CTA to keep rolling as more of city, state slow to a stop
With 105 COVID-19 cases in Illinois, secretary of state facilities, YMCA latest to close
The wheels on the CTA bus go ’round and ’round. And they will continue to do so. As will wheels on CTA trains, Mayor Lori Lightfoot made clear Monday.
“We have to keep the public transit system going. I’m not aware of any public transit system in the United States — and only one in the world — that’s actually shut down during the course of this pandemic,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot isn’t considering shutting down the CTA or dramatically reducing service, even though CTA ridership is dropping like a rock as people stay home to fight the spread of coronavirus.
“People need to be able to get to work . ... You hear me talk a lot about our health care workers. Many of those workers depend on public transportation. So we’ve got to keep it going and functioning.”
Lightfoot reaffirmed her commitment to the CTA as other cogs of the city and state were added to a growing list of institutions that are either rolling or screeching to a stop to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The state’s tally of confirmed cases grew by 12 to total 105, state health officials announced Monday.
Here’s some other coronavirus news from Monday that you should know:
◆ Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced all of his offices, including Driver Services centers, are closed through March 31.
White said expiration dates for driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations and other matters are extended 30 days by emergency order.
Staffers were told they will be paid during the closure and that any vacation time they had booked through March 31 will be returned to them, a Secretary of State employee told the Chicago Sun-Times.
◆ The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago announced it will close its centers for two weeks. The shutdown starts Tuesday and includes the YMCA’s 17 Chicago area centers, five overnight camps and dozens of early childhood extension sites.
◆ LA Fitness and Chicago Athletic Clubs are closing through at least the end of the month. Starting Monday, LA Fitness will close its clubs through April 1, while Chicago Athletic Clubs will shut down from Tuesday to March 31. Both clubs are suspending membership dues during the interruption of service.
◆ Layoffs have begun at Chicago area hotels, an industry leader confirmed Monday, as occupancy rates have plummeted.
“When you are in the teens on your occupancy rate, as many hotels now are, it’s hard to justify keeping the lights on,” said Michael Jacobson, CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association. Asked if Chicago hotels are closing, he said, “Not yet. That’s the question of the hour.”
Most hotels have individual ownership and are operated under contract by a “flag’’ such as Hilton or Marriott. Jacobson said the decision to close is a matter for owners.
◆ The Illinois Department of Corrections has indefinitely suspended visitations at all state prisons in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among guards and inmates.
In the meantime, the department is providing inmates with two 20-minute phone calls and one 15-minute video visit.
Attorneys are allowed to visit prisons but will be screened upon arrival.
◆ Hearings at Chicago’s downtown federal courthouse are largely being put on hold.
Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer on Monday handed down an order that canceled civil hearings and trials through April 3. Criminal proceedings that cannot be delayed will be handled by emergency judges.
Pallmeyer also delayed all plea hearings and sentencings set to begin before April 3, unless a judge is told the hearing must go forward.
◆ The Cook County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Monday that would allow Board President Toni Preckwinkle to issue any “necessary” executive orders without the board’s advance approval as the county tries to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
◆ The City Council will proceed with a streamlined version of Wednesday’s meeting, primarily because action must be taken to accept grant money to bankroll the city’s response to the pandemic and grant extended sick leave to city employees affected by the virus and allow city employees who can to work from home for up to two weeks. The mayor advised members of the public to watch the livestream of the meeting.
◆ Lightfoot said she’s still waiting on the federal government for help at O’Hare Airport, where chaos set in over the weekend as international passengers waited hours for medical screenings.
“My understanding is that the vice president had committed to the governor that they would double the amount of resources that were at O’Hare yesterday. I don’t believe that happened yet,” Lightfoot said Monday.