Chicago updated its travel order on Tuesday, adding new states to the higher-risk travel category and updating testing requirements for some.
Meanwhile, Illinois is revealing changes to its COVID mitigation plan as vaccinations continue statewide.
Below are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic in Illinois today:
Coronavirus in Illinois: 2,587 new cases of COVID, 9 deaths, 81 billion vaccines
Illinois health officials reported 2,587 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus and nine additional deaths in the last day, along with nearly 82,000 vaccines administered.
New coronavirus cases reported on Tuesday bring the state total to 1,306,787 cases since the pandemic began. The additional nine deaths raised the total death toll to 21,694, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
In the last 24 hours, 47,506 coronavirus testing samples were returned to state laboratories, with more than 21.7 million now performed during the pandemic.
Read more here.
Lori Lightfoot expects fans of the bulls, the Blackhawks at the end of the season
At a news conference Tuesday morning, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed optimism that fans would return to the United Center for Bulls and Blackhawks games at the end of each team’s 2020-21 seasons.
“We’re talking to both the Bulls and the Blackhawks. I think they have very solid plans,” Lightfoot said. “But those plans unfolded at a time when we were growing upwards. As the doctor (Allison Arwady) said and the figures are getting, we think we could be landing and even daring to dream , – going down.
“Going down is the right time to hold this conversation, so we’ll continue with that. And I hope there are fans at the United Center before the end of the season.”
Read more here.
Travel order in Chicago: there are now 26 states with a higher risk, changes in testing requirements
Chicago on Tuesday updated its emergency travel order, detailing where states are currently located and determining guidelines on whether travelers should quarantine or test for negative COVID-19s before arriving in the city.
The order now includes 26 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, under an “orange level,” which requires a quarantine test or a negative test prior to arrival before arriving in Chicago. The lower “yellow level” includes 23. In which level states they are depends on the adjusted case rate for the population.
Also, starting this week, those traveling from an orange list state and unable to take a test before arriving in Chicago can use an airport test site or another test site. on arrival, officials said, adding that those taking the test on arrival still have to be quarantined until they receive a negative result.
Full list updated here.
Navy Pier announces phase reopening and celebration fireworks
Following its temporary closure from Labor Day, Navy Pier will begin its gradual reopening in late April, representatives of Chicago’s iconic attraction announced.
The initial phase, which begins April 30, restores public access to the following: garages at Navy Pier, Polk Bros Park, Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion, north and south docks of Pier, Pier Park, select attractions and attractions , East End Plaza, boat trips and cruises, the new Sable Hotel and select restaurants with limited capacity.
As a celebration of the reopening, Navy Pier will host a 10-minute fireworks show every Saturday in May at 9 p.m. Guests will be able to view the exhibits from the open spaces of Navy Pier.
More details here.
Cook County will release 10,000 COVID vaccine appointments on Tuesday
Cook County will release 10,000 vaccine appointments against COVID on Tuesday afternoon.
Appointments are to be released at noon and will include doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Meanwhile, Aurora also announced that it will offer Pfizer’s first vaccine appointments April 20-27 at its mass vaccination site located at 970 N. Lake St.
Click here for information on how to make an appointment.
Watch Live: Lightfoot, Chicago’s Best Doctor to Visit Chicago State University Mass Vaccination Clinic
The Mayor of Chicago, Lightfoot, and the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, Dr. Arwady, will join Chicago State University President Zaldwaynaka “Z” Scott for a visit to CSU’s mass vaccination clinic.
The visit is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the Emil & Patricia A. Jones Call Center.
A replay of the event will be played live on the top player.
Study: A single dose of COVID vaccine insufficient for people who had mild cases of virus
Researchers at Northwestern University’s Policy Research Institute say a new study has indicated that a two-dose dose of COVID-19 vaccine does not provide enough protection against the virus in individuals who have previously had mild or asymptomatic cases of the disease, meaning that individuals are still advised to take both doses of the vaccine.
According to a press release from the researchers, the study had examined whether people who had mild or asymptomatic cases of previous coronavirus could achieve a high level of immunity with just one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, rather than the recommended doses. . .
