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CHICAGO – A Chicago police officer is in serious condition after being struck by a vehicle on the South Side, officials said.

At around 7:40 p.m., police responded to 95th and the Red Line on the report of an officer down.

A Chicago police officer was struck by a vehicle and has been transported in serious condition, CFD said.

The officer was transported by a fellow officer and then Chicago fire completed the transfer to Christ. The officer’s partner was also transported in good condition for observation.

It is unknown is anyone is in custody at this time.

We will update this story once more information becomes available.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The General Services Administration has ascertained that President-elect Joe Biden is the “apparent winner” of the Nov. 3 election. President Donald Trump, who had refused to concede the election, said Monday that he is directing his team to cooperate on the transition but is vowing to keep up the fight.

The move clears the way for the start of the transition from Trump’s administration and allows Biden to coordinate with federal agencies on plans for taking over on Jan. 20.

An official said Administrator Emily Murphy made the determination after Trump efforts to subvert the vote failed across battleground states, most recently in Michigan, which certified Biden’s victory Monday.

“Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official—including those who work at the White House or GSA—with regard to the substance or timing of my decision,” Murphy wrote in a letter to Biden.

Trump tweeted shortly after her letter was made public: “Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good… fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.”

CHICAGO — Every region of Illinois reported either flat or falling COVID-19 test positivity rates Monday, although none have dropped below the level needed for recently-imposed “Tier 3” restrictions to be rolled back.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 8,322 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases Monday, as well as 47 additional coronavirus-related deaths.

Health officials also reported another decline in the statewide case positivity rate, with 10.9% of tests performed from November 16-22 confirming a new case of COVID-19.

Illinois also reported more new COVID-19 cases than any other state (83,301) over that same period, according to the CDC.

When population is taken into account, Illinois ranked 12th in the nation behind mostly Midwestern states including North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana.

Indiana health officials reported 5,606 new cases of COVID-19, 27 additional coronavirus-related deaths and a positivity rate of 11.6% from November 10-16 on Monday.

After rising steadily since early October, 7-day test positivity rates which reflect the number of positive tests compared to the total performed have been either dropping or flat in regions across the state for more than a week.

All of Illinois remains under “Tier 3” COVID-19 mitigation measures Monday, with theaters, museums and casinos shuttered, store capacity limited to 25% and indoor service at bars and restaurants not allowed across the state.

While test positivity rates are declining, none of the regions have yet reached the 12% level where added Tier 3 restrictions would be rolled back.

WATCH ABOVE: Governor JB Pritzker and state officials give a daily update on COVID-19 in Illinois Monday

Testing has continued to expand statewide, with state health officials reporting 91,562 new tests performed in the past 24 hours alone. As of Monday, the state is averaging more than 104,000 daily tests over a 7-day period, data compiled by WGN-TV shows.

Test results found through rapid saliva-based tests are being labeled as “probable” cases following CDC guidelines, with those tests making up 4% of the total reported Monday.

While testing is increasing statewide, drops in test positivity rates seen in some Chicago-area regions are outpacing the rise in testing.

The North Suburban Region including Lake and McHenry counties saw the biggest recent drop in its 7-day test positivity rate, declining from 17.1% on November 13 to 13.9% on November 20. While the test positivity rate dropped by 19%, the region’s 7-day testing average rose by only 1.6% over that same period.

Although it has flattened in recent days, the 7-day positivity rate in the South Suburban Region including Will and Kankakee counties continues to see the highest in the state, coming in at 19.2% as of Friday.

Coronavirus hospitalizations continue to rise in Illinois, with the IDPH reporting 6,171 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Sunday night, including 1,206 in intensive care and 635 on ventilators.

The South Suburban region is also below the state’s “warning” level for availability of both intensive care unit and “surge” hospital beds as of Monday.

Measured over a 7-day period, Illinois is also averaging around 110 coronavirus-related deaths a day after the state reported the biggest spike since May and four days with more than 100 lives lost over the previous week.

Both hospitalizations and deaths are considered “lagging indicators” of the spread of COVID-19, as it can take several days for a case to become serious. Health officials estimate 97% of confirmed cases have recovered to date.

The elderly make up the majority of lives lost to COVID-19 in Illinois, with more than 70% of victims over the age of 70 and roughly half of deaths linked to long-term care facilities like nursing homes.

Across the Chicago area, nearly 700 nursing home workers walked off the job to begin a strike Monday.

Members of the SEIU Health Care Illinois Union who are employed at 11 Infinity-owned facilities in the greater Chicago area are demanding hazard pay and changes to working conditions while treating patients with COVID-19 inside nursing homes.

