WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has been resisting calls from pediatric health groups to declare a national emergency because of the “Triple-demic.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association say cases of the flu, COVID-19, and RSV are overwhelming the health system.
Declaration of a national emergency would give providers additional funding as well as more flexibility from regulations to deal with what call a “crisis.”
According to CDC data, the hospitalization rate in all kids for the week of Nov. 12 was twice as high as any other flu season on record.
The White House said the strategic national stockpile has supplies like ventilators and personal protective equipment, but no state has requested them yet.
Instead of declaring a national emergency, federal health officials said they are ready to provide assistance to communities in need on a case-by-case basis.
CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois reported 6,406 new COVID cases and 8 deaths Wednesday.
There have been at least 3,274,360 total COVID cases as of Wednesday, including at least 33,796 related deaths in the state since the pandemic began.
As of Monday night, 1,138 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 120 patients were in the ICU, and 35 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
RELATED | Pfizer says its 3-shot COVID vaccine for kids 6 months to 5 years old 80% effective against omicron
IDPH officials reported a seven-day case average of 41.6 per 100,000 people.
A total of 22,270,391 vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois as of Tuesday, and 64.76% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 13,957.
RELATED | COVID reinfection likely to become more common without variant-specific vaccines, experts say
Chicago’s top doctor expects the city will move from the “medium” risk level of community transmission to “high” by Friday.
Dr. Allison Arwady is urging people who are unvaccinated or with underlying conditions to avoid indoor gatherings.
She does not anticipate the return of mask mandates unless more people are hospitalized.
CHICAGO (WLS) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said Chicago now falls in the medium transmission risk level just ahead of Mother’s Day, warning experts of another possible surge.
That’s why officials are urging people to mask up and avoid gatherings altogether if they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
Doctors also said an at-home test might not even detect the virus if symptoms are mild.
For now, Chicago officials are not requiring masks, but strongly recommend wearing them, especially in indoor spaces.
Chicago and suburban counties are now at “medium” community level, with more than 200 new cases per 100,000 reported in the last seven days.
As of today (5/6/22), Chicago’s COVID community level is “medium” per the CDC. Because of this, we are now strongly recommending wearing a mask in public indoor settings.
Do your part to #ProtectChicago. Make sure you are up to date on vaccination: https://t.co/CaEaU8sAu7. pic.twitter.com/lWytPaEksk
— CDPH | Chicago Department of Public Health (@ChiPublicHealth) May 6, 2022
“You want to be really careful,” said Dr. Susan Bleasdale, director for infection prevention at UI Health. “If you’re visiting your mother, and there’s someone that is vulnerable, if you’re going to visit them, you may choose to wear a mask the entire time you visit together.”
If Chicago moves from medium to a “high” community level, more mitigations would be possible, but that would require a steep increase in hospitalizations, which have been on the rise but only moderately.
Illinois COVID cases
Illinois reported 7,709 new COVID cases and seven deaths Friday as the CDC said nine Chicago-area counties have reached a “medium” risk of transmission.
There have been at least 3,169,315 total COVID cases as of Friday, including at least 33,660 related deaths in the state since the pandemic began.
RELATED: Count of US COVID deaths nears 1 million: Who we’ve lost and why
As of Thursday night, 808 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 66 patients were in the ICU, and 24 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
A total of 22,018,536 vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois as of Thursday, and 64.76% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 14,163.
Cook, Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage, Will, DeKalb, Kendall and Winnebago counties have “medium” COVID risk levels, according to the CDC.
“You know, especially that 0 to 19 group, they’re reporting the most cases every day,” said Chris Hoff, with DuPage County Health Dept. “But we are seeing increases in every age group across the community.”
In an email to Chicago Public Schools families and staff, CEO Pedro Martinez said the district would continue “strongly encouraging the use of masks in our schools, especially among our unvaccinated students, and especially when cases are rising.” But the school system followed the city’s lead in opting against a mandate.
“As we have done since the start of the pandemic, CPS will continue to follow the recommendations of the Chicago Department of Public Health when making decisions about how this change will impact our schools,” Martinez wrote in the email.
The district has fought efforts over the past few months by a group of parents and a downstate candidate for attorney general to get rid of all COVID-19 precautions in schools. Martinez announced CPS would drop its mask mandate in March just a week after he had reaffirmed the school system’s commitment to face coverings. Though his announcement cited a sharp decline in cases, he later hinted the move was intended to preemptively avoid a pending court ruling that would have blocked CPS’ ability to mandate masks in the future. He assured families, though, that CPS would reinstate the requirement if cases rose again.
While masks still won’t be required for now, the district will continue its isolation policy for unvaccinated students and staff, requiring those who are exposed to COVID-19 to work or learn from home for five days, then wear a mask in school for the next five days.
CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois reported 7,709 new COVID cases and 7 deaths Friday as the CDC said 9 Chicago-area counties have reached a “medium” risk of transmission.
There have been at least 3,169,315 total COVID cases as of Friday, including at least 33,660 related deaths in the state since the pandemic began.
As of Thursday night, 808 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 66 patients were in the ICU, and 24 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
A total of 22,018,536 vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois as of Thursday, and 64.76% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 14,163.
Ahead of a busy weekend of Mother’s Day celebrations, officials are urging people to mask up and avoid gatherings altogether if you have any symptoms at all.
Chicago and several suburban counties are now at a “medium” community level, defined by the CDC as having more than 200 new cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days.
“There unfortunately is a misconception that we’re out of this, and so I think people are not as cautious as they were before,” said Dr. Susan Bleasdale, director for infection prevention at UI Health.
Chicago city officials are now strongly recommending masks be worn in indoor public spaces, including on CTA and in CPS schools.
“Everyone should be wearing a mask,” said Dr. Emily Landon, director of infection prevention at UChicago Medicine. “If you’ve got an event coming up that you don’t want to be sick for, a vacation that you don’t want to miss because you’re home with COVID, you need to be wearing a mask all the time.”
For now, it’s still a recommendation and not a requirement. But if hospitalizations continue to climb, that could be on the horizon.
The move to medium level comes ahead of busy Mother’s Day weekend for many with families planning get togethers. Doctors caution rapid tests may not detect COVID if your symptoms are mild.
“You want to be really careful,” Bleasdale said. “If you’re visiting your mother, and there’s someone that is vulnerable, if you’re going to visit them, you may choose to wear a mask the entire time you visit together.”
CDPH also said Chicagoans should also ensure that they and everyone in their social network is up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, test in the setting of any potential COVID-19 symptoms and continue to follow all isolation and quarantine requirements.
As of today (5/6/22), Chicago’s COVID community level is “medium” per the CDC. Because of this, we are now strongly recommending wearing a mask in public indoor settings.
Do your part to #ProtectChicago. Make sure you are up to date on vaccination: https://t.co/CaEaU8sAu7. pic.twitter.com/lWytPaEksk
— CDPH | Chicago Department of Public Health (@ChiPublicHealth) May 6, 2022
Still, CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady said Chicago moving into the “medium” level does not mean a citywide mask mandate, restrictions on public gatherings or reinstatement of vaccination requirements at this time. Arwady said CDPH would consider those measures if the city moved into the “high” community level, “which we aren’t close to reaching in Chicago right now.”
“We obviously don’t want to get there, and exercising some more caution now will help us keep COVID in control in Chicago,” Arwady said.
She added that moving into the “medium” level is not cause for alarm.
“We’ve been expecting to reach the Medium Level for some time now,” said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady. “It’s not a cause for alarm, since most cases right now are mild and thankfully our COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths remain at or near all-time pandemic lows in Chicago. But it is reason for more caution, and for more care with masking, since more people in Chicago are infected with COVID right now. Remember that people can spread COVID for two days before they develop symptoms, so putting on a mask in public indoor settings is an easy way to help protect our city while we’re at a Medium COVID Level.”
Cook, Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage, Will, DeKalb, Kendall and Winnebago counties have “medium” COVID risk levels, according to the CDC.
“You know, especially that 0 to 19 group, they’re reporting the most cases every day,” said Chris Hoff, with DuPage County Health Dept. “But we are seeing increases in every age group across the community.”
Cook County has a weekly COVID case rate of 259.31 infections per 100,000 people.
Lake County has a weekly COVID case rate of 331.64 infections per 100,000 people.
