COVID-19 in Illinois is updated: here’s what happens Thursday

Ultimately, it is Pritzker who will make a decision on when pubs and restaurants can reopen for indoor service. The city can set stricter rules than the state’s, but not rules that are looser.

In addition, Chicago will have six masses of COVID-19 vaccination sites by next week, which will increase the city’s ability to deliver up to 25,000 shots per week, Lightfoot said Thursday.

But the mayor reiterated that the city was not receiving enough vaccines from the federal government, pointing out that it would take a year and a half to vaccinate the entire city at the current rate of distribution.

This is what happens to COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois on Thursday:

Good news for tens of thousands of volunteers in the COVID-19 vaccine trials: Many of those who have received a placebo are now getting a vaccine – in some cases earlier than they would otherwise be eligible.

Participants in the Pfizer vaccination study, some of which had a noisy social media campaign, were advised that anyone who wants one can receive the first of two shots by March 1st. Participants in Moderna’s vaccination trial are already being vaccinated.

This was not always the plan, and some experts fear that ‘volunteers’ ‘blinding’, that is, letting them know if they were given the vaccine or a placebo, could make it difficult to obtain good long-term data on the experimental vaccines. collect, including how safe they are and when their immunity begins to weaken. But others argue that it would be unfair to leave trial participants unprotected from a raging pandemic if an effective vaccine is available.

In the wake of big bar and restaurant promotions – happy hour, two for one, kids eating for free – comes the 21st century pandemic update: get vaccinated, get a free beer.

The legendary Roscoe Village bar Village Tap announced an unlikely public health initiative on social media on Wednesday: proof of a COVID-19 vaccine, receive a $ 10 gift voucher.

The 30-year-old bar said he would hand out 1,000 gift cards – $ 10,000 free beer (or food from the Village Tap kitchen if you must).

While Mayor Lori Lightfoot looked at it, dr. Allison Arwady said the city sees no need to stop administering the curative tests at urban test sites.

“We have looked closely, and our rate of positivity, the way these tests are conducted in these neighborhoods, is absolutely in line with what we see in the surrounding areas,” Arwady said during a news conference to promote the vaccination at Richard J. Daley College on the Southwest Side.

‘We feel very confident, based on what we have seen at this stage related to this test. We have no plans to abandon its use unless additional data appears, ”she said.

The Food and Drug Administration last week issued a mandate to alert patients and healthcare providers to the risk of false results, especially false negative results, with the Curative SARS-CoV-2 test. “

Illinois health officials on Thursday announced 6,652 newly confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 88 additional deaths, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 1,052,682 and the death toll nationwide to 17,928. since the onset of the pandemic.

Officials also reported 118,036 new tests in the past 24 hours. The seven-day running positive percentage for cases as a share in the total tests was 6.8% for the period ending Wednesday.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she wants to reopen the bars and restaurants in the city “as soon as possible” for indoor service and plans to discuss the issue with Illinois government JB Pritzker.

‘I’m very, very focused on reopening our restaurants. If we look at the different criteria set by the state, we meet most, if not all. So this is a conversation I will have with the governor, ‘Lightfoot said at a news conference on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution sites. “But I want our restaurants and bars to reopen as soon as possible.”

Ultimately, it is Pritzker who will make a decision on when pubs and restaurants can reopen for indoor service. The city can set rules that are stricter than the state’s, but not rules that are looser.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday that Mayor Lori Lightfoot has six masses of COVID-19 vaccination sites underway by next week, which will increase the city’s ability to deliver up to 25,000 shots per week.

But the mayor again said the city was not receiving enough vaccines from the federal government, noting that it would take a year and a half to vaccinate the entire city at the current rate of spread.

“This is completely unacceptable,” Lightfoot said.

Lightfoot also noted that the city is now receiving fewer doses than when the vaccines were first available, calling it “clearly the opposite direction of where we should go.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city’s health commissioner, dr. Allison Arwardy, according to city officials, would give an update on the coronavirus vaccines in Chicago on Thursday morning.

The news conference would take place Thursday morning at Richard J. Daley College on the Southwest Side.

Arwady said on Wednesday that the city was looking at allowing hospitals to start vaccinating patients aged 65 and older as early as next week.

Check back for updates. –Chicago Tribune Staff

As COVID-19 changed all aspects of daily life – and increased its death toll – Allyson Clark wanted to be vaccinated against the new virus as soon as a vaccine became available, to protect herself and help the world return to normal. stop.

But to her and millions of Americans who suffer from fear of needles, the distress associated with the injection may seem insurmountable.

“I was terrified of everything to do with needles,” said Clark, 41, of the West Town neighborhood. “When they talk about fight-or-flight, it feels a lot like that.”

According to research estimates, needle phobia affects from 3.5% to 10% of the general population. Some anxiety or distress around needles seems to be more common. Gallup polls in 1998 and 2001 found that needles were the biggest fear for American adults, while 21% of respondents in both surveys said they were afraid of needles or getting a chance.

This fear could have health consequences for the public if patients relinquish medical care and vaccinations.

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