Illinois COVID-19 Update: IL reports 3,369 new coronavirus cases, 22 deaths; Chicago-run vaccine sites start walk-ins

U.S. lifts pause on Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine, IL will begin administering immediately

ByEvelyn Holmes and ABC 7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Chicago COVID vaccine sites start walk-in vaccinations
Chicago city-run COVID vaccine sites began allowing a limited number of walk-in vaccinations Friday.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials reported 3,369 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 22 related deaths Friday.

There have been 1,316,091 total COVID cases, including 21,777 deaths in the state since the pandemic began.

As of Thursday night, 2,112 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 506 patients were in the ICU and 230 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported testing 104,795 specimens for a total of 22,113,490 since the pandemic began.

The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 16-22, is 4.3%.

A total of 10,802,075 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago.

IDPH announced it will resume administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine after a CDC panel voted 10-4 to recommend the pause on it to be lifted.

REALTED: US lifts pause, allowing Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccinations to resume

CDC vaccine advisers voted 10-4 to recommend lifting the pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine

Health officials said providers in the state who previously administered J&J will be able to immediately begin giving it again. Allocations by the federal government will start arriving again next week. Approximately 760,000 J&J vaccine doses were allotted to Illinois by the federal government before the pause, of which about 290,000 were admiinstered.

Chicago's city-run vaccination sites will begin allowing a limited number of walk-ins starting Friday, said CPDH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.

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This applies to all city of Chicago-run vaccination sites, including the United Center, Chicago State University, and Gallagher Way next to Wrigley Field.

While a limited number of walk-ins will be welcome, appointments are still preferred.

More vaccine is now being sent to the Chicago area and less downstate, and online demand for appointments have waned. Thursday on Zocdoc there were plenty of open spots.

A total of 8,610,478 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of Thursday night. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 118,741 doses. There were 136,525 doses reported administered in Illinois Wednesday.

Several hospitals in northwest and central Illinois are running out of beds because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials say.

RELATED: Chicago COVID vaccination sites now accepting walk-ins

About a half dozen hospitals operated by OSF HealthCare had 90% of their beds or more filled Tuesday, chief operating officer Dr. Michael Cruz told the Chicago Tribune.

OSF's St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria was at 97% occupancy, its St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford was at 96% and its St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington had no available intensive care unit beds, Cruz said.

OSF has been transferring patients to other hospitals and moving staff as needed, Cruz said. It's also having some patients stay in emergency room beds until ICU spots become available.

Amita Health was also near capacity at some of its 14 acute care hospitals in Illinois because of COVID-19 and other factors, said Dr. Stuart Marcus, its chief clinical officer and executive vice president.

The deaths reported Friday include:

- Bureau County: 1 male 70s

- Champaign County: 1 male 40s

- Cook County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 40s, 2 females 50s, 2 males 50s, 1 male 60s, 2 males 80s

- DuPage County: 1 female 80s

- Kane County: 1 female 50s

- Peoria County: 1 male 60s

- Sangamon County: 1 female 30s

- Tazewell County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 80s

- Vermilion County: 2 females 80s

- Will County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s

- Woodford County: 1 female 70s

The Associated Press contributed to this report