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“I’m very concerned. If you look at our data in the last week to 10 days, it feels like October when we saw the second surge happen,” Lightfoot said.
Also Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker received his single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine at an Illinois National Guard-run mass vaccination site at the state fairgrounds in Springfield.
The governor expressed concern that the state may be losing ground in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, then rolled up his sleeve and received one of the more than 5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses that have now been administered to Illinois residents.
Pritzker said officials will be watching the numbers to see whether recent reversals in several positive trends are the result of faster spreading variants of the virus or possibly “a blip in the data.”
A day earlier, Chicago’s public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady on Tuesday warned city residents, particularly the city’s younger adults, that coronavirus metrics were once again creeping into a danger zone that resembled a previous second surge during last October.
There were 107,219 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered Tuesday and the seven-day rolling average of vaccine doses was 97,680.
Additionally, the day after Chicago Public Schools ended its $5 million contract with its vaccine provider amid controversy, CEO Janice Jackson said switching providers should not affect the goal of getting first doses to all employees by the end of the month.
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area:
5:29 p.m.: Mayor Lori Lightfoot warns Chicago COVID-19 numbers ‘going in the wrong direction’
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday the city of Chicago’s recent coronavirus case numbers are “going in the wrong direction” and resemble the period before last fall’s second surge.
”I’m very concerned. If you look at our data in the last week to 10 days, it feels like October when we saw the second surge happen,” Lightfoot said.
The mayor’s comments echoed remarks earlier in the week from public health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, who warned of an uptick especially among younger residents. Equally concerning, Lightfoot said Wednesday, is an increase in percent positivity.Because of that, she said, Chicago isn’t in a position to talk about any more reopening issues, “particularly when it comes to expanding capacity indoors.”
”The last thing any of us want to do is take any steps back,” Lightfoot said. “But we are in a place where both Dr. Arwady and myself are very concerned and we’re sounding the alarm.”
The increasing numbers mimic the start of the city’s second COVID-19 surge in October that later shut down indoor dining for months, Arwady said earlier in the week.
As that wave died down, the city was able to reopen indoor dining in January and continue expanding its capacity, most recently three weeks ago.
The rise in cases is led by younger adults: first by the 18 to 29 age group, second by 30- to 39-year-olds and third by 40- to 49-year-olds, city officials said.Those groups are perhaps letting their guard down as vaccinations ramp up in Chicago, Arwady said. Read more here. — Gregory Pratt
4:48 p.m.: Cook County initiative aims to boost COVID-19 vaccine rates in several south suburbs
South suburban communities of color hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic are getting special attention from Cook County public health officials as access to vaccines broadens.
Health officials have identified 32 suburbs, where vaccination rates are lagging, as part of an initiative that will include setting aside vaccination appointment times for residents who live in those communities, assisting residents in scheduling appointments and providing transportation to those unable to get to vaccination sites.
The county’s public health department is also preparing to bring vaccines and administer them at sites such as senior housing centers, according to an official.
The program involves community-based organizations and private health providers that already work with populations eligible for the vaccine but who might not yet have registered for appointments, according to Dr. Rachel Rubin, senior medical officer and co-lead of the Cook County Department of Public Health.
Southland communities that are part of the effort include Blue Island, Calumet Park, Chicago Heights, Dixmoor, Dolton, Markham, Posen, Riverdale and Robbins.
On average, 21% of residents of any particular Cook County suburb have gotten their initial dose of the vaccine, while just under 11% have received both doses, according to the health department. Read more here. — Mike Nolan/Daily Southtown
4:00 p.m.: Young Latinas are planning 2021 quinceañeras, though worries remain in a community devastated by the pandemic
Liz Robledo, of Berwyn, is planning a quinceañera for her only daughter Karina in October to celebrate her 15th birthday.
The family plans to invite about 130 close family and friends for an indoor party at a banquet hall. Guests will be required to wear face masks, tables will be spread 6 feet apart to support social distancing, and bedazzled containers of hand sanitizer will serve as centerpieces.
Still, the risks weigh heavily on Robledo’s mind. Her cousin’s aunt died of COVID-19 complications last year, and several other family members have tested positive for the coronavirus, Robledo said. She doesn’t want more family members infected or the event to become a super spreader.
But between the safety precautions she has planned and the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations to more Illinois residents, Robledo, who is fully vaccinated, said she’s hopeful the family can celebrate together this year, especially after so much time apart. Read more here. — Abdel Jimenez
3:51 p.m.: Social distancing mother makes appearance on Tamron Hall Show
A woman who spent weeks at a Hinsdale hospital because of a difficult pregnancy that was further complicated by the coronavirus pandemic introduced her 9-month-old son on Wednesday’s episode of Tamron Hall’s daytime show.
Shona Moeller and Bob Conlin made headlines last year when Conlin staged date nights with Moeller through a window at Amita Health Adventist Medical Center in Hinsdale because of COVID-19 restrictions. Moeller was on bed rest at the hospital because her water broke at 20 weeks. The couple welcomed Forest in June 2020.
“Somehow this baby that had a less than 1% chance of just living ... is totally healthy and was only in the NICU for 20 days,” Moeller told Hall. — Tracy Swartz
3:14 p.m.: First Cook County jury to hear a case after court closures for COVID-19 finds man guilty of burglary
Cook County jurors on Wednesday rendered a verdict for the first time in more than a year, closing out a pandemic-era jury trial that represented a tentative step toward courthouse normalcy.
