Illinois and Chicago both entered the next phase of their vaccination plans, Phase 1B, on Monday. Who's eligible and where can you get your shot? A full breakdown of everything we know so far is below.
Meanwhile, Illinois health officials have confirmed eight additional cases of a COVID-19 variant that spreads more rapidly than previous strains of the virus.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic across the state of Illinois today, Jan. 26:
CPS Tells Parents to Keep Children Home Wednesday After CTU Vote
Chicago Public Schools students who have been learning in-person are being asked to stay home Wednesday after the Chicago Teachers Union voted to have teachers switch to remote-only learning this week, according to a press release from the district.
In a letter sent to parents on Tuesday evening, CPS officials say that parents will be asked to keep children at home as a result of the CTU vote, which took place over the weekend.
“For the past three weeks, thousands of CPS students have been safely learning in person, and the union’s action will prevent these students from receiving the classroom support their parents needed and chose,” CPS said in a statement. “While we are greatly concerned for our youngest and highest-need students, who are suddenly without a safe, in-person learning option, we are continuing to make all possible efforts to reach an agreement that addresses the union’s priorities and provides families a much-needed resolution.”
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The Chicago Teachers Union is calling for mediation as the union pushes to remain remote until teachers are vaccinated.
"We are willing to keep teaching, but CPS has said they will lock us out," CTU President Jesse Sharkey said in a statement. "We are willing to keep negotiating, but CPS has refused to back down from insisting that 80% of educators and support staff person in every elementary school be back in class on Feb. 1 to serve less than 20% of the students. Another 10,000 of our members became eligible for vaccinations on Jan. 25. We can make schools safe with a phased reopening and enhanced COVID-19 testing for members of school communities."
Read more here.
Should You Wear Two Masks? Here's What Illinois' and Chicago's Top Docs Say
There's been plenty of discussion lately on whether or not wearing two masks at one time provides greater protection for people during the coronavirus pandemic, particularly as new and more contagious variants of the virus begin to surface in the U.S.
If one mask is better than none, is two actually better than one?
According to the top public health officials in both Chicago and Illinois, the answer is maybe.
Both were asked in recent days what their thoughts were on the subject.
"I've certainly been following the information on that. The most important thing always, is if people are taking COVID seriously their risk is really quite low," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Monday. "Where we see people get into trouble is where they think they don't need the mask, they can get in big gatherings, they can put aside the things that we know work. There has been some thought about the second masking because of, you know, variants coming and some of that. If people feel more secure wearing a second mask, they can. I am wearing a single mask at this point. If there is guidance that comes out that's based on some studies and some evidence that the CDC recommends we would make that updated recommendation, but at this point, we know that where people wear masks, they do the distancing, they wash their hands, they don't gather - all the things that we've started to take for granted - the risk of COVID spread is actually very low."
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike agreed.
"There are things that don't change as we're learning more about the variant and so those important things are the things that are going to make the difference- you know, continuing to be masked," Ezike said Friday. "It's not inappropriate to say, 'If I can breathe comfortably with one and I can do that with two, maybe two will give us that extra level of protection.' That, you know, large gatherings unmasked, indoor is obviously more risky than outdoors - like all of those things we've been saying that the message doesn't really change. It just means it's more important now, more important than even before, to adhere to them. So we'll continue to follow the science."
Hy-Vee to Begin COVID Vaccinations at Several Illinois Locations Wednesday
Hy-Vee is joining the list of grocery and pharmacy chains now offering coronavirus vaccinations in Illinois as the state enters its next stage, opening up doses to millions of residents.
Beginning Wednesday, several Hy-Vee locations in Illinois will start vaccinating residents eligible under Phase 1B of the state's rollout, officials announced Tuesday.
The company, which has 16 locations in central and southern Illinois, said it hopes to offer up to 200 vaccinations per day.
• To make an appointment, eligible individuals can register at https://www.hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine-consent
• Monday-Friday: 7am – 7pm and Saturday-Sunday: 9am – 5pm (most locations)
Hy-Vee has stores in Bloomington, Canton, Galesburg, Hamilton, Milan, Moline, Macomb, Peoria, Peru, Rock Island, Silvis, Springfield, and Sycamore.
City Finds High Levels of Compliance on First Weekend of Indoor Dining
City officials said they found a “high level of compliance” from restaurants and bars over the first weekend of indoor dining, citing only one business that allegedly served dozens of people who weren’t social distancing.
The Drip G, 5529 W. Chicago Ave., was cited for allowing 79 patrons to eat and drink indoors, according a spokesperson for the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
No other violations of the Tier 1 Mitigation Measures were found on Saturday and Sunday.
