Illinois reports 2,268 new COVID cases, 19 new deaths

CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois reported 2,268 new COVID instances and 19 new deaths Thursday.

The Illinois Dept. of Public Well being says “each day deaths reported on weekends and at first of the week could also be low” and “these deaths will probably be captured in subsequent days.”

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The Chicago space is seeing among the lowest COVID neighborhood transmission ranges for the reason that begin of the pandemic. Cook dinner County and all surrounding counties are all within the inexperienced, low-transmission group.

There have been at the very least 3,782,251 complete COVID instances within the state for the reason that begin of the pandemic and at the very least 35,111 associated deaths.

As of Wednesday night time, 996 sufferers in Illinois had been reported to be within the hospital with COVID-19. Of these, 109 sufferers had been within the ICU, and 41 sufferers with COVID-19 had been on ventilators.

The each day case charge per 100,000 inhabitants is at 12.

Chicago’s prime physician warns sluggish booster uptake might result in new variant

For greater than a month now, we’ve got had entry to up to date safety towards COVID-19. However in Chicago, few individuals are getting these new pictures – and the town’s prime physician says that if we do not enhance these numbers, we might see a brand new variant.

Whereas the Omicron-specific booster shot has been accessible for over a month, medical doctors say it is an uphill battle convincing their sufferers to get it.

“We get some sufferers which might be tremendous excited, that say, ‘I am prepared let me get it,’” mentioned Dr. Rene Roberts at Oak Avenue Well being. “We’ve got others who say, ‘I’ve already gotten a pair boosters, I am good,’ so we’ve got to work with them extra encouraging them.”

With the winter and holidays forward, White Home COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha urged Individuals to get the brand new shot now, reasonably than ready.

“Right here is essentially the most exceptional reality: in case you are updated along with your vaccine, and in the event you get handled with a breakthrough an infection, you are threat of dying from COVID is now zero,” Jha mentioned.

However, uptake has been slower than anticipated. In Chicago, simply over 15% of eligible Chicagoans have gotten the brand new booster. Breaking it down by race, Latinos are the bottom at 3.9%, adopted by Black Chicagoans at 5.5%, white residents at 14.3% and Asians at 8.7%.

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Chicago Dept. of Public Well being Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady mentioned the numbers want to enhance by three or 4 occasions for all races.

“So, if we do not get lots of people this replace vaccine this fall, we actually are arrange now in a good way for the potential of a brand new variant,” Arwady mentioned.

Dr. Arwady is particularly involved with the Latino & Black populations. If there’s a COVID surge this winter, these two teams will probably be hit the toughest.

Oak Avenue Well being Clinics are in minority neighborhoods. Whereas vaccine hesitancy has been a problem all through the pandemic, Dr. Rene Roberts mentioned convincing her sufferers to get the bivalent vaccine is all about constructing belief.

“From what I am noticing, I am having to have the dialog, possibly 2-3 occasions possibly a 4th”

As medical doctors and the Chicago Dept. of Public Well being proceed to push the the brand new vaccine, they’re telling folks to get the flu shot on the identical time. Public well being officers are predicting this 12 months to be one of many worst flu seasons in years.