Note: All press conferences by Governor JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot or other officials will be broadcast on the video player above.
The mayor of Chicago and a senior health official are due to deliver an update on the city’s vaccination plan on Monday.
Across the state, several health regions of Illinois continue to see declines in positivity and hospitalization rates, according to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic across the state of Illinois today (December 28):
IDES is preparing to implement extensions of the unemployment program approved in the COVID federal relief bill
The Illinois Department of Labor Security is preparing to pay new unemployment insurance funds authorized by the COVID-19 relief bill signed by President Donald Trump over the weekend, but it is also asking for more guidance from the Department of Labor to ensure immediate payment of these benefits.
In a press release released on Monday, IDES officials say they are asking the authorities to “no longer create difficulties” and criticized the president for his “inaction” after he postponed signing the aid package earlier this month .
The new relief bill, in addition to authorizing payments to US residents, also included extensions to several major programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits and relief programs. Extended Benefits.
All of these programs expired on December 26 in accordance with the provisions of the original CARES Act, which was passed in March, but were all extended by the new relief package COVID-19. Lawmakers warned of possible payment delays because of Trump’s objections to the bill, which he raised only after the House and Senate voted to approve the measure.
Read more here.
First doses of the Modern COVID-19 vaccine administered in Chicago
Frontline workers at the Esperanza Health Centers in Chicago received their initial doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, becoming the first individuals in the city to receive the widely expected vaccine.
Esperanza, which serves primarily the Southwest Side of Chicago, was one of six federally qualified health centers that began administering the Modern vaccine on Monday.
Calling Esperanza a lifeline for the Latinx community, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot explained that equity remains the city’s COVID-19 strategy, as the virus disproportionately affects people of color.
“I know the challenges that many members of the Latinx community face and can sometimes be insurmountable,” the mayor said at a news conference at the health center in the Brighton Park neighborhood.
The launch of the Modern vaccine is particularly exciting, said Dr. Allison Arwady, a commissioner in the Chicago Department of Public Health, because, unlike the Pfizer vaccine, it does not require ultra-cold storage.
Approximately 16,000 doses of the Modern vaccine are expected to be administered in the city by the end of the week, Arwady said. Likewise, the city predicts that more than 21,000 doses of the Pfizker vaccine will be administered in the same period.
Illinois exceeds 16,000 deaths since the coronavirus pandemic began
Health officials in Illinois reported 4,453 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus on Monday, along with 105 additional deaths attributed to the virus.
According to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state has reported 942,362 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, along with a total of 16,074 deaths.
In the last 24 hours, 51,046 new tests have returned to laboratories across the state. In all, 13,036,658 tests were carried out during the pandemic, according to IDPH data.
The state’s positivity rate for seven-day tests was 8.7% on Monday, while the positivity rate for cases was 7.2%. Both numbers mark increases from the previous day.
Hospitalizations in the state increased on Monday to 4,243 patients receiving treatment for the coronavirus. The number of patients in intensive care units has dropped to 884, while there are currently 515 patients on ventilators in the state due to COVID-19.
Chicago officials to update vaccine plan
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city’s chief physician will deliver an update on the city’s coronavirus vaccination plan on Monday, according to Lightfoot’s public schedule.
Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady will update during a press conference at 2 pm Monday at Esperanza Health Center, located at 4700 S. California Ave., according to the office of the mayor.
The update can be watched live on the video player above.
In numbers: coronavirus metrics in each of Illinois’ health regions
Several health regions in Illinois continue to see declines in positivity and hospitalization rates, with several currently in line to see Tier 3 mitigations reversed in the fight against coronavirus.
This is where each of Illinois’ health regions positions itself in terms of metrics on December 27.
Region 1 (Northwest Illinois):
This region has seen hospitalizations decrease in eight of the past 10 days. The region has availability of 20% or more of hospital beds and ICUs for 11 consecutive days, and the rate of positivity in the region is 8.7%. All of these metrics are within the Level 3 mitigation reversal parameters, but it is unclear when the state will give the region the green light to do so.
