Coronavirus

Studies found masks like N95s and KN95s are more effective at preventing COVID-19 infection than surgical masks.

A food drive to stock the Love Fridge at Augustana Lutheran Church will take place Monday. Coronavirus testing will also be available.

The Center for COVID Control's lab wasted 40,000 tests, according to a federal report. And again and again, people have reported getting late results, no results — or ones that don't make sense.

The Chicago Public Schools Radical Youth Alliance, or Chi-Rads, is behind the Friday walkout, which will culminate in a 1:30 p.m. press conference and rally outside CPS headquarters.

The ongoing strain on hospital systems stems primarily from unvaccinated Illinoisans, which is reducing capacity for any type of emergency care, state leaders say.

The event runs from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at St. Aloysius Catholic Church.

The Chicagoans making school lunches are juggling COVID-19 concerns with staffing and supply chain issues while trying to keep kids fed.

The bar is asking for help identifying people who tried to steal beer and broke the bar's door after the manager refused entry to a man in the group without a vaccination card.

Testing is available at the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council Tuesdays and Fridays. The neighborhood group will also vaccinate people Saturday.

Masks will be available noon-3 p.m. Thursday at Ald. Pat Dowell's State Street office.

Teachers going into the vote said they had mixed feelings about the proposal, which the union's rank-and-file finalized with 56 percent in favor of resuming in-person classes.

The announcement came Wednesday — the same day thousands of Chicago Public Schools students headed back to class after the district reached a deal with its teachers union for in-person learning.

CPS substitute teachers said there's confusion and chaos as schools aren't properly cleaned, they aren't kept updated on COVID-19 safety steps and more. "Working for CPS means being in an abusive relationship."

Less than 10 percent of students at Nash Elementary in Austin are vaccinated. State Rep. La Shawn Ford said this is a sign the West Side needs more resources to make schools and communities safe.

Though CPS and the teachers union have made a deal, some parents said they don't feel safe with in-person learning yet. "I don’t think we’re gonna be safe for a couple more weeks, to be honest," one mom said.

Lightfoot said she credits her vaccine and booster shot with protecting her health after testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday morning.

After a Block Club report, Gov. JB Pritzker described the unregulated pop-ups as an “enormous problem.”

Chicago has now seen slight dips in its positivity rate and in its average number of confirmed cases per day — but those numbers remain high.

The Lincoln Park vaccination clinic at St. Paul's United Church of Christ will be available to anyone five years or older.

The Chicago Teachers Union’s house of delegates voted Monday night to return to classrooms later this week if the full membership approves.