McHenry County has a weekly COVID case rate of 254.41 infections per 100,000 people.
Kane County has a weekly COVID case rate of 248.68 infections per 100,000 people.
DuPage County has a weekly COVID case rate of 365.69 infections per 100,000 people.
Will County has a weekly COVID case rate of 239.6 infections per 100,000 people.
DeKalb County has a weekly COVID case rate of 275.51 infections per 100,000 people.
Kendall County has a weekly COVID case rate of 251.96 infections per 100,000 people.
Winnebago County has a weekly COVID case rate of 218.35 infections per 100,000 people.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — As COVID cases ramp up at the same time as spring allergies, doctors say it’s important to know the difference between the two because the symptoms are similar.
“I think it’s like the weather changing. A lot of my friends are sick. It’s pretty bad this year,” said Alfonso Zamarra, a student at St. Joseph’s University.
“I think I can tell if it’s going to be allergies or COVID. I mean my allergies are like stuffy nose, runny nose, stuff like that,” said Jamai Vann from Overbrook.
As trees bud and flowers bloom in the City of Brotherly Love, doctors say it may be easy to write off COVID symptoms as allergies, and it’s something they’re seeing.
“We’ve had patients who have come in saying to us ‘I have allergy symptoms.’ But based on their description of the symptoms, it was concerning for COVID. And we tested them and found COVID in patients who thought they just had allergies,” said Dr. Paul Swanson of ENT and Allergy Specialists – Bryn Mawr.
The CDC does have a symptom breakdown available. It says common symptoms of COVID-19 that are rare for allergies include fever and chills, muscle and body aches, new loss of taste and smell, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
Conversely, “If you have itching, itching in the nose, itching in the mouth, that’s much more likely to be allergies than COVID,” said Dr. Swanson.
If you are looking for relief, doctors say it’s going to be a long allergy season.
“The spring trees just sort of morph into the summer grasses and then into the fall weeds. So we expect allergy season with the pollens to go through September, October,” said Dr. Swanson.
If you are experiencing bad allergies, doctors say there’s a COVID tool you can use to prevent symptoms: wear an N-95 mask, they filter out pollen.
WASHINGTON — For the first time, all Americans can log on to a government website and order free, at-home COVID-19 tests. But the White House push may do little to ease the omicron surge, and experts say Washington will have to do a lot more to fix the country’s long-troubled testing system.
The website, COVIDTests.gov, allows people to order four at-home tests per household and have them delivered by mail. But the tests won’t arrive for seven to 12 days, after omicron cases are expected to peak in many parts of the U.S.
The White House also announced Wednesday that it will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free at pharmacies and community health centers. Both initiatives represent the kind of mass government investments long seen in parts of Europe and Asia, but delayed in the U.S.
Experts say the plan to distribute 1 billion tests is a good first step, but it must become a regular part of the pandemic response. In the same way that it has made vaccines are free and plentiful, the government must use its purchasing power to assure a steady test supply, they say.
“The playbook for rapid tests should look exactly like the playbook for vaccines,” said Zoe McLaren, a health economist at the University Maryland. “They’re both things that help keep cases down and help keep COVID under control.”
The U.S. bungled its initial rollout of government-made COVID-19 tests in the early days of the outbreak and has never really gotten back on track. While private companies are now producing more than 250 million at-home tests per month, that is still not enough to allow most Americans to frequently test themselves.
The Biden administration focused most of its early COVID-19 efforts on rolling out vaccines. As infections fell last spring, demand for testing plummeted and many manufacturers began shutting down plants. Only in September – after the delta surge was in full swing – did the Biden administration announce its first federal contracts designed to jump-start home test production.
RELATED: White House to make 400M non-surgical N95 masks available to Americans for free
Countries like Britain and Germany purchased and distributed billions of the tests soon after they became available last year.
“If you leave the manufacturers to their own devices, they’re just going to respond to what’s happening right now,” said Dr. Amy Karger, a testing specialist at the University of Minnesota Medical School. “And then there’s not a lot of bandwidth if something surprising happens, as it did with omicron.”
Even with government intervention, the U.S. faces a massive testing load because of its population, which is five times larger than Britain’s.
