Illinois is diverting 97,000 unused doses of coronavirus vaccines away from a federal partnership with pharmacies that is overseeing vaccinations in nursing homes and making those shots available to people 65 and older and front-line essential workers, state health officials announced Wednesday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and officials in other states have criticized the federal partnership with Walgreens and CVS for moving too slowly in vaccinating residents and staff and nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
Additionally, Illinois state legislators have been added to the list of those eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination in phase 1b of the effort, a spokeswoman for Pritzker said Wednesday. Members of the General Assembly were not previously included in the state’s 1b plan.
Around the same time, Illinois health officials announced 3,314 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 69 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 1,134,231 and the statewide death toll to 19,375 since the start of the pandemic. In addition, the state administered 65,166 vaccinations.
Earlier in the day, the state of Illinois loosened coronavirus restrictions in DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties Wednesday, a day after doing the same for suburban Cook County.
Officials in Cook County, like in Chicago earlier, said they plan to stick to the stricter restrictions on dining and other areas, for now.
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
12:15 p.m.: 3,314 new confirmed and probable cases and 69 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Wednesday announced 3,314 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 69 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 1,134,231 and the statewide death toll to 19,375 since the start of the pandemic.
Officials also reported 96,894 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 3.5% for the period ending Tuesday.
In addition, the state administered 65,166 vaccinations. IDPH also says a total of 1,094,135 vaccines have now been administered.
—Chicago Tribune staff
11:53 a.m.: What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine second dose: timely appointments, adequate supplies, knowledge of side effects
As health care providers are ramping up first doses and preparing to administer second doses for the large, phase 1b contingent of senior citizens and essential workers, they are performing a complicated, logistical dance that involves signing patients up for appointments within the proper time frame, offering help to make sure patients can come to that appointment and carefully tracking inventory to be sure they have the second doses on hand.
As of Monday, just under 2% of the state’s population had received both vaccine doses, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Many clinics are making second dose appointments while people are on site, but at least one health care provider has received calls from people such as Fogarty, who were told they may not be able to receive a second dose at their original location, revealing cracks in a complex system.
11:44 a.m.: Illinois redirects 97,000 unused vaccine doses from federal program that Pritzker has criticized for moving too slowly
Illinois is diverting 97,000 unused doses of coronavirus vaccines away from a federal partnership with pharmacies that is overseeing vaccinations in nursing homes and making those shots available to people 65 and older and front-line essential workers, state health officials announced Wednesday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and officials in other states have criticized the federal partnership with Walgreens and CVS for moving too slowly in vaccinating residents and staff and nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. The federal vaccination program in Illinois is part of a nationwide effort.
However, the Democratic governor recently said the pharmacy companies had provided assurances to the state that the first round of vaccinations at assisted living facilities would be completed by Feb. 15.
As of Monday, the federal government had allocated 496,100 of Illinois’ vaccine doses — about one-third of the state’s total — to the pharmacy program, but only 163,592 doses had been administered.
11:45 a.m.: Pritzker adds Illinois legislators to the list of those eligible for COVID-19 shots in phase 1b
Illinois state legislators have been added to the list of those eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination in phase 1b of the effort, a spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday.
Members of the General Assembly were not previously included in the state’s phase 1b plan.
”At the request of members of the General Assembly, any of the 177 state legislators who wish to be inoculated will be allowed to receive their vaccine in Phase 1b,” Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a statement Wednesday. “The state of Illinois has urgent and vital business that must be addressed, and we hope that the General Assembly will engage in a robust and productive schedule in coming weeks and months.”
11:19 a.m.: Biden shows flexibility but tells House to ‘go big’ on COVID-19 relief package
President Joe Biden told House Democrats on Wednesday he’s “not married” to an absolute number on his $1.9 trillion COVID rescue plan but Congress needs to “act fast” on relief for the pandemic and the economic crisis.
Biden also said he doesn’t want to budge from his proposed $1,400 in direct payments to Americans.
“Look, we got a lot of people hurting in our country today,” Biden said. “We need to act. We need to act fast. We need to restore the soul of the country.”
Biden’s remarks to the Democratic caucus were relayed by two people who requested anonymity to discuss the private conference call.
10:59 a.m.: CDC: Schools can safely reopen even if teachers are not vaccinated for the coronavirus
The Director of the CDC says schools can safely reopen even if teachers are not vaccinated for the coronavirus.
