* WBEZ…

Since the first death in the state on March 16, the toll of the coronavirus pandemic has hit hard in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs in Cook County.

WBEZ is memorializing the names of those victims here and on air.

The names and information displayed below come directly from the Cook County medical examiner’s office; this page will be updated frequently.

Click here and read the list.

* Tribune…

Illinois will lose the equivalent of 550,000 yearlong full-time jobs due to the pandemic, with 40% of them concentrated in trade, transportation, leisure and hospitality services and the professional sector, according to a new study from the University of Illinois.

The study by the university system’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs also warned that more than $28.5 billion in income will be lost to Illinois citizens and businesses, along with $76 billion in economic output representing the value of goods and services produced due to stay-at-home and business closures.

The study’s authors said that in a slow reopening of the state’s economy, small changes in the critical economic component of household spending, such as non-food shopping or going to restaurants, could significantly impact a recovery.

The authors of the study note that the recession caused by the pandemic appears unlike previous economic-driven recessions, as Illinois’ economy is moving in concert with the entire country rather than lagging behind the rest of the nation.

* NPR Illinois

As University of Illinois officials deliberate over how to reopen the Urbana campus this fall, a group of faculty members say they don’t believe the university can safely allow tens of thousands of students back into residence halls and classrooms this year.

* WBEZ…

Experts say tracking where people who’ve gotten COVID-19 live and work — and presumably where they may have come into contact with the virus — is vital to preventing and identifying potential future outbreaks. […]

But the problem is, this data is woefully incomplete.

To try to track cases in its infectious disease database, the Illinois Department of Public Health issued a 14-page form that it has asked hospitals to fill out when they identify a patient with COVID-19.

But faced with a cumbersome process in the midst of a pandemic, many hospitals aren’t completely filling out the forms. Then it falls to public health workers, already overstretched and under-resourced, to play catch up with patients to get this information.

Maybe shorten the form?

* Hope they find a buyer…

The Illinois Press Foundation announced Thursday it has made the difficult decision to sell its facility at 900 Community Drive in Springfield.

The building has been owned by the foundation and home to the Illinois Press Association since its construction was completed in 2000.

“Times have changed, and the association no longer utilizes the entire 12,000 square feet of the building,” said Sam Fisher, president and CEO of the Illinois Press Association. […]

“The association plans on finding more suitable space, and the sale of the building will provide additional money for the Foundation to expand support of its many efforts, in particular Capitol News Illinois,” he said.

* Hannah Meisel…

With restaurants and bars throughout the state reopening Friday, they will not have the ability to reap lost profits by serving takeout cocktails — even though legislators passed a bill last weekend allowing it. […]

Steve Brown, a spokesman for House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago), said the process for the House Clerk to send a bill to the governor’s desk may take some time depending on what sort of review the governor has requested. Additionally, a bill must be rewritten into a clean version including all amendments passed by the House and Senate.

“It’s a paperwork issue, but a meticulous one because you want to make sure the enrolled and engrossed version [of the bill] matches the amendments before going to the governor’s desk,” he said.

But even when Pritzker’s signature hits the bill, bars and restaurants in Chicago, at least, will not be able to sell pre-mixed cocktails just yet; the Chicago City Council must take up the issue to amend a part of the city’s liquor code to allow cocktails to go. The next time the council is scheduled to meet is June 17.

* On to the Tribune’s live blog…

All on-duty CFD firefighters and paramedics ordered to undergo testing for COVID-19, officials say

Six Flags Great America preparing to reopen soon with attendance caps, mandatory face coverings

Law firm Jenner & Block sued for $3.8 million in unpaid rent, in first big Chicago office space leasing lawsuit of COVID-19 pandemic

The state tried to test for COVID-19 in every nursing home. It’s now ordering homes to do it themselves

South and west suburbs see 8%-15% decrease in home values amid coronavirus pandemic, Cook County assessor says

* Sun-Times live blog…

Harvey barbershop opens for mask-wearing clients: ‘It’s pretty much like a normal Friday’

Suburban restaurants move tables outside

Hair salons reopen with masked stylists, temperature checks

Reopening scenes in Chicago’s suburbs

Illinois starts reopening today; here’s what it looks like

Woodfield Mall to reopen Friday, with others to follow

Pritzker bolsters testing rules for nursing homes, issues Phase 3 ‘guidance’ for churches

The future of riding the CTA: Here’s how Chicago commutes will change

Chicago police announced Thursday one more case of COVID-19, bringing the total in the department to 552.

A pair of Cook County judges have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first cases of the coronavirus in judges of the Circuit Court, officials announced Thursday.

Pandemic boosts the folly and madness of conspiracy theorists

D.O.A. proposal for South Side hospital merger deserves second chance

Chicago’s new normal: Cashless, contactless transactions might become our default post-COVID-19

* WBEZ…

Asian American groups seek more services during the pandemic

Arts funding preserved in state budget amid pandemic

Nearly half of Illinois’ COVID-19 deaths were in long-term care facilities, state says

Chicago to reopen many businesses and amenities June 3