 The CDC released data showing that 38 counties in
Illinois are at an elevated community level for COVID-19, up from 26
counties last week. Five counties are rated a High level and 33 are
at Medium. IDPH is reporting 13,642 new confirmed and probable cases
of COVID-19 in Illinois, and 67 deaths since October 21.
“As the weather is getting colder and Halloween is nearly upon us,
Illinois and much of the nation are seeing a notable increase in
individuals getting sick from respiratory viruses, including the
flu, RSV and once again COVID-19,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer
Vohra. “This uptick makes it critically important for everyone to
use the tools that are available to protect yourself and your
family. Vaccines remain the most powerful tool to prevent serious
illness. If you have not gotten the COVID-19 booster and a flu shot
for yourself and your eligible children, now is a great time. I
recommend everyone in Illinois get fully protected. And if you are
feeling sick, please stay home, get tested, and call your doctor for
help. I encourage all Illinoisians to do all they can to stay safe
and healthy as the holiday season approaches.”
Director Vohra recently got both his COVID-19 booster shot and his
flu shot at the same time and urges another Illinoisans to do the
same, in order to achieve maximum protection ahead of the winter
respiratory virus season.
IDPH is working with the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of
Pediatrics (ICAAP) to encourage physicians and parents to ensure
children are fully protected from COVID-19 and the flu. ICAAP is
providing resources for doctors and parents HERE.
IDPH reported that over the last week, an average of more than
26,000 doses of the new bivalent vaccines were administered across
the state each day. This is more than triple the daily average for
all vaccinations for most of the summer.
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.
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.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,809,680 cases, including
35,235 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of
the pandemic.
As of last night, 1,080
individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with
COVID-19. Of those, 129 patients were in the ICU and 48 patients
with COVID-19 were on ventilators. The preliminary seven-day
statewide case rate is 107 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)
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If you are immunocompromised or high risk for severe
disease
Wear a mask or respirator that provides you with greater protection
Consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where
you could be exposed
Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to take
other precautions
Have a plan for rapid testing if needed (e.g., having home tests or
access to testing)
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
consider self-testing to detect infection before contact
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 24,661,690 vaccines have been administered in Illinois.
The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is
27,509 doses, including the bivalent booster and first doses. Since
October 21, 192,566 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
More than 1.2 million people in Illinois have received the new
bivalent booster dose since it was authorized. Of Illinois’ total
population, more than 78% have received at least one COVID-19
vaccine dose, more than 70% have completed their primary series of
COVID-19 vaccines, and more than 55% of the vaccinated population
has an initial booster, 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]
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