The U.S. would need 2.3 billion tests per month for all teens and adults to test themselves twice per week. That’s more than double the number of at-home tests the administration plans to distribute over several months.
Dr. David Michaels, a former member of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board, said the administration will probably need to request more federal money to fund testing for years to come.
“Congress was willing to put trillions of dollars into infrastructure primarily to improve transportation. This is infrastructure,” said Michaels, a public health professor at George Washington University. “We need billions more in testing to save lives and maintain the economy.”
For now, testing will probably continue to be strained. And even the most bullish proponents say the U.S. will have to carefully weigh where home tests can have the greatest benefit – for instance, by dispensing them to those most vulnerable to the virus.
“The fact is we just don’t have that kind of mass testing capacity in the U.S.” said Dr. Michael Mina, chief science officer for home testing service eMed, who once called for using billions of tests per month to crush the pandemic. “We should now be thinking about how to use these tests in a strategic way. We don’t want to just dilute them out across the population.”
Mina was recently a professor at Harvard and has informally advised federal officials on testing.
Mina and others acknowledge widespread use of rapid tests is not without its downsides. Results from at-home tests are seldom reported to health authorities, giving an imperfect picture of the spread and size of the pandemic.
More than 2 million test results a day are being reported to U.S. health officials, but nearly all of them come from laboratory-processed tests. Some researchers estimate the real number of daily tests is roughly 5 million, when accounting for at-home ones.
Brumback reported from Atlanta.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
When Jaden Janak learned he had been exposed to COVID-19 shortly after his 75-year-old grandmother died from the virus last year, he knew what he had to do. He went to the hospital for a rapid test that he thought would be free.
He was wrong. Several months later, the Texas resident received two bills totaling over $4,000.
“I felt very angry. I felt deceived,” Janak told CBS News’ consumer investigative correspondent Anna Werner.
Janak is not alone. Although COVID-19 testing costs are supposed to be covered under most circumstances, some people have been getting large and confusing bills, including some for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
The first bill Janak received was for about $2,700, covering the emergency room and lab fees. He later received a doctor’s bill for some $1,300.
His insurance provider, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, told him not to worry because it would send him a check for those bills, he said. It eventually did send him a check that he used to pay the Tulsa ER & Hospital, Janak said.
But unbeknownst to him, a second check the insurer sent him never arrived, he said, leaving him fighting the hospital’s bill and getting collection calls for nearly a year. BlueCross BlueShield of Texas said they sent it to the address they had on file but it was returned to them because Janak had moved.
The hospital told CBS News it will accept whatever money Janak’s insurance company sends him and that once they get it, he won’t owe anything more.
“What if this happens to someone else and they do truly believe that they are personally liable for these charges? How are they going to be able to make ends meet given where the economy is?” Janak said.
Barry and Jaime Constanzo of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had a similar experience in September. They were planning to visit their grandchildren when they developed what they thought might be coronavirus symptoms and went to the only location they say had rapid tests available that day: Conway Medical Center. Their results were negative, but they did get the bills — totaling some $570 after their insurance paid.
“They tell you you’re negative, then they ask you why you’re here, and then they look in your ears, nose and mouth, and the next thing you know, you get a bill, non-COVID related,” Barry Constanzo said.
Conway Medical Center told CBS News the Costanzos went to the wrong place — to the hospital’s “emergency department triage tent” — and that if they wanted a free COVID-19 test, they should have gone to “the free drive-through testing.”
Since they were technically at the emergency room, Conway Medical Center said it was “legally bound to medically evaluate, treat, and discharge” them. In this case, it was for allergies — treatment the couple said they didn’t ask for.
“Why would I go to a hospital or to any testing site for COVID if I was there for allergies?” Jaime Constanzo said.
Examples like those are cropping up even though a law passed last year requires insurance companies to cover tests and any associated treatments, said professor Sabrina Corlette, founder and co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University.
“Part of it is because our health care system is very complicated and confusing,” she said.
Corlette said coronavirus testing costs are supposed to be covered 100% by insurance companies, but she has been hearing of some providers tacking on certain fees, sometimes called “facility fees” or “emergency room fees.”
“If you get a physical exam or they say, ‘Well, let’s test you for flu or other things as well,’ all of that visit is supposed to be covered by the insurer,” she said.
It turns out that’s exactly what happened to the Costanzos. They were each charged $771 for an emergency room fee, which their insurer would not pay in full, leaving them jointly with bills of about $570.
The Costanzos are appealing their bill.
They now have some advice to anyone seeking to get tested for coronavirus.
“If at all possible, don’t go to the hospital. Go to the pharmacy,” Jaime Constanzo said.
The couple’s insurance company, BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Janak’s insurance, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, said it’s reissuing the second check he needs. Officials at Tulsa ER & Hospital told CBS News they’ve since changed their processes with BlueCross BlueShield to take patients out of the middle, and payments now go directly to the hospital. They say they follow “all pertaining laws and regulations.”
The Contanzos gave their permission for Conway Medical Center to discuss their care with CBS News. The center shared the following statement about the case:
“Conway Medical Center has free COVID-19 drive-through testing offered 7 days a week from 8am – 4pm. If a patient comes to our Emergency Department requesting just COVID-19 testing, they are referred to the free drive-through testing. If the patient presents with symptoms requesting and/or requiring other care, as was the case for the Costanzos, we are legally bound to medically evaluate, treat, and discharge that patient in our Emergency Department. They are seen by a provider in the Emergency Department and are billed accordingly.”
“The day the Costanzos were seen in the Emergency Department, CMC provided 358 free COVID-19 tests in our drive-through testing. Since we started this testing option on August 23, 2021, CMC has provided more than 15,000 free COVID-19 tests.”
Tulsa ER & Hospital also issued a statement:
“Tulsa ER & Hospital […], along with all emergency rooms in America, are required by the U.S. Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) to provide a medical screening exam (MSE) on patients to determine if an emergency medical condition exists. If a condition is determined to exist, we are also required to treat and stabilize the patient. The MSE, treatment, and stabilization are provided regardless of a patient’s financial ability to pay. When a patient has insurance, Tulsa ER & Hospital […] (is) legally required to bill the visit as an emergency room visit, and insurance companies are required to pay, at a minimum, the in-network rate.”
“Up until April 1st 2021, the largest payer in the region (BlueCross BlueShield), provided payment directly to patients for care in our independent, physician-owned ERs and micro-hospitals. We prefer a dynamic where we negotiate directly with insurance providers, to take the burden off the patient. This has been corrected.”
“…Tulsa ER & Hospital… do not balance bill — meaning they will not bill the patient for charges above the adjusted rates set by insurance policies.”
This story is part of the “CBS Mornings” series “Medical Price Roulette,” in collaboration with the journalism transparency company ClearHealthCosts.
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NEW YORK (WABC) — The U.S. is lifting restrictions on foreign travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID, starting Monday.
The Biden administration is expecting long lines and delays at airports with travelers possibly pouring into the states.
When the announcement was made, online searches for international flights jumped 338%.
Delta Airlines saw bookings shoot up by 450%, and United Airlines says it will be bringing 30,000 travelers into the U.S. on Monday alone.
Here are more of today’s COVID-19 headlines:
Novavax says its vaccine could win over skeptics
The biotechnology company Novavax plans to submit complete data to the US Food and Drug Administration soon for possible emergency use authorization of its coronavirus vaccine, CEO Stanley Erck told CNN in a phone interview Friday. Novavax’s vaccine, called NVX-CoV2373, is made using somewhat more conventional methods than the vaccines already authorized for use in the US.
US cancels vaccine maker’s multimillion dollar deal The federal government has canceled a multimillion dollar deal with Emergent BioSolutions, a Maryland-based vaccine manufacturer with facilities in Baltimore that were found to have produced millions of contaminated Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses this spring, the Washington Post reported. Emergent disclosed the development Thursday in a conference call discussing its latest financial results, the Post reported. Emergent said it will forgo about $180 million due to the contract’s termination, according to the Post. Emergent BioSolutions played a role in the Trump administration’s effort to speed up vaccine development and distribution. But after winning a contract from the previous administration, Emergent quickly ran into production problems. In March, ingredients intended for use in producing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shots contaminated 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The problems with the vaccines caused a monthslong delay in production. After that, the Biden administration put Johnson & Johnson in direct control of vaccine production there.