2 Suburban Regions Move to Tier 1 COVID-19 Mitigations, Resume Indoor Dining
Two regions in the Chicago suburbs can now move into Tier 1 COVID-19 mitigations, allowing for the return of limited indoor dining, among other changes, state health officials announced.
Region 8, which includes west suburban DuPage and Kane counties, and Region 9, home to north suburban Lake and McHenry counties, will both enter Tier 1 effective Tuesday, health officials said.
8 Additional Cases of More Contagious Variant of COVID-19 Reported in Illinois
Illinois health officials have confirmed eight additional cases of a COVID-19 variant that spreads more rapidly than previous strains of the virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to nine.
The virus, which was first identified in the United Kingdom, is known as variant B.1.1.7. It has been shown in laboratory studies to spread more quickly than previous iterations of the virus, and has been located in several states, sparking fears of a new wave of the virus.
“Early studies have found that this variant spreads more easily than what we have seen with the current prevailing variant,” Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said in a statement.
One case was reported earlier this month in Chicago, according to state health officials.
President Biden Weighs in on CPS and CTU In-Person Learning Battle
President Joe Biden on Monday shared his thoughts about schools resuming in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic when asked about the ongoing standoff between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union.
"It's not so much about the idea of teachers aren't going to work. The teachers I know, they want to work," the president said during a briefing with reporters. "They just want to work in a safe environment and...as safe as we can rationally make it. And we can do that..."
On Sunday, a majority of CTU members voted not to return to schools for in-person instruction. As a result, CPS officials announced the staff members' planned return date would be pushed back from Monday to Wednesday to allow more time for negotiations between the district and the union.
Tinley Park Convention Center to Serve as Mass COVID Vaccination Site
The Tinley Park Convention Center will soon open as a coronavirus mass vaccination site in Illinois, state officials announced Monday.
The center, located at 18451 Convention Center Drive, is scheduled to open Tuesday as the first Illinois National Guard mass vaccination site in Cook County, according to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
“Widespread vaccination sites will allow us to quickly and efficiently get these life-saving vaccine doses to Illinoisans as more federal shipments of vaccine come online,” Pritzker said in a statement. “The Illinois National Guard and the Illinois Department of Public Health are proud to partner with Cook County to launch the Tinley Park Convention Center Vaccination Site – our seventh collaboration in Cook County overall, with many more to come across the state."
Appointments are required, according to the village of Tinley Park, which said appointments can only be made through the state and county websites. They can be scheduled via Cook County's newly-launched vaccine website, or by calling (833) 308-1988.
“This first large site in the Southland is indicative of our commitment to distribute vaccine equitably, but we fully expect that demand will quickly outpace supply," Israel Rocha, CEO of Cook County Health, said in a statement. "It is critical for people to understand that while we are anxious to vaccinate everyone who wants to be vaccinated, vaccine supply remains the biggest limiting factor. We are asking Cook County residents for their continued patience as we work to ramp up one of the largest County-operated vaccine programs in the country."
County officials expect to be able to administer up to 3,000 vaccines per day "when the Tinley Park site is fully optimized and when adequate vaccine is available."
Cook County said it plans to open at least five additional large sites across the suburbs in the coming weeks, but those will be dependent on vaccine availability.
Walgreens, Jewel Osco Open COVID Vaccine Appointments for Illinois Residents in Phase 1B
Several Walgreens and Jewel-Osco locations have started offering vaccinations or opened up appointments for Illinois residents eligible under Phase 1B of the state's vaccine rollout.
Phase 1B opens up vaccinations to people age 65 years and older as well as "frontline essential workers," which includes first responders, education workers like teachers and support staff, childcare workers, grocery store employees, postal service workers and more.
There are several ways eligible residents will be able to get vaccinated, but state officials have urged patience as the new phase opens up.
Phase 1B Vaccinations: Here's Everything We Know So Far in Illinois
Illinois and Chicago have both entered the next phase of their vaccination rollout, called Phase 1B, increasing the eligibility to millions of residents.
Phase 1B opens up vaccinations to people age 65 years and older as well as "frontline essential workers," which includes first responders, education workers like teachers and support staff, childcare workers, grocery store employees, postal service workers and more.
There are several ways eligible residents will be able to get vaccinated, but state officials have urged patience as the new phase opens up.
Click here for a look at everything we know so far, including: who is eligible, where you can get vaccinated, what you need to get your vaccine and more.
COVID Vaccination Locations in Illinois: IDPH Launches New Statewide Map
The Illinois Department of Public Health now has a map on their website where residents can find vaccination locations near them, as well as appointment information.
According to the department, the map will be updated daily as the state receives additional doses, new sites join in and more appointments become available.
More information and the map can be found here.
