COVID-19 updates in Illinois: here’s what’s going to happen on Thursday

Ultimately, it is Pritzker who will decide when bars and restaurants can reopen for internal service. The city may define stricter rules than those of the state, but not more flexible rules.

In addition, Chicago will have six mass vaccination sites COVID-19 up and running next week, increasing the city’s ability to deliver up to 25,000 vaccines a week, said Lightfoot on Thursday.

But the mayor said again that the city is not getting 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 distribution.

Here’s what’s happening on Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago and Illinois area:

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

Participants in the Pfizer vaccine study – some of whom set up a noisy campaign on social media – were told that anyone who wants to can get the first of the two vaccines by March 1. Participants in the Moderna vaccine test are already being immunized.

This was not always the plan, and some experts fear that “unveiling” volunteers – that is, informing them if they received the vaccine or a placebo – may make it difficult to collect good, long-term data on experimental vaccines, including how are safe and when immunity starts to decline. But others argue that it would be unfair to leave study participants unprotected from a violent pandemic when an effective vaccine is available.

In the vein of great bar and restaurant promotions – happy hour, two by one, children eat for free – comes the update of the 21st century pandemic: get vaccinated, get a free beer.

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

The 30-year-old bar said it would give out 1,000 gift cards – $ 10,000 free beer (or Village Tap food if needed).

With Mayor Lori Lightfoot looking on, Dr. Allison Arwady said the city sees no need to stop administering curative tests at test sites administered by the city.

“We closely observe, and our positivity rates, the way these tests are being carried out in these neighborhoods, are absolutely in line with what we are seeing in other neighboring areas,” said Arwady during a news conference to promote vaccination in Richard J Daley College on the southwest side.

“We are very confident, from what we have seen so far regarding this test. We have no plans to stop using it, unless additional data is released, ”she said.

The Food and Drug Administration last week issued a guideline “warning patients and healthcare professionals about the risk of false results, especially false negative results, with the SARS-CoV-2 curative test”.

Illinois health officials announced on Thursday 6,652 new 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 number of deaths across the state to 17,928 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Authorities also reported 118,036 new tests in the past 24 hours. The statewide seven-day continuous positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 6.8% for the period ended on Wednesday.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she wants the city’s bars and restaurants to reopen for domestic service “as soon as possible” and plans to discuss the matter with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

“I am very, very focused on reopening our restaurants. If we look at the various criteria that the state has established, we will be meeting most, if not all, of them. This is a conversation I will have with the governor, ”said Lightfoot at a news conference on the distribution locations of the COVID-19 vaccine in the city. “But I want our restaurants and bars to be reopened as soon as possible.”

Ultimately, it is Pritzker who will decide when bars and restaurants can reopen for internal service. The city may define stricter rules than those of the state, but not more flexible rules.

Chicago will have six mass COVID-19 vaccination sites in place next week, increasing the city’s ability to deliver up to 25,000 vaccines a week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Thursday.

But the mayor again said the city is not getting 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 distribution.

“This is completely, totally unacceptable,” said Lightfoot.

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

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and city health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwardy were scheduled to give an update on Thursday morning about coronavirus vaccination in Chicago, according to city officials.

The press conference was scheduled for Thursday morning at Richard J. Daley College on the Southwest Side.

Arwady said on Wednesday that the city plans to allow hospitals to start vaccinating patients at risk aged 65 and over as early as next week.

Check back for updates. –Chicago Tribune team

As COVID-19 altered all aspects of daily life – and its death toll increased – Allyson Clark longed to be immunized against the new virus as soon as a vaccine was available, to protect itself and help the world return to normal.

But for her and millions of Americans who are scared of needles, the anguish associated with getting an injection may seem insurmountable.

“I was terrified of anything involving needles,” said Clark, 41, of the West Town neighborhood. “When they talk about fighting or fleeing, it’s a lot like that.”

Effects of needle phobia from 3.5% to 10% of the general population, according to research estimates. Some degree of anxiety or distress around the needles appears to be even more prevalent. Gallup surveys in 1998 and 2001 found that needles were among the main fears of American adults, with 21% of respondents in both surveys saying they were afraid of needles or getting an injection.

This fear can have consequences for public health when patients stop receiving medical care and vaccines.

Here are some recent stories related to COVID-19: