* Press release…

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 707 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 25 additional confirmed deaths.

Cass County: 1 female 90s
Cook County: 2 males 20s, 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 4 males 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
DeKalb County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
DuPage County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
Kane County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s
Lake County: 1 female 70s
Madison County: 1 male 80s
McHenry County: 1 female 50s
St. Clair County: 1 male 60s

Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 155,506 cases, including 7,218 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 28,446 specimens for a total of 2,041,440. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from July 7 –July 13 is 3.0%. As of last night, 1,416 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 333 patients were in the ICU and 126 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting both confirmed and probable cases and deaths on its website. Reporting probable cases will help show the potential burden of COVID-19 illness and efficacy of population-based non-pharmaceutical interventions. IDPH will update these data once a week.

* Daily Herald…

llinois’ positivity rate has crept up from early July, when it hovered at 2.6%, but compares favorably with other Midwestern averages. Iowa is at 8.9%, Indiana is at 8.4% and Wisconsin is at 6.9%. Michigan’s average also is 2.6%, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine’s Coronavirus Resource Center.

The highest positivity rate occurs in Arizona, with 26.6% and 2,537 daily cases of COVID-19, Johns Hopkins reported. In Mississippi, the positivity rate is 21.5%, and the new case count is 868; South Carolina is at 19.1% with 1,949 more cases, and Florida is at 18.6% and is experiencing a record-breaking surge — 15,300 daily cases on Sunday.

* New poll…

Seven in 10 American parents overall see it as risky for schools to reopen in the fall, including majorities across partisan lines. But as with so many aspects of the pandemic, there are significant differences in how risky Democrats and Republicans see it. Just as striking are the differences between whites and people of color.

• 82% of Democrats and 53% of Republicans say returning to school would be very or moderately risky. Among these, Democrats were more likely to see it as a large risk.

• 89% of Black parents saw returning to school as a large or moderate risk, compared with 80% of Hispanic parents and 64% of white parents.

• Gender wasn’t a big driver of differences — about seven in 10 men and women saw it as risky, though women were slightly more likely to assess the risk as large.

* From the Tribune’s live blog…

Lightfoot to get OK for Cubs weekend night games at Wrigley Field

A Chicago theater is coming back next weekend — yes, next weekend — with ‘Judy & Liza.’

Chicago’s City Colleges will wipe out debt of former students who return, Lightfoot announces

Illinois House Republican leader says he won’t go to GOP convention in Florida: “It’s not going to be a safe environment,” Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said during a videoconference with reporters.

Naperville-area school districts offer parents a choice: send students back to class on part-time basis or do all remote learning

How Chicago restaurants are adapting to draw you back in

Evanston Township High School returning this fall with mix of in-person, remote learning for students

Live concerts are back on a Chicago venue stage — and fans bought tickets to the show, even if they couldn’t be physically present in the room

After Trump retweets game show host saying CDC and doctors are lying, coronavirus task force pushes back: ‘None of us lie’

Surge in US infections hits Delta, with passenger traffic down 93%. A recovery will take more than two years, CEO predicts.

Most US parents see risk in their children returning to school

Whiting’s Whihala Beach to close starting Wednesday because of crowds

5.4 million Americans have lost health insurance in coronavirus-driven recession, analysis finds

* Sun-Times live blog headlines…

Illinois schools to get $50M more in emergency funding to assist with tech

A third scourge quietly stalks Cook County — officials see doubling of ‘needless, preventable’ opioid deaths

Iowa, Oklahoma added to Chicago’s travel quarantine list due to COVID-19 outbreaks

Health and Human Services Secretary visits Chicago Tuesday to study Rush, Haymarket handling of COVID-19

Ban on Friday night games at Wrigley Field to be lifted for pandemic-shortened season

City delays city sticker, parking permit enforcement for 2 weeks

‘Hybrid’ is the new buzzword in higher education

Chicago businesses cited for violating COVID-19 guidelines last weekend

South Side pastor Bishop Larry Trotter has tested positive for the coronavirus, a spokesman for the religious leader said Tuesday.

Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), Chicago’s second-most-senior alderman, tested positive for the coronavirus last month. It was not known whether she remains hospitalized or is recuperating at home.