2 Suburban Illinois Regions ‘on Track' to Move to Tier 1 COVID-19 Mitigations That Allow Indoor Dining
Two of Illinois' 11 regions in the Chicago suburbs are "on track" to move into Tier 1 COVID-19 mitigations on Tuesday, which would allow for the return of limited indoor dining, among other changes, if metrics continue to improve, state health officials announced Monday.
"If all the mitigation metrics continue to improve, regions 8 and 9 will move into Tier 1 on Tuesday," the Illinois Department of Public Health said in a statement.
Region 8 includes west suburban DuPage and Kane counties, while Region 9 is north suburban Lake and McHenry counties.
For more information, including how a region can move from Tier 2 to Tier 1, as well as what the Tier 1 guidelines are, click here.
Illinois Reports 2,944 New Coronavirus Cases, 49 Additional Deaths Monday
Illinois health officials on Monday reported 2,944 new cases of coronavirus as well as 49 additional deaths attributed to the virus.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Monday's new cases brought the statewide total number of confirmed cases to 1,104,763 since the pandemic began. The fatalities reported Monday lifted the death toll to 18,798.
In the last 24 hours, Illinois officials said 74,202 test specimens were returned to state laboratories, putting the state at 15,484,034 tests performed during the pandemic.
The seven-day rolling positivity rate on all tests was 4.7%, down slightly from the day before. The positivity rate for unique individuals tested also dropped slightly to 5.8% Monday.
As of Sunday night, 2,962 patients in Illinois were hospitalized due to coronavirus. Of those patients, 601 were in intensive care units, while 302 were on ventilators.
Also as of Sunday night, 1,112,725 vaccines coronavirus vaccines had been delivered to providers across Illinois, while 550,050 doses had been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities, IDPH said. That brought the total number of doses sent to Illinois to 1,662,775.
A total of 11,290 doses were administered Sunday, officials said, lifting the total number of vaccine doses given in the state to 692,763, including 110,403 for long-term care facilities. The latest figures brought the 7-day rolling average administered daily to 28,171 doses, according to IDPH data.
2 More Illinois Regions Move to Phase 4 COVID-19 Mitigations
Two of Illinois' 11 regions moved to Phase 4 coronavirus mitigations Monday, further loosening restrictions put in place to slow the pandemic's spread.
Region 1 and Region 2 both moved to Phase 4 effective Monday, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced.
Region 1 includes Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties, while Region 2 includes Bureau, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Kendall, Knox, La Salle, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough, McLean, Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Tazewell, Warren and Woodford counties.
For more information, including how a region can move from Tier 1 to Phase 4, as well as what the Phase 4 guidelines are, click here.
Illinois Starts Phase 1B of COVID-19 Vaccinations Monday
Illinois and Chicago will both enter the next phase of their vaccination plans, Phase 1B, beginning on Monday.
Phase 1B includes roughly 3.2 million Illinois residents, opening up vaccinations to people age 65 years and older as well as "frontline essential workers," which includes first responders, education workers like teachers and support staff, childcare workers, grocery store employees, postal service workers and more.
Here's a full look at who is included in Phase 1B:
- Residents age 65 and over
- Frontline essential workers, which means "residents who carry a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure because of their work duties, often because they are unable to work from home, and/or they must work closely to others without being able to socially distance. This includes:
- First responders: Fire, law enforcement, 911 workers, security personnel, school officers
- Education: Teachers, principals, student support, student aids, day care worker
- Food and agriculture: Processing, plants, veterinary health, livestock services, animal care
- Manufacturing: Industrial production of good for distribution to retail, wholesale or other manufactures
- Corrections workers and inmates: Jail officers, juvenile facility staff, workers providing in-person support, inmates
- USPS workers
- Public transit workers: Flight crew, bus drivers, train conductors, taxi drivers, para-transit drivers, in-person support, ride sharing services
- Grocery store workers: Baggers, cashiers, stockers, pickup, customer service
- Shelters and day care staff: Homeless shelter, women’s shelter, adult day/drop-in program, sheltered workshop, psycho-social rehab
But Gov. J.B. Pritzker said last week that while Illinois is moving into the new phase, there will be limitations based on how much vaccine the state receives.
"This does not mean, however, that right away you will be able to get the vaccine as easily as you can get the flu shot," Pritzker said. "Because federal vaccine production was hampered by the failure of the previous administration to properly invoke the Defense Production Act, vaccine supply is still limited all across the nation. There are additional vaccines in the pipeline that may soon seek FDA approval, and that will help. But there are 3.2 million Illinoisans in Phase 1B, so there will be far greater demand than supply for the near term – to put it in perspective, we’re expecting approximately 126,000 first doses to arrive next week outside of Chicago. That’s less than 4% of the 1B population. Until the vaccine supply improves, we will all need to be patient."
