J&J, Moderna may be added to Pfizer-BioNTech boosters this week sj-r.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sj-r.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
New COVID-19 cases reported Friday in Illinois continued to reach levels not seen in two months as state officials warned that COVID-19 variants, public gatherings and a lack of mask-wearing were fueling increases even as vaccinations against coronavirus expand.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said 3,235 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases were reported, along with 24 additional deaths. The state has recorded 1.25 million COVID-19 cases and 21,349 related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic a year ago.
Increases in COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations in recent weeks have slowed the state s progress toward Gov. JB Pritzker’s “Bridge Phase” of economic reopening before Phase 5, or a full reopening.
Illinois has cleared one of the hurdles for reopening more parts of the economy, but other indicators of the spread of COVID-19 such as rising hospitalizations and positive tests are stalling progress, state officials said Wednesday.
And a prominent Springfield doctor said he was frustrated by an apparent reluctance by the general public to get vaccinated and take the surest step to end a pandemic that has lasted more than a year.
“The vaccine hesitancy has been much more than I expected,” said Dr. Marc Shelton, chief physician executive for Hospital Sisters Health System.
Hospital Sisters Health System Medical Group announced Tuesday that it was expanding eligibility for appointments for COVID-19 shots to anyone 18 or older, regardless of where they live. The decision came the same day as Sangamon County officials opened up vaccine appointments for anyone 16 or older at its sites, regardless of whether they live in the county or work at a job or have a health condition th
COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to expand in Illinois on April 12 sj-r.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sj-r.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.