diehard fan had a lifelong goal—to write a hit song about baseball.

lingering confusions about face masks.

over the killing of George Floyd. One Chicagoan wonders what will happen to the art

now.

entertainment all helped form a need for the Chicago music venues we know

today.

Like other cities across the nation, Chicago has seen an increase in residential garbage as a result of the state’s stay-at-home order, city officials said. And nestled in those garbage bags, you’ll likely find lots of pandemic related items, including disposable masks, gloves, takeout boxes, wipes and plastic grocery bags. This inspired Curious City listener Sandy Kaempen to ask: Just how much more garbage have we generated with this pandemic, with so much more medical waste, PPE items and carryout containers? This is tough data to track down locally because Chicago officials say they don’t calculate COVID-19-related waste separately from other waste. But we do know that Illinois’ pandemic equipment requests to the federal government included nearly 100 million disposable gloves, almost 17.5 million disposable gowns and nearly 12 million disposable N95 masks. The feds didn't fully deliver on the requests, but the numbers offer a glimpse of how much pandemic-related waste may be piling up around the state in health care settings alone. This disposable health care waste may be unavoidable, but Sandy wondered if that’s also true with non-health care waste. So she asked a second related question: How can regular citizens start reducing COVID-19-related waste now that we know more about how the virus is transmitted? To find out, we consulted experts, caught up on new policies and devised a few winning strategies of our own. The result is this handy list of ways to stay safe and relatively green during the pandemic. Skip the latex gloves for most things:  Early on, many people used latex gloves to run errands. But now, health experts including the CDC and Dr. Jennifer Grant, an infectious disease physician at NorthShore University HealthSystem, say that’s probably not necessary. They still recommend gloves for frontline workers, and when cleaning or caring for someone who is sick, but otherwise they recommend hand-washing. “The virus isn’t going to infect by penetrating your skin on your hands but rather through your mouth, nose or eyes,” Grant says. “So if your gloves are contaminated and you are scratching your nose or eyes, you are no better off than if you weren’t wearing them.” Pro tip: If you worry about dirty hands after doing errands, keep some hand sanitizer in your bag, bike basket or car. Despite what you may have heard, it will not ignite in a hot car. Opt for a reusable cloth mask:  Yes, we know they can be uncomfortable and hot in the summer, but masks aren’t leaving us any time soon. So it’s time to find some you don’t hate (or maybe even look great in) and learn how to wash and use them properly. Grant urges care when removing masks: “Think of the outside surface as a potentially contaminated surface. Handle it by the straps and wash your hands after taking it off.” To keep them clean, the CDC recommends washing masks after use with a five-minute soak in water and mild detergent. The agency recommends air drying in the sun or in a hot dryer. Pro tip: Machine wash and dry them in a lingerie bag (aka bra-saver) to avoid damaging or stretching out the straps. Know when and how to use (and reuse) other masks:  Surgical masks and high-quality KN95 and N95s are technically meant to be disposable. But with the current shortage, even frontline workers have been known to reuse them. The CDC does not have official rules on how many times you can reuse them, but offers some general guidelines here. Pro tip: N95s should still be reserved for frontline workers, but many people have found them at home stored with their tools from previous home projects. Make your own disinfection solution:  If you want to avoid using multiple disposable wipes, the CDC says you can make a disinfectant bleach solution with four teaspoons of bleach per quart of water. Spray it on a cloth or hard surface, wipe and let it air dry. Use with paper towels or, even better, clean reusable washable towels. The CDC warns against applying

could finally be time to invite some helping hands into their

home.

