Illinois health officials reported 81 more deaths from COVID-19 as vaccine distribution slowly picks up.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 3,751 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. Over 80,000 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.
Illinois still had 2,931 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 591 in the ICU and 300 people on ventilators.
The state s positivity rate remains low, however. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity rate from Jan. 20 to Jan. 26 was 5.6%.
The number of vaccines going into people s arms also is growing. The state reported 773,623 people had been given at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The seven-day average for vaccines given per day also increased to 33,698- up over 3,000 from Monday. The state set a single day vaccination record on Tuesday with over 53,00 injections completed.
By Julia Hunter & Hoptown Chronicle
• Jan 28, 2021
Credit Screenshot / Christian County Health Department website
The Christian County Health Department on Wednesday asked the public to wait 28 days before scheduling their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The health department is administering the Moderna vaccine, which like Pfizer, requires two doses in order to achieve the optimal 95% efficacy exhibited in clinical trials. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the second dose should be administered 28 days later.
However, as countries face the possibility of vaccine shortages, several health organizations have adjusted vaccine protocols despite the fact those such changes have not been studied in large clinical trials.
The Christian County Health Department reported 42 new cases of COVID-19 since Saturday with 548 active cases on file. The number of active cases among those 21
Christian Fiscal Court heard several reports during a relatively routine virtual meeting Tuesday morning.
Animal Shelter Director Irene Grace says 180 cats and dogs were accepted and 243 found homes in December. She says the shelter has resumed accepting owner releases again, but it’s by appointment only.