The Illinois Department of Public Health reported Thursday that the first cases of COVID variant B.1.351 were confirmed in the state, in a Rock Island resident. Currently, the state reports 22 cases of UK variant B 1.1.7.
Both variants appear to spread faster, health officials said, and could lead to more cases of the virus or even another increase. They reminded the public of the urgent need to wear a mask, maintain social distance, limit in-person gatherings outside the home of all sizes, and get vaccinated when it’s their turn.
Meanwhile, Illinois health officials reported 2,825 new COVID-19 cases and 102 deaths Thursday.
The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 1,155,833, with a total of 19,841 deaths, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the last 24 hours, laboratories have reported 96,525 samples for a total of 16,918,910.
How much protection does the COVID-19 vaccine offer? How vaccinated people should reach out to see others
As of Wednesday night, 1,954 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of these, 448 patients were in the ICU and 227 COVID-19 patients were on ventilators.
The preliminary positivity of the seven-day state test from Feb. 4-10 is 3.9%.
RELATED: Illinois COVID Vaccine Map Shows How Many Residents Vaccinated By County
A total of 1,929,850 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago, with an additional 456,100 doses allocated to federal government partners for long-term care facilities, bringing the total number delivered in Illinois to 2,385,950.
RELATED: Illinois Coronavirus Testing: Where to Get Tested for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago Area
The IDPH says that vaccine distribution numbers are reported in real time and vaccine administration numbers are delayed up to 72 hours.
The IDPH reports that a total of 1,549,108 doses of vaccines have been administered, including 226,974 in long-term facilities. The seven-day moving average of vaccinations administered is 56,094.
Governor Pritzker Visits Elgin Vaccine Site
Governor JB Pritzker gave an update on the Elgin Mental Health Center’s vaccination efforts in Elgin Thursday morning.
The Elgin Department of Human Services immunization site houses many patients and has dozens of staff members. On Thursday morning, 50 patients and staff members received their second dose of the COVID 19 vaccine.
With the vaccine still in short supply, Governor Pritzker says we remain one of the leading states when it comes to vaccines.
“It is thanks to these hands-on efforts that Illinois is setting new records in the launch of our vaccines,” Pritzker said. “Over the last week, Illinois was the number one state among the ten most populous states in the nation in vaccinations per capita and, although Illinois is the sixth largest state in the country, we have now administered the fifth most vaccines among all of the states “
The governor also mentioned an increase in supply that will come soon from the federal government, but there is still a massive vaccine shortage.
On Wednesday, Pritzker announced that Illinois is making plans to expand Phase 1B eligibility on February 25 to people who have underlying comorbidities and conditions as defined by the CDC. Additionally, Illinois will also prioritize people with disabilities.
However, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement Thursday that the city and county would not expand eligibility for Phase 1B.
“Doing so in Chicago and Cook County would add over a million additional people to 1b, and the result would be that currently eligible people, including seniors, essential frontline workers, and those in our communities most burdened by COVID , they would have a It’s harder to get a vaccine, “Lightfoot and Preckwinkle said in a statement.
High-risk categories covered in the expansion include:
-Cancer
-Chronic kidney disease
-COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
-Diabetes
-Heart problems
-Immunosuppressed status of a solid organ transplant
-Obesity
-The pregnancy
-Lung disease
-Sickle-cell anaemia
This expansion could nearly double the number of people currently eligible for the vaccine at a time when supplies are low, but the governor expressed optimism that federal government deliveries will increase significantly in the coming weeks.
“My administration will work with all local public health departments to include these highest-risk individuals in their community immunization plans in the coming weeks,” Pritzker said.
The deaths reported Thursday include:
– Clay County: 1 woman 80 years old
– Clinton County: 1 woman, 80 years old
– Coles County: 1 male, 60 years old
– Cook County: 1 30-year-old man, 1 40-year-old woman, 1 40-year-old man, 1 50-year-old woman, 4 50-year-old men, 6 60-year-old women, 6 60-year-old men, 7 70 years old, 7 men 70 years old, 7 women 80 years old, 7 men 80 years old, 4 women 90, 2 men 90
– DeKalb County: 1 90s woman
– DuPage County: 1 female 40, 3 male 70, 1 female 80, 1 male 90
– Greene County: 1 female 50 years old
– Grundy County: 1 male age 60
– Jefferson County: 1 male 80 years old
– Kane County: 1 male 60, 1 male 70, 1 female 90
– Knox County: 1 woman 80 years old
– Lake County: 1 male 50 years old
– Lawrence County: 1 male, 60 years old
– Livingston County: 1 male 80 years old
– Logan County: 1 90’s woman
– Marion County: 1 male 70 years old
– McLean County: 1 male, 60 years old
– Monroe County: 1 male age 70, 1 female age 90
– Moultrie County: 1 male 70 years old
– Randolph County: 1 male age 70
– Sangamon County: 1 female age 70
– St. Clair County: 1 female age 50, 1 female age 90
– Stephenson County: 1 male 80 years old
– Tazewell County: 1 female 40, 1 female 50, 1 male 70, 1 female 90
– Vermilion County: 1 male 70 years old
– Washington County: 1 90s woman
– Whiteside County: 1 male 60, 1 male 90
– Will County: 1 male 50, 1 male 60, 3 male 70, 1 female 80, 2 female 90
– Winnebago County: 1 90’s woman
Copyright © 2021 WLS-TV. All rights reserved.