Illinois COVID-19 Update: IL reports 2,137 new coronavirus cases, 10 deaths; Public Health Navigator Program launches ABC 7 Chicago Digital Team
As vaccine supply increases, concerns turn to falling demand
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Illinois public health officials reported 2,137 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 10 related deaths Monday.
There have been 1,323,170 total COVID cases, including 21,836 deaths in the state since the pandemic began.
A total of 10,913,325 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago.
A total of 8,860,975 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of Sunday night. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 105,873 doses. There were 50,512 doses reported administered in Illinois Sunday.
Mengshin Lin/Sun-Times
Thanks to partnerships with the Chicago Department of Public Health, distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to homeless shelters has become a citywide priority.
Over 2,200 initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to homeless residents and shelter staff across the city, according to city officials Tuesday afternoon at Pacific Garden Mission, a homeless shelter in the Near West Side.
“We want people experiencing homelessness to know that they are a priority for the city and their health matters,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
“We want people experiencing homelessness to know that they are a priority for the city and their health matters,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, on Tuesday at Pacific Garden Mission.
CHICAGO (WLS) A recent change to the Illinois Medicaid prescription plan is making it difficult for many to get medications, especially on Chicago s South and West sides.
It is a potential dilemma for millions in Illinois. Two months ago, Medicaid clients were told they could no longer use Walgreens unless they wanted to pay full price for their prescriptions.
New legislation is calling for Medicaid recipients to be able to use any pharmacy. But in the meantime, some patients are struggling to access what could be life-saving drugs.
Aetna provides coverage for Illinois Medicaid patients. In December, Aetna changed the prescription plan, dropping Walgreens as a provider. Walgreens makes up 30% of all Chicago s drugstores. Because Aetna is owned by CVS, Medicaid patients now have to get their medications at CVS and other in-network pharmacies.
CHICAGO (WLS) Many Chicagoans are already struggling to fill prescriptions because there are no drugstores in their neighborhoods, and that could also make it tougher to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Pharmacies are playing a big role in administering COVID-19 vaccines. So the I-Team wanted to know if access to those pharmacies is fair and even-handed. What our data investigation found is another hit to an already vulnerable population.
The I-Team s data analysis found fewer pharmacies on the South and West Sides than in North Side neighborhoods. These pharmacy deserts could make it more difficult for tens of thousands of residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine.