COVID-19 Pandemic

Education officials from five statewide organizations are pushing for fundamental changes in the way student achievement is measured each year and how schools are held accountable for meeting the state’s academic standards.

A state watchdog has identified at least $7.2 million in fraudulent claims and more than 275 instances of misconduct by state employees accused of bilking a federal program designed to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An Indiana man has been charged with fraudulently obtaining $41,666 in pandemic relief money and $1,126 in unemployment benefits in Crest Hill, court records show.

Will County prosecutors requested a warrant for the arrest of a former Joliet Township official when he didn't show up to court on Tuesday. The judge continued the case to Oct. 22 for warrant application.

A Will County woman who once worked as a state revenue auditor allegedly purchased an Italian luxury vehicle with fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan funds to launder money.

A Will County woman has been charged with defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program out of $41,665 while working for the Illinois Department of Revenue.

As the flow of billions of dollars in federal pandemic-related aid is about to end, many students in Illinois are still struggling to catch up academically from the learning loss that occurred when schools were forced to close.

Court proceedings will move forward for 32 families who lost loved ones in the COVID-19 outbreak at the state-run La Salle Veterans’ Home in November 2020.

The Holistic Mental Health Care for Youth in Care Task Force will meet quarterly and submit reports to the governor and General Assembly.

Illinois’ veterans affairs director told a legislative panel this week that while state-run veterans homes have better policies in place following a COVID-19 outbreak that killed 36 residents at the La Salle Veterans Home in 2020, understaffing remains a challenge.

Amid growing regrets over pandemic pet purchases during COVID-19, Kane County may offer low-cost euthanasia services for the first time.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is advising Illinoisans to take precautions to avoid spreading respiratory illnesses as cases around the state and country are on the rise.

Saying it would send the wrong message, Kane County Board members shunned a proclamation this week supporting residents who choose not to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

Back to school means back to the doctor for some, as three viral respiratory illnesses – influenza, RSV and COVID-19 – are again expected to dominate seasonal sickness trends this year, and area health officials say to expect an uptick in October.

When the U.S. ended its COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, it changed the way hospitals are supplied with vaccine doses. CGH Medical Center's order of 50 doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine currently is on backorder.

The Back to Business grant program provides recovery grants for businesses in the hardest-hit industries. The state has provided more than $535 million to more than 15,000 businesses since March 2020.

Monday marked the return of free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government, a move that comes amid an uptick in patients hospitalized with the virus.

Joliet Township High School District 204 officials are asking parents to consider taking their child to school at the beginning of the academic year. The district continues to face a declining number of bus drivers.

A Romeoville woman has been charged with fraudulently obtaining $41,666 in Paycheck Protection Program loan funds and $4,710 in unemployment benefits from Illinois.

After more than three years, the United States’ public health emergency declaration tied to the COVID-19 pandemic ends on Thursday.

Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks are now optional as of Monday at most Northwestern Medicine locations across northern Illinois, confirmed a health system spokesperson.

Crystal Lake-based Basic Logistics Inc. is part of a growing number of logistics-centered businesses locating in McHenry County.

Interest in farm-to-table businesses are growing both in McHenry County and across Illinois. Here's why.

Despite uncertainty in the economy and rising interest rates, city officials and developers are confident in housing projects going into the new year

St. Joe's longtime nurse Pat Meade experienced the patient side of care after a recent surgery. Meade said she saw her short-staffed peers – nurses and certified nurse assistants – run around caring for patients “the best they could” and it was “painful” to watch.

Nearly half of all emergency room visits by school-aged children and young adults in Kane County hospitals are for flulike illnesses.

Several new spots inside Huntley Middle School have air conditioning for the first time, after DeKalb School District 428 officials greenlit a plan to use $5 million in pandemic-era relief state funds for the upgrades this summer.

Illinois is set to receive 580,000 doses of a new updated COVID-19 booster after two variations of the shot were approved Wednesday, according to the state health department. As a result, some pharmacy chains are requiring customers to reschedule booster appointments.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert who became a household name — and the subject of partisan attacks — during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Monday he will depart the federal government in December after more than five decades of service.

The pandemic showed that many youth are struggling with their mental health. But as the pandemic becomes endemic, protecting that mental health in kids is still important.

Three Will County families share how their children fared during the pandemic. Even kids who breezed through it still missed their friends and school social experiences.

Although COVID-19 symptoms in kids were typically mild, the pandemic negatively impacted kids in other ways.

Covid-19 cases are rising in Kane County, yet hospitalizations haven't seen the same increase, which may suggest circulating variant leads to more mild cases.

Fielding job stress and pandemic burnout, some nurses like Taylor Zarris with Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital have turned to traveling positions to keep the love for the job alive, for a bump in pay and added flexibility in the workplace.

Will County Forest Preserve trails saw a lot more foot traffic last year from residents looking for safe activities as parts of the local economy were shut down to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus

The church has served free Thanksgiving Day meals since 1985, and the pandemic forced the church to adjust serving meals under COVID-19 restrictions. But despite the limitations, 291 community members took part in the dinner.

Pollyanna Brewing Company in St. Charles and Tunes for a Minute will host “In This Together” Brew-Aid, a livestream concert fundraising event to benefit the servers

Geneva District 304 officials are preparing for a second semester of in-person hybrid learning as well as continuing online only for students and families that want it.

The two deaths, a man in his 70s and a man in his 90s, were both residents of local long-term care facilities: one at Lincolnshire Place in Sycamore, bringing that facility's death toll to three.

It was about 2 years ago that Andrea Hensgen got a true taste of the importance of and need for the Sauk Valley Foodbank

Staff members at Aperion Care got a chance to pose with Miss Cottontail

Businesses reopened in Rock Falls in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic

Working overtime to bring the holiday spirit to La Grange this season, the La Grange Business Association has partnered with the village and local businesses to serve up holiday cheer even amid a pandemic.

Residents and businesses violating Gov. JB Pritzker’s COVID-19 restrictions could be fined as part of an ordinance that Geneva aldermen will discuss Monday

Geneva’s city facilities will be closed to the public starting Friday, Nov. 20 as the state moves to the “Restore Illinois” Tier 3 COVID-19 mitigation plan

The Geneva Public Library will close for indoor services, and offer drive-thru pick-up and online services only beginning Friday

Even a pandemic can’t keep Santa Claus from visiting Geneva Commons this year

2020 Christmas Walk Weekends in Geneva will be Dec. 4-6, Dec. 12-13 and Dec. 19-20. Each weekend will feature something joyful related to the holidays.

The final outdoor French Market of the season will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, just north of the train station off Third Street in Geneva

Kane County Health Department Executive Director Barbara Jeffers, who has shepherded the county through the last eight months of the coronavirus pandemic, is retiring, effective Dec. 1