The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 1,152,995, with a total of 19,739 deaths, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Governor Pritzker announced Wednesday that Illinois is planning to extend Phase 1B eligibility on Feb. 25 to people with comorbidities and underlying conditions, as defined by the CDC. In addition, Illinois will also prioritize people with disabilities.
“As soon as we receive the sufficient supply of vaccines, we must not waste time in protecting a wider part of our most vulnerable population,” Pritzker said. “People under the age of 65 who live with comorbidities, such as cancer survivors or those with heart disease, have a high risk of serious complications or death if they contract COVID-19. Illinois is moving forward according to guidelines. of the CDC to expand our eligible population as the supply allows, bringing us closer to the point where the vaccine is widely available to anyone who wants it.In the meantime, I encourage all Illinois residents to bring us the masks and to follow the mitigations so that more neighbors are healthy and alive when it touches them to the line of vaccination “.
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The governor said his office is working with local health departments on the expansion and that areas that have already vaccinated most eligible Phase 1B residents can expand access before Feb. 25.
The high-risk categories covered in the expansion include:
-Cancer
-Chronic kidney disease
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
-Diabetes
-Condition of the heart
-Immunocompromised state of a solid organ transplant
-Obesity
-Pregnancy
-Lung disease
-Sickle cell disease
This expansion could nearly double the number of people currently eligible for the vaccine at a time when supply is low, but the governor expressed optimism that federal government deliveries would increase significantly in the coming weeks.
“My administration will work with all local public health departments to include these most at-risk people in their community vaccination plans in the coming weeks,” Pritzker said.
The move could add 2.5 million more people to phase 1B at a time when demand far exceeds supply.
Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwardy reacted to the announcement with caution.
“If at this time we add additional people to 1B, all we do is make it difficult for people who are already eligible to receive this vaccine,” Dr. Arwady said.
In Chicago, officials had no plans to include people under 65 with underlying conditions until at least the end of March, with this group representing 900,000 more people in Chicago alone.
“We will certainly hold some more talks with the state,” Dr. Arwady said. “If they’ve been sure there will be additional vaccines and they could direct it to Chicago, it would be very helpful for us to move faster.”
Chicago has received its own shipments of vaccines from the federal government, separate from the state. And Dr. Arwady has said she does not expect these federal deliveries to increase significantly at least until early March.
SEE: More than 500 members of the National Guard help vaccinate Illinois residents
In the last 24 hours, laboratories have reported 82,885 specimens for a total of 16,822,385.
On Tuesday night, 2,082 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of these, 464 patients were in the ICU and 232 patients with COVID-19 with ventilators.
The seven-day statewide preliminary positivity test beginning Feb. 9 is 4.0%.
A total of 1,724,325 doses of vaccine have been delivered to Illinois providers, including Chicago, with an additional 428,100 doses allocated to federal government partners for long-term care facilities, making the number total delivered in Illinois is 2,152,425
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IDPH reports that a total of 1,480,079 vaccine doses have been administered, including 223,790 in long-term facilities. The rotating average of seven days of administered vaccines is 55,135.
The IDPH says vaccine distribution data are reported in real time and vaccine administration data is up to 72 hours.
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The deaths reported on Wednesday include:
– Adams County: 1 70-year-old woman, 1 70-year-old man
– Bond County: 1 90-year-old woman
– Carroll County: 1 woman aged 70 years
– Champaign County: 1 woman aged 70 years
– Cook County: 1 man of 40 years, 2 women of 60, 2 women of 70, 4 men of 70, 3 women of 80, 4 men of 80
– DeKalb County: 1 man from the 80s
– DuPage County: 1 woman aged 70 years. 2 males from the 70s
– Franklin County: 1 woman aged 70 years
– Grundy County: 1 man from the 80s
– Hamilton County: 1 woman aged 80 years
– Jefferson County: 1 man from the 70s
– Kane County: 1 60-year-old man, 1 70-year-old man
– LaSalle County: 1 female 80, 1 male 80
– Lee County: 1 man from the 70s
– Macon County: 1 man of 50 years
– County of Massac: 1 woman of 80 years
– McHenry County: 1 woman 90
– McLean County: 1 woman aged 60, 1 woman aged 80
– Ogle County: 1 woman aged 70, 1 man aged 70
– Peoria County: 1 male 70 years, 1 male 80 years
– St Clair County: 1 man aged 70, 1 woman aged 80, 1 woman aged 90
– Stephenson County: 1 man from the 80s
– County of Vermilion: 1 male of 80 years
– Will County: 1 woman aged 60 years
– Winnebago County: 1 woman 40, 1 woman 50, 1 male 70, 1 female 90
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