Alderman Bennett Lawson - 44th Ward Chicago

Alderman Bennett Lawson
44th Ward
Seal of Chicago

Articles under General

CDPH: Chicago COVID-19 News for You

Dear Chicago Residents and Partners,
 
The City of Chicago is committed to providing leadership and help throughout the evolving COVID-19 crisis. As this situation develops, we will continue to offer resources and support to people across the city. In her primetime address on Wednesday night, Mayor Lightfoot announced several measures the City of Chicago is taking to combat the COVID-19 outbreak and support families, students and small businesses during this difficult time.
 
To help stem the further spread of the virus the City of Chicago issued a Public Health order requiring all residents with a confirmed case of COVID-19 or who are exhibiting symptoms to not leave their place of residence, go to work or any group settings.
 
Additionally, Mayor Lightfoot announced the extension of Chicago Public School (CPS) closures through April 20, 2020. Investments from partners at Citadel and Citadel Securities will be used to combat food insecurity amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The initiative includes $1 million in aid to sustain the food distribution locations at more than 500 schools to make meals available to all 355,000 CPS students. The remaining $1.5 million will go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository to support the Citywide Emergency Food Distribution Plan to serve other vulnerable Chicagoans.
 
In her primetime address to Chicagoans, Mayor Lightfoot also announced a new $100 million economic relief package to support Chicago’s small businesses that are experiencing a temporary loss of revenue as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In partnership with the Catalyst Fund, the new Chicago Small Business Resiliency Loan Fund will provide more than $100 million in low-interest loans to severely impacted small businesses over the coming months, targeting historically under-resourced communities. The Mayor’s economic relief package also includes extended due dates for business-related tax payments until April 30, 2020.
 
Please continue to share information with your friends, neighbors and colleagues to ensure everyone is safe and receiving the help they need. You can access local, up-to-date information about COVID-19 on the CDPH website, chicago.gov/coronavirus.

What’s New

Testing: We know that you have a lot of questions about testing! Here’s what you need to know:

  • If you don’t have any symptoms, you do NOT need to be tested for COVID-19.
  • If you do NOT have a high-risk condition and your symptoms are mild, you do NOT need to be evaluated in person and do NOT need to be tested for COVID-19. There is no special medicine available for treating COVID-19 and you will receive the same advice whether or not you have a test. Most importantly – stay home away from others and help prevent COVID-19 from spreading to other people in our homes and communities.
  • If you’re at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19 – call your physician’s office and ask if you need to be evaluated in person, even if your illness is mild. They may want to monitor your health more closely or test you for COVID-19.

Discontinuing Home Isolation: If you are sick, you must stay home away from others for:

  • at least 7 days since your symptoms first appeared; and
  • at least 3 days (72 hours) with no fever (without using fever-reducing medications) and improving symptoms.

Latest Guidance

Additional Resources:

Tips For Keeping Chicago Healthy

  • Stay home as much as possible.
  • If gatherings are necessary, limit the number of people to 10.
  • Call to check on family, neighbors, and older adults instead of visiting.
  • Check with your doctor about telehealth options.

In the News

 

Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce: FREE Pickup & Delivery Signage

 

The UPS Store at will be printing the attached 24” x 36” pickup and delivery signs free of charge for all local restaurants/bars. If your business would like a sign, stop into the UPS Store at 3023 N. Clark starting today between 11am-6pm. After today, hours will be 10am-6pm. Please call (773) 281-8988 or email upsclark@gmail.com beforehand and they will have your sign waiting.

People’s Gas Commitment to Health and Safety

 

 

March 19, 2020

We are committed to promoting health and safety in the communities we serve. As conditions with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) change, I want to assure you that we are prepared and taking steps to ensure customers have the energy they need. Our efforts include the following actions:

· Safety comes first – We have plans in place to ensure natural gas workers and other critical team members continue delivering the reliable service you expect while following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for safety. We are rescheduling non-emergency appointments and will reach out to our customers at a later time to reschedule.

· Shutoffs suspended – We suspended shutoffs for residential and business customers, unless unsafe conditions exist, to ensure the safety of our customers and employees. This is effective until this health crisis is behind us.

· Late payment charges waived – We understand that some of our customers will face financial hardships due to the spread of COVID-19. We are now waiving new late payment charges.

· Bill payment arrangement options and financial assistance – If customers are having difficulty paying their bill, we will work with them to arrange a payment plan or discuss financial assistance options. Customers can find additional information on our website or by calling 866-556-6001.

Safety is at the center of all we do. We remain committed to reducing the risks to our communities while providing the essential energy services our customers depend on, including responding to any emergency situations.

We will continue to closely monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19. We urge customers to find the most up-to-date information from us on our website or call us at 866-556-6001 whenever we can assist them with their energy service questions.

Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Offices will be Closed to the Public Until Further Notice

