Note: Any press conferences of Governor JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot or other officials will be streamed in the video player above.
The mayor of Chicago and the highest health official are ready to send an update on Monday on the city’s vaccination plan.
At the state level, several Illinois health care regions continue to see declining rates of hospitality and hospitalization, according to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic in Illinois today (December 28):
IDES prepares to implement unemployment program extensions approved in COVID federal bill
The Illinois Department of Labor is preparing to pay new unemployment benefits authorized by the COVID-19 aid bill signed into law by President Donald Trump this weekend, but is asking for more guidance from the Department of Labor for ensure prompt payment of these benefits.
In a press release issued on Monday, IDES officials say they are asking authorities not to “create new difficulties” and criticized the president for his “inaction” after he delayed signing the aid package earlier this month.
The new exemption bill, in addition to authorizing payments to U.S. residents, also included extensions to several key programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Benefits (PUAs), Emergency Pememic Unemployment Compensation Benefits (PEUCs), and extended benefit programs. .
All these programs expired on December 26 in accordance with the provisions of the original CARES Law, which was adopted in March, but all were extended by the new COVID-19 aid package. Lawmakers warned of possible delays in payment because of Trump’s objections to the bill, which he raised only after the House and Senate voted in favor of the measure.
Read more here.
First doses of Modern COVID-19 vaccine given in Chicago
The front-line workers at the Esperanza Health Centers in Chicago were given the initial doses of COVID-19 Moderna vaccine on Monday, becoming the first individuals in the city to receive the much-anticipated vaccine.
Esperanza, which serves primarily Chicago’s Southwest Side, was one of six federally qualified health centers that began administering the Moderna vaccine Monday.
Calling Esperanza a lifeline for the Latinx community, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot explained that equity remains the city’s COVID-19 strategy because the virus has a disproportionate impact on people of color.
“I know the challenges many members of the Latinx community face and they can sometimes be insurmountable,” the mayor said at a news conference at the Brighton Park Health Center.
The launch of the Modern vaccine is particularly exciting, said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, because, unlike the Pfizer vaccine, it does not require ultra-cold storage.
About 16,000 doses of Moderna vaccine are expected to be given in the city by the end of the week, Arwady said. Similarly, the city anticipates more than 21,000 doses of Pfizker vaccine to be given at the same time.
Illinois has more than 16,000 deaths since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic
Illinois health officials reported 4,453 confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus on Monday, along with an additional 105 deaths attributed to the virus.
According to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state has now reported 942,362 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, along with 16,074 total deaths.
In the last 24 hours, 51,046 new tests have returned to laboratories across the country. In total, 13,036,658 tests were performed during the pandemic, according to IDPH data.
The state’s seven-day test rate rose to 8.7% on Monday, while the case positivity rate was 7.2%. Both figures mark increases from a day earlier.
State hospitalizations rose Monday to 4,243 patients receiving coronavirus care. The number of patients in intensive care units has dropped to 884, while there are currently 515 patients with ventilators in the state due to COVID-19.
Chicago officials will update the vaccination plan
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city’s top doctor will provide an update on the coronavirus vaccination plan on Monday, according to Lightfoot’s public program.
Lightfoot and Chicago Commissioner of the Department of Public Health Dr. Allison Arwady will deliver the update during a news conference Monday at 2:00 p.m. at the Esperanza Health Center at 4700 S. California Ave. on the mayor’s office .
The update can be watched live in the video player above.
Depending on the numbers: coronavirus values in every region of Illinois in health care
Several health care regions in Illinois continue to see declines in positivity rates and hospitalizations, and a few are currently in line to see a reduction in level 3 attenuation in the fight against coronavirus.
This is where every medical region in Illinois is metrically, starting December 27th.
Region 1 (Northwest Illinois):
In this region, hospitalizations have dropped in eight of the last 10 days. The region had an availability of 20% or more of hospital beds and ICU for 11 consecutive days, and the positivity rate of the region is 8.7%. All these values fall within the parameters of reversing the level 3 mitigations, but it is not clear when the state will give the region the consent to do so.
