Health officials identified Lake County’s first COVID-19 variant case on Saturday that has been circulating in the UK
Meanwhile, Chicago officials urged residents to remember the coronavirus safety protocol ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl meetings.
These are the latest COVID-19 holders across the state:
Lake County reports the first case of COVID-19 variant
The first case of the COVID-19 variant was identified in Lake County, health officials announced Saturday.
The Lake County Health Department reported the first case of coronavirus variant B.1.1.7, which is the most circulating strain in the UK in recent months.
The individual infected with the variant had traveled internationally and was in contact with a sick person before leaving to return to the United States in late December, health officials said.
According to the department, the person did not experience any symptoms of coronavirus.
“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, LCHD’s medical epidemiologist. “It is extremely important that you follow the quarantine recommendations and be tested if you have traveled or been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.”
Health officials recalled that studies suggest that the currently available COVID-19 vaccine is effective against new strains.
For more information on the new coronavirus strain, click here.
Illinois reports 3,062 new COVID-19 cases, 60 additional deaths Saturday
Health officials in Illinois on Saturday reported 3,062 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus, along with an additional 60 deaths attributed to the virus.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Saturday’s new cases bring the state to 1,144,281 virus cases in the state, with 19,585 deaths attributed to COVID-19 since the pandemic began last year.
In the last 24 hours, 90,295 test samples have been delivered to state laboratories, which has meant that the total number of tests performed statewide is 16,555,035.
The seven-day positivity rate rose slightly on Saturday to 3.4%, from 3.3% the day before. The positivity rate in tested individuals during this time fell to 4.2%.
As of Friday night, there were 2,271 coronavirus patients in Illinois hospitals. Of these patients, 485 were in intensive care units, while 246 had ventilators.
The total number of vaccine doses administered to date stands at 1,294,498 doses, including 188,351 in long-term care centers through the federal association with pharmacies.
A total of 2,132,025 doses have been sent to Illinois, with a rotating average of 7 days of vaccines administered daily at 49,909 doses.
Chicago officials are urging security amid Super Bowl celebrations this weekend
As the coronavirus pandemic continues in Chicago, city officials reminded residents to celebrate Super Bowl Sunday safely.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady on Friday advised people to follow safety precautions, especially as the city sees lower COVID-19 positivity rates since October .
“We’ve made so much progress in the last few weeks – now is not the time to lower our guard,” Lightfoot said. “I will be watching the match with my wife and daughter at home, and I call on all children to do the same and avoid meetings. Let’s not make the Super Bowl a popular event! ”
City officials recalled that traditional Super Bowl meetings can become more widespread events for coronavirus, which is why they ask residents to ask to be taken from a local bar or restaurant, as well as avoid mixed parties.
According to Lightfoot and Arwady, the best way to avoid indoor meetings with people outside the home. However, if guests are indoors, health officials said people should keep a distance of ten meters and wear facial coating.
“While parties of any kind to the Super Bowl are discouraged, Chicagoans are reminded that, in order of health, indoor residential gatherings should be limited to ten people,” a statement said.
Because the Phase 4 city has coroanavirus mitigation, the following regulations apply if you go to bars or restaurants:
- Six people per table
- Six feet away between tables
- Internal capacity is limited to less than 25% or 25 individuals
Business and Consumer Protection workers will visit entertainment establishments across the city of Chicago ahead of the big event on Sunday, according to a statement.
Pre-K and cluster CPS students will return on Tuesday as the CTU dispute continues
Chicago public schools on Friday released a detailed plan for a return to face-to-face instruction, calling for students in pre-K and cluster programs to return to classrooms starting Tuesday, even as the debate continues. face-to-face learning with the Chicago Teachers Union.
According to the gradual reopening, teachers and pre-K and cluster staff will return to school buildings on Monday, and students will join them the next day.
On Friday morning, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city and CPS presented their “latest, best and latest offer” to the union.
CTU president Jesse Sharkey said the offer in question “cannot be tolerated” and poses a “threat” to cutting school students.
Sharkey said the CPS offer would pause face-to-face learning if there are outbreaks of COVID-19 in 50% of buildings at once, which he said accounts for more than 200 schools. He also noted that the proposal “denies remote work accommodation to 75 per cent of educators with home members at high risk of COVID-19” and “will not make any improvement in remote learning, although four out of five students remain remote “.
Although agreements have been reached on several issues, according to the school district, they remain pending: vaccinations, accommodations for staff with vulnerable household members, metrics on the face-to-face learning pause, and a gradual reopening.
According to the gradual reopening proposal announced by CPS on Friday, teachers and kindergarten through fifth grade staff will return to the school buildings on Tuesday, February 16 and their students will return on Monday, February 22.
Teachers and staff in grades six through eight will return to the classrooms on Monday, February 22, and their students will join on March 1.
A limited number of pre-K students and programs returned to classrooms last month according to the district plan, although these students returned to remote learning after the union vote.
Last week, thousands of primary and secondary school teachers were expected to return to school last week, with an estimated 71,000 students expected to attend on Monday, although both were postponed amid the ‘conflict.
Read more here.
Kroger will pay workers $ 100 to receive the COVID-19 vaccine
Kroger is offering a $ 100 incentive for employees receiving both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as a way to encourage associates to get vaccinated, the Cincinnati-based grocery retailer announced Friday.
Payment for the vaccine will be offered to all associates who present vaccination evidence to their human resources representative, according to a company statement.
Employees who are unable to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons will have the option of taking a safety and health education course to receive payment.
The company also announced an additional $ 50 million investment to thank and reward employees, including a $ 100 credit in the store and 1,000 fuel points for supermarkets, supply chain, manufacturing, pharmacy and associates in the center. front-line calls.
Mariano’s, a Chicago supermarket, is a subsidiary of Kroger.
Chicago closes the city’s COVID test sites for several days due to the weather
With a period of intense cold that will hit the Chicago area, Chicago-managed coronavirus testing sites will remain closed for several days, officials announced Thursday.
Starting Friday, city-run test sites will close for five days, through Feb. 10, the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications posted on Twitter.
The movement is due to “the inclement weather.”
Read more here.
80 new COVID vaccination locations open in Illinois, state announces
The state of Illinois has added 80 new vaccination sites to COVID-19, according to a press release from state health officials Thursday.
More than 3.2 million residents of the state are eligible to be vaccinated in Phase 1B, which includes people 65 and older, as well as “essential front-line workers.”
In all, 390 vaccination sites have been opened statewide.
The newly established sites include 78 additional Walgreens locations, as well as two Illinois National Guard locations in Cook and St. Louis counties. Clair.
Current vaccination sites in the state are only available by appointment, but the state plans to launch sites to access in the coming weeks, according to officials.
For a full view of how you can make an appointment or receive information about vaccines in your area, click here.
All of Illinois, now in Phase 4, after the last region, loosens coronavirus restrictions
All of Illinois is now under Phase 4 coronavirus guidelines after the last of the 11 regions in the state that are still in tighter mitigation has relaxed some of these restrictions to the same level as the rest of the state. on Thursday, health officials announced.
Region 4, also known as the Metro East region of southern Illinois, moved directly from level 2 mitigation to phase 4, and completely skipped level 1. This measure means that the 11 regions of the state are now in phase 4 after the state allows the regions to move forward in mid-January after the holiday season.
Regions 8 and 9, which include DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties in the Chicago area, were able to ease restrictions on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, region 10, which has suburban Cook County, moved to Phase 4, while region 7, which includes Will and Kankakee counties, returned on Monday. The city of Chicago introduced a modified version of the phase over the weekend.