Dear all,

In these trying times, I urge everyone to engage in social distancing and to restrict posting on the subreddit for meetups.

As of 3.16.20:

Please see below some guidelines and helpful resources shared by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). If you know anyone who will find this useful, please do pass it on.

• Reported Illinois cases: There have been 93 cases of COVID-19 identified in Illinois so far. As this outbreak has spread globally, CDPH is tracking it closely and is using data to guide its response.

• Individuals and communities should familiarize themselves with recommendations to protect themselves and their communities from getting and spreading respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.

• Older people and people with severe chronic conditions should take special precautions because they are at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 illness. They should limit travel and should not attend large gatherings unless it is essential.

• Event organizers - stay informed on the latest developments and public health guidance..pdf) We strongly encourage groups to consider cancelling or postponing planned events of at least 250 people. Cancellation of events greater than 1,000 is mandatory for the next 30 days.

• K-12 schools - Chicago Public Schools will be closed beginning March 17 through at least March 31. CPS will work to ensure students are engaged throughout their time away from the classroom and will provide meals to all students in need. All CPS families will be able to pick up meals outside of their nearest CPS school beginning March 17, between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Monday-Friday throughout the closure. Chicago’s network of food providers stand ready to support families during the closure. A full list of locations is available at chicagosfoodbank.org/find-food/. Limited recreational and enrichment activities will be offered in a safe setting at select Chicago Park District facilities. A list of site locations will be made available at cps.edu/coronavirus.

• Childcare facilities and colleges/universities - Closure of childcare facilities is still voluntary. See CDPH’s COVID-19 Guidance for Childcare Programs. Many institutions of higher learning are voluntarily closing their campuses and moving instruction online. See CDPH’s COVID-19 Guidance for Schools and Institutions of Higher Education.

• Businesses and employers should actively encourage all employees to stay home when sick, perform hand hygiene, and cover coughs and sneezes. Businesses should review their emergency operations plan, including identification of essential business functions, teleworking and flexible sick leave policies. For more information, see CDPH’s COVID-19 Guidance for Businesses and Employers.

• Restaurants and bars – Gov. JB Pritzker announced that all bars and restaurants in the state of Illinois will be closed to the public, beginning at close of business Monday, March 16th through Monday, March 30th. The state is working closely with restaurant owners and food delivery services to ensure kitchens can safely remain open to continue food delivery and put in place drive thru and curbside pickup options.

• Community- and faith-based organizations should review existing emergency operations plans, including strategies for social distancing and modifying large gatherings. Community-based organizations should take steps to protect both the clients they serve and their employees. See CDPH’s COVID-19 Guidance for Community- and Faith-based Organizations.

• Fight stigma and fear by understanding the facts about COVID-19 and taking the effective precautionary steps recommended by health professionals. Support people returning from COVID-19 quarantine and help reduce the spread of rumors by letting people know that viruses cannot target people from specific populations, ethnicities, or racial backgrounds.

Source - https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home.html

Other helpful links and resources -

• COVID-19: Preparedness Checklist for Individuals and Households

• Coronavirus Info (COVID-19) by the Chicago Transit Authority

• CDC COVID-19 Info

• Chicago Health Alert Network Info

• The Chicago Department of Health has established a call center to address questions from the public. Phone lines are currently staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, seven days a week. Please note that this call center can not access COVID-19 testing results. For testing inquiries or results, please contact your health care provider. Email [email protected] or call 312-746-4835.