Good evening,

Read below for information about the CTA holiday train, Downtown Evanston holiday tree lighting, an opportunity to share input on site concepts for the proposed Fifth Ward Campus, and more.

Plus, discover the 12 best restaurants in Evanston according to Timeout Chicago!

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Holiday tree, train and more!

December is here! Get in the holiday spirit with events and celebrations.

Light the tree: Stop by Fountain Square for Downtown Evanston's holiday light celebration and tree lighting this Sat., Dec. 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.! 

Ride the train: The Allstate CTA Holiday Train will roll into Evanston on the Purple Line on December 7, 9 and 10! Find out when to catch a ride.

Write a letter to Santa: Evanston Parks & Rec is working with the North Pole to deliver letters to Santa! Drop off letters at the Chandler-Newberger Community Center, 1028 Central St., through December 15.

Make the season bright for others: Donate to the Mayor's Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive to help others celebrate this season.

Fifth Ward Campus Community Meeting

Share your thoughts on proposed site concepts for District 65’s new 5th Ward school and the future of the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center at an informational meeting on Tues., Dec. 6, 6 p.m., at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center.

Four fall cleanup reminders

Street cleaning continues through Thurs., Dec. 15. View the schedule, which includes additional fall dates for residential streets.

Gas-powered leaf blowersare no longer permitted for use as of 5 p.m. today, Dec. 1. Electric-powered leaf blowers are not subject to seasonal restrictions.

Yard wastewill be collected through Thurs., Dec. 8. That means next week is the final week for 2022 collections!

Food scrapscan be composted this winter as part ofCollective Resource Compost's winter gap program. 

Learn more about these programs and services.

COVID-19 Update

Cases: Evanston reported 136 new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the last seven days, compared to 101 for the week prior. The current seven-day moving average of daily confirmed cases is 19.43.

COVID-19 Community Risk Level: MEDIUM.

Hospitalizations: View local COVID-19 hospitalizations.

To date, Evanston has had 17,558 total confirmed cases, and 157 residents have died of illness or complications related to COVID-19. View the City’s interactive COVID-19 dashboard (view on mobile).

RSV Update
RSV, known as the Respiratory syncytial virus, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. 

Although RSV and other influenza-like illnesses tend to peak in the winter months, Evanston and other communities have seen a larger and earlier increase in emergency department visits related to RSV in 2022 compared to 2021.

How it spreads

RSV spreads between people when an infected person coughs or sneezes near others and you get virus droplets in your eyes, nose, or mouth. RSV can also spread through touching a contaminated surface with the virus and then touching your face before washing your hands

Symptoms

People infected with RSV usually show symptoms within 4 to 6 days after getting infected. Symptoms of RSV infection usually include runny nose, decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever, and/or wheezing. These symptoms usually appear in stages and not all at once. 

What you can do

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following steps to prevent the spread of RSV: 

Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands. 

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. 

Avoid close contact, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils, with others. 

Clean frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs and mobile devices. 

Ideally, people with cold-like symptoms should not interact with children at high risk for severe RSV disease. If this is not possible, carefully follow the prevention steps listed above and wash your hands before interacting with high-risk children. 

For more information, please visit the CDC website, call Evanston's Health & Human Services Department at 847-448-4311, or email [email protected].

Click Here To View The City Of Evanston E-News: December 1, 2022