Last week, Curious City answered a question on the safety of Illinois’ recently restored outdoor dining. We talked to health professionals about how to do it more safely. In the process, we heard about an innovative safety plan afoot at Uptown’s Sun Wah BBQ, famous for its roasted duck dinners. Co-owner Kelly Cheng told us she plans to require all diners to sign a declaration of health regarding COVID-19 and share all of their contact information before sitting down. Read more: All of WBEZ’s coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Chicago and the region Cheng hopes to get the restaurant’s new outdoor patio license this week from the city. But even if they don’t get it, she says they still plan to require customers to sign the declaration before diners head indoors later this summer. The following is an edited transcript about why Cheng — who started running the restaurant with her siblings when her dad retired — decided to do this and how she anticipates it will work. So you guys were getting by and keeping your staff safe during the pandemic with just a brisk curbside pick-up business on weekends. Why did you decide to apply for a patio permit at this time? Kelly Cheng: If we don’t have an outdoor space, we don’t have a learning curve. … And I’ve been hearing a lot of horror stories, people that have been opening right away, and then they get bombarded with customers and then people get upset. And then you have basically fights breaking out, you know, whether it’s verbal or actual fights breaking out, because people have been locked up for three months and they don’t honestly know how to behave in public anymore. And so having read a lot of those weird, crazy stories and knowing that we can be a draw for crowds, I really didn’t want to just jump back in. My staff are willing to work, but they’re also fearful. They’re like, ‘Well, you know, what if we have crowds? How are we going to control that?’ We only have a skeleton crew. How did you get the idea to have people sign an affidavit of sorts about their health? Cheng: I was also doing research and a lot of people were throwing the Black Sheep Restaurant handbook at me. Black Sheep is a restaurant group in Hong Kong. And I pay attention to the restaurant industry in Hong Kong, not just because they have good food and stuff, but because they are such a crowded, densely populated space. And eight times out of ten, they’re ahead of the curve. And what they essentially did was make rules for what their employees should do, what would happen. They made a health declaration form, and I think that is the most brilliant thing on earth. What does their form look like? Cheng: So they basically tell you you have to attest that you don’t have covered symptoms, that you’re not sick, that you haven’t exhibited the symptoms, and for their form, that they haven’t been outside of Hong Kong for the last 14 days. In other words, you’re not in quarantine and you’ve snuck out to come for some food. And they were very strict about the form. … But they had trouble getting people to sign the form. So what they did was they turn people away. They said the first night they reopened, they turned away like 50 parties … because those people wouldn’t sign the affidavit. And then they created a WhatsApp group with their entire restaurant group team so that those same groups that refuse that store A couldn’t go to store B, C and D and try to pull off the same stunt and get in. [Eventually many diners warmed up to the idea. The restaurant group’s manual is now being shared across the world, and their safety protocols have allowed them to survive and even make expansion plans amid the pandemic.] What will your form look like?  Cheng: I’ve made it much more simple. And this is America, so obviously lawsuits will happen, and they have privacy concerns. … I’ve essentially said, OK, you have attest that you are not sick. You haven’t exhibited signs of COVID-19. You haven’t had COVID[-19] in the last 14 da

Benedetti and artistic performer Angela Oliver about how systemic racism has

impacted Chicago’s improv and comedy scene, what they’ve experienced onstage and off

and what it will take to change things.

Moore, Monica Eng, Chip Mitchell and Sarah Karp take us through the moments that

defined this historic week.

food—how safe it is, how to get it, whether it would be available. We answered

many of those questions a couple of months ago. But now, with

new state and local regulations coming out for how to reopen, things are slowly

beginning to change. And Curious Citizens have asked us what it means for things

like Chicago area farmers markets, take out and restaurants. We answer a few of

those questions here:

the Chicago area?

the reopening of farmers markets within the city limits—much to the chagrin of

organizers and shoppers. But several local area markets, including those in Oak

Park and Evanston,

are already open, along with dozens of others across the state. The Illinois Farmers

Market Association has also put out recommendations

for safety.

market operators already have a clear idea of what this year’s socially distant

season will look like—and many have been operating virtually in the meantime. Here

are some of the most common rules they say will be in place, once markets open for

in-person shopping:

coverings for all vendors and patrons for entry.

the shopping area at any one time. And, once inside, visitors will be encouraged to

walk through the market in just one direction, keeping 6 feet from all

others.

their produce in advance so they can pick it up from the market without any money

changing hands. They encourage shoppers to use an app called WhatsGood that

aggregates the products of all the market vendors in one spot for pre-order and

delivery.

yoga, chef demonstrations and kids activities have already been cancelled or at

least delayed until the situation can be re-evaluated later in the year. At

Chicago’s Green City

Market, organizers have moved some activities, like their kids’

Club

Sprouts, into the virtual sphere.

rules that they will combine with any city rules that emerge in

the coming days. They also plan to experiment with a reservation system where

shoppers can sign up for a specific time to enter the market in order to manage the

flow of traffic and avoid long lines for entry.

to share more information about the future of Chicago farmers markets sometime in

early June.

when they reopen for in-person shopping. Many market managers tell Curious City that

they are going to focus on vendors selling fresh plants, herbs, fruits and

vegetables in the early weeks. This will allow them to keep crowding down and expand

gradually as shoppers get used to the new rules.

said they may add things like bakery items later in the season, but not prepared

items—like tacos. This is to discourage people from hanging around the market and

socializing.

