Editor’s note: This story has been updated because the 63,080 doses of vaccine administered on Friday are not a one-day record, the IDPH reported on Saturday; the IDPH on Friday reported that 74,965 doses had been given the previous day.
The most contagious variant of COVID-19 first found in the UK has appeared in Lake County, health officials said Saturday.
“While new COVID-19 cases have been declining since January, the emergence of this new variant here in Lake County highlights the importance of staying vigilant,” said Mark Pfister, executive director of the Lake County Department of Health. press release.
“We should all continue to follow the precautions of wearing masks, washing our hands, staying 6 feet away from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces to limit the spread of the virus,” he said.
The person who arrived with variant B.1.1.7 had traveled internationally and was in contact with a sick person before returning to the United States in late December, Pfister said.
When he returned to Lake County, the person was quarantined by other people and tested. The person did not experience symptoms of COVID-19.
The federal website Centers for Disease Control Center states that 17 cases of the variant have been identified in Illinois.
Viruses are constantly changing and new variants are expected, the health department said. In addition to variant B.1.1.7, variant 1,351 has recently appeared in South Africa and variant P.1 in Brazil.
“We look forward to seeing more cases of these new variants in Lake County, as they appear to be spreading more easily and quickly than other variants,” said Dr. Sana Ahmed, a medical epidemiologist with the Lake County Department of Health. press release. “It is extremely important that you follow the quarantine recommendations and take the test if you have traveled or been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Respond to a call from contact plotters to help us protect your our communities “.
Studies suggest that currently available COVID-19 vaccines will be effective against new strains.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that 63,080 doses were administered on Friday. The rotating average of 7 days of vaccines administered daily is 49,909 doses.
In all, 1,294,498 vaccines had been administered as of Friday night, of the 2,132,025 delivered now, the IDPH said.
The state also reported 3,062 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease and an additional 60 deaths. The figures are roughly the same as those reported in recent days. Among the dead are 19 people in Cook County, five in DuPage County, three in Kane County, one in Lake County, one in McHenry County and two in Will County.
The statewide seven-day preliminary positivity for cases as a percentage of total test results from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5 is 3.4%.
On Friday night, 2,271 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of these, 485 patients were in the ICU and 246 patients with COVID-19 with ventilators.
For more information on COVID-19 variants, go to cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html.