Illinois COVID-19 Update: IL reports 6,642 new cases, 117 deaths
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois health officials reported 6,642 new COVID-19 cases and 117 deaths Tuesday.
The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 1,040,168, with a total of 17,743 deaths, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 93,491 specimens for a total 14,263,477.
As of Monday night, 3,553 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 757 patients were in the ICU and 409 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
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The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Jan. 5 - 11 is 8.6%.
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.
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Gov. JB Pritzker said he will make a formal announcement later this week with information about when Illinois will move to the next vaccination phase, 1B, which includes more essential workers and people aged 65 and over.
The governor said so far the state, including the city of Chicago, has received nearly 600,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines from the federal government, and of those about 335,000 doses have been reported administered as of Sunday night, or less than 60%.
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While that number seems low, Pritzker said the actual figure is likely higher because of reporting delays of up to 72 hours from when shots are given.
The rollout in Illinois remains in the first phase of vaccinating 850,000 healthcare workers while older people, teachers and first responders are getting vaccinated across America.
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"I think that idea of distributing and targeting those who are at greatest risk is a great idea, but we shouldn't do it at the cost of efficiency," said Dr. Sadiya Kahn, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Due to unanticipated hesitancy among healthcare workers, some hospitals have surplus vaccine sitting in freezers. Doctors urged government officials to allow them to move on to the next phase.
"We can simultaneously address the need to vaccinate our healthcare workers and begin moving on to vaccinate high priority patients that are in need. Don't think it has to be either or," said Dr. Monica Peek, University of Chicago Medicine.
Phase 1B includes people 65 and older, and essential workers like first responders, teachers, grocery store workers, public transit employees and more.
"When we make that pivot to that, I think the product will be flying off the shelf, if you will," said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
"We don't want any of these vaccines sitting around. If healthcare workers are in that location are not taking up that vaccine, then let's give it to the next people in line," Gov. Pritzker said.
People in phase 1B includes first responders, essential workers and people over the age of 65. This category includes 3.2 million people in Illinois. However, the governor said more vaccine is necessary from the federal government.
The vaccine rollout is expected to accelerate once President-elect Joe Biden takes office. He promised to invoke the Defense Production Act to boost vaccine manufacturing.
Doctors said there must be a plan to make sure moving to the next phase is done efficiently and equitably.
"The questions is what is the infrastructure and resources to allow for that acceleration," Dr. Kahn said.
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Officials also said that Illinois regions will be allowed to come down from Tier 3 mitigations starting on Friday if they continue to remain on track and meet the state's three metrics. While Tier 2 mitigations do not reopen indoor dining, several venues including movie theaters, museums and casinos could reopen, and restrictions on gyms would be loosened.
At this time, the only region in the Chicago area on track to meet those criteria is Region 7, which includes Will and Kankakee counties.
The deaths reported Tuesday include:
- Adams County: 1 male 80s
- Champaign County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Clark County: 1 female 80s
- Coles County: 1 male 60s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s, 5 males 60s, 3 females 70s, 3 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 4 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- Cumberland County: 1 female 70s
- DeKalb County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- DuPage County: 1 female 30s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 2 females 90
- Fayette County: 1 female 80s
- Ford County: 1 female 80s
- Franklin County: 1 female 90s
- Hamilton County: 1 female 90s
- Henderson County: 1 male 80s
- Henry County: 1 female 100+
- Jefferson County: 1 male 70s
- Jersey County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Kane County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Kankakee County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Knox County: 1 female 80s
- Lake County: 1 male 30s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Lee County: 1 female 50s
- Macoupin County; 1 female 60s
- Madison County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s, 2 males 60s, 2 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 female 100+
- Marion County: 1 female 90s
- Mason County: 1 female 80s
- Massac County: 1 female 80s
- McDonough County: 1 male 40s
- McHenry County: 1 male 80s
- Mercer County: 1 female 80s
- Monroe County: 1 male 90s
- Montgomery County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Morgan County: 1 female 80s
- Moultrie County: 1 female 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Pope County: 1 male 80s
- Randolph County: 1 female 80s
- Rock Island County: 3 females 70s
- Saline County: 1 male 80s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s
- Stephenson County: 1 female 60s
- Vermilion County: 1 female 70s, 2 males 80s
- Wayne County: 1 male 80s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 60s
- Will County: 1 male 20s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- Williamson County: 1 male 40s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