15 unions reach COVID vaccine mandate deal with NYC, talks continue with outliers New York City employees who don’t want to get vaccinated have until Friday to file for a religious or medical exemption if they have any hope of staying on the payroll, this as the city announces more deals with unions representing municipal workers. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday that 15 unions, including city’s largest, DC 37, have signed onto the deal. The unions represent more than 100,000 city workers covered by this most recent mandate that took effect last week, but the police and fire unions are not included and are still trying to hash out their own deals. Around 92% of city workers under the mandate are vaccinated, including 90% of EMS, 79% of firefighters, 85% of sanitation workers, and 85% of NYPD employees.
COVID vaccine refusal 10th highest reason for job cuts in 2021, report says While experts say we’re still in the so-called “Great Resignation,” a recent Jobs Cut Report uncovered vaccine refusal as the 10th highest reason for job cuts this year. Numbers released by Chicago-based outplacement and business and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. came on on the same day President Biden announced new federal guidance and deadline for tens of millions of workers to get vaccinated. “Roughly 5,000 people that lost their jobs in the last month due to COVID vaccine refusal made up actually 22% of the total number of people that we tracked being let go across the country,” the firm’s Senior VP Andy Challenger told our sister station KGO-TV.
Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill reduces risk of being hospitalized or dying by 89%, company says
A course of pills developed by Pfizer can slash the risk of being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19 by 89% if taken within three days of developing symptoms, according to results released Friday by the pharmaceutical company. In a study of more than 1,200 COVID-19 patients with a higher risk of developing serious illness, people who took Pfizer’s pills were far less likely to end up in the hospital compared to people who got placebo pills. None of the people who got the real pills died, but 10 people who got placebo pills died, according to results summarized in a Pfizer press release. SantaCon returns After taking a year off due to the pandemic, SantaCon is returning to New York City. The event requires a $13 donation for all-inclusive Santa Badge access to the official SantaCon venues. The location of a Yuletide kickoff party won’t be disclosed until closer to the December 11 SantaCon date.
Turkey Day troubles? Smaller birds, popular Thanksgiving sides could be harder to find in 2021 Consumers may have to trim their list of trimmings for their highly anticipated Thanksgiving meal this year. Top turkey seller Butterball said it doesn’t expect an overall gobbler shortage, but that those in search of a smaller size bird could have a hard time. “Typically a 10- to 12-pound (turkey) up to 14 pounds is going to be more difficult,” Butterball CEO Jay Jandrain told “Good Morning America” on Friday. “Anything over 16 pounds, they’ll certainly be more readily available.”
Q&A: What to know about COVID-19 vaccines for kids aged 5-11 Vaccinations finally are available to U.S. children as young as 5, to the relief of some parents even as others have questions or fears. Late Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the final OK for youngsters age 5 to 11 to get kid-size doses of the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. Pediatricians and other doctors’ groups praised the move and are gearing up to help families decide whether to vaccinate their children. The shots could be available as soon as Wednesday and will be offered at pediatricians offices, clinics and pharmacies. Like COVID-19 vaccines for adults, they are free. Here’s everything you need to know.
Will the supply chain issues impact holiday shopping? Here’s what the experts say
With the holiday shopping suddenly upon us, it appears that getting that perfect gift or preparing that perfect meal will be far more challenging than in years past due to supply chain issues. Shoppers are noticing that it’s difficult to find a variety of items, and virtually everything from food to Christmas trees are more expensive. The price increase is being caused by gridlock at major seaports and a truck driver shortage across the country. Analysts say the forecast for the holiday season is not looking better.
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE
New York City COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus
CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois health officials reported 3,667 new COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths Tuesday.
This comes as Illinois officials announced that Region 8 (DuPage and Kane counties) and Region 9 (Lake and McHenry counties) have moved into Tier 1 mitigations, which allows for indoor dining to resume.
All Illinois regions are now in either Tier 1 mitigations or in Phase 4 of reopening except for Region 4 near St. Louis.
The total number of cases in Illinois now stands at 1,108,430, with a total of 18,883 deaths, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 69,285 specimens for a total of 15,553,319.
