Underlying medical conditions
Cancer (current diagnosis), Cardiac, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disorders (including heart disease, coronary artery disease, and hypertension or high blood pressure), Chronic Kidney Disease, Chronic respiratory disorders (including cystic fibrosis, moderate to severe asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/emphysema [COPD]), Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2), Disability: physical, developmental, visual, hearing, or mental, Neurologic conditions (including dementia), Down Syndrome, Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines, Liver disease (including hepatitis), Pregnancy, Obesity: BMI ≥30 kg/m2, Schizophrenia spectrum disorders, Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia, persons with disabilities
The governor s comments come after reports indicated an announcement on the state s reopening plan was imminent.
Currently, Illinois is under Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan the governor announced early in the pandemic last year. Next up would be Phase 5, which marks a full reopening, but requires a widely available vaccine or highly effective treatment for coronavirus.
But in a state Senate health committee meeting Monday, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said a new reopening plan could be announced later this week.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Ezike said there may be one more phase between Phase 4 and Phase 5. Few details have been revealed, but one thing is certain: masks will continue to be mandated in the state, she said, adding that masks have to continue to be a mainstay.”
Published March 17, 2021 •
Updated on March 17, 2021 at 2:50 pm
NBCUniversal Media, LLC
Chicago will enter Phase 1C, expanding coronavirus vaccine eligibility to include those with underlying health conditions and essential workers, on March 29, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot officially announced Wednesday. We are here to announce that because of the progress that we ve made today in fighting COVID-19 that we will move into category 1C as planned on March 29, Lightfoot said. This is good news for the tens of thousands who are anxiously awaiting their turn to get the life saving COVID-19 vaccine. Download our mobile app for iOS or Android to get alerts for local breaking news and weather.
In the last 24 hours, state health officials say 77,798 new test specimens were returned to state laboratories, bringing the statewide total to 19,299,281 tests performed.
As of Tuesday evening, 1,143 Illinois residents were hospitalized due to the virus. Of those patients, 259 were in ICU beds and 102 were on ventilators.
According to health officials, the seven-day positivity rate on all tests currently stands at 2.2%, while the positivity rate for individuals tested is at 2.6%.
A total of 102,390 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the past 24 hours, IDPH said, bringing the rolling seven-day average for daily vaccinations to 102,223.
In all, Illinois has received 5,516,725 doses of the vaccine and of those, a total of 4,283,487 have been administered in the state.
The news conference will include an update on COVID-19 data and the continued vaccine distribution in Chicago, including planned next steps and phases, CDPH said.
Arwady hinted at the announcement in a Facebook Live video on Tuesday, saying Chicago is expected to move ahead to its next phase of vaccinations, Phase 1C, at the end of the month, with details to be released Wednesday.
The city is slated to move to Phase 1C, which opens up eligibility to people with certain underlying health conditions and other essential workers not already eligible under Phase 1B, on March 29, Arwady said Tuesday. We are intending March 29 to move ahead with 1C, which means moving ahead to the people who have the list of the underlying conditions as well, to be clear, as the frontline workers who are unable to work from home, Arwady said.