Region 2 (West-Central Illinois):
The positivity rate in this region continued a slow decline this week, falling to 8.8%, while more than 29% of hospital beds are available. The availability of the ICU bed now stands at 22.7% and will exceed 20% for the third consecutive day on Monday. The region has also seen hospitalizations decline in the past 10 days.
Region 3 (Western Illinois):
This region has one of the lowest positivity rates in the state, standing at 6.9%. The availability of the hospital bed amounts to 29.5%, while the availability of the intensive care bed is still below the threshold of 20%, standing at 17.1%. Hospitalizations have dropped six in the past 10 days, but have ticked up in recent days.
Region 4 (Southwest Illinois):
This region is seeing its positivity rate start to rise, as it is now at 12% on the button. The hospital bed (21.4%) and the availability of the intensive care bed (21.5%) finally eliminated the 20% threshold this week, and the region recorded decreases of nine days of hospitalization in the last 10 days.
Region 5 (South Illinois):
The positivity rate in the region is now at 12.2% and has remained largely constant over the last 10 days. The availability of ICU beds is still low, currently at 16.5%, and the availability of the hospital bed is now up to 40.5%, more than double the threshold needed to advance from level 3 mitigations.
Region 6 (East Central Illinois):
The positivity rate in this region is 8.6%, while the availability of the hospital bed (30.6%) and the availability of the intensive care bed (35.6%) are well above the thresholds needed to advance from mitigation of level 3. The region also continued to see steady declines in hospitalizations in general.
Region 7 (Will, Kankakee counties):
The positivity rate in this region continued to decline this week, falling to 10.3%, while the availability of hospital beds (29.6%) and the availability of ICU beds (26.5%) continued to increase. Hospitalizations have generally declined in the last 10 days.
Region 8 (counties DuPage, Kane):
This region recorded an increase in hospital bed availability (24.7%) and intensive care bed availability (27.9%) in recent days, while hospitalizations decreased in eight of the last 10 days. The positivity rate of the region is up to 9%.
Region 9 (McHenry, Lake counties):
The availability of hospital beds in the region has finally exceeded the 20% threshold, now standing at 21.1%. The availability of beds in the ICU is 32.1%, and hospitalizations have decreased in the last five days. The positivity rate of the region is 8.8%.
Region 10 (Cook suburban county):
The region’s positivity rate stands at 9.3%, while hospitalizations have fallen over the past 10 days. The availability of the bed at the ICU is starting to increase, now to 19.7%, while the availability of the hospital bed is now up to 26.6%.
Region 11 (Chicago):
With 10 days of hospitalization decreasing, a positivity rate of 8.6%, hospital bed availability of 23.9% and intensive care bed availability of 26.6%, Chicago would be eligible to pass months from level 3 mitigation , if the city would use state values.
United Airlines is starting to ask passengers in the UK to take a negative test when flying to Chicago
Amid concerns over a recently detected variant of the coronavirus that is spreading in the UK, United Airlines announced on Thursday that it will ask all passengers in the UK flying to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to present proof of a negative coronavirus test.
According to the airline, anyone traveling from London Heathrow to Chicago, Newark, Washington Dulles and San Francisco must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test performed within 72 hours of departure, starting Monday.
“The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority,” the airline said in a statement. “United has been a leader in adopting new policies and innovations designed to keep employees and passengers safe when traveling, including mask warrants and requiring customers to complete a pre-flight checklist. , acknowledging that they have not been diagnosed with COVID -19 in the last 14 days and show no COVID-related symptoms. ”
The latest requirement will apply to any traveler over the age of 5 and may include molecular or antigen tests. Those with connecting flights to the LHR whose trip comes from another country will be exempted, the airline said.
This month, United operated four daily flights from London Heathrow to the four US hubs.