Good morning, Evanston.
With new COVID-19 cases increasing rapidly in the past two weeks for Evanston, Chicago, suburban Cook County, and the State, Illinois may be at risk of a fourth wave, officials warn. The RoundTable will continue to provide daily COVID updates on our website, as well as in this newsletter.
How are ETHS students coping during these “COVID times”? In a new three-part series, RoundTable reporter Judy Chiss explores how three seniors are making the best of the pandemic’s “new normal” by staying plugged into the high school’s remote learning and exploring emerging interests with help from mentors and peer support. Today, in Part 1 of ETHS Seniors Followed Their Muses During the COVID-19 Pandemic, meet Angel Cruz, who shares how he’s pursuing his creative passions and talents at Youth Opportunities United (Y.O.U), the Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center, and Evanston Library’s Maker program.
Why does local journalism matter? In this short video, you’ll hear Evanstonians reflect on what the RoundTable means to our community.
Help us continue to provide timely coverage of important news and events in Evanston. The civic health of our City depends on robust, independent journalism. Invest in Evanston – become a member of the RoundTable today!
Local Election News:
With less than a week until the April 6 election, early in-person voting is open at the Civic Center through April 5. Residents have until tomorrow, April 1, to request a mail-in ballot.
See Voting in the April 6 General Election and our Election Guide for all of our election coverage.
COVID-19 by the numbers: We are checking in with many sources to keep you updated on COVID-19 cases and vaccine information.
- After bottoming out in early March, COVID-19 cases are increasing in Evanston and Illinois.
- Eighteen new cases were reported yesterday in Evanston, and the seven-day average is now 10.
- There were no reported fatalities yesterday. Evanston has lost 114 residents to the pandemic.
- Our City’s positive test rate for the past seven days is 1.8%; in suburban Cook County it is 4.0% and in Illinois it is 3.4%.
- The number of cases per 100,000 population over the past seven days is rising and is 96 in Evanston and 135 in Illinois.
- Illinois received 846,560 doses and used 844,330 doses of the vaccine in the past seven days. Illinois has used 80% of the 7.1 million doses received to date.
- About 2.1 million or 16.6% of total Illinois residents are fully vaccinated, including 315,310 in the past seven days.
Variants – The Illinois Department of Public Health reports 267 cases of the more infectious COVID-19 variants, including 19 cases of variant P.1, first identified in Brazil.
Evanston Vax Facts: Evanston received just under 500 doses of the vaccine this week. The City has “substantially vaccinated” individuals 65 and older and is now vaccinating Phase 1B and 1B+ individuals. More details are available on the City’s Vaccine Dashboard.
The City reports that one-third or 20,90 of Evanston residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine and a fifth or 12,372 of residents 16 and older are fully vaccinated. The proportion of Evanston seniors vaccinated is higher: 88% of residents 65 and older have received at least one dose and 56% are fully vaccinated.
Check the RoundTable’s resource page for vaccination and testing updates.
Elsewhere On the RoundTable Website This Morning:
Fruteland Jackson Explains the Emergence of Blues in America. On March 23, Fruteland Jackson, a nationally known blues musician, teacher, and blues historian, shared part of his vast knowledge with a virtual crowd of nearly 300 eager listeners as a second-time Levy Lecture speaker. Mr. Jackson has the distinction of hosting the only in-person Levy Lecture in 2020.
District 65 Candidates Answer ‘Question of the Week.’ With so many issues in the upcoming election, the RoundTable is augmenting its election section with a few “pop-up” questions. The Question of the Week for candidates for School District 65: What are the three most important duties of a School Board member?
Upcoming Events:
Tomorrow at Lovelace Park at 5 p.m., there will be a Community Vigil hosted by many local elected officials and community organizations to show solidarity with the Asian American community. Masks and social distancing are required for in-person attendance. This event will also be livestreamed on Zoom.
For a list of upcoming events and meetings, please check the newly improved RoundTable calendar.
Have an event to publicize? Submit a calendar event!
Around The Web:
- NU students now eligible for compensated Moderna vaccine trial, reports the Daily Northwestern.
- The Onion reports the CDC Concludes U.S. Not Prepared For Potential Pandemic Following Year-Long Simulation Drill.
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