335K Coronavirus Vaccines Administered In IL; Next Phase Imminent

ILLINOIS — More than 330,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been given out to health care workers and residents of long-term-care facilities across Illinois, with the state making “significant progress” in its push to vaccinate residents, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday.

Illinois had given out 334,939 doses by Sunday night, Pritzker said. That represents about 41 percent of the 819,300 total doses it had received by then.

About 231,000 doses were distributed to the state’s long-term-care facilities through a federal program run by CVS and Walgreens, while nearly 588,000 doses were delivered to public and private health care providers across Illinois, Pritzker said.

3 Illinoisans Charged, Some Fired After Mob Assault On Capitol

About 478,000 doses were delivered to public and private health care providers outside Chicago, with 109,000 going to providers in the state’s largest city.

Pritzker said Monday that he expects to announce a timeline for Phase 1B later this week. About 3.2 million people will be eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine in Phase 1B, including Illinois residents 65 and older and front-line essential workers, as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Illinois Rep. Darren Bailey Collapses On House Floor Sunday

Residents who were eligible to receive a vaccine during Phase 1a but did not can “opt in” for a vaccine at any point, Pritzker said.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is set to begin posting daily coronavirus vaccine updates Tuesday, Pritzker said, adding reporting lags and discrepancies between IDPH and CDC guidelines have painted an inaccurate picture of the state’s vaccination efforts.

Mike Madigan Suspends Campaign For 19th Term As House Speaker

Public health officials have said they are looking out for a new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus recently identified in the United Kingdom. The B.1.1.7 variant of the virus could be 70 percent more transmissible thanks to a mutation in its spike proteins that allows it to more easily stick to cells in the nose, British officials said.

It is unclear how the new strain could affect the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine in Illinois. Confirmed cases of the variant have been found in nearby Indiana.

IHSA, State Health Officials Meet Though Sports Remain On Pause

IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said “it’s only a matter of time” before the variant is discovered in Illinois and warned it could become the main source of spread by March. She urged residents to get the vaccine as soon as it is available to them and to continue practicing social distancing and wearing masks.

IL Reports 4,776 Coronavirus Cases Monday, 53 More COVID-19 Deaths

IDPH officials reported more than 4,700 new coronavirus cases Monday, taking the state’s total to more than 1.03 million cases. As of Monday, 17,627 Illinois residents have died from coronavirus-related conditions, according to public health data.

As of Sunday night, 3,540 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across Illinois, including 759 in intensive care and 401 on ventilators.

Ryne Danielson, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.