Chicago updated its travel assignment Tuesday, adding new states to the higher risk travel category, and updating testing requirements for some.
Meanwhile, Illinois is unveiling changes to its COVID mitigation plan as vaccinations continue statewide.
Here are the latest updates on today’s Illinois coronavirus pandemic:
Coronavirus in Illinois: 2,587 New COVID Cases, 9 Deaths, 81K Vaccinations
Health officials in Illinois reported 2,587 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus and nine additional deaths last day, along with nearly 82,000 vaccinations administered.
The newly reported coronavirus cases on Tuesday bring the state total to 1,306,787 cases since the start of the pandemic. The nine additional deaths increased the total death toll to 21,694, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
In the past 24 hours, 47,506 coronavirus test samples have been returned to state laboratories, of which more than 21.7 million have now been performed during the pandemic.
Read more here.
Lori Lightfoot is expecting fans for Bulls, Blackhawks by the end of the season
During a press conference Tuesday morning, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed optimism that fans of each team will return to the United Center for Bulls and Blackhawks games by the end of the 2020-21 seasons.
“We talk to both the Bulls and the Blackhawks. I think they have very solid plans, ”said Lightfoot. “But those plans were rolled out at a time when we were on the rise. As Dr. (Allison Arwady) said and the numbers confirm, we feel like we are reaching a plateau and even – dare to dream – crash down. .
“Going down is the right time to have that conversation, so we’ll continue with that. And I expect there will be fans in the United Center before the season ends.”
Read more here.
Chicago Travel Order: 26 States Now Higher Risk, Testing Requirements Change
Chicago on Tuesday updated its emergency travel order, which states where the states currently stand and sets out guidelines on whether travelers should quarantine or test negative for COVID-19 before arriving in the city.
The order now includes 26 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia under an “orange coat,” requiring a quarantine test or a negative pre-arrival test before coming to Chicago. The lower “yellow level” includes 23. In which low states does the number of cases fall, adjusted for the population.
Also, starting this week, those traveling from an orange list and not getting a test before arriving in Chicago will be able to use an airport testing site or other testing site upon arrival, officials said, adding that those being tested on arrival will still need to in quarantine until they get a negative result.
Full updated list here.
Navy Pier Announces Phased Reopening, Celebration Fireworks
Following its temporary closure since Labor Day, Navy Pier will begin its phased reopening in late April, representatives of the iconic Chicago attraction announced.
The first phase, starting April 30, will restore public access to the following: Navy Pier car parks, Polk Bros Park, Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion, the pier’s north and south docks, Pier Park, selected rides and attractions, East End Plaza, tour boats and cruises, the new Sable hotel and select restaurants with limited capacity.
To celebrate the reopening, Navy Pier hosts a 10-minute fireworks display every Saturday in May at 9:00 PM. Guests are allowed to view the exhibits from the open spaces of Navy Pier.
More details here.
Cook County Releases 10K COVID Vaccine Appointments Tuesday
Cook County will release 10,000 COVID vaccine appointments Tuesday afternoon.
The appointments will be released at noon and will include doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Meanwhile, Aurora also announced that it will be offering a first dose of Pfizer vaccine appointments at the mass vaccination site at 970 N. Lake St.
Click here to make an appointment.
Watch Live: Lightfoot, Chicago’s Best Doc to Visit Chicago State University Mass Vaccination Clinic
Chicago Mayor Lightfoot and Dr. Arwady, Chicago’s Commissioner of Health, will visit CSU’s massive vaccination clinic along with Zaldwaynaka “Z” Scott, president of Chicago State University.
The visit is scheduled for 9:30 am at the Emil & Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center.
A stream of the event will be live-streamed in the player above.
Study: Single COVID vaccination dose insufficient for individuals with mild cases of virus
Researchers at Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research say a new study has found that one dose of COVID-19 vaccines with two doses does not provide adequate protection against the virus in individuals who have previously had mild or asymptomatic cases of the disease, which means those individuals are still advised to receive both doses of the vaccine.
According to a press release from the researchers, the study had examined whether individuals who had previous mild or asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus could achieve high levels of immunity with just one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, rather than the recommended two doses. . .
The study did not examine the differences between mild COVID cases and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in terms of the robustness of the immune response.
Read more here.
Illinois Reopening Plan: Regions Won’t Automatically Trigger New Mitigation Measures Even When They Hit Statistics
Illinois’s eleven regions won’t automatically see new COVID-19 mitigations, even if they hit the metrics that previously automatically triggered more restrictions, health officials said Monday.
All regions of the state remain in phase 4 of the state reopening plan, where they have been since February.
Previously, a region would move from Phase 4 to Tier 1 mitigations if it saw a test positivity rate of ≥ 8% for three consecutive days over a 14-day monitoring period (mean 7 days) OR a sustained increase in test positivity rate (7-day mean over 7 of 10 days) and either (A) Sustained increase in hospitalized COVID patients (7-day mean over 7 out of 10 days), or (B) Staffed hospital and intensive care beds <20% for three consecutive days (3-day mean ).
But state health officials said on Monday that regions will no longer automatically trigger Tier 1 mitigations, even if they hit those metrics amid a fresh surge in the number of cases and hospitalizations.
“The plan to reduce the resurgence was designed before we had any vaccines,” Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said in a statement Monday.
Details here.
Pfizer vs Moderna Vaccines: Side Effects, Efficacy, and More
As many Johnson & Johnson vaccination appointments shift to doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in the wake of a recommended break in Illinois and Chicago, what can those who once anticipated the one-time vaccine expect now?
While the J&J vaccine pause is likely only temporary, both the city and the state have already switched many vaccination clinics and events to one of the remaining vaccines available.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the White House, said on Sunday that he believes the US will likely resume use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as early as this week, although there may be a warning or restriction.
Here’s an overview of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, their possible side effects, and how effective they are thought to be.
COVID vaccine eligibility in Chicago is open to all residents 16 and older on Monday
Chicago makes the COVID-19 vaccine eligible for all residents 16 and older on Monday, one week after the rest of Illinois.
The shift to Phase 2 eligibility comes after the city announces that more than 1 million residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
“Opening the vaccine to all adults in Chicago is another important milestone in our goal to vaccinate everyone and get past the pandemic to safely reopen our city,” said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Lightfoot also recalled that the supply of vaccines across the city remains limited, encouraging people to remain patient.
Read more here.
Chicago High Schools reopen after Union approval
Chicago’s public high schools reopened Monday for the first time since the country’s third largest school district was completely isolated amid the coronavirus pandemic more than a year ago.
The Chicago Teachers Union announced on Sunday that its members have overwhelmingly approved a reopening plan that will help students aged 16 and over and their families get COVID-19 vaccines, prioritizing certain zip codes harshly passed by the pandemic. Also included in the Chicago Public Schools agreement is more leeway for teachers to work remotely, for example if they don’t have any personal students that day.
Read more here.
Coronavirus in Illinois: 2,666 new COVID cases, 10 deaths, 115,000 vaccinations
Health officials in Illinois reported 2,666 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus and 10 additional deaths in the past day, along with more than 115,000 vaccinations administered.
The newly reported coronavirus cases Sunday brings the state’s total to 1,302,241 cases since the start of the pandemic. The 10 additional deaths increased the total death toll to 21,663, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
In the past 24 hours, 70,106 coronavirus test samples were returned to state laboratories, of which more than 21.7 million have now been performed during the pandemic.
Statewide positivity declined Sunday, with 4% of all tests returning positive results. The positivity rate for individuals tested in the past seven days has also dropped to 4.7%, according to IDPH data.
Read more here.
What Makes You More Likely to Get Side Effects From COVID Vaccine?
Side effects are possible after receiving one or two doses of one of the coronavirus vaccines currently administered in the US, but not everyone experiences them. Experiencing side effects isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it is a sign that your body is responding.
So what makes someone more likely to experience them than others?
Women and younger people are more likely to report side effects, experts say, while side effects can also vary depending on whether or not you’ve had coronavirus.
People are more likely to report side effects after their second dose, the top Chicago physician said, echoing reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But not getting side effects isn’t negative, health experts say.
Read more here.