Illinois COVID-19 positivity rate, hospitalizations continue to decline SPRINGFIELD — The state’s COVID-19 case positivity rate is below 3 percent for the first time since July and hospitalizations for the disease continued on a steady decline Monday as confirmed deaths topped 20,000 since the pandemic began. As of Sunday night, there were 1,789 people hospitalized
Illinois COVID-19 positivity rate, hospitalizations continue to decline
SPRINGFIELD — The state’s COVID-19 case positivity rate is below 3 percent for the first time since July and hospitalizations for the disease continued on a steady decline Monday as confirmed deaths topped 20,000 since the pandemic began.
As of Sunday night, there were 1,789 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Illinois, including 389 in intensive care unit beds and 184 on ventilators. Those numbers were all major decreases from second-wave peaks seen at the end of November.
On a seven-day rolling average from Monday to Sunday, there were 1,932 hospital beds used on average last week, a decrease of 382, or 16.5 percent, from the week prior. Over the same period, there were 433 ICU beds used on average daily, a decrease of 69, or 13.8 percent, from the week prior. Ventilator usage decrease by 44, or 17.3 percent, to 212 in use on average over the same period.
The 41 virus-related deaths reported over the previous 24 hours drove the death toll to 20,002 as the state reported 1,420 new cases amid 52,389 tests conducted. The state has reported more than 17 million test results and 1.1 million confirmed or probable cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
The vaccination effort continues as well, with more than 1.8 million doses administered out of more than 2.4 million doses received from the federal government, which means 74 percent of doses received by the state or providers have been administered.
Approximately 56 percent, or 248,925, of the 445,200 distributed to Walgreens and CVS pharmacies as part of the federal Pharmacy Partnership program for long-term care residents have been distributed.
While 11 percent of the state’s population has received a first dose of the vaccine, moving Illinois into 24th on the New York Times’ per-capita vaccine distribution database, the state announced Monday that second doses will become a larger share of those distributed in the coming days.
Thus far, just 3.3 percent of the state’s residents have received both doses, a requirement for both the Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna vaccines to be effective. The second vaccine dose is scheduled three to four weeks after the first, depending on which vaccine is received.
“Beginning the week of February 15, local health departments and other COVID-19 vaccine providers will begin to receive a larger share of second doses to accommodate a greater number of second doses coming due,” according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Public Health. “With federal shipments of the vaccine to Illinois remaining limited, this will mean providers will receive a smaller share of first doses. Based on federal projections of vaccine shipments, (IDPH) anticipates these allocations will hold steady for the next several weeks, before allocations of first doses can once again increase in March.”
Information on COVID-19 vaccines and how to make an appointment is available at coronavirus.illinois.gov.
Alden Estates of Northmoor, Chicago
Linda Fitzgerald, a resident of Alden Estates of Northmoor, right, receives a COVID-19 vaccination from pharmacy lead Anneliese Szutenbach at the nursing home on Jan. 8 in Chicago.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. makes a fist after Dr. Kiran Chekka, right, of Roseland Community Hospital injected him with the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the parking lot of Roseland Community Hospital on Jan. 8.
Alden Estates of Northmoor, Chicago
Robin Meier, a resident at Alden Estates of Northmoor, receives a COVID-19 vaccination from pharmacy lead Anneliese Szutenbach at the nursing home on Jan. 8 in Chicago.
Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care, North Riverside
Staff member Pam Domdey helps a senior Dino Franceschina keep warm as he waits to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care nursing home in North Riverside on Jan. 12.
Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care, North Riverside
A COVID-19 vaccine is prepped for a senior citizen at Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care nursing home in North Riverside on Jan. 12.
Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care, North Riverside
Dino Franceschina receives a COVID-19 vaccine at Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care in North Riverside on Jan. 12.
Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care, North Riverside
Betty Hermanek winces as she receives her COVID-19 vaccine at the Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care in North Riverside, Tuesday, Jan. 12.
Luther Oaks, Bloomington
Decatur Walgreens pharmacist Kim Crawford mixes the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine before it is injected into the arms of Luther Oaks staff and residents, Friday, Jan. 15.
Luther Oaks, Bloomington
Bhaumik Thakkar, the pharmacy manager from the Decatur Walgreens on Friday gives Myrtle Armstrong, 102, who lives at Luther Oaks in Bloomington, the COVID-19 vaccine. Armstrong is among the first long-care residents in McLean County to receive the vaccine. Luther Oaks Executive Director Douglas Rutter was able to procure doses for 218 residents, staff and family caregivers through the federal vaccination program.
Luther Oaks, Bloomington
Decatur Walgreens pharmacist Kim Crawford, left, and Bhaumik Thakkar, pharmacy manager, mix the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine before injecting it into the arms of Luther Oaks staff and residents, Friday, Jan. 15.
Drive-through vaccination clinic, Decatur
Leanna Cossman of the Macon County Health Department gives the Moderna coronavirus vaccine to Elisa Houston during the Drive-Through COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic on Dec. 30 at the Decatur Airport.
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