Small numbers of at-risk older Chicagoans could start getting COVID-19 vaccines as soon as next week, the city’s health commissioner said Wednesday.
While the city is still focused on vaccinating front line health care workers in the first phase of the vaccine distribution, Dr. Allison Arwady said hospitals might be allowed to start reaching out themselves next week to at-risk patients age 65 and older.
A day earlier, data released shows that roughly 1 in 45 Illinoisans has gotten at least the first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, with most county health departments in the Chicago area still working to vaccinate those included in the initial phase, such as health care workers and those working and residing in long-term care facilities.
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
5 p.m.: CPS teachers refusing to work in person say they’re being punished even if none of their students chose to return
Chicago Public Schools special education teacher Brian Yuhas said he is one of the teachers who has been locked out of his CPS accounts for refusing to teach in person.
He said a substitute was not provided for his students, who were not only left without their regular teachers but without any teacher.
But what really galled him was that none of his students – many of whom live not with their families but in a residential care facility – had chosen to return to in-person classes anyway.
CPS officials have insisted that schools are safe and that all teachers who’ve been called back and who didn’t receive waivers were expected to return to schools, even if their students are still learning remotely.
CPS has said it has begun docking pay for those teachers, too.
2:43 p.m.: Some at-risk older citizens in Chicago could start getting vaccines next week, city’s public health commissioner says
Small numbers of at-risk older Chicagoans could start getting COVID-19 vaccines as soon as next week, the city’s health commissioner said Wednesday.
While the city is still focused on vaccinating front line health care workers in the first phase of the vaccine distribution, Dr. Allison Arwady said hospitals might be allowed to start reaching out themselves next week to at-risk patients age 65 and older.
This will not be a situation where older citizens can start registering to get the shots, Arwady emphasized. For the most part, she said, health care workers are still “snapping up” available doses the city receives, and those are the workers who will continue to get first dibs.
But there is some “inconsistent uptake” among employees from one hospital to the next around the city, Arwady told aldermen during a City Council committee hearing on the vaccine rollout.
1:26 p.m.: How educators are teaching about the Capitol unrest during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it even trickier for teachers to address last week’s unrest in Washington, D.C. – in part because most students are still learning remotely and in part because anxiety among students was high even before the Capitol riot.
With pandemic-related hardships already putting educators on high alert in addressing their students’ social and emotional wellness needs, many school districts promptly reached out to parents offering support in helping students process last week’s events, as well as potential disruptions to next week’s inauguration.
”It was very hard to watch, but I’m always an educator first, so I had to get past my own emotions, because I knew when I walked into the classroom, the kids would be anxious and upset,” one suburban educator said.
”As much as I can allay their fears and concerns, that’s the first piece,” she added. “But when we can then make historical connections, that’s the frosting on the cake.”
12:53 p.m.: 10 Chicago businesses cited for COVID-19 violations, including a Mexican restaurant also cited a week earlier
Ten Chicago businesses and a residence were cited last weekend for violating COVID-19 regulations by allowing indoor dining or drinking, the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection said.
An employee at La Palapa confirmed Wednesday that the restaurant is open for takeout and delivery, but hung up when asked about the consecutive violations. BACP did not say what consequences the restaurant may be facing.
12:12 p.m.: 5,862 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 97 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Wednesday announced 5,862 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 97 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 1,046,030 and the statewide death toll to 17,840 since the start of the pandemic.
Officials also reported 76,107 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 7.3% for the period ending Tuesday.
10:06 a.m.: Indiana expands COVID-19 vaccines to Hoosiers 70 and older
Hoosiers 70 and older can now register to receive coronavirus vaccinations as Indiana continues to expand access to the shots, the Indiana State Department of Health said Wednesday.
The vaccines became available to Indiana residents 80 and older last Friday following the initial rollout of doses for Indiana health care workers and nursing home residents and staffers in December. Nearly 86,000 Hoosiers in that age group had scheduled appointments to receive the free COVID-19 vaccines as of 4 p.m. Sunday, according to the state health department.
9:19 a.m.: Drew Barrymore, Carrie Underwood donate to Lurie Children’s Hospital
Actress Drew Barrymore and singer Carrie Underwood each donated $5,000 to Lurie Children’s Hospital after being inspired by 7-year-old Chicago girl Hayley Orlinsky, who has raised more than $27,000 for the hospital by selling homemade bracelets. The bracelets will be included in swag bags for the upcoming Grammy Awards, Hayley said. Barrymore interviewed Hayley via Zoom on Tuesday’s episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show” before surprising her with a virtual visit from Underwood, one of her favorite singers. “The Drew Barrymore Show” airs at 2 p.m. weekdays on WBBM-Ch. 2.
6:55 a.m.: Macon County Board committee recommends restaurants be allowed to open to indoor dining, defying state restrictions
A committee is recommending that the restaurants and bars in Macon County be allowed to provide indoor service, with precautions in place, despite any restrictions that may be imposed by the state.
The recommendations received unanimous approval Tuesday during a meeting of the county board’s Environment, Education, Health and Wellness Committee.
Committee Chairwoman Linda Little said the goal of the resolution is to open restaurants and bars to 25% capacity with masks in place until seated, social distancing between tables and other regulations.
“And it has a time limit,” she said.
In three months, the committee will review the county’s COVID status.
The recommendations will be presented to the full Macon County Board during its meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday.
For the recommendations to take effect, it would require a change in the county food sanitation ordinance limiting or eliminating the county health departments enforcement of the state’s COVID restrictions, which currently prohibit indoor food and drink service, among other things to help prevent the spread of the disease.
Health department officials said those changes could include prohibiting any COVID enforcement or limiting it to capacity and social distancing violations.
“The purpose of the resolution is to address the current situation,” and its impact on local businesses, Little said.
—Herald & Review via Tribune News Service
3:02 a.m.: Pritzker’s plan to exempt state from federal tax break to address gaping budget hole falls short in initial House vote
A major initiative by Gov. J.B. Pritzker aimed at preventing the loss of up to $1 billion in revenue was put in jeopardy early Wednesday after falling 10 votes short in the Democratic-controlled state House.
Pritzker wanted to block a change to the federal tax code passed by Congress as part of the coronavirus relief plan from applying to state tax bills. He unveiled the proposal late last week, as the legislative lame duck session was getting underway.
His office said the proposal would prevent the state from losing $500 million in tax revenue from business. Without the change, the state’s budget shortfall could grow from $3.9 billion to as much as $4.9 billion.
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