As some teachers’ unions balk at resuming in-person instruction before teachers are inoculated, Dr. Rochelle Walensky says, “Vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools.” Walensky cited CDC data showing that social distancing and wearing a mask significantly reduce the spread of the virus in school settings.
White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients called on Congress to pass additional funding to ensure schools have the resources necessary to support reopening.
President Joe Biden has pledged to ensure nearly all K-8 schools will reopen for in-person instruction in the first 100 days of his administration.
10:04 a.m.: Did you get the coronavirus vaccine? Tell us how it went.
With more than 1 million doses administered in Illinois as the state ramps up its second phase of COVID-19 vaccination the Tribune wants to hear from people who have been vaccinated.
How did you sign up? Where did you get your shot? How did the experience go?
Tell us how it went here.
—Chicago Tribune staff
9:32 a.m.: Coronavirus restrictions loosened in four more suburban counties including DuPage, Lake
The state of Illinois loosened coronavirus restrictions in DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties Wednesday, a day after doing the same for suburban Cook County.
The counties join a wave of regions that have met the bench marks to enter phase four of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan over the past two weeks. The shift includes slightly expanded indoor dining, the opening of some recreation facilities and an increased capacity limit for meetings and social events.
Under the state’s phase four guidelines, restaurants can serve parties of up to 10 people, as long as tables remain 6 feet apart. Social gatherings can host up to 50 people or 50% of room capacity.
Recreation facilities such as bowling alleys and skating rinks will be allowed to open, while indoor playgrounds and trampoline parks remain closed. Museums and zoos remain limited to 25% capacity.
Officials in Chicago and Cook County chose to maintain tighter crowd limits for restaurants and other restrictions despite the move to phase four.
Much of the state had previously reached phase four in June before the fall resurgence of the pandemic.
—Jenny Whidden
8:17 a.m.: As the ‘first line of defense,’ school custodians say their work is receiving increased appreciation during the pandemic
The classroom is quiet except for the blowing air coming from the vents, the sounds of jangling keys and the frequent squirts of disinfectant spray.
Veronica Anghel, of Chicago, and Maria Dragoiu, of Skokie, have nailed down their after-school cleaning shift together at Henking Elementary School. They have been tasked with keeping the Glenview school clean for 20 and 16 years, respectively.
”It’s our pleasure to work and to have everybody safe,” Anghel said.
Now, almost a year into the coronavirus pandemic that initially shuttered schools last spring, custodial staffs say their jobs largely remain the same but that this school year has shed new light on the importance of their roles.
”If you think about it, they’re like the first line of defense,” said Corthell McDaniel, the nighttime custodial supervisor of Glenview School District 34. “So often the custodians are forgotten, but they’re going into possibly contaminated areas on a daily basis to make sure it’s clean and safe for everybody.”
7:42 a.m.: Don’t let the Super Bowl become a super spreader, Dr. Anthony Fauci warns
The nation’s top infectious disease expert doesn’t want the Super Bowl to turn into a super spreader.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, says when it comes to Super Bowl parties during the pandemic, people should “just lay low and cool it.”
He said during TV interviews Wednesday that now isn’t the time to invite people over for watch parties because of the possibility that they’re infected with the coronavirus and could sicken others.
7:10 a.m.: Pike, other western Illinois counties partnering on COVID-19 vaccines
Residents ages 65 or over in Pike, Schuyler and Brown counties have a second option to receive the COVID-19 vaccination this week through an agreement with the Adams County Health Department.
Though the health departments in each of those counties is providing vaccinations, their smaller staffs are having trouble keeping pace with the large demand.
“Right now, we have more than 1,700 people that are 65 and over on our pre-registered list,” said Sharon Bargmann, the Pike County Health Department’s nursing director. “When we can only do 200 to 300 a week, that is something that would take a long time.”
Adams County, by comparison, has a larger staff and a larger allocation of vaccine doses, because it also has the ultra-cold storage the Pfizer vaccine requires. Many smaller departments don’t have that kind of storage, she said.
“Adams County has the ability to do up to 1,200 vaccinations a day, so they are able to get through those people a lot quicker, even taking on other counties,” Bargmann said.
Through a partnership between the three counties and Adams County Health Department, the Adams department will provide Pike, Schuyler and Brown counties residents with vaccinations this week at the Oakley Lindsay Center, 300 Civic Center Plaza in Quincy.
—Jacksonville Journal-Courier, via Tribune Content Agency
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