Dear Friend,

I’m excited to give you an important update on our state’s pandemic recovery efforts. Parallel to the rest of the state, Chicago will move into the Bridge Phase of our reopening plan—easing capacity limits and allowing for increased business operations in all industries—starting Friday, May 14.

Although this development comes as a relief to many business owners across the state, some are still struggling to cope with pandemic-related losses. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund is now open, offering aid to eligible restaurants, bars and other food service businesses—find a list of covered costs and apply here. For all other types of businesses, the Paycheck Protection Program has been extended to May 31, 2021.

There’s assistance available for families, too. Eligible households may be able to claim a larger federal child tax credit and receive advanced payments as early as July under the American Rescue Plan. Don’t miss out—file your 2020 income taxes by May 17, even if you have no income to report, to qualify.

We couldn’t have made this progress without the commitment and sacrifice of residents like you. Illinois continues to outpace national vaccination rates, and after an alarming uptick earlier this spring, we’ve been able to contain the spread of COVID-19 thanks to diligent social distancing and mask wearing.

We are so close to the finish line, and we need you to help us keep up the fight against this pandemic. If you haven’t already, get vaccinated (all Illinoisans 16 and up are eligible!) and encourage your family and friends to get their doses, too. To make it even easier to protect yourself against this deadly virus, all state-run sites and many private providers are now accepting walk-ins. Find a vaccination site near you.

In just a few short days, our favorite restaurants, gyms and fitness centers, museums, performing arts venues, and more will finally be able to welcome more Chicagoans—and our day-to-day lives will be one step closer to normal.

Thank you for helping us make it to this point. As always, my staff and I are available to assist you and answer your questions. Feel free to email us https://www.senatorjacquelinecollins.com/contact-us.

I look forward to hearing from you—and maybe even seeing you!—very soon.

Sincerely,

Sincerely,

Jacqueline Collins
State Senator, 16th Illinois Senate District

Dear Friend,

As I write to you, COVID-19 vaccinations are becoming more widely available. While obtaining these shots and delivering them to those who need them are two separate challenges, this is still incredible news. And as you prepare to be vaccinated, I want you to be aware that there is now a new option for those in the Chicago area, as the United Center will now serve as a mass vaccination site. Read on to find out about this and other options.

New mass vaccination site at United Center

Beginning Thursday, March 4 at 8:30 a.m., Illinois seniors will be able to schedule their first COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the United Center, which is located at 1901 W. Madison St. in Chicago. Beginning March 9, a limited number of vaccinations will be administered, followed by a full opening March 10. Following the appointment period for seniors, all Illinoisans eligible under the state’s Phase 1B+ will be able to start scheduling appointments on Sunday, March 7 at 4 p.m.

The United Center site’s 6,000 vaccine doses per day are provided by the federal government and do not affect the supplies already obtained by the City of Chicago or the State of Illinois. More than 100,000 appointments over the following three days will be available when registration opens.

The vaccine will be offered at no cost, and insurance is not required, nor will it be requested at the federal community vaccination center. Documentation regarding immigration status is also not required.

How to make an appointment at the United Center

Illinois residents can register for United Center vaccine appointments online or through a call center.

To register online, visit Zocdoc.com/vaccine. You will be asked to provide your date of birth when booking an appointment to confirm vaccine eligibility.

To register by phone, call (312) 746-4835. A multilingual call center will be available to help seniors make appointments Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The vaccine site will operate seven days a week for eight weeks under the federal government’s vaccination pilot program. The facility will be managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with support from the Department of Defense, State of Illinois, Cook County and City of Chicago.

Free, state-run COVID-19 testing remains operational in Auburn Gresham

While we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, we must not forget that we are still in a pandemic and we still need to be protecting our friends, family and neighbors by maintaining social distance, washing our hands, covering our face, and being tested for COVID-19 whenever we have reason to believe we may have been exposed. Remember that Chicago’s free COVID-19 testing site is in Auburn Gresham and there are no restrictions on taking advantage of it.

Community-Based Testing Site
7938 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60620
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. every day except Tuesdays

• No medical insurance neccessary
• No referral needed
• No appointment needed
• No symptoms required
• Available for all ages

If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact my office here.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline Collins
State Senator, 16th Illinois Senate District

Dear Friend,

Last week, the Illinois House and Senate met for a short lame-duck session to work on high-priority legislation before the end of the 101st General Assembly.

We passed a number of crucial bills, including measures supporting K-12 and higher education in the state and allowing customers to get alcoholic beverages delivered from their local restaurants.

You may also have heard about House Bill 3653—a criminal justice reform bill—which is receiving significant attention in the media. Unfortunately, some descriptions of the bill have been skewed or are just plain wrong. 

I want to set the record straight about what House Bill 3653 does—and what it doesn’t do.

What does House Bill 3653 do?

• It improves police training in a number of areas, including use of force, crisis intervention and first aid.
• It gives law enforcement a path to discover and hold accountable the few officers who engage in misconduct by establishing the use of body cameras statewide by 2025, requiring reporting on deaths in police custody, and ensuring officers who step up to intervene when they witness misconduct are not retaliated against.

• Read more ...

Dear friend,

If you're seeking a COVID-19 test, be aware that the free, state-run testing site in the 16th District has moved to a new location that remains within the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. The former site was at Forman Mills on 79th Street. The new site at 7938 S. Halsted St., at the former Save-A-Lot, will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on all days of the week except for Tuesdays.

As always, no medical insurance, no referral, no appointment, and no symptoms are necessary to be tested. Testing is available for all ages. Please feel free to share the image below to your social media and spread the word about this free COVID-19 testing site.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline Collins
State Senator, 16th Illinois Senate District