ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL – The Cook County Department of Public Health ushered in a new enrollment form on Monday when Illinois moved to Phase 1b, the second phase of the COVID-19 distribution plan, which includes 65 and older and certain frontline workers. eligible to receive doses.
Public health officials estimate there are approximately 3.2 million people eligible for phase 1b vaccinations. In addition to senior citizens, those whose work poses a higher risk of exposure to the virus may be vaccinated in the second priority group.
The essential front-line workers include: public safety, manufacturing, education, agriculture, postal, grocery and public transport workers, as well as residents and staff at municipal housing facilities, such as prisons, jails, shelters and rehabilitation centers.
Public health officials have recommended that all Arlington Heights residents complete the Cook County Vaccine Registration Form in the suburbs, which is available in English and Spanish.
Enrollment will provide information on when people are eligible to receive a dose, how to schedule an appointment for a vaccine through Cook County Health, and updates on other vaccination distribution sites throughout Cook County, according to the Department of Public Health health.
As of Monday, more than 80,000 residents of the suburbs of Cook County had been covered by the department – all except Evanston, Oak Park, Skokie and Stickney Township – had received at least one dose, and nearly 24,000 had received both doses. About 18.6 percent of those vaccinated so far were 60 years or older, according to the department’s website.
Public health officials also released a vaccination tracker on Monday. Government spokesman JB Pritzker said it would soon include hundreds of venues that would start offering appointments for jabs. The Illinois Department of Public Health has also introduced a full vaccination registration form for those admitted to Phase 1b.
Pritzker appeared Monday in Tinley Park on Cook County’s first vaccination site, manned by the Illinois National Guard. The governor said government officials are reluctant to open too many sites for mass vaccinations while the doses of the vaccine are so low. The state has received about 120,000 for the past two weeks.
“You do not want to build too much,” Pritzker said. “But you want to be ready with the infrastructure when the number of doses increases.”
The Cook County Department of Public Health plans to distribute vaccines to 91 sites, including Cook County Health facilities, 40 Walgreens locations, as well as other pharmacies and hospitals.
And at least one suburban group of firefighters offered to provide additional assistance to the country, but it is not clear whether the offer was accepted.
In a Jan. 7 letter, firefighters from four northern suburbs and officials from the Mutual Aid Box, or MABAS, called for certified paramedics in municipal firefighters to be used immediately to help vaccinate residents of Cook’s suburbs. County to administer. 1b and 1c.
“One lesson we need to remember from the beginning of the pandemic was that the process of setting up tests for COVID-19 was a disaster at a very critical time of the pandemic,” the fire department said. “Afterwards, we were not prepared for the large number of people who had to be tested, so it is important to use all the available resources in Cook County to prevent a similar outcome with the vaccination.
“Unfortunately, relying solely on commercial pharmacies, private doctors and other retailers will cause unnecessary delays and will probably lead to many individuals not even realizing that they are eligible for the vaccine and how to proceed to obtain one. To get, “they added. . ‘From now on, the task has been imposed on individuals in Phases 1B and 1C to seek out the vaccine themselves; we are willing to accept the responsibility as best we can to reach our most vulnerable residents directly and ensure as many individuals as possible. in phase 1B and 1C. “
No response to the letter was available Monday from a Cook County Department of Public Health spokesman.
Cook County public health officials are offering a vaccine hotline, staffed on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at 833-308-1988.
Provincial officials provided a list of answers to common questions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.
RELATED: Illinois Begins Phase 1b of COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
On Saturday, Arlington Heights and the rest of suburban Cook County, or region 10 in the reopening plan of Pritzker’s Restore, Illinois moved to Tier 1 COVID-19 mitigation measures, enabling indoor dining with a 25 percent capacity at pubs and restaurants make.
Meetings and social events can be held with up to 25 people, and some organized sports can be played.
As of Monday, the region’s seven-day average coronavirus positivity was at 6.9 percent. If it falls below 6.5 percent in three days while the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital continues to decline or remain stable, the region will be eligible for reductions in business and activities, according to government officials. .
“We are moving in the right direction,” said Dr. Kiran Joshi, senior medical officer in the Cook County Department of Public Health, said, ‘but we need to stay alert and wear a mask, keep an eye on your distance, wash your hands and get vaccinated when you are eligible. “
RELATED: 5 New Deaths, 225 COVID-19 Cases Reported in Arlington Heights
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