Thousands of new COVID-19 vaccination appointments opened for Cook County residents at noon Tuesday.
Meanwhile, several COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites in Chicago and Cook County are closed Tuesday as a result of the major snowstorm that hit the area.
Here are the latest COVID headlines from around the state:
Illinois Reports 1,348 New Cases, 32 Deaths, 40K More Vaccinations
Health officials in Illinois reported 1,348 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, along with 32 additional deaths and more than 40,000 doses of vaccine administered the day before.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Tuesday’s new confirmed and probable case numbers lifted the statewide total to 1,164,922 cases since the pandemic began.
The death toll now stands at 20,034, according to IDPH.
Chicago Again Increases Indoor Dining Capacity After Hitting 4 Coronavirus Metrics
Chicago is again increasing indoor dining capacity at restaurants and bars after the city reached the threshold in multiple COVID-19 metrics that officials laid out in a framework to ease some restrictions earlier this month.
City officials announced Tuesday that, effective immediately, restaurants, bars and events can offer indoor service at 40% capacity or to a maximum of 50 people, whichever is lower. Prior to Tuesday, indoor dining was limited to the lesser of 35% capacity or 50 people per room or floor.
The expansion of indoor service comes after the city recorded less than 400 new COVID-19 cases per day on a seven-day rolling average for each of the last three days, the city said.
That lowered the city to a “low” or “moderate” risk in all four metrics health officials designated earlier this month to determine indoor dining capacity.
Testing and Vaccination Sites Close Tuesday Due to Snowstorm
Several COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites in Chicago and Cook County are closed Tuesday as a result of the major snowstorm.
The Cook County Health Department said it will close the majority of its vaccination sites, administering vaccinations only at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, Provident Hospital and the Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center.
The rest of Cook County’s sites will be closed Tuesday, including the large-scale sites at South Suburban College in South Holland, the Tinley Park Convention Center and Triton College in River Grove. The Arlington Heights Health Center, Blue Island Health Center, Cottage Grove Health Center, Morton East Adolescent Health Center, North Riverside Health Center and Robbins Health Center will all also remain closed.
Those who are scheduled for appointments on Tuesday will be contacted and rescheduled this week.
All vaccination and testing sites operated by the city of Chicago will also be closed on Tuesday, the Chicago Department of Public Health said late Monday night. Those with scheduled appointments will be notified of changes, CDPH said, noting the department would assess the storm’s impact and make decisions about operations on a day-to-day basis.
Thousands of New COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Open Tuesday in Cook County
A total of 5,000 first-dose COVID-19 vaccination appointments will open for Cook County residents at noon Tuesday, according to the Cook County Health Department.
Appointments can be made at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov. Those without internet access or who need assistance scheduling can call 833-308-1988 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Vaccinations at all Cook County Health sites are by appointment only. As of Monday, three large-scale vaccination sites were open: South Suburban College in South Holland, the Tinley Park Convention Center and Triton College in River Grove.
Additional vaccination sites throughout the county are expected to open in the coming weeks.
Illinois Reports 1,420 New Cases of Coronavirus, 41 Additional Deaths Monday
Health officials in Illinois have reported 1,420 new confirmed and…
Read More: New Cook County Vaccine Appointments, Chicago Increases Indoor Dining – NBC