The Illinois Department of Public Health reported Thursday that the first cases of COVID variant B.1.351 have been confirmed in the state, in a Rock Island resident. The state currently reports 22 cases of the British variant B 1.1.7.
Both variants appear to spread faster, health officials said, and could lead to more cases of the virus or even another surge. They reminded the public of the urgent need to wear a face mask, stay at a social distance, limit gatherings outside the household of all sizes, and to be vaccinated if it’s your turn.
Meanwhile, Illinois health officials on Thursday reported 2,825 new COVID-19 cases and 102 deaths.
The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 1,155,833, with a total of 19,841 deaths since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the past 24 hours, laboratories reported 96,525 samples for a total of 16,918,910.
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As of Wednesday night, it was reported that 1,954 patients in Illinois were in the hospital with COVID-19. Of these, 448 patients were in the ICU and 227 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary positive test of seven days across the country from 4-10 February is 3.9%.
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A total of 1,929,850 doses of vaccine were delivered to suppliers in Illinois, including Chicago, with an additional 456,100 doses allocated to federal government partners for long-term care facilities, bringing the total number delivered in Illinois to 2,385,950.
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The IDPH says that the distribution numbers of vaccines are reported in real time and that the number of vaccines lags by as much as 72 hours.
IDPH reports that a total of 1,549,108 doses of vaccine were administered, including 226,974 at long-term facilities. The rolling average of vaccines administered over seven days is 56,094.
Pritzker government visits Elgin vaccine
Governor JB Pritzker on Thursday morning gave an update on the vaccination efforts of the Elgin Mental Health Center in Elgin.
The vaccination site of the Department of Human Services in Elgin houses many patients and has dozens of staff members. On Thursday morning, 50 patients and staff received their second doses of COVID 19 vaccine.
As the vaccine is still scarce, Governor Pritzker says we are still one of the leading states when it comes to vaccinations.
“It’s because of these efforts that are already taking place on the deck that Illinois is setting new records in our vaccination of vaccines,” Pritzker said. ‘Illinois was the number one of the ten most populous states in the country to be vaccinated per capita last week, and although Illinois is the sixth largest state in the country, we have now done the fifth most vaccinations among all. of the States, “
The governor also mentions an increase in supply coming soon from the federal government, but there is still a huge shortage of vaccine.
On Wednesday, Pritzker announced that Illinois is considering plans to extend Phase 1B admission on Feb. 25 to people with comorbidities and underlying conditions, as defined by the CDC. In addition, Illinois will also prioritize people with disabilities.
However, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement on Thursday that the city and county would not expand the Phase 1B suitability.
‘If we do that in Chicago and Cook County, more than a million people will be added to 1b, and the result would be those currently eligible, including the elderly, frontline essential workers, and those in our communities. with the heaviest bite, an equally difficult to get a vaccine, “Lightfoot and Preckwinkle said in a statement.
The high-risk categories covered in the expansion include:
-Cancer
-Chronic kidney disease
-COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
-Diabetes
-Heart condition
-Immun-compromised state from a Solid Organ Transplant
-Vetish
-Pregnancy
-Lung disease
-Cystic disease
This expansion could nearly double the number of people currently eligible for the vaccine, at a time when supply is scarce, but the governor has expressed optimism that federal government delivery will increase significantly in the coming weeks.
“My administration will work with all local public health departments in the coming weeks to fit these higher-risk individuals into their community vaccination plans,” Pritzker said.
The deaths reported on Thursday include:
– Clay County: 1 female 80s
– Clinton County: 1 female 80s
– Coles County: 1 60-year-old man
– Cook County: 1 male 30s, 1 female 40s, 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 4 men 50s, 6 women 60s, 6 men 60s, 7 women 70s, 7 men 70s, 7 women 80s, 7 men 80s, 4 women 90s, 2 men 90s
– DeKalb County: 1 female 90s
– DuPage County: 1 female 40s, 3 men 70s, 1 80s female, 1 90s female
– Greene County: 1 50-year-old woman
– Grundy County: 1 60-year-old man
– Jefferson County: 1 male 80s
– Kane County: 1 man 60s, 1 man 70s, 1 woman 90s
– Knox County: 1 female 80s
– Lake County: 1 male 50’s
– Lawrence County: 1 60-year-old man
– Livingston County: 1 80-year-old man
– Logan County: 1 female 90s
– Marion County: 1 70-year-old man
– McLean County: 1 60-year-old man
– Monroe County: 1 70-year-old man, 1 90-year-old woman
– Moultrie County: 1 man 70’s
– Randolph County: 1 70-year-old man
– Sangamon County: 1 female 70’s
– St. Clair County: 1 female 50s, 1 90s female
– Stephenson County: 1 80-year-old man
– Tazewell County: 1 40-year-old woman, 1 50-year-old woman, 1 70-year-old woman, 1 90-year-old woman
– Vermilion County: 1 70-year-old man
– Washington County: 1 female 90s
– Whiteside County: 1 60-year-old man, 1 90-year-old man
– Will County: 1 male 50s, 1 60s men, 3 men 70s, 1 80s female, 2 women 90s
– Winnebago County: 1 female 90s
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