Dear Community,
Thank you for the positive feedback on last week's update. With this new format, we look forward to continue sharing with you updates on a weekly basis.
Baruch Hashem, with the number of cases in the city and state on a steady decline, the City of Chicago announced that we will be transitioning to Phase 4 on Friday. Please see the updates below for some of the details of this new stage of reopening.
Additionally, with the school year behind us, summer and camping have become a primary focus. We have been in contact with the city on a regular basis and providing local day camps with guidance on how to provide a safe, legal and fun experience. We will provide regular updates on camping and other areas in the weekly email. Despite the challenges we face in the current environment, it's going to be, B'ezras Hashem, a great summer!
Finally, if there is any specific topic or general area that you would like to have included in these updates, please let us know by responding to this email.
Have a great week, | | If you did not receive this email directly and would like to receive it in the future, please click here. | | AGUDATH ISRAEL OF ILLINOIS COVID-19 UPDATES | |
What's the Agudah Been Up to Lately?
Ever since COVID-19 hit Chicago, Agudah has been up- there's been no time to sleep. Working with federal, state and local government on every area that touches on Jewish life. Here is a brief summary of some projects keeping us busy and some resources that can be helpful to you. | | New Unemployment Help Desk As part of our response to the financial hardship in the community, AIOI circulated a survey to determine what measures could be taken to best address the need. One of the things that we determined is that there are hundreds of individuals eligible for unemployment and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). While many simply didn't realize they are eligible, many others have run into obstacles in the application process. To assist these individuals, a new full-time desk was established to work with applicants, government officials and the Illinois Department of Employment Security to ensure these individuals receive benefits they are eligible for. If you have unemployment questions, email unemployment@jewishchicago.info.
Yeshivos and Schools We continue to invest countless hours into planning the reopening our yeshivos and schools. Getting all of our students safely back into the classroom for full-day in-person learning is a top priority. We have been working with the Illinois State Board of Education, which recently released their guidelines, as well as rabbonim, principals, public health experts, and government officials. Having a seat at the table is vital and fortunately we were invited to join the City of Chicago's Education Working Group. The group met this week to work on crafting policies that are safe and accommodating to the needs of all schools and their students.
Vaad Hatzedakos Based on the guidance of our rabbonim, we unfortunately need to extend the suspension of issuing certificates for Gabboei Tzeddakah. We regret the loss this causes our generous baalie tzedakah and hardship to those that rely on our community's generosity. We must, however, prioritize the health and safety of our community. This policy is constantly being reassessed and we will let you know when certificate issuance resumes.
| | ARE COVID-19 CASES GETTING BETTER IN CHICAGO? | | The rates of new cases, positivity rates, hospitalizations, and COVID-19 death continue to improve, Baruch Hashem. Positivity rates in Chicago have dropped below 5% (4.2%) for the first time in months, moving the city from "high incidence" status to "moderate-high incidence." These rates remain slightly higher in zip codes 60645 and 60659 (8.7%). In addition, after three consecutive weeks of declining numbers of new cases in these zip codes, there has been a slight increase in the most recently reported weekly numbers. While the numbers are still relatively low, a real danger still lurks in our midst and ongoing vigilance is important. In Chicago, for example, there is approximately a 15% chance right now that a gathering of 50 individuals will include someone with active COVID-19 infection. That doubles to 30% in a gathering of 100 Chicagoans. And most gatherings of 200 or more will have a contagious individual present. To see the latest data, visit Chicago's new coronavirus data page.
| | State & City Where Are We Now & What Can We Expect? | | Phase IV In a welcome development, Chicago enters Phase IV along with the rest of the state on June 26. The State and City have released Phase IV guidelines for most industries and activities. There are some notable leniencies that will impact shuls, camps, and lifecycle events.
Day Camp The City and State have released guidelines for day camps and recreational activities. They include new flexibilities and certain allowances for physical activities our children desperately need. AIOI has been assisting camps with understanding and implementing the guidelines, and is working with them, along with health experts and rabbinical leadership, enabling all camps to craft plans that are both safe and engaging for our youth.
Shuls The City of Chicago will be allowing multiple groups of 50 if they are separated by different levels such as a balcony. Only up to 25% occupancy is allowed indoors and food (e.g. kiddush) is not permitted. For outdoor gatherings, the limit increases to 100. Face coverings and social distancing are still mandatory. The expanded number for outdoors applies to other gatherings as well (e.g. graduation ceremonies) if group remains static (e.g. seated). For constrained venues, such as a fenced area, limit is the lesser of 100 or 50% occupancy. (For gatherings that include food, refer to restaurant guidance.)
Other Guidance You can find state guidance for other industries and activities here. Included is guidance from the State on offices, retail, personal care (e.g. barbers and sheitel salons), and recreation. Visit the above resource pages for guidelines, checklists, toolkits, graphics, posters and more. The City has issued additional guidelines for industries and activities.
| | FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS | | Guidance on Government Programs
| | There are constant changes and enhancements to existing programs and many new government programs. A few new programs were launched this week including the following.
NEW Stimulus Program for Chicagoans who weren't eligible for the federal stimulus funds.
The application for this program is available and prioritizes businesses in "Disproportionately Impacted Areas," which include 60645 and 60659. Applications are being accepted beginning June 26.
Information on other NEW state programs can found here.
Unemployment & Government Aid Many people are under the misconception that they are ineligible for unemployment or other government aid. However, nearly all individuals who have lost income due to COVID-19 are eligible for one, and often multiple programs. If you require assistance navigating the available programs, please reach out to our Government Programs Assistance team.
Click here to watch the recording of a wide-ranging and informative webinar about unemployment benefits, hosted by Agudath Israel of America and the Lakewood Resource and Referral Center.
Pandemic EBT Funds Received As communicated, the federal government is giving stipends of over $300 per child to families with children eligible for free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program, such as KiwiKids. Many families have already received these funds, which were either added to their current EBT cards or to new cards that they received by mail. If you not yet been funded, or if you feel that you may be eligible but have not applied yet, please reach out to kiwikids@agudahil.org for assistance.
| | If you missed last week's comprehensive update that contained additional relevant information, you can view it here. | | | | | | |
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