As of Monday night, 3,001 patients in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 608 patients were in the ICU and 320 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
RELATED: Illinois COVID vaccine map shows how many residents vaccinated by county
The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from Jan. 19-25 is 5.7%.
The test positivity rate is a metric the state began providing in late October. It is calculated by using the total number of positive tests over the total number of tests. This is the metric being used to by state health officials to make decisions about mitigations.
Find out how many people may get a COVID-19 vaccine before you
A total of 1,227,625 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago, with an additional 537,050 doses allocated to federal government partners for long-term care facilities, bringing the total number delivered in Illinois to 1,764,675.
RELATED: Illinois coronavirus testing: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Illinois, Chicago area
IDPH reports that a total of 719,995 vaccine doses have been administered, including 110,403 at long-term facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is 30,180 .
Illinois is now reporting eight more cases of the new, potentially more contagious COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom. Before now, there was just one case confirmed here. All nine of these cases are within Cook County.
The IDPH says that vaccine distribution numbers are reported in real-time and vaccine administration numbers lag by as much as 72 hours.
With Illinois now in Phase 1B, people over 65 and many essential workers are now eligible to get the vaccine. That includes approximately an additional 3.2 million people.
The Illinois National Guard will be assisting with vaccinations at Cook County Health Centers in half a dozen suburbs. There are more deployments planned throughout the state. Officials said that beginning Monday, those guard-supported sites will take 1B appointments as will pharmacies at hundreds of Walgreens, CVS and Jewel locations.
Walgreens is providing vaccines at 92 sites across the state and appointments can be made on their website while Jewel-Osco will begin vaccinating eligible residents Tuesday, with appointments available on their website.
Governor JB Pritzker said there are plans to launch walk-in locations once the supple of vaccine increases.
On Monday, Governor Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle toured the Tinley Park Convention Center, which is preparing to become a mass vaccination site.
Governor Pritzker announced the creation of a new portal, coronavirus.illinois.gov, to provide the latest information on vaccines.
“Today, as we launch the newest phase of our Vaccine Administration Plan for frontline essential workers and those 65 and over, I’m proud to announce our statewide vaccination site locator, searchable by zip code and city, at coronavirus.illinois.gov,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This site will serve as a hub of all vaccine-related information, directing residents to the appointment booking homepages of our 97 local health departments and our pharmacy partners, which will total hundreds of locations statewide. That also includes information on our first Illinois National Guard mass vaccination site, opening tomorrow at Tinley Park Convention Center, and will be updated as more state-run sites and hundreds of additional local options come online. As federal supply is currently limited and every state in the nation is facing a shortage, I urge all eligible Illinoisans to check back regularly for available appointments – and in the meantime, mask up, keep our distance, wash our hands, and remember we’ll stay healthy and safe if we look out for each other.”
The deaths reported Tuesday include: – Adams County: 2 males 70s – Alexander County: 1 female 60s – Bond County: 1 female 80s – Brown County: 1 male 70s – Calhoun County: 1 female 80s – Champaign County: 1 male 70s – Clay County: 1 male 70s – Cook County: 2 males 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s – Crawford County: 1 male 70s – DeWitt County: 1 male 70s – DuPage County: 2 males 70s, 3 males 80s, 1 female 90s – Edgar County: 1 female 60s – Effingham County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s – Franklin County: 1 male 60s – Hancock County: 1 female 90s – Hardin County: 1 male 70s – Jefferson County: 1 female 60s – Jersey County: 1 female 70s – Kane County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s – Kankakee County: 1 female 60s – Kendall County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 80s
– Lake County: 3 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s – Lawrence County: 1 female 70s – Livingston County: 1 female 80s – Logan County: 1 female 70s – Macon County: 1 female 90s – Madison County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s – McLean County: 1 male 90s – Mercer County: 1 female 60s – Montgomery County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s – Ogle County: 1 male 80s – Peoria County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s – Perry County: 1 female 90s – Putnam County: 1 female 70s – Randolph County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s – Rock Island County: 1 female 70s – Saline County: 1 female 90s – St. Clair County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s – Tazewell County: 1 male 60s – Vermilion County: 1 male 80s – Warren County: 1 male 70s – Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s – Winnebago County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s