After less than two hours of socially distanced deliberations, jurors found defendant Glenn Whitmore guilty of burglary.
The trial was widely viewed as a test run to see how future jury trials could be accommodated later this spring and summer with the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing. Read more here. — Megan Crepeau
2:33 p.m. (updated): Gov. J.B. Pritzker gets his shot, raises concerns over rising coronavirus cases. ‘I think people maybe are being a little less careful.’
Gov. J.B. Pritzker expressed concern Wednesday that the state may be losing ground in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, then rolled up his sleeve and received one of the more than 5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses that have now been administered to Illinois residents.
Pritzker said officials will be watching the numbers to see whether recent reversals in several positive trends are the result of faster spreading variants of the virus or possibly “a blip in the data.”
“We’ll keep watching very closely, but I can tell you there is more activity going on, and I think people maybe are being a little less careful,” Pritzker said before receiving the single dose Johnson & Johnson shot at an Illinois National Guard-run mass vaccination site in Springfield.
12:32 p.m.: High school seniors in Chicago and across Illinois won’t have to take SAT to graduate this spring because of COVID-19 disruptions
As they focus on how and when they can reopen high schools, Chicago Public Schools leaders have announced that the class of 2021 will not have to take the SAT test as a graduation requirement.
Other Illinois school districts are also being granted the test-optional choice for this year’s graduating seniors.
Illinois high school students typically take the SAT test during the spring of their junior year, both for college admissions and because the state typically requires that students sit for the exam in order to earn a high school diploma.
12:19 p.m.: After CPS vaccine provider ousted, district says it’s sticking with goal of first doses for all employees by end of March
The day after Chicago Public Schools ended its $5 million contract with its vaccine provider amid controversy, CEO Janice Jackson said switching providers should not affect the goal of getting first doses to all employees by the end of the month.
The district is now “transitioning” to a new vendor, which prompted CPS to close its four vaccination sites on Wednesday, canceling “a few hundred” appointments, Jackson told the Board of Education Wednesday. But CPS is continuing to encourage staff to get vaccinated as soon as possible and called the recent expansion of eligibility at district-run sites to all CPS employees a “milestone.”
The district is also trying to dispel myths and reduce vaccine hesitancy, she said.
12:05 p.m.: 2,793 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 20 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Wednesday announced 2,793 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 20 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 1,227,708 and the statewide death toll to 21,136 since the start of the pandemic.
Officials also reported 79,381 new tests in the last 24 hours. The statewide positivity rate for cases is 2.8%.
The 7-day daily average of administered vaccine doses is 97,680, with 107,219 doses given on Tuesday. Officials also say a total of 5,036,364 vaccines have now been administered.
7:15 a.m.: Pritzker to receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, hold coronavirus update news conference
Gov. J.B. Pritzker was scheduled to receive his first COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday, following the state’s periodic news conference on the coronavirus pandemic.
Pritzker was scheduled to receive his first vaccination dose at one of the state’s mass vaccination sites, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. It’s one of more than a dozen state mass vaccination sites, including one opening Friday in Forest Park.
7:10 a.m.: Most nonwhite students in US still learning entirely online, school reopening survey shows
Nearly half of the nation’s elementary schools were open for full-time classroom learning as of last month, but the share of students learning in-person has varied greatly by region and by race, with most nonwhite students learning entirely online, according to results from a national survey conducted by the Biden administration.
For the White House, the survey results, released Wednesday, mark the starting line for President Joe Biden’s pledge to have most K-8 schools open full-time in his first 100 days in office. But they also show that he never had far to go to meet that goal.
Among schools that enroll fourth graders, 47% offered full-time classroom learning in February, while for schools that teach eighth-graders, the figure was 46%. The data suggested that at least some students weren’t opting in.
In total, about 76% of elementary and middle schools were open for in-person or hybrid learning, according to the survey, while 24% offered remote learning only. The percentage of students spending at least some time in the classroom has likely increased since February, when coronavirus rates were just coming down from a national surge.
6 a.m.: Chicago-area woman, 92, survived the Holocaust, life behind the Iron Curtain and then the pandemic in a nursing home. Her daughter is desperate to visit her.
Julia Erdely turned 16 in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
She was one of the few members of her family to survive the Holocaust. Later, in her home country of Romania, she became a nurse, a mother and lived for years under a communist regime before immigrating to the United States as a political refugee in 1982 with her daughter and her family and eventually settling in the Chicago area.
Magda Roth is proud of her 92-year-old mother and has rarely lived apart from her. She cared for her mother in their residence in Homewood as long as she could, until she had to place her in a Skokie nursing home in 2019. Though her mother’s life has been difficult, Roth, 71, is grateful that her later years have been peaceful.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic came and prevented in-person visits between mother and daughter at the nursing home. Roth is desperate to begin those regular visits with her mother again.
Though Roth, her husband and her mother are fully vaccinated, the nursing home where Erdely lives is not yet allowing visits. Officials there told the Tribune they are working on protocols with the hopes of soon allowing outdoor visits.
Like many families anguished about losing time with aging family members, Roth is wondering when she can regularly see her mother in her room. Visitation policies vary widely at area nursing homes. Some facilities told the Tribune they have opened their buildings for family visits with some restrictions and safety rules, following guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Others, such as Lieberman Center for Health and Rehabilitation where Erdely lives, are taking a more cautious approach.
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