Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced the state's plan for the next phase of its coronavirus vaccine rollout.
At the same time, he said the state's 11 regions can begin lifting Tier 3 restrictions as early as next week if they've met the right metrics.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic across the state of Illinois today, Jan. 7:
Tier 3 Mitigations Could Soon be Lifted for Some. Here's What That Means for Indoor Dining
Illinois' 11 regions can begin lifting Tier 3 restrictions as early as next week if they've met the right metrics, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday, but what does that mean for indoor dining at restaurants?
Tier 3 mitigations have continued a long suspension of indoor dining during winter months across Illinois, but should a region move to Tier 2, indoor dining is still not allowed.
Under Illinois' tiered mitigation plan, it is not until Tier 1 that a region can resume indoor dining with capacity limitations.
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All of Illinois have been under Tier 3 mitigations since Nov. 20, which have lowered capacity limitations for outdoor dining and other activities, suspended indoor dining entirely, shut down indoor recreation venues like theaters and casinos and increased other restrictions.
A region can move to Tier 2 mitigations if it sees a test positivity rate less than 12% for three consecutive days and more than 20% of ICU and hospital beds are available, as well as declining COVID-19 hospitalizations in seven of the previous 10 days.
Illinois Tops 1 Million Coronavirus Cases Since Pandemic Began
Illinois reached a grim milestone in its fight against coronavirus Thursday, topping one million cases since the pandemic first began.
State health officials reported 8,757 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, along with 177 additional deaths attributed to the virus, bringing statewide totals to 1,008,045 cases, including 17,272 deaths, since the pandemic began last year.
“In a pandemic that has contained far too many tragic milestones, today’s marking of one million cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in Illinois deserves particular recognition,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “As this disease continues to wreak havoc on our nation – with the United States setting another record for the most COVID-19 deaths in a day just yesterday – it is critical that we take extra caution today and in the months ahead to reduce the spread, bring down hospitalization rates, and save lives. Now that vaccine distribution has begun, we can see the light at the end of this difficult time – let’s do everything we can to ensure all of our neighbors are able to be there as we cross that finish line, healthy as well."
In all, 105,518 tests have been returned to state laboratories in the last 24 hours, a marked increase from the day before. The latest testing numbers brought the state total to 13,803,946 tests conducted throughout the pandemic.
The rolling seven-day statewide positivity rate for cases as a percent of tests decreased to 8.5% as of Thursday, up from 8.4% Wednesday, according to IDPH. But the positivity rate of all tests was 9.8%, a decrease from the day before.
According to IDPH data, 3,921 patients were hospitalized due to coronavirus as of Tuesday night, a slight increase from the previous day. Of those patients, 783 were in intensive care units, while 450 patients were on ventilators.
When Will Phase 1B of Illinois' Coronavirus Vaccine Plan Begin?
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker revealed new details about the state's next phase of vaccinations Wednesday, but when might that phase actually begin?
According to the governor, Phase 1B will begin "when Phase 1A is substantially complete."
Still, the exact timing of when the state will enter the next phase remains unclear.
"It'll be a few weeks from now because we're still you know, getting all of the long-term care facilities covered and there's still health care," Pritzker said.
Pritzker Announces When Regions Can Begin to Lift Tier 3 Restrictions
Illinois' 11 regions can begin lifting Tier 3 restrictions as early as next week if they've met the right metrics, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday.
"I’m cautiously optimistic as there are some early signs indicating that some regions have made real progress and won’t reverse that progress this week or next," Pritzker continued.
"So on Jan. 15, exactly one incubation period from New Year’s Day, any region that has met the metrics for a reduction of mitigations will be able to move out of Tier Three of our mitigation plan," he said.
All of Illinois have been under Tier 3 mitigations since Nov. 20, which have lowered capacity limitations for outdoor dining and other activities, suspended indoor dining entirely, shut down indoor recreation venues like theaters and casinos and increased other restrictions.
A region can move to Tier 2 mitigations if it sees a test positivity rate less than 12% for three consecutive days and more than 20% of ICU and hospital beds are available, as well as declining COVID-19 hospitalizations in seven of the previous 10 days.
Pritzker Releases Guidelines for Phase 1B of Coronavirus Vaccinations
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced the state's plan for the next phase of its coronavirus vaccine rollout.
Phase 1B will center on residents age 65 years and older and "frontline essential workers," including first responders, education workers like teachers and support staff, childcare workers, grocery store employees, postal service workers, and more.
The age requirement in Illinois is 10 years lower than the recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, "in order to reduce COVID-19 mortality and limit community spread in Black and Brown communities," the governor said.
The next phase will be "when Phase 1A is substantially complete," Pritzker said.
Phase 1B will include roughly 3.2 million Illinois residents, according to the state.
Here's Who Can Get Vaccinated in Phase 1B of Illinois' Plan
More than 3 million Illinois residents are expected to be included in Phase 1B of the state's coronavirus vaccine rollout.
Here's a look at who will be included in Phase 1B:
- Residents age 65 and over
- Frontline essential workers, which means "residents who carry a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure because of their work duties, often because they are unable to work from home, and/or they must work closely to others without being able to socially distance. This includes:
- First responders: Fire, law enforcement, 911 workers, security personnel, school officers
- Education: Teachers, principals, student support, student aids, day care worker
- Food and agriculture: Processing, plants, veterinary health, livestock services, animal care
- Manufacturing: Industrial production of good for distribution to retail, wholesale or other manufactures
- Corrections workers and inmates: Jail officers, juvenile facility staff, workers providing in-person support, inmates
- USPS workers
- Public transit workers: Flight crew, bus drivers, train conductors, taxi drivers, para-transit drivers, in-person support, ride sharing services
- Grocery store workers: Baggers, cashiers, stockers, pickup, customer service
- Shelters and day care staff: Homeless shelter, women’s shelter, adult day/drop-in program, sheltered workshop, psycho-social rehab
Illinois Administers Over 200K Coronavirus Vaccine Doses Outside Chicago
Illinois health officials have administered over 200,000 total coronavirus vaccine doses statewide outside of Chicago as of Wednesday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said health officials have administered approximately 207,106 COVID-19 vaccine doses, including Tuesday's first round of second doses for the initial recipients.
"So far approximately one-third of our healthcare workforce outside of Chicago has received the vaccine. IDPH continues to work with local health officials to ensure the rapid administration of these vaccines to all members of Phase 1A who consent," Pritzker said.
About 344,525 total doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to Illinois outside of Chicago, according to Pritzker.
He added that 114,075 vaccine doses in Illinois have been set aside for the federal government's long term care facility vaccination program statewide with the exception of Chicago.
"[The] first phase includes health care workers and nursing homes and long-term care facility residents and staff, which we now approximate as 850,000 eligible Illinoisans," Pritzker said.
