In the 12 months since Illinois identified its first case of COVID-19, more than 1.1 million infections have been reported in the state and 18,750 people have died after testing positive for the virus.
Ngozi Ezike
“Most people survive this illness but some don’t,” Illinois’ top doctor said before receiving her first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. “I don’t want to gamble with my life and I don’t want anyone else to gamble with theirs.”
With fewer than 350,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine administered to date in Illinois, Gov. J. B. Pritzker urged patience among residents, stating: “We all want this to happen faster.”
“We ask that IDPH acknowledge the high risk of COVID-19 exposure for people living in all forms of state custody and the staff who work with them and prioritize them for vaccinations,” dozens of groups wrote in a letter to state health officials.
US Surgeon General Pays a Visit to Chicago
Just days before Christmas, a trio of high-profile doctors, including U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, made a plea for people to follow public health measures designed to stop the spread of COVID-19, even as two vaccines are being distributed across the U.S.
COVID-19 in Illinois: 8,828 New Cases, 181 Additional Deaths
Gov J.B. Pritzker said the state's first vaccine shipments have been distributed to 77 hospitals across Illinois, and on Thursday, another 43,000 additional doses arrived in Cook, Lake, Madison and St. Clair counties.
Plus: IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike on ‘Chicago Tonight’
The state’s first round of COVID-19 vaccinations outside of Chicago took place Tuesday morning in Peoria, where five health care workers rolled up their sleeves to get their first dose.
COVID-19 in Illinois: 9,420 New Cases, 190 Additional Deaths
More than 1,000 Illinoisans have died of the coronavirus this week alone, during a time in which the U.S. has repeatedly set single-day records for COVID-19 fatalities.
COVID-19 in Illinois: 11,101 New Cases, 196 Additional Deaths
“We’ve come very far,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Thursday. “Let’s keep going and let’s get everybody to the end of this marathon and get back to normal altogether."
COVID-19 in Illinois: 8,691 New Cases, 90 Additional Deaths
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday said officials are still “still watching and waiting” to see if there will be a surge statewide in the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations stemming from holiday gatherings.
COVID-19 in Illinois: 10,959 New Cases, 192 Additional Deaths
As Illinois continues dealing with its deadliest stretch of the coronavirus pandemic to date, state health officials are calling on those who’ve had COVID-19 to consider donating plasma as it may help those who are actively fighting the disease.
As Americans kick off a holiday season under the cloud of the coronavirus pandemic, Illinois health officials reported more than 12,000 new and probable cases of the virus across the state, and 131 additional deaths.
COVID-19 in Illinois: 11,378 New Cases, 155 Additional Deaths
“Adding debt is not a long-term solution to structural imbalance,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. “Short-term borrowing is a short-term Band-Aid to address the urgency of a short-term problem like one caused by a pandemic.”
Since January, more than 656,000 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Illinois and 11,506 people have died as a result of the virus, according to state health officials.
COVID-19 in Illinois: 13,012 new cases, 126 additional deaths
State officials have nearly completed an effort to send $300 million in housing assistance grants to Illinois residents struggling to make ends meet. The program is the largest in the nation, officials said.
COVID-19 in Illinois: 14,612 New Cases, 168 Additional Deaths
“My No. 1 consideration is not whether someone’s going to get angry at me,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday. “It’s whether I can save a life or save the lives of people who are potentially going to get sick."
