pandemic levels, spokesman Brian Steele said. Ongoing improvements to the experience could help bring customers back, he said.

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