Today’s Illinois COVID Update: IL reports 2,838 new coronavirus cases, 102 deaths. South African variants identified in the state by IDPH

Chicago (WLS)-A South African variant of COVID-19 was detected in Illinois.

The Illinois Public Health Service reported Thursday that the first case of COVID variant B.1.351 was confirmed in a resident of the state’s Rock Island. The state is currently reporting 22 cases of UK variant B1.1.7.

According to doctors, South African variants are likely to have already spread throughout the state.

“The concern, as I said, is that some of these variants appear to appear more often. This is something that has some advantage over other versions of COVID. It suggests that there is, “said Chief Dr. Mary Hayden. Head of Infectious Diseases Department at Rush University Medical Center.

Both variants appear to be spreading more rapidly, according to health officials, with the potential for more or even more cases of the virus.

“The South African variant is a bit more problematic. It reduces the ability of the vaccine to induce antibodies that suppress it, but it does not completely eliminate it,” said Anthony, director of the National Institute of Allergy.・ Dr. Fauci said. And infectious diseases.

Vaccine makers are beginning to fine-tune their doses to catch up with the mutations, doctors said. Still, there is an urgent need to wear face masks, keep social distances, limit direct out-of-home gatherings of all sizes, and be vaccinated when it’s your turn. It reminded the people of something.

Meanwhile, Illinois health officials reported 2,825 new COVID-19 cases and 102 deaths on Thursday.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the total number of cases in Illinois is now 1,155,833, with a total of 19,841 deaths.

Within the last 24 hours, the laboratory has reported a total of 16,918,910, 96,525 specimens.

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As of Wednesday night, 1,954 patients in Illinois were reported hospitalized with COVID-19. Of these, 448 patients were in the ICU and 227 COVID-19 patients were on mechanical ventilation.

The state-wide preliminary test positive rate for the 7 days from February 4th to 10th is 3.9%.

Related: Illinois COVID Vaccine Map shows the number of inhabitants vaccinated by the county

Healthcare providers in Illinois, including Chicago, received a total of 1,929,850 doses of vaccine, with an additional 456,100 doses assigned to federal partners in long-term care facilities, bringing the total number of vaccines provided in Illinois to 2,385,950. It was.

Related: Illinois Coronavirus Testing: Where to Test for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago

According to IDPH, vaccine distributions are reported in real time, with vaccines being delayed by as much as 72 hours.

IDPH reports a total of 1,549,108 vaccine doses, including 226,974 in long-term facilities. The 7-day moving average of the vaccine administered is 56,094.

Chicago and regional counties do not expand 1B eligibility

The states eligible for Group 1B vaccination may be expanding overall, but it is the city of Chicago, not one of the color counties.

“We administered the vaccine as soon as the supply allowed,” said Toni Preckwinkle, president of Cook County. “And now we’re in the same situation as LA County, and we’ve run out of current vaccine supplies, so we’re temporarily shutting down some sites. Other parts of the state are ready to move on to the next stage. There may be, but Chicago and Cook County are not. “

“I think expanding that space will make it even harder for healthcare providers, the elderly, and essential frontline workers to get vaccinated, and the public is already fully dissatisfied,” Lake said. Mark Fister, Secretary General of the County Health Department, said. And Community Health Center.

“There is not enough supply for current Phase 1b eligibility. Currently, it is much more difficult to meet demand without significantly increasing vaccine availability,” said Sue, Executive Director of Will County Health Department. Oleneck says.

“The DuPage County Health Service is still working to understand the Governor’s announcement. The Illinois Public Health Service has shared that it will update its vaccination program with additional details this weekend. Currently, Phase 1b. We are already focusing on immunizing 270,000 people in, in addition to 1a health workers who have not yet had the opportunity to be vaccinated, “the DuPage County Public Health Service said in a statement.

“We haven’t made a decision at this time,” the Kane County Health Department said in a statement.

Governor JB Pritzker and IDPH on Wednesday expanded Group 1B to groups 16 and older with comorbidities and underlying illnesses as defined by the CDC. In addition, even if IDPH director Dr. Ngozi Ezike admits that supply remains a problem, Illinois will prioritize all individuals with disabilities from February 25th.

