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Illinois COVID Update Today: IL reports 1,631 new coronavirus cases, 35 deaths – WLS-TV

Illinois COVID Update Today: IL reports 1,631 new coronavirus cases, 35 deaths – WLS-TV

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 1,631 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Sunday, with 35 deaths. IDPH is reporting a total of 1,162,154 total COVID-19 cases, including 19,961 deaths. As of Saturday night, 1,777 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those,

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 1,631 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Sunday, with 35 deaths.

IDPH is reporting a total of 1,162,154 total COVID-19 cases, including 19,961 deaths.

As of Saturday night, 1,777 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 373 patients were in the ICU and 189 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Feb. 7-13 is 3.6%.

RELATED: Illinois COVID vaccine map shows how many residents vaccinated by county

A total of 2,125,375 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago, with an additional 445,200 doses allocated to federal government partners for long-term care facilities, bringing the total number delivered in Illinois to 2,570,575.

Vaccine appointments remain scarce even to those who are eligible before the expansion of group 1B. Efforts to vaccinate minorities continue to fall short, and data reviewed by the ABC7 I-Team shows more women are getting shots than men by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.

RELATED: Illinois’ Black, Latinx residents getting fewer COVID-19 vaccines, early data shows

The IDPH said that vaccine distribution numbers are reported in real-time and vaccine administration numbers lag by as much as 72 hours.

IDPH reports that a total of 1,724,187 vaccine doses have been administered, including 238,075 at long-term facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is 61,384, the highest to date.

The state reported a record-high number of 95,000 vaccines administered Friday, and said 10% of Illinoisans have received their first dose of the vaccine.

IL announces new strategy for 2nd COVID vaccine doses

As if it weren’t already hard enough, to get an appointment, state health officials are now warning that as of Monday, and for the upcoming weeks, fewer doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available for those seeking to get their first shot. Dramatically fewer in some cases.

“We were actually notified on Thursday by IDPH that our allocation would be reduced by 75%,” said Karen Ayala, Executive Director of the DuPage County Health Department.

IDPH said limited vaccine supply and the need to reserve existing doses for those needing to get their second shots is the reason for the decrease. The news comes days after Governor Pritzker said the state would soon expand the number of people eligible to be vaccinated under Phase 1B to those over the age of 16 with pre-existing conditions.

It’s an expansion, several counties, including DuPage said can’t be done.

“There simply isn’t enough vaccine, but there will be enough vaccine over time,” Ayala said. “What’s not helpful, I think, is to set people up for an expectation that yeah, we’re going to have plenty of vaccine and we’re opening up these priority groups and then, boom, we don’t. That’s the frustration.”

Based on federal projections of vaccine shipments IDPH said they expect the shortage of first doses to continue into March.

Feds plan to ship vaccine to underserved communities

Starting in March, COVID-19 vaccines will be headed to federally-funded health centers in underserved communities throughout Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Friday.

“What we can’t do is let the vaccine distribution exacerbate inequalities that existed long before COVID-19,” Pritzker said. “Inequities that I’m committed and remain committed to eliminating.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website said the vaccine will be shipped to Federally Qualified Health Centers, also known as FQHCs. The special program will begin on Monday at centers across the nation, but Illinois health officials do not expect any shipments until mid-March.

Pritzker and the state’s top health official, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, made the announcement at Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness center in Chicago Heights. Aunt Martha’s various locations are now preparing for those federal shipments, according to Mary Martin, Aunt Martha’s chief financial officer.

“The federal government will give from a separate supply not to be cut from Illinois’ allocation,” said Dr. Ezike. “This is on top of what Illinois gets.”

RELATED: Illinois coronavirus testing: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago area

The race to get more vaccine was relevant during the governor’s news conference, especially when Aunt Martha CEO Raul Garza announced that his father, Raymond Garza, died of COVID-19 on Feb. 2. The 82-year-old from Chesterton, Indiana, got COVID around the New Year and wasn’t eligible to get a shot either.

“My father, Raymond Garza, like so many people, did not have the opportunity to be vaccinated. That wasn’t granted to him at the point he was in his life. I hope people are able to make that decision,” Raul said.

RELATED: Kenosha County cracks down on IL residents seeking Wisconsin COVID vaccine appointments

At this point, it’s unclear how many federally-funded health centers in Illinois will receive federal vaccine shipments.

The first health centers in this program, according to the CDC, will serve several people who are public housing residents, migrant or seasonal agricultural workers, patients with limited English skills, and those experiencing homelessness

Walgreens began vaccinating those eligible against the disease Friday. They are prioritizing healthcare workers, those over 65 and those with preexisting conditions. Earlier this week, Walgreens’ site crashed when individuals who wanted the vaccine rushed to sign up.

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The deaths reported Saturday include:

– Champaign County: 1 female 30s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
– Clark County: 1 male 70s
– Cook County: 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
– DuPage County: 1 male 50s, 2 females 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 2 males 90s
– Edwards County: 1 male 40s
– Franklin County: 1 female 60s
– Gallatin County: 1 female 80s
– Jefferson County: 1 female 60s

– Johnson County: 1 male 80s
– Lake County: 1 male 40s, 3 males 70s
– LaSalle County: 1 male 90s
– Macon County: 1 female 60s
– Madison County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
– McLean County: 1 male 90s
– Monroe County: 2 males 70s
– Peoria County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
– Rock Island County: 1 male 40s
– Saline County: 1 male 60s
– St. Clair County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
– Stephenson County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
– Tazewell County: 1 male 90s
– Vermilion County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
– Wayne County: 1 female 90s
– Will County: 1 female 90s
– Williamson County: 1 female 90s

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