PEDESTRIANS MIGHT TOUCH.
AFTERWARDS THEY USED A SPECIAL
DISINFECTANT IN AN EFFORT TO
KILL ALL STRAINS OF COVID-19.
LOOK AT THAT NUMBER,
120,000 IS HOW MANY JOBS ARE
ON THE LINE IN ILLINOIS.
THAT NUMBER RIGHT THERE.
AS HOTELS FACE SHUTDOWN, WITH
THOUSANDS LAID OFF ALREADY,
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE
INDUSTRY IS WORSE THAN 9/11 AND
THE 2008 RECESSION COMBINED.
WE CONTINUE THE LIVE TEAM
COVERAGE.
Reporter: THE PENINSULA AND
THE PARK HYATT, THE FIRST
HOTELS TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS
HERE IN CHICAGO.
SINCE THEN MANY HAVE FOLLOWED.
TODAY WE HAVE TOUCHED BASE WITH
THE STATE GROUP THAT'S ALREADY
MAKING WAYS TO HELP THEM ONCE
THEY CAN OPEN THEIR DOORS.
NO TAXIS LINED UP, NO BELL HOPS
IN PLACE, NO CUSTOMERS.
BUT THE HILTON ON MICHIGAN
AVENUE NOW JOINING THE LIST OF
CHICAGO HOTELS SHUTTING THEIR
DOORS THIS WEEK.
THE LACK OF SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
OUTSIDE OF SOME OF THE CITY'S
MOST RECOGNIZABLE, EERIE. MANY
ARE CHOOSING TO CLOSE FOR THE
TIME BEING, WITH OCCUPANCY RATES
IN THE SINGLE DIGITS.
MICHAEL JACOBSON, PRESIDENT OF
THE ILLINOIS HOTEL AND LODGING
ASSOCIATION:
ONE HOTEL DOWNTOWN HAD ONE
PERSON CHECK IN AND ANOTHER WAS
EXCITED AT THE FACT THAT THEY
HAD SEVEN GUESTS.
Reporter: WE ARE TOLD THERE
ARE HOTELS THAT WON'T MAKE IT.
IT'S SO SO UNCLEAR WHAT THE
LONG-TERM IMPACT IS BUT OUR
ISSUE WILL LOOK VERY DIFFERENT
WHEN WE COME OUT OF THIS THAN
WHEN WE ENTERED INTO THIS.
Reporter: HE TOLD US COVID-
19'S HIT TO THE INDUSTRY IS
UNLIKE ANYTHING WE HAVE SEEN
BEFORE AND IT COMES AFTER A
TOUGH 2019.
WE HAD SEVERAL CONVENTIONS
THAT JUST HAPPENED TO BE NOT
HERE IN THE SAME YEAR WHERE
THEY ROTATE THROUGH DIFFERENT
MARKETS.
SO EVERYBODY WAS REALLY EXCITED
FOR 2020.
Reporter: LAST MONTH THE NBA
ALL-STAR GAME.
NOW, LAYOFFS IN THE THOUSANDS.
MORE BY THE DAY.
WE ARE EXPECTING AS MANY AS
120,000 LAYOFFS ACROSS THE
HOTEL INDUSTRY, JUST IN THE
STATE OF ILLINOIS.
Reporter: HE SAYS THEY'RE
LOOKING PAST TODAY'S DARK
LOBBIES AND EMPTY ROOMS,
WORKING WITH CHICAGO'S TOURISM
GROUPS TO HELP HOTELS WHEN
THEIR DOORS OPEN AGAIN.
MAKING SURE VISITORS COME
BACK QUICKLY IS GOING TO BE THE
FASTEST AND EASIEST WAY TO PUT
PEOPLE BACK TO WORK.
Reporter: THE MESSAGE THEY
WANT TO SEND TONIGHT, REST
ASSURED WE WILL SEE YOU SOON.
AND WITH A 17.5% CITY TAX ON
EVERY HOTEL ROOM IN CHICAGO,
THIS IS A HIT TO THE CITY'S
