Good morning, Evanston.
Community members 12 and older can now register to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at two upcoming events in Evanston. A City-wide event will be held on May 21 and an ETHS/District 65 event on May 22. The City of Evanston’s Health and Human Services Department strongly recommends that all eligible individuals get the vaccine as soon as possible based on new guidance last week from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines will be administered free of charge. Health insurance is not required and will not be requested. (Vacunas Contra el COVID-19 Disponibles para Estudiantes de Evanston de 12 Años y Mayores el 21 y 22 de Mayo)
Illinois will align State executive orders with the latest CDC guidance and rescind Illinois Department of Public Health emergency rules enforcing masking and distance, according to Governor J.B. Pritzker and the IDPH. Under the CDC’s latest guidance, fully vaccinated people can stop wearing a mask and practicing social distancing in most indoor and outdoor settings. Masks are still required in healthcare settings, in congregate settings, on transit, and in schools and daycare facilities.
COVID-19 by the numbers: We are checking in with many sources to keep you updated on COVID-19 cases and vaccine information.
- Four cases were reported yesterday in Evanston, the seven-day average is four.
- Northwestern University reported just three new cases during the seven days ending May 16. Northwestern students, staff and professors living in Evanston are included in City test and case counts.
- The number of cases per 100,000 population over the past seven days is 39 in Evanston and 85 in Illinois.
- Our City’s seven-day positive test rate is 0.7% and in Illinois is 2.4%.
- Some 4.8 million or 37.7% of total Illinois residents are fully vaccinated.
- According to City figures, 40,833 Evanston residents are fully vaccinated. Evanston’s total population is around 70,000.
Elsewhere on the RoundTable Website
Two Middle-School Best Friends Cooked Up Some Fun During the COVID-19 Lockdown. Aden Johansen and Ellie Warren, eighth-graders at Nichols School, met at a summer theater program in 2019. They became friends; and over the Covid-19 lockdown developed an even deeper friendship and also become accomplished cooks.
Larry Suffredin’s Statement on Completing Current Elected Term at County and Forest Preserve. Twenty years ago, I announced my candidacy for 13th District Cook County Commissioner and Cook County Forest Preserve District Commissioner. With the support of a diverse constituency, I was successful in that campaign and in four more campaigns for re-election. Today I announce that 20 years is enough and that I will not be a candidate for re-election in 2022.
A Prescribed Dose of Nature. After a 50-minute walk in the park, a person’s mood improves and their cognitive function increases, according to a 2019 study in a body of work called the Walking Green Project. And people who spend more time outside tend to have better mental health, recent research shows. However, these studies do not prove that regular exposure to nature directly leads to an improvement in heath conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. That’s why Northwestern professor Teresa Horton is working to find data that shows the long-term benefits of spending time in nature.
City of Evanston Launches Community Solar Program. The City has partnered with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and Chicago-based MC-Squared Energy Services to participate in the MMC CS2 Residential Community Solar Program, which helps residents and small businesses save money and develop renewable energy while supporting the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan. The CS2 Residential Community Solar Program allows residents and small businesses to subscribe to community solar arrays in Illinois.
Solid Waste Coordinator Position. The City is currently hiring a Solid Waste Coordinator. This position will be responsible for managing the City’s Solid Waste programs and implementing programs that support the Evanston Climate Action and Resilience Plan Zero Waste by 2050 goal within the operations of the Public Works Agency.
Anna Galland and Sarah Williams: 100 Days In: Step It Up for Democracy. It’s been more than 100 days since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, and even in the midst of a terrible and ongoing pandemic, there’s a lot for our country to celebrate. The number of children living in poverty is on track to be cut in half this year alone. More than half of U.S. adults have received at least one COVID vaccine dose. A historic infusion of $1.9 trillion in COVID relief funding is on its way to individuals, families, and communities around the country. And Congress is working on a massive Build Back Better recovery package.
Around the Web
- A Chicago Tribune food critic says Evanston’s own Soul & Smoke deserves to join the ranks of Chicago’s best barbeque.
- On Saturday, for the first time in over a year, Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain will be turned on during a live-streamed celebration.
- Inspired by Evanston’s reparations ordinance, Amherst, Massachusetts, looks to follow suit.
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