 Of
those, four counties in Southern Illinois are at a High Community
Level for COVID-19, compared to none the week before; and 14
counties are a Medium Community Level, compared to 20 last week.
IDPH has recorded a total of 4,072,972 cases and
36,386 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of
the pandemic. The department is reporting 10,772 new confirmed and
probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois in the week ending February
26, and 52 deaths.
“COVID-19 community levels across the State remain stable again this
week,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said. “However, we are
reporting four counties in Southern Illinois that are at a High
Community Level for COVID-19. IDPH continues to monitor COVID-19 and
other respiratory diseases closely throughout Illinois, with extra
attention towards those most at-risk. Treatments continue to be
effective, but timing is important. Seek treatment with your local
healthcare provider or use the newly available test to treat service
as soon as you develop symptoms.”
IDPH announced recently that SIU Medicine has made it easier to
obtain care by offering a new telehealth test to treat service for
COVID-19, in partnership with IDPH. The service is aimed at
providing faster and easier access to treatment for Illinoisans who
contract COVID-19. Those who test positive are encouraged to call
217-545-5100 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays to schedule a telehealth
appointment to determine if medical treatment is recommended.
Appointments will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Additional options for obtaining tests and treatments can be found
at the following test to treat site or by contacting your provider
for treatment options, within 5 days of feeling ill.
IDPH is helping Illinoisans stay prepared for any future surge of
COVID-19 cases by offering 1 million free COVID-19 rapid antigen
tests to Illinois residents in all zip codes outside the City of
Chicago through a partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation’s
public charity, RF Catalytic Capital and its Project ACT (Access
COVID Tests) program.
Through Project ACT, IDPH is distributing up to one million at-home
antigen tests to 200,000 Illinois households. You can request one
package of five tests on a first-come-first-serve basis at the
Project ACT website. The tests will be delivered to the home
address.
Free or low cost COVID-19 testing locations are also available
throughout the state, including in Chicago, and can be found on the
IDPH website’s testing locator page.
The CDC authorized two new bivalent booster
vaccines on September 1 that include an mRNA component of the
original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly
protective against COVID-19 and an added mRNA component in common
between the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better
protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.
Initially, the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent, was authorized
for use as a single booster dose in individuals 18 years of age and
older and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent, was
authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 12 years
of age and older. On October 12, the CDC authorized the updated
COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech for children ages 5 through
11 years, and from Moderna for children and adolescents ages 6
through 17 years.
On December 9, the CDC expanded its authorization
for bivalent boosters to include children aged 6 months to 5 years.
Children ages 6 months through 5 years who previously completed a
Moderna primary series can now receive a Moderna bivalent booster 2
months after their final primary series dose. Children ages 6 months
through 4 years who are completing a Pfizer primary series will
receive a Pfizer bivalent vaccine as their third primary dose.
The updated boosters are available at pharmacies,
hospitals, and other healthcare providers. The best way to locate a
vaccine provider near you is to visit www.vaccines.gov and search
for bivalent booster availability.
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As of last night, 921 individuals in Illinois were
reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 113 patients
were in the ICU and 41 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 84 COVID-19 cases
per 100,000 Illinoisans.
The CDC recommends the following measures for people
in areas that are rated at High Community Level for COVID-19
transmission:
• Wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of
vaccination status (including in K-12 schools and other indoor
community settings)
• If you are immunocompromised or high risk for severe disease
o Wear a mask or respirator that provides you with greater
protection
o Consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where
you could be exposed
o Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to take
other precautions
o Have a plan for rapid testing if needed (e.g., having home tests
or access to testing)
o IF YOU TEST POSITIVE: Talk to your healthcare provider about
whether you are a candidate for treatments like oral antivirals, and
monoclonal antibodies
• If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk
for severe disease
o consider self-testing to detect infection before contact
o consider wearing a mask when indoors with them
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters
• Maintain improved ventilation throughout indoor spaces when
possible
• Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including
getting tested if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of
COVID-19
In counties at the Medium Community Level, persons who are elderly
or immunocompromised (at risk of severe outcomes) are advised to
wear a mask in indoor public places. They should also get up to date
on COVID-19 vaccines or get their bivalent booster, if eligible.
IDPH has been supporting pharmacies and healthcare providers in
efforts to increase their inventories of the various FDA-authorized
treatments. There are over 1,200 treatment locations in Illinois -
including all the major retail pharmacies. More than 96.7% of the
state’s population is within a 10-mile radius of one of these
locations.
A total of 26,033,038 vaccines have been administered
in Illinois as of today. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines
administered daily is 3,762 doses, including the bivalent booster
and first doses. Since February 24, 26,337 vaccine doses were
reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population,
more than 79% have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, more
than 71% have completed their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines,
and more than 19% have received the bivalent booster dose, according
to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Data indicates that the risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes
from COVID-19 is much higher for unvaccinated people than for those
who are up to date on their vaccinations. All data are provisional
and are subject to change. Additional information and COVID-19 data
can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19.html.
Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19
vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov. The federal
government has established a new website that provides an
all-purpose toolkit with information on how to obtain masks,
treatment, vaccines and testing resources for all areas of the
country at: https://www.covid.gov/.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |
