Illinois COVID Update: IL reports 2,029 cases, 5 deaths

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois Department of Public Health officials reported 2,029 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 5 related deaths Monday.

There have been 1,618,800 total COVID cases, including 24,860 deaths in the state since the pandemic began.

Statewide test positivity is down to 3.2 percent, the lowest figure reported since July 21, 2021.

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Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported testing 98,934 specimens for a total of 31,510,244 since the pandemic began.

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As of Sunday night, 1,893 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 461 patients were in the ICU and 243 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

A total of 14,486,090 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of Sunday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 20,827. On Sunday, 22,904 vaccines were administered.

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As of Sunday, over 7 million people in Illinois are fully vaccinated. That's just over 55 percent of the state's population.

The CDC director has added frontline workers to the list of those eligible for booster shots, which also includes people 65 and older, nursing home residents and those 50 and above with chronic health care problems should get boosters 6 months after their first dose. The CDC said younger people with underlying health issues can decide for themselves.

The CVS pharmacy locations giving the Pfizer shot started booking up quickly with those eligible for the booster. That includes those over 65 and others who are considered medically vulnerable six months after their second shot

"All of our online appointments are filling up. We have been getting a strong response. People are interested in being proactive," said Reema Patel, a CVS pharmacy manager in Chicago.

The surge in cases because of the delta variant has increased the urgency for many in getting the booster. Providers who had been seeing fewer patients getting their initial shot are gearing up for greater demand in the coming weeks.

With the CDC's recommendation, millions of Americans will now eligible for the booster shot, but the head of Pfizer said he believes there is enough supply to handle those people and those still awaiting their initial vaccination.