Illinois COVID-19 Update: IL reports 10,526 cases, 148 coronavirus deaths; officials detail vaccine distribution plan
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois public health officials reported 10,526 COVID-19 cases and 148 related deaths Friday.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said some data reported to IDPH is delayed from the weekends, including this past holiday weekend, when reporting 238 deaths Wednesday.
"Higher case numbers and higher numbers of hospitalizations do lead to, tragically, even more lives lost," Gov. JB Pritzker said.
WATCH: Gov. Pritzker gives COVID-19 briefing
The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 770,088, with a total of 12,974 deaths.
Over a 24-hour period, officials said the state processed 112,634 specimens. In total there have been 10,918,998 specimens tested since the start of the pandemic in Illinois.
The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Nov. 27 - Dec. 3 is 12.1%.
The test positivity rate is a metric the state began providing in late October. It is calculated by using the total number of positive tests over the total number of tests. This is the metric being used to by state health officials to make decisions about mitigations.
WATCH: Dr. Ngozi Ezike discusses vaccine distribution in Illinois
As of Thursday night, 5,453 people in Illinois were reported to be hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 1,153 patients were in the ICU with COVID-19 and 703 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
RELATED: Illinois coronavirus testing: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago area
Governor Pritzker and IDPH director Dr. Ngozi Ezike went into greater detail about the state's vaccine distribution plan at Friday's press briefing. The plan relies on a series of hub hospitals around the state, which will handle distribution to each of the 11 EMS regions.
The rollout covers all of Illinois except for the city of Chicago, which will handle its own logistics. The first batch of 86,000 doses could arrive as early as next week.
Front line COVID-19 hospital workers and then people working or living in long term care facilities will be first in line for the vaccine, and the state will also prioritize areas hardest hit by the virus.
"Roll this out to our highest-risk employees and staff members that serve the COVID units and the emergency departments," said Dr. Ankur Singal, Edward-Elmhurst Health COVID-19 Task Force.
Vaccinating that group could take weeks or longer, and so it could be sometime before other essential workers are immunized.
Four suburban hospitals will be part of the state's distribution plans, including Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin and North Shore Highland Park Hospital in Highland Park. All of those hospitals are able to provide the ultra-cold storage required for the Pfizer vaccine.
RELATED: Loyola University, Christ medical centers to serve as regional distribution points
Other hospitals like Edward Elmhurst Health are moving to purchase refrigerators so they are prepared to receive whatever allotment they get once the vaccine gets FDA approval.
WATCH: Doctor answers COVID-19 questions, gives latest news on virus
"I don't think at any time, even during the last pandemic, there was anything quite like this, right. There wasn't a vaccine that was being distributed like this, and in such quick fashion, too," Pritzker said Friday.
Illinois will receive vaccine shipments directly from the CDC, and then house them in the state's strategic national stockpile at an undisclosed location. From there it will be sent to the 10 regional hospitals for distribution to local health departments and providers.
"Regardless of how many doses we do receive, IDPH will be tracking shipments, allocations, and the data to detect any disparities in administration," Dr. Ezike said.
The deaths reported Friday include:
- Adams County: 1 male 90s
- Boone County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Champaign County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Christian County: 1 male 90s
- Coles County: 1 male 80s
- Cook County: 2 females 40s, 3 females 60s, 4 males 60s, 3 females 70s, 5 males 70s, 4 females 80s, 5 females 90s
- Crawford County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Douglas County: 1 female 70s
- DuPage County: 1 male 30s, 3 females 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+
- Edwards County: 1 female 90s
- Effingham County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Fayette County: 1 male 70s
- Ford County: 1 male 80s
- Franklin County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s
- Fulton County: 1 male 80s
- Greene County: 2 females 80s
- Grundy County: 1 male 70s
- Iroquois County: 1 female 70s
- Johnson County: 1 female 60s
- Kane County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Kendall County: 1 male 70s
- Knox County: 1 male 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 4 males 80s
- LaSalle County: 2 males 70s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- Logan County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
- Macon County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Macoupin County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 100+
- Madison County: 1 female 70s
- Mason County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Massac County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- McHenry County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Ogle County: 1 female 80s
- Peoria County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 100+
- Perry County: 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Randolph County: 2 females 90s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 100+
- Shelby County: 1 male 80s
- St. Clair County: 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Vermilion County: 1 female 90s
- Warren County: 1 male 80s
- Washington County: 1 male 70s
- Wayne County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 90s
- Will County: 1 male 40s, 3 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 3 males 70s
- Winnebago County: 2 females 70s, 3 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