More than 2 million people were screened at U.S. airports on Friday and Saturday, according to the Transportation Security Administration, after the nation’s top public health agency pleaded with Americans not to travel for the holiday.

While that’s far lower than during the same time last year, Friday was only the second time since mid-March that daily airport screenings topped 1 million.

AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed that its COVID-19 vaccine with Oxford University was up to 90% effective in preventing disease.

It is the third major drug company to report late-stage results for its potential COVID-19 vaccine as public health officials around the world anxiously wait for vaccines that will end the pandemic that has killed almost 1.4 million people.

CHICAGO – It is tradition in Chicago that when the aldermen finally take up the mayor’s proposed budget, residents pack the council chamber.

This year is different, but the pandemic is not silencing concerned citizens. A number of people joined Monday’s virtual City Council meeting to share their thoughts about the budget.

Mayor Lightfoot is poised to win approval for her $12.8 billion budget that tries to plug a $1.2 billion hole.

For the budget to pass, Lightfoot needs 26 aldermen to vote yes. City Hall observers say she’s there. Now, it’s just a battle over the final vote tally.

The most controversial Lightfoot proposal is a $94 million property tax hike followed by annual increases tied to the consumer price index.

Monday during a brief Council meeting, members of the public expressed concern. The comments were audio only.

“This budget does not provide adequate funding for mental health services and this budget does not meet a desperate need for truly affordable housing,” a resident said.

To win key votes, Mayor Lightfoot has made concessions and cut deals. She agreed to make Juneteenth a day of observance, dropped city worker layoffs and added more money for violence prevention

Even before the vote, grassroots organizations say they’re dismayed. A campaign to defund the Chicago Police Department fired off thousands of e-mails to aldermen urging them reconsider CPD’s budget.

“The budget that came before City Council today is anti-Black, pro-cop, and fake progressive,” DeFundCPD said.

In other council business, the aldermen unanimously passed relief for restaurants struggling to survive with in-door dining suspended in Illinois.

The new temporary ordinance takes effect immediately, setting a cap on the amount of money third-party delivery services like Grubhub or Uber Eats can charge restaurants.

“With this hopefully they will be able to prayfully recover from some of the damage that has been done to them,” Ald. Carrie Austin (34th Ward) said.

The aldermen did not debate the budget today. That comes tomorrow at 10 a.m. during another meeting where the Council will take a final vote.

CHICAGO, Ill. — Nearly 700 nursing home workers walked off the job across the Chicago area Monday, going on strike after they say contact negotiations with provider Infinity Health Care stalled over COVID-19 hazard pay.

For eight long months, the nursing home workers have experienced the emotional toll of this pandemic firsthand.

“I lost not just one, more than three people I loved so much, who up to this day we go in their rooms and think they were once there,” said one Lakeview Nursing & Rehabilitation employee.

Members of the SEIU Health Care Illinois Union who are employed at 11 Infinity-owned facilities in the greater Chicago area walked off the job before dawn Monday.

Employees want a $15 minimum wage, saying they are paid significantly less than other nursing home workers in the city. They say the company also suspended pandemic pay in July, even after receiving $12.7 million in federal CARES Act funding.

“They’re asking for proper PPE, hazard pay for everyone now just a few and paid sick time off if they get COVID,” the SEIU’s Shaba Andrich said.

According to the SEIU, two Infinity facilities lead the state in the number of reported COVID-19 cases and deaths. City View Multi-Care Center in Cicero has the state’s highest number of reported COVID-19 infections and Niles Nursing and Rehab Center has the highest number of deaths.

“I am being asked to risk my life and infinity won’t give me a living wage,” said Shantonia Jackson, a City View Multicare Center employee.

After working without a contract since June, workers said they walked off the job after negotiations came to a standstill. Union leaders say the company did hire replacement staff to cover shifts at their 11 nursing homes during the strike.

Infinity Health Care did not respond to requests for comment as of Monday evening.

Rosalind Reggans works at Lakeview Nursing & Rehabilitation, and says short staffing is another big issue. Reggans said each registered nurse is being asked to take care of 25-30 residents. 

“I think it’s terrible; to me it adds insult to injury because you come in here every day, you’re sacrificing your life,” Reggans said. “We lost a lot of residents, I would say close to 40 some residents.”

SEIU Healthcare’s Erica Bland-Eurosinmi said workers would strike “as long as it takes.”

“Their health is on the line, their livelihood, families’ health is on the line,” Bland-Eurosinmi said.

The Cook County Chief Judge entered an order Monday calling for all courthouse matters to be held via videoconference except in “extraordinary or compelling circumstances,” according to the order.