like the famous Oak Park Farmers Market doughnuts made at Pilgrim Church. They are

still being sold at the market, but have to be pre-ordered through the WhatsGood app

and pre boxed for pick up—so maybe they won’t be quite as hot.

third party delivery companies—are getting the money from takeout

orders?

takeout and delivery model, including many in Chicago. Some restaurant owners say

the model has served them surprisingly well and will remain a lasting part of their

business—even at high-end dining establishments. Curious City looked at the safety

aspects of this model in a previous

story, but today there’s a lot more scrutiny on the economics of

it.

in May requiring third party delivery services to disclose their fees on the

customer’s receipt. This has cast a new spotlight on who is actually

benefiting from the fees charged by companies like GrubHub and

Uber Eats. Sometimes these companies can take up to 30

percent of the total bill.

takeout transactions, here are a few tips, according to restaurateurs we’ve spoken

with:

much you are actually paying in various fees. The disclosure rules are already in

effect in Chicago. You might see that some restaurants have added in-house COVID

fees to their bills, and they should be able to answer customer questions about what

these fees cover.

terms of how the restaurant’s takeout procedures operate—sometimes it’s wrong. If

possible, call the restaurant first and ask them about their set up. Some may have

their own in-house delivery person or have limited delivery. Others may have good

curbside pick up options to avoid delivery altogether.

transactions at this time, they also have to pay the credit card company fees for

every transaction at around 1.75 percent. Call to ask if they have other payment

options that they prefer.

tip in advance by either putting it on the credit card when you order or having a

clean envelope with the cash tip taped to your front door or in the part of your car

(back seat or popped trunk) where the staffer is placing your food during curbside

pickup.

their business during COVID-19?

Many have announced permanent

closures, others are hanging on by a thread and some may reopen

only to fail, according to the National Restaurant Association.

how local restaurants can reopen their indoor dining rooms, they recently announced

rules for the next small step—allowing outdoor dining. You can read the city

and state

rules on these links.

they might reshape in-person dining experiences, like removing half of the tables

from the dining room, putting up bookcases between tables, creating tent-like

structures around tables and even erecting plexiglass barriers. But a couple of our

question askers wanted to know what other things restaurants were doing right now to

adapt and try to sustain themselves safely in the time of COVID-19.

fed during COVID-19 have included everything from takeout meals you cook yourself at

home to mixed cocktails (after the Illinois General Assembly passed

legislation allowing restaurants and bars to sell the sealed

to-go drinks).

offer in Chicago:

restaurant has transformed into Super Fat Rice

Mart, which sells whole kits to make the erstwhile restaurant’s

signature dishes including Macanese vegetable curry and ginger and pork dumplings.

More adventurous types can try the “Mystery Box” option, with ingredients and

recipes for three unknown (in advance) Fat Rice dishes.

in Logan Square is now selling their fresh pasta along

with produce and groceries from local farms, including milk, butter, flour and

eggs.

and Bar has become a butcher shop, selling premium

cuts of meat, wine and grilling kits.

Houses are also selling aged prime cuts of meat,

normally unavailable to ordinary consumers, for cooking at

home.

Ideas in Douglas Park on 14th

Street is offering curbside pick up of its tasting menus paired with an

optional Zoom meeting with chef Phillip Foss later in the night. Here diners can

talk with Foss about the dishes and hear the inspiration behind them. “Even though

dining rooms are closed,” Foss says, “I think people still want a way to

connect.”

affordability of meals from Chicago’s top-rated

Alinea and the Alinea group.

Customers regularly paid more than $200 a head at the flagship Lincoln Park

restaurant that now offers a nine-course tasting menu for about $50 per person

through curbside pick up.

across the country including Chicago-based enterprises Dining at a Distance

and Tock.

restaurants?

to help make the whole contactless takeout experience work better for

everyone:

example, order at noon for a 4pm pick up

service when you arrive. If you must pick up at a popular time (like 6:30pm), be

patient. Dozens of others have probably chosen the same time for dinner pick

ups.

you text when you get there or call to retrieve your order?

that says “Picking up Order for John Doe.” Cheng says, “It can be hard sometimes to

hear and understand each other through masks and this way you can be sure you don’t

have to get out of your car and interact.”

parked in bike lanes while waiting for their pick up,” Cheng

says.

restaurant with the food, “especially if it’s raining,” Cheng

says.

and Mary Beth Nevulis for your great food questions.