Note: Any news conferences from Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot or other officials will be streamed in the video player above.
Even with several coronavirus vaccines likely to hit the market by the end of the year, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the state will “not take our foot off the gas” in continuing to ramp up COVID-19 testing capabilities moving forward.
Who in Chicago will be first in line to receive the coronavirus vaccine once it's approved and sent to the city? Chicago's mayor and top health official outlined the city's plan on Wednesday.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic across the state of Illinois today (Dec. 10):
Illinois Reports 11,101 New Cases of Coronavirus, 196 Additional Deaths Thursday
Illinois health officials reported 11,101 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases and 196 additional deaths Thursday.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Thursday's new cases bring the state’s total to 823,531 since the start of the pandemic, with 13,861 total fatalities.
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The state returned 114,503 new tests to state laboratories in the last 24 hours. In total, 11,481,848 tests have been performed since the pandemic began.
Illinois health officials reported a 9.5% seven-day positivity rate, based on the latest data from IDPH, which is 0.1% lower than one day prior.
As of midnight, , 5,138 coronavirus patients are hospitalized in the state. Of those patients, 1,081 are currently in intensive care units, and 606 are on ventilators.
Bears Close Halas Hall After Positive Coronavirus Test; Will Hold Meetings Virtually
The Chicago Bears closed Halas Hall Thursday after someone tested positive for coronavirus, the team announced.
"This morning we were notified that we had a positive COVID-19 test," the team said in a statement. "As a result, the club has elected to pause all in-person football activities today and close Halas Hall. Instead, all meetings will be conducted virtually.
According to the team, the person who tested positive is in self-isolation and close contacts were being identified.
"The health and safety of our team, players and staff are the highest priority," the statement read.
It remained unclear if the person was a staff member or a player.
Even With Vaccine Nearing, Illinois Will Continue Ramping Up COVID-19 Testing, Pritzker Says
Even with several coronavirus vaccines likely to hit the market by the end of the year, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the state will “not take our foot off the gas” in continuing to ramp up COVID-19 testing capabilities moving forward.
Pritzker praised the state as one of the nation’s leaders in coronavirus testing models, calling Illinois the “best testing state between the coasts” during a press conference Wednesday in Chicago.
“So even as we look ahead to 2021, here in Illinois, we’re not taking our foot off the gas in our efforts to ramp up testing even further, increasing our ability to identify positive cases quickly so we can eliminate community spread and stop further outbreaks in their tracks,” he said.
Pritzker praised state officials for clearing significant goals in coronavirus testing, with the state cracking 100,000 tests per day on numerous occasions in recent weeks. Pritzker says the state has averaged 96,000 new coronavirus tests per day in the last seven days, calling it a remarkable achievement considering that most of the work to step up those testing efforts has been done on the state level.
“Together with governors of both parties, I have called for a national testing strategy since the early days of this pandemic,” he said. “Such a comprehensive effort would make a tangible difference in our response right now, and I’ve conveyed to the presidential transition team our new hope to see a thorough testing expansion plan at the very start of the new administration.”
The governor says that vaccines, which will be rolled out aggressively in coming weeks and months, will help put an end to the pandemic eventually, but that residents must continue to be vigilant, and that officials must continue to do the hard work necessary to limit the spread of the virus in the intervening time.
Chicago Health Officials Say 'Bothersome Side Effects' Possible With COVID Vaccine
"Some bothersome side effects" are possible with the coronavirus vaccine, Chicago health officials said Wednesday as the country braces for the potential authorization and ultimate distribution of a vaccine. But the city's top doc said the risks of vaccine side effects are "far outweighed."
Health officials said side effects associated with the vaccine can last between one and two days and include fatigue, muscle aches and the occasional fever.
“The risk of side effects for 1-2 days after vaccination is far outweighed by the risk of severe illness and loss of life caused by COVID-19 infection,” said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
Read more here.
Who in Chicago Will Be First in Line for the COVID Vaccine and Why
Who in Chicago will be first in line to receive the coronavirus vaccine once it's approved and sent to the city? Chicago's mayor and top health official outlined the city's plan on Wednesday, detailing the loose order in which residents will be vaccinated.
First in line will be "healthcare workers who treat COVID patients or conduct procedures that put them at high risk for COVID-19 spread" at all 34 hospitals in Chicago, according to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
Those initial doses could be allocated beginning as early as next week, officials said, pending approval from federal regulators slated to be considered in the coming weeks. Both Pfizer and Moderna have submitted for emergency use authorization of their vaccines to the FDA.
Chicago health officials said there are roughly 400,000 health care workers in the city, including doctors, nurses and other hospital staff.
After frontline health care workers, the city says priority will be given to: residents and staff at long-term care facilities, workers in essential and critical industries including emergency services personnel, people at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness due to underlying medical conditions and people ages 65 and older.
City officials say the goal is for all adults in Chicago to be vaccinated at no cost to the individual in 2021 through doctors' offices, retail pharmacies, hospitals, health centers and more.
CDPH is prioritizing long-term care facilities for several reasons, health officials said, namely because the pandemic has severely impacted these facilities, as well as because of the history of structural racism that has created mistrust in the Black community. Officials noted that many residents and staff of long-term care facilities are Black Chicagoans.
“Importantly, we also have plans to ensure equal vaccine access throughout the city," Arwady said. “We know that some communities, particularly the Black community, are less likely to get the flu vaccine, and we need to be honest about historic harm and structural racism that has created this mistrust. That’s why we’re working so closely with community partners and the mayor’s Racial Equity Rapid Response Team.”
Read more here.
If COVID Vaccine is Approved, First Doses Could Be Given Out in Chicago Next Week
Should a coronavirus vaccine by approved this week, Chicago could be giving out its first doses as early as next week, city officials announced Wednesday.
The city is preparing to receive 23,000 doses in its first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine, which could be the first vaccine to receive an emergency use authorization in the U.S.
Pfizer's vaccine is currently the center of a Thursday meeting where the Food and Drug Administrations' independent advisers will debate if evidence is strong enough to recommend vaccinating millions of Americans with the shot, which is already being administered in the United Kingdom.
The FDA is also expected to discuss a request for emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine on Dec. 17.
Frontline healthcare workers, specifically those who treat COVID-19 patients, will receive priority for the first shipments of the vaccine, if approved. Those healthcare workers will be followed by residents and staff of long-term care facilities, then workers in essential and critical industries, those at high risk for severe infections due to underlying medical conditions and people 65 and older, according to CDPH.
In addition to the initial shipment of 23,000 doses, Chicago's Department of Public Health expects to receive additional doses of the vaccine each week, with a goal of vaccinating all adult residents in 2021 "at no cost to any individual."
“The situation is very fluid as we don’t know how many we’ll be getting from week to week, and that will require us to be nimble in how we respond. But I have complete confidence in the team we have assembled to handle this,” Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said.