The study did not investigate the differences between mild cases of COVID and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in terms of robustness of the immune response.
Read more here.
Illinois Reopening Plan: Regions Won’t Automatically Trigger New Mitigations, Even If They Reach Metrics
The eleven regions of Illinois will not automatically see any new attenuation of COVID-19, even if they reach the metrics that previously automatically triggered more restrictions, state health officials said Monday.
All regions of the state continue to phase 4 of the state’s reopening plan, where they have been since February.
Previously, a region would move from phase 4 to level 1 mitigations if it saw a test positivity rate ≥ 8% for three consecutive days over a 14-day monitoring period (7-day average) OR a sustained increase in the test positivity rate (7 daily average for 7 of 10 days) and (A) Sustained increase in patients with COVID in hospital (average of 7 days for 7 of 10 days), or (B) Hospital beds and ICU with staff <20% for three consecutive days (3-day average).
But state health officials said Monday that regions will automatically stop causing Level 1 mitigations, even if they affect those metrics amid another increase in cases and hospitalizations.
“The resurgence mitigation plan was designed before we got vaccines,” Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said in a statement Monday.
Details here.
Pfizer Vaccines Vs. Modern: side effects, effectiveness and more
As many Johnson & Johnson vaccine appointments shift to doses of Pfizer or Modern vaccines after a recommended break in Illinois and Chicago, what can those who were previously anticipating the single vaccine expect?
While the pause in the J&J vaccine is likely to be only temporary, both the city and the state have already switched many vaccination clinics and events to one of the available vaccines.
The White House Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that he believes the U.S. is likely to resume use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as this week, although it could come with a warning or restriction.
Below are the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, their potential side effects, and the effectiveness they are believed to be.
Chicago’s COVID vaccination will be open Monday for all residents 16 and older
Chicago opens Monday a week after the rest of Illinois COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all residents 16 years of age or older.
The move to phase 2 of eligibility comes when the city announces that more than a million residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
“Opening vaccine eligibility to all adults in Chicago is another important milestone in our goal of vaccinating everyone and moving from the pandemic to reopening our city safely,” the Chicago mayor said , Lori Lightfoot.
Lightfoot also issued a reminder that vaccine supply remains limited throughout the city, encouraging people to be patient.
Read more here.
Chicago high schools reopen after Union approval
Chicago’s public high schools reopened Monday for the first time since the nation’s third-largest school district fell completely remote amid the coronavirus pandemic more than a year ago.
The Chicago Teachers Union announced Sunday that its members overwhelmingly approved a reopening plan that includes helping students 16 and older and their families get vaccinated against COVID-19, with priority given to certain postal codes affected by the pandemic. It is also included in the agreement with Chicago public schools that there is more room for educators to work remotely, as if they did not have face-to-face students that day.
Read more here.
Coronavirus in Illinois: 2,666 new cases of COVID, 10 deaths, 115,000,000 vaccinations
Illinois health officials reported 2,666 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus and 10 additional deaths in the last day, along with more than 115,000 vaccines administered.
New coronavirus cases reported Sunday bring the state total to 1,302,241 cases since the pandemic began. The additional ten deaths raised the total number of deaths to 21,663, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
In the last 24 hours, 70,106 coronavirus test samples were returned to state laboratories, with more than 21.7 million now performed during the pandemic.
Statewide positivity fell on Sunday, with 4% of all tests yielding positive results. The positivity rate of people tested in the last seven days also dropped to 4.7%, according to IDPH data.
Read more here.
What makes you more likely to have side effects from the COVID vaccine?
Side effects are possible after receiving one or two doses of any of the coronavirus vaccines currently being administered in the US, but not everyone experiences them. Experiencing side effects is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it is a signal that your body responds to.
So what makes someone more likely to experience them than others?
Women and young people are more likely to report side effects, according to experts, while side effects may also vary depending on whether you have had coronavirus or not.
People are likely to report side effects after their second dose, according to the top Chicago doctor, which was echoed by reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But not getting side effects is not negative, health experts say.
Read more here.