More vaccinations needed before state eases virus mitigations Ron DeBrock, ronald.debrock@thetelegraph.com FacebookTwitterEmail Ezike WOOD RIVER — More COVID-19 vaccinations are needed before Illinois can roll back mitigation measures, according to Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “COVID-19 vaccination is one of the strongest, most powerful tools we have to fight this pandemic together,” Ezike said Thursday. “We have a vaccine and we’re elated about that, but it doesn’t mean that this pandemic is completely over.” Amid increasing statewide trends in case positivity and hospitalizations due to COVID-19, Ezike warned of the ongoing resurgence of the virus.