United Center Vaccination Site: Who s Eligible to Book Appointments, and Who s Not
After receiving additional guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, local and state officials have changed eligibility requirements for appointments at the United Center’s mass vaccination site, limiting appointments to Chicago and Cook County residents only.
According to an email sent by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office on Sunday, eligibility for appointments will indeed expand to residents age 18 or older with pre-existing health conditions and comorbidities, but appointments will only be available to Chicago residents after 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
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Eligibility for United Center Mass Vaccination Site Appointments Expands Sunday
Zocdoc Glitches Plague Registration for United Center COVID Vaccine Appointments
Glitches plagued medical appointment booking website Zocdoc on Sunday as registration for COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the United Center opened to more Chicago residents.
Registration, previously open just to Illinois residents over the age of 65, opened to all Chicago residents eligible under Phase 1B Plus at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
When it opened, the website showed appointments that were available but in some cases did not allow users to book those appointments. Some also reported that they were able to book appointments that were later canceled without explanation. On Sunday afternoon, some users experienced difficulty booking a vaccination at the United Center, a spokesman for the company said in a statement. Zocdoc identified and resolved the root issue in less than one hour, and Chicago residents were successfully able to book vaccinations, reaching peak booking rates of more than 750 booking
IDES Prepares to Implement Unemployment Program Extensions Passed in Federal COVID Relief Bill
The Illinois Department of Employment Security is preparing to pay out new unemployment benefit funds authorized by the COVID-19 relief bill signed into law by President Donald Trump over the weekend, but is also asking for more guidance from the Department of Labor to ensure prompt payment of those benefits.
In a press release issued Monday, IDES officials say they are urging authorities not to “create further hardship,” and criticized the president for his “inaction” after he delayed signing the relief package earlier this month.
The new relief bill, in addition to authorizing payments to U.S. residents, also included extensions for several key programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits and Extended Benefits programs.