👋 Hey, Monica here. I tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday after leaving the Midwest for the first time in two years.

• Instead of sensibly resting, I started calling pharmacies offering antiviral drugs through the federal Test to Treat program.
• The Chicago Department of Public Health offers a list of pharmacies that are supposed to test and treat patients on-site for free as part of the program.
• But after hours on hold with 10 "participating" stores, I found that most had never heard of Test to Treat or were not yet offering it.

Why it matters: With local COVID cases slowly rising and the state closing its testing sites this week, the government will be leaning harder on these public-private programs to address infection needs.

• Plus, our taxpayer dollars bought these antiviral drugs, so the program to distribute them should go beyond promises.

What they're saying: "We are posting information that was provided to us by the federal government," CDPH spokesperson Andrew Buchanan told me Friday.

• "But we're going to change that language on our site to say people can reach out to them to get more information on the program."

Context: Test to Treat tries to get early-stage COVID drugs seamlessly to patients, but it has run into snags because pharmacists have limited prescribing power.

• This means participating stores have to rely on in-house medical clinics to do much of the testing and prescribing.

Zoom in: Some Walgreens pharmacists told me the program wasn't currently functional at their location because the in-store Advocate Health Care clinic was closed due to understaffing.

• But an Advocate spokesperson told me that clinic closures are unrelated to availability and that, "we're still evaluating our formal participation in the program."
• CVS reps said they are administering the program through 14 area stores with in-house MinuteClinics, but an online Test to Treat locator says the nearest location is in Highland, Indiana. A spokesperson told me CVS is working on a fix.

What's next: I'm still trying to find a local store that has successfully offered the Test to Treat service.

• In the meantime, some pharmacists recommended I get a prescription for the free antiviral drugs from an urgent care clinic.

As for my COVID recovery, thanks for asking. I'm feeling much better after a weekend of coughing, fever, chills, runny nose, and aches.

• But I'm fully vaxxed and boosted, so it's clear this could've been a lot worse.

For many Chicagoans who have returned to work downtown, this chart is probably a head-scratcher.

Why it matters: Even though our downtown is showing signs of life, a new study says we are lagging behind the national average when it comes to average office occupancy levels.

• Kastle Systems studied key fob and keycard data from the 2,600 buildings and 41,000 businesses they work with in 47 states.

The big picture: The Loop is nowhere near pre-pandemic traffic even as the country moves towards a post-COVID reality.

• But don't tell that to folks standing in line for a sandwich from the Corner Bakery or those trying to hop on the Kennedy during rush hour.

Go deeper: Axios' Erica Pandey explores what this data means for the future of work.

Chicago has seen 121 homicides in 2022, slightly lower than this time last year. (Tribune)

💉 The $50 incentive to get vaxxed will be restricted to certain ZIP codes starting next month. (Block Club)

A new bill in Springfield is targeting ghost guns — untraceable weapons with no serial numbers — in the fight over violence. (CBS 2)

🚗 A car smashed into Brown Sugar Bakery late Sunday and destroyed its giant freezer. (Sun-Times)

⚾ White Sox slugger Andrew Vaughn could miss Opening Day with a hip pointer. (The Score)

We recently featured pies for our weekly Food Fight and asked for your area recommendations.

🧺 Monica H: "The Key Lime pie at First Slice Pie Café in Andersonville is everything you want in this iconic dessert — creamy, tart, and luscious! Bring it to a summer picnic and you'll get another invitation."

🦃 Megan P: "It's a seasonal one, but the pumpkin cheesecake pie around Thanksgiving at First Slice has become a tradition for my family."

🥧 Maggie B: "It used to be a regular treat growing up — Poppin' Fresh, which later became Bakers Square (locations dwindling in the area). I've been looking for decent pies that fall somewhere between grocery store price and Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits."

🥜 Mario G: "Joe's Steak & Seafood Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (Thanksgiving only) and their Peanut Butter Pie are ridiculous. And ANY banana cream pie anywhere at any time for me 😊."

🍌 J. M.: "Monica is 100% correct — Hoosier Mama Banana Cream Pie (it deserves all caps!) is THE BOMB!"

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Can you guess where Justin is?

Hint:

• Far from the city center
• It's a home away from home
• It celebrates winter in the summer
• And it is not as fun to do alone

📬 Reply with the correct answer and you'll be entered into a drawing to win some Axios swag.