However, the governor argued that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, in particular, is expected to be approved by the end of the month and is optimistic that supply will increase over the next few weeks.

“This is a one-time vaccine,” Pritzker said. “This has made great strides in the world of vaccines and is of great help in vaccination of all.”

The high-risk categories that are eligible for expansion are:
-cancer

-Chronic kidney disease
-COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
-Diabetes mellitus
-Heart condition
-Immune deficiency due to solid organ transplantation
-obesity
-pregnancy
-Lung disease
-Sickle cell disease

In a statement, the governor’s spokesperson said that vaccine supply had already begun to increase, “because this group contains a large proportion of the disproportionate of vulnerable people,” the most medical in our state. Vaccinated people should be eligible for vaccination as soon as possible. “

However, Group 1B includes electricians who were considered essential workers at the start of the pandemic, worked in hospitals, airports, airfields and water treatment plants and helped build temporary hospitals at McCormick Place. Not done.

Donn Finne of IBEW Local134 said: “We haven’t missed the beat and work every day. Through membership, many COVID-19 cases have occurred and our membership.”

According to Finn, Local 134 had talked with the governor’s office several times and thought it was progressing at Wednesday’s conference call, but it wasn’t.

“We’re working from day one, so we shouldn’t include 12,500 electricians. I don’t buy it,” he said.

Pritzker said he understood their frustration, but supply remains a major issue, even though Illinois said it had given the fifth-highest vaccine in the United States.

“There is no doubt that everyone has a long way to go to get vaccinated, but everyone in Illinois should know that things are going in the positive direction,” Pritzker said. It was.

Local 134 said it should include members, a union that helped elect the governor.

Governor Pritzker visits Elgin vaccine site

Pritzker provided the latest information on vaccination efforts from the Elgin Mental Health Center in Elgin on Thursday morning.

Elgin’s Human Services Department vaccination site houses a large number of patients and has dozens of staff. On Thursday morning, 50 patients and staff received a second dose of COVID 19 vaccine.

This expansion could almost double the number of people currently vaccinated when supply is low, but the governor is optimistic that federal deliveries will increase significantly in the coming weeks. I am.

“My administration will work with all local public health departments to adapt these high-risk individuals to local immunization programs in the coming weeks,” Pritzker said. I will.

The deaths reported on Thursday are:

-Clay County: One woman in the 80’s
-Clinton County: One woman in the 80’s
-Coles County: One man in his 60s
-Cook County: 1 man in his 30s, 1 woman in his 40s, 1 man in his 40s, 1 woman in his 50s, 4 men in his 50s, 6 women in his 60s, 6 men 60s, 7 women 70s, 7 men 70s, 7 women 80s, 7 men 80s, 4 women 90s, 2 men 90s
-DeKalb County: One woman in the 90’s
-DuPage County: 1 woman in her 40s, 3 men in her 70s, 1 woman in her 80s, 1 man in her 90s
-Green County: One woman in her 50s
-Grandy County: 1 man in his 60s

-Jefferson County: One Man in the 80’s
-Kane County: 1 man in his 60s, 1 man in his 70s, 1 woman in his 90s
-Knox County: One woman in the 80’s
-Lake County: 1 man in his 50s
-Lawrence County: One man in his 60s
-Livingston County: 1 man in the 80’s
-Logan County: One woman in the 90’s
-Marion County: One man from the 70’s
-McLean County: One man in his 60s
-Monroe County: 1 man in the 70’s, 1 woman in the 90’s
-Mortry County: 1 man from the 70’s
-Randolph County: One man from the 70’s
-Sangamon County: One woman in the 70’s
-St. Clair County: 1 woman in her 50s, 1 woman in her 90s
-Stephenson County: One man in the 80’s
-Tazewell County: 1 woman in her 40s, 1 woman in her 50s, 1 man in her 70s, 1 woman in her 90s
-Vermilion County: One man from the 70’s
-Washington County: One woman in the 90’s
-Whiteside County: 1 man in his 60s, 1 man in his 90s
-Will County: 1 male in 50s, 1 male in 60s, 3 males in 70s, 1 female in 80s, 2 females in 90s
-Winnebago County: One woman in the 90’s