Region 2 (West-Central Illinois):
The rate of positivity in this region continued to decline slowly this week, dropping to 8.8%, while more than 29% of hospital beds are available. The availability of beds in the ICU is now 22.7%, and will exceed 20% for the third consecutive day on Monday. The region has also seen hospitalizations decrease in the past 10 days.
Region 3 (West Illinois):
This region has one of the lowest positivity rates in the state, with 6.9%. The availability of hospital beds is 29.5%, while the availability of beds in the ICU is still below the limit of 20%, standing at 17.1%. Hospitalizations have decreased six in the past 10 days, but have increased in the past few days.
Region 4 (southwestern Illinois):
This region is seeing its positivity rate start to rise, as it is now at 12% on the button. Hospital beds (21.4%) and availability of ICU beds (21.5%) finally exceeded the 20% limit this week, and the region saw a nine-day reduction in hospitalization in the last 10 days.
Region 5 (South Illinois):
The positivity rate in the region is now at 12.2% and has remained virtually stable over the past 10 days. The availability of beds in the ICU is still low, currently at 16.5%, and the availability of hospital beds is now 40.5%, more than double the threshold required to advance Level 3 mitigations.
Region 6 (East Central Illinois):
The positivity rate in this region is 8.6%, while the availability of hospital beds (30.6%) and beds in the ICU (35.6%) are well above the limits needed to advance Level 3 mitigations. The region also continued to see steady declines in hospitalizations in general.
Region 7 (Will, Kankakee counties):
The rate of positivity in this region continued to decline this week, falling to 10.3%, while the availability of hospital beds (29.6%) and the availability of beds in the ICU (26.5%) continued to increase. Hospitalizations in general decreased in each of the last 10 days.
Region 8 (DuPage, Kane counties):
This region has seen the availability of hospital beds (24.7%) and the availability of beds in the ICU (27.9%) increasing in the last days, while hospitalizations have decreased in eight of the last 10 days. The region’s positivity rate dropped to 9%.
Region 9 (McHenry, Lake counties):
The availability of hospital beds in the region finally exceeded the limit of 20%, now 21.1%. The availability of beds in the ICU is 32.1% and hospitalizations have decreased each of the last five days. The positivity index in the region is 8.8%.
Region 10 (Suburban Cook County):
The positivity rate in the region is 9.3%, while hospitalizations have decreased in each of the last 10 days. The availability of beds in the ICU begins to increase, now at 19.7%, while the availability of beds in hospitals is 26.6%.
Region 11 (Chicago):
With a 10-day hospitalization reduction, a positivity rate of 8.6%, availability of hospital beds of 23.9% and availability of ICU beds of 26.6%, Chicago would be eligible to advance Level 3 mitigations in Monday if the city used state metrics.
United Airlines begins to require UK travelers to test negative when flying to Chicago
Amid concerns about a newly detected coronavirus variant spreading across the UK, United Airlines announced on Thursday that it will require all UK travelers flying to Chicago O’Hare International Airport to provide evidence of a negative coronavirus test.
According to the airline, anyone traveling from London Heathrow to Chicago, Newark, Washington Dulles and San Francisco must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test done 72 hours before their departure, starting on Monday.
“The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority,” the airline said in a statement. “United is a leader in implementing new policies and innovations designed to keep employees and passengers safer while traveling, including mask orders and requiring customers to complete a ‘Ready to fly’ checklist before flight, recognizing that have not been diagnosed with COVID -19 in the last 14 days and have had no symptoms related to COVID. ”
The most recent requirement will apply to any traveler over the age of 5 and may include molecular or antigen testing. Those with connecting flights on LHR whose travel originated from another country will be exempt, the airline said.
This month, United is operating four daily flights from London Heathrow to its four hubs in the United States.