Longstanding, Beloved City Employee Dies From Coronavirus

CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot Wednesday announced that a longtime city worker has died from the new coronavirus.

"This is a sad day for all of us here in city government. It is with a heavy heart that I am here to announce that Chicago has lost one over own city employees to COVID-19," she said. "While I cannot provide, and will not, any personal details. I can say the employee was longstanding, beloved by family and co-workers."

Lightfoot said she has reached out to offer her sincere condolences to the employee's family. The mayor said she did not come in contact with the employee who died from COVID-19, and that his co-workers have been notified. The mayor declined to name which city department the employee. The offices are currently undergoing a deep cleaning, the mayor said.

"This sobering moment should remind us that the numbers we report every day are not mere statistics. They are people whose lives have been forever changed. And a network people connected by crisis who need us to do everything that we can every day to save lives," the mayor said at a Wednesday news conference.

"While this particular case directly touches our city workforce, it is not lost on any of us that tragedies like this have been happening across the state and across the world. And will continue to happen here at home over the coming weeks. This disease is deadly. It does not discriminate and no one is immune. That is why everyone needs to continue to stay home and save lives."