Dear Chicago Residents and Partners,
Effective Thursday, March 19, 2020, all Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) offices will be closed to the public until further notice. This includes the following locations:
  • BACP Administrative Offices, 121 N. LaSalle St. Room 805
  • Small Business Center, 121 N. LaSalle St. Room 800
  • Public Vehicle Licensing Center, 2350 W. Ogden Ave. 1st Floor
  • Public Vehicle Inspection Facility, 2430 W. Pershing Ave.
BACP will continue processing business licenses, where applicable, online or over the phone. Please visit www.chicagobusinessdirect.org or call 312-74-GOBIZ. Please allow for extra time as BACP staff are working hard to keep City services going under this disruption.
The renewal of public passenger chauffeur and vehicle licenses that expire before April 1, 2020 will be deferred until April 30, 2020. BACP staff will continue to work servicing public vehicle licensees during closure to the public. BACP staff will be available at bacppv@cityofchicago.org and 312-746-4300.
Public vehicle inspections scheduled at the BACP Public Vehicle Inspection Facility from March 19, 2020 to March 31, 2020 will be rescheduled. An updated inspection list will be posted on the Public Vehicles page, and BACP will notify taxicab affiliations and license managers via e-mail of updated public vehicle inspection dates.
In addition to these changes at BACP, Mayor Lightfoot today announced a temporary suspension of debt collection, ticketing and towing practices to provide relief in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This package will extend the deadline for Transportation Network Provider (TNP) and Taxi drivers to pay debt owed to the City to April 30th and eliminate debt holds on new licenses and permits. 
Furthermore, the Mayor will soon announce additional economic relief measures to relieve the burden the outbreak has placed on businesses, as well as individuals, to help stabilize the health of our local economy. 
As this situation develops we will continue updating you with the latest resources and information. Please note that, as of today, the state of Illinois has now mandated the cancellation of events of more than 50 people, and the White House is advising against gatherings of over 10 people.
To assist businesses, consumers and employees during this difficult time, BACP has created a dedicated resources page at www.chicago.gov/BACPCOVID19. Please visit that website for updated information on the available resources and steps the City is taking to support business owners.
For the latest health guidance and updates from the Chicago Department of Public Health, please visit www.chicago.gov/coronavirus.
We want you all to know that the City of Chicago is continuing to do everything that’s needed to keep all of Chicago safe, healthy and secure. 
# # #

Community Alert from Chicago Animal Care and Control

Community Alert from Chicago Animal Care and Control

Chicago – In alignment with the City of Chicago’s activation of the Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) related to COVID-19, effective immediately, Chicago Animal Care and Control services may be accessed by appointment only until further notice. Going forward all services must be made by emailing visitcacc@gmail.com

Be assured that we will have staff available to feed, clean, and provide exercise and enrichment for the animals in our care. Our Animal Control Officers will respond to emergency calls such as vicious animals, animal cruelty, and calls about injured animals only. We continue our commitment to saving animals’ lives, reuniting lost pets with their families, and finding loving homes for abandoned and orphaned animals.

What does this mean for our community?

  • Adoptions

Want to adopt? Please visit Petharbor.com/Chicago or visit @CACCadoptables on Facebook to view photos and bios of the animals. If you find an animal that you are interested in, please email Visitcacc@gmail.com with your name, phone number and the name and the ID (A#) of the animal you are interested in. A volunteer will follow up with you with the next steps. If you want to adopt, we will note that there is an interested party, but adoptions and transfers will be honored on a first come-first-served basis and will only be approved after the applicant meets the pet.

  • Redemptions

If you lost your pet, visit Petharbor.com/Chicago to view all the stray animals in the facility. If you think that one of the animals at CACC is your lost pet, email Visitcacc@gmail.com with your name, phone number and the ID (A#) from the Petharbor site, and a staff member will follow up with you with the next steps.

  • Owner Surrenders

Anyone considering surrendering a pet should delay doing so, if possible. If this is not possible, email Visitcacc@gmail.com with your name, phone number and a brief description of your animal, and a staff member will follow up with you with the next steps.

  • Find Your Friend a New Home Yourself

In order to alleviate the need to bring an animal into the shelter environment, our partners at the Anti-Cruelty Society offer a Home-to-Home Shelter Bypass service to help people find new accommodations for their pets privately. The service offers courtesy listings for pet owners who can no longer keep their companions, but want to take responsibility for re-homing the animals themselves. If you are interested, please contact akulla@anticruelty.org.

  • Found a Lost Pet/Stray Animals

If you find a lost dog or cat that you can care for at your home, please visit helpinglostpets.com, lostdogsillinois.org or humanesociety.org/resources/how-help-stray-pet to see how you can help. If you can’t keep the dog or cat, please email visitcacc@gmail.com with your name, phone number and a brief description of the animal, and a staff member will follow up with you. Please note that we are unable to accept community/feral cats and kittens at this time unless they are orphaned and unweaned or injured. In this case, email askcacc@cityofchicago.org or call 3-1-1 to request pick-up.

  • Volunteers

To ensure the health and safety of our volunteers and staff, CACC is suspending the Volunteer Program including the Doggie Day Out Program, effective Thursday, March 19, 2020 until further notice.

  • How You Can Help

CACC is actively working to get as many shelter pets into good homes as possible. If you are interested in helping a shelter pet, please consider adopting or signing up to foster with any of CACC’s partner organizations. You can find a list of these organizations at: Chicago.gov/CACC.

  • Transfers

Transfer hours will remain the same. Rescue partners should email caccrescue@cityofchicago.org as usual to place hold requests or for more information.

For more detailed information about COVID-19 and Animals please see these frequently asked questions from the Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#animals

Metropolitan Tenants Organization Update & Info re: COVID-19

To our community
In order to protect the health and safety of the Metropolitan Tenants Organization’s staff, volunteers, members and community, our office are closed until March 30th.  More communications from our team is underway. Thank you for patience.
We encourage everyone to follow CDC and Chicago Department of Public Health guidelines to limit social contact as much as possible.
MTO staff will continue to answer our tenants’ crisis line and to provide as much assistance as possible over the phone from our homes.  We promise to remain vigilant during this period of emergency to advocate for the housing rights of everyone.  If you need assistance, please call 773-292-4988 to reach our crisis hotline and a eave message.
Additional Resources on COVID-19
We understand the importance of timely, accurate and helpful communication to visit trusted sources of public health information,
including:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Chicago Department of Health
World Health Organization
The American Public Health Association has also released COVID-19 fact sheets
in English, Spanish and Chinese.