Coronavirus Information Center

February 16, 2021

Photo: Kurt Bielema / Illinois Newsroom

This site is a compilation of the latest news about the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, along with up-to-date resources and guidance from local, state and federal agencies.

Credit: CU Citizen Access

Testing and Vaccines:

Where to get COVID testing and vaccines in Central Illinois
University of Illinois COVID-19 testing information and public dashboard

Local, state and federal agencies:

Hospital systems with COVID-19 public dashboards:

Carle Health -- operates hospitals, in Urbana, Normal, Olney, Eureka, Hoopeston
Memorial Health System -- operates hospitals in Springfield, Decatur, Taylorville, Lincoln, Jacksonville
OSF HealthCare -- operates hospitals in Urbana, Danville, Peoria and Bloomington (no dashboard available)

COVID-19 Updates:

Wednesday, February 22, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Health officials reported 51 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is now 288.
27 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, the lowest number since mid-November. Two people are in the ICU.
Two-thirds of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 63 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Monday, February 21, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Health officials reported 56 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is now 320.
34 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, the lowest number since late November. One person is in the ICU.
Two-thirds of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and nearly 63 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Macon County, the health department reports that 20 residents are hospitalized for COVID-19. None are up-to-date on their vaccinations. The death toll in the county is now 318.

Sunday, February 20, 2022

US virus cases, hospitalizations continue steady decline

Average daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are continuing to fall in the U.S., an indicator that the omicron variant's hold is weakening across the country. Total confirmed cases reported Saturday barely exceeded 100,000, a sharp downturn from around 800,850 on Jan. 16, according to Johns Hopkins University data. In New York, the number of cases went down by more than 50% over the last two weeks. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Thomas Russo said what's influencing the decline in Omicron cases is that it has built up some population immunity. Public health experts say they are feeling hopeful. However, many expressed concern that vaccine uptick in the U.S. has still been below expectations. - Associated Press

GOP state lawmaker sues over state Capitol mask requirements

SPRINGFIELD — A Republican state lawmaker has sued the Illinois house speaker over face mask requirements at the state Capitol. State Rep. Blaine Wilhour of Beecher City filed a lawsuit in Bond County after he and eight other Republican legislators were barred from the House floor for refusing to wear masks. The state has been under an indoor mask mandate, which will be lifted except for in schools later this month as COVID-19 cases drop. Last week, a 4th District Appellate Court invalidated Gov. J.B. Pritzker's orders for masks in public schools A spokeswoman for House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch declined to comment on the lawsuit. - Associated Press

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Health officials reported 176 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend. The number of active cases is now 343.
Two-thirds of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and nearly 63 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Illinois’ Region 6, which includes various counties in east central Illinois:

The test positivity rate continues to decline, now at 5%.
ICU bed capacity continues to increase, and is now 25%.
The number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 continues to go down, and is now 117.

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

A total of 280 people have died from COVID in the county, including 13 in the last week.
Health officials reported less than 30 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today.
Two-thirds of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and over 62 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that 24 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Since early January, the weekly test positivity rate has dropped from seven percent to less than one percent.

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The county health department has reported another resident has died of COVID-19. He was a man in his 40s. A total of 280 people have died from COVID in the county, including 13 in the last week.
Health officials reported less than 100 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reports 55 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, the lowest total since late November. Five of those patients are in the ICU.
Two-thirds of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and over 62 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that 30 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Since early January, the weekly test positivity rate has dropped from seven percent to one percent.

In Coles County, the death toll from COVