Illinois has reached a milestone, administering more than 4 million doses of the available COVID-19 vaccines.
Meanwhile, Gov. J.B. Pritzker pledged to open up vaccine eligibility to all Illinois adults before President Biden's May 1 deadline.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:
Gov. Pritzker Expected to Reveal New Phased Reopening Plan This Week
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to announce a new reopening plan later this week that could ultimately bring the state back to normal, but under new guidelines.
Currently, Illinois is under Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan the governor announced early in the pandemic last year. Next up would be Phase 5, which marks a full reopening, but requires a widely available vaccine or highly effective treatment for coronavirus.
But in a state Senate health committee meeting Monday, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said a new reopening plan could be announced "later this week."
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According to the Chicago Tribune, Ezike said "there may be one more phase" between Phase 4 and Phase 5. Few details have been revealed, but one thing is certain: masks will continue to be mandated in the state, she said, adding that "masks have to continue to be a mainstay.”
A spokesperson for the governor confirmed Pritzker has been in "discussions with industry and health experts."
Read more here.
Phase 1C in Illinois? Pritzker Says Vaccine Eligibility Will Expand, But Gives No Timeline
When might Illinois expand vaccine eligibility to Phase 1C of its rollout?
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said while he anticipates opening up vaccine eligibility - particularly in the months ahead to meet President Joe Biden's deadline of having all adults eligible by May 1 - the exact timing of Illinois' expansion isn't clear.
"No announcements yet about what 1C would look like, I just think that people should start to think very much about you know the fact that we're going to open this up to everybody relatively sooner than I think people expected," Pritzker said during the interview Monday. "Certainly by May 1 and we'll do it sooner than that I believe in the state of Illinois."
Read more here.
COVID Travel: 7 Domestic Airlines Reveal Their Voucher, Ticket Expiration Deadlines
A year ago, as coronavirus outbreaks multiplied, borders quickly closed, bringing both cruising and air travel to a halt. But that’s when the real journey began for so many would-be travelers.
“In retrospect, if I had gone, there was a very likely chance I would have been stuck in Italy and not been able to come back as things started to lock down so fast,” Chicagoan Merle Ward told NBC 5 Responds.
Ward was scheduled to depart for Italy on Feb. 26, 2020, and canceled her vacation just hours before her flight. Now a year later, she is still unable to reschedule and her airline voucher has since expired.
Find the complete story here.
Illinois Hopes to Open Vaccine Eligibility to All Residents Before May 1: Pritzker
Illinois plans to exceed President Joe Biden's promise to make all adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Monday.
While the governor declined to provide a start date for Phase 1C, the next vaccine rollout phase, he expressed optimism, noting Illinois has recently seen a significant increase in the amount of delivered vaccine doses.
"I just think that people should start to think very much about...the fact that we're going to open this up to everybody relatively sooner than I think people expected," Pritzker said Monday during a one-on-one interview with NBC 5's Mary Ann Ahern.
Read more here.
Coronavirus in Illinois: 782 New Cases, 12 Deaths, Over 62K Vaccinations Reported
Health officials in Illinois confirmed 782 new cases of coronavirus and 12 additional deaths on Monday, with over 62,000 doses of the COVID vaccine administered to state residents in the last 24 hours.
According to figures from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the latest new confirmed and probable COVID cases reported over the last day brought the state’s total to 1,210,113 cases since the pandemic began last year.
The 12 new deaths brought the state to 20,955 fatalities related to the virus, according to health officials.
In the last 24 hours, state health officials say 39,145 new test specimens were returned to state laboratories, bringing the statewide total to over 19 million tests performed.
Find the full story here.
Only 1 Chicago Business Cited For COVID Regulations Amid St. Patrick's Day Celebrations
Only one Chicago business was cited for not complying with coronavirus regulations amid St. Patrick's Day celebrations this weekend, officials said.
Chicago Business Affairs and Consumer Protection said they found a "high level of compliance" at bars and restaurants Saturday while people were partaking in St. Patrick's Day celebrations throughout the city.
BACP officials conducted 40 full investigations and observed 49 additional businesses, according to a release, citing just one establishment for violating COVID-19 regulations.
Clutch Bar, located at 316-318 W. Erie St., was issued two citations for operating over capacity with 60 customers in a space allotted for 50 people, for allowing more than six people at a table and for having the tables closer than six feet apart, according to a release.
BACP noted that investigations and observations were held throughout the city, including in River North and Wrigleyville, on Saturday.
Read more here.
These Are the COVID Vaccination Sites Opening in the Chicago Area This Week
With more coronavirus vaccines arriving in the Chicago area, health departments announced new vaccination clinics will open this week.
Here's a list of the vaccination sites opening this week and the next:
- Shaumburg Convention Center vaccination event
- Northern Illinois University arena
- Aurora one-day vaccination site
- St. Rose Church in Wilmington
For more information on the sites and eligibility, click here.
Illinois Hits Pandemic Milestone Sunday, Administering Over 4M COVID Vaccines
Illinois has reached a milestone, administering more than 4 million doses of the available COVID-19 vaccines.
In all, Illinois has administered 4,040,302 COVID-19 vaccine doses, including 354,414 to long-term care facilities. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state has received a total of 5,038,635 doses.
Over the last 24 hours, 96,332 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered, bringing the rolling seven-day average for daily vaccinations to 97,441, according to IDPH officials.
Read more here.
Illinois Vaccinations
Note: For COVID-19, the herd-immunity threshold is estimated to be between 60 and 90 percent. Our analysis considers herd immunity reached at 75% of the population fully vaccinated based on estimates by Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Coronavirus in Illinois: 1,484 New Cases, 19 Deaths, Over 96K Vaccinations Reported
Health officials in Illinois confirmed 1,484 new cases of coronavirus and 19 additional deaths on Sunday, with over 96,000 doses of the COVID vaccine administered to state residents in the last 24 hours.
According to figures from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the latest new confirmed and probable COVID cases reported over the last day brought the state’s total to 1,209,331 cases since the pandemic began last year.
The 19 new deaths brought the state to 20,943 fatalities related to the virus, according to health officials.
According to health officials, the seven-day positivity rate on all tests currently stands at 2.2%, while the positivity rate for individuals tested is at 2.6%, which are record low numbers since the pandemic began in Illinois.
Read more here.
COVID Vaccine Appointments at United Center Open to 4 Additional Chicago ZIP Codes
Four more Chicago ZIP codes can schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the United Center vaccination site, city officials announced Saturday.
According to the mayor's office, the new ZIP codes are on Chicago's South and West Sides in an effort to increase vaccinations in neighborhood with a "high COVID-19 burden."
Here are the ZIP codes that can book COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the United Center:
- 60649
- 60608
- 60652
- 60620
- 60619
- 60624
- 60644
- 60651
- 60653
Since limiting vaccination appointments to select ZIP codes, 75% of appointments scheduled at the United Center have gone to Black, Latinx and Asian residents, according to officials.
Read more here.
Illinois Could Increase Vaccine Eligibility for All Adults Before May 1, Pritzker Says
After President Joe Biden announced plans to direct U.S. states to make all adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state could reach that phase even earlier.
Speaking at a press conference Friday, Pritzker said he feels "confident" in vaccine supply moving forward.
"I've been pleased... I don't know if you noticed that there was supposed to be a hiatus in the Johnson and Johnson deliveries, but actually we've seen more Johnson and Johnson deliveries so I'm excited about the fact that we'll be able to get to more and more people across the state of Illinois," Pritzker said. "And I'm confident that not just by May 1 but maybe even a little bit earlier we could open up to everyone in the state, everyone that's eligible."
Both the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago previously said on Friday said that Biden's deadline is dependent on supply.
What the $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Bill Does for Americans, Illinoisans
After the bill was passed by both houses of Congress this week, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan” legislation into law Thursday, paving the way for millions of Americans to receive stimulus checks and a host of other relief in the coming days and weeks.
As the ink on Biden’s signature dries, click here for five things you need to know about the legislation.
These Are the 22 Mass COVID Vaccination Sites in Illinois
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said on multiple occasions that shipments of COVID-19 vaccines are "set to soar" in the coming days, but for those who qualify, where can you get an appointment?
There are currently 21 state-supported mass vaccination sites across Illinois, plus a site at the United Center run in partnership with the federal government under a new pilot program.
For a look at all locations, click here.
