More than 100,000 appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations at the United Center’s new mass vaccination site will open this week, Chicago and Illinois officials announced Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Chicago is once again increasing its indoor dining capacity at restaurants and bars and easing several coronavirus restrictions as the city’s coronavirus positivity rate continues to decline.
Here are the latest updates on today’s Illinois coronavirus pandemic:
Smokers are now eligible for COVID vaccine in Illinois under Phase 1B Plus
Smoking is on the list of high-risk medical conditions and co-morbidities that make someone eligible for the coronavirus vaccine under Illinois’ Phase 1B plus.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, smoking is considered a “eligible condition” at the stage in addition to other conditions such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, pregnancy, and more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that “if you are a current or former cigarette smoker, your risk of serious illness from COVID-19 increases.”
Illinois entered Phase 1B Plus on Feb. 25, increasing the ability to include people with certain underlying conditions and co-morbidities. The move meant that an additional 3.4 million people across Illinois were eligible for the vaccine.
Smoking was not on the eligibility list when the phase was first announced, but was added when the state entered the phase last week.
Coronavirus in Illinois: 2,104 new cases, 44 deaths, more than 82,000 vaccinations
Health officials in Illinois reported 2,104 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, along with 44 additional deaths and more than 61,000 vaccine doses administered in the past 24 hours.
According to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Wednesday’s new confirmed and probable cases have brought the state to 1,191,520 cases of coronavirus since the pandemic began.
The 44 new deaths reported Wednesday put the state up to 20,626 fatalities during the pandemic, according to the IDPH.
Read more here.
100K United Center COVID Vaccine Appointments To Open: Here’s What You Need To Know
More than 100,000 appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations at the United Center’s new mass vaccination site open this week. Here’s a rundown of what you need to know:
Appointments will be open exclusively to Illinois residents 65 and older on Thursday at 8:30 a.m., Governor JB Pritzker said in a statement, noting that there are two ways to sign up:
- Go to Zocdoc.com/vaccine to register online. The website is expected to handle a much larger number of appointment requests. Zocdoc shows real-time availability of appointments and eligible residents can then select a date / time and book an appointment online. Date of birth is required when booking an appointment to confirm vaccine eligibility.
- Call (312) 746-4835 to register by phone. A multilingual call center is available to assist seniors to book appointments Monday through Saturday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and Sundays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Given the expected high demand for appointments, residents who can use the website must book their appointments online. Although the call center has 200 employees, those who need the call center will most likely experience long waiting times.
The exclusive registration period for seniors runs through Sunday afternoon, said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, on Tuesday in a Facebook Live update.
Illinois is launching 2 more mass vaccination sites, including 1 in Des Plaines
Illinois will soon launch two new mass vaccination sites, including one in Des Plaines, officials announced Wednesday.
The state-backed sites will launch Thursday in both Des Plaines and Quincy, bringing the total number of mass vaccination sites in Illinois to 18. Located in a former K-Mart at 1155 E. Oakton St., the Des Plaines site alone marks the fourth such site in Cook County.
“The COVID-19 vaccine site in Des Plaines is our latest step forward in vaccinating Cook County and our most vulnerable communities,” Cook County Board Chairman Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement. “This new site, which is conveniently located for many residents of the northwestern suburbs, will be used in the coming months as we move forward with our program and as the vaccine supply increases.”
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United and American Airlines open vaccination sites at O’Hare Airport
United and American Airlines have announced plans to offer vaccinations at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
United’s “point of distribution” site, which will operate from the airline’s current clinic in Terminal 2 at the baggage claim level, opens to eligible airport employees on Thursday.
American Airlines said it will be provided with a “limited supply” of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for distribution to “team members at ORD.” The doses will be administered from Thursday at the K19 Former Flagship Lounge in Terminal 3, the airline said.
Chicago could start vaccination of phase 1C earlier than expected, officials say
After it was previously announced that Phase 1C would likely begin in late March, Chicago’s top physician said Tuesday that the city could begin the next phase of coronavirus vaccinations earlier than expected.
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said the city could begin vaccinating those eligible for Phase 1C sooner, based on an increase in available doses of COVID vaccines in the state. “
However, Arwady noted that as of Tuesday, the estimated state date would not change, nor any eligibility criteria.
“We will make adjustments to that as we always have as we see how vaccine doses come in,” Arwady said. “But honestly, the way they got in is about how I expected them to come in. March will look a lot better than February in terms of vaccination. And I think April will look a lot better. then March. “
Arwady has said that Phase 1C would likely begin on March 29 and Phase 2, which includes all residents over the age of 16, could begin on May 31.
Advocate Aurora Health Investigates Opening Massive Vaccination Site at Wrigley Field
While the United Center will transform its parking lots into a massive coronavirus vaccination site later this month, another iconic Chicago stadium could potentially follow suit.
According to lawyer Aurora Health, a massive vaccination site is being explored at Wrigley Field with the aim of helping even more Chicago residents get the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to a statement by health system officials, there are a few more hurdles to overcome before the site becomes a reality, including permission from the City of Chicago.
“We are proud to collaborate on a potential mass vaccination site in Wrigley Field, which could potentially be approved by the City of Chicago,” the hospital system said in a statement. “If the site is designated and vaccine supplies from the city become available, Advocate Aurora Health would provide clinical staff and technical infrastructure.”
According to hospital officials, the location at Wrigley Field is being considered due to its proximity to several CTA bus lines and the CTA Red Line, “allowing residents of disproportionately affected communities to access the vaccine when supplies are available.”
Read more here.
Some fans could return to the Chicago Stands this season, Mayor says
Chicago could potentially see some fans returning to the stands, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday, as the city prepares for the baseball season to kick off.
“Not at the moment, but I think there will come a point sometime this season when you will see fans in the stands of both the Wrigley and Guaranteed Rate pitches, which I still call Sox Park,” said Lightfoot.
The Cubs will start their home opener at Wrigley Field on April 1, while the White Sox will return home on April 8 after starting their season on the road.
Lightfoot’s comments come as some fans return to booths in long-closed places, like New York’s Barclays Center.
“What I’ve said before is that we’re in talks with both sports teams,” said Lightfoot. “I think they have come up with very good plans and when we are ready we will announce what the future will look like for other potential spectators in the stands.”
Vaccinations in Illinois