Sounding off for essential workers

Pent-up frustration over the turmoil caused by COVID-19 found an outlet Thursday at 2 p.m., as across the region, Metra, Pace and CTA engineers and bus drivers sounded their horns.

The hopeful cacophony was part of a nationwide #SoundTheHorn effort to recognize transit workers, health care professionals, child-care providers, first responders, grocery store employees, and others venturing out to do their jobs during the pandemic.

Additional agencies participating included Amtrak and transit organizations in New York, which has the highest number of deaths and cases of the respiratory disease.

In Illinois, essential employees such as doctors or truck drivers are still heading out to do their jobs, while others hunker down under a stay-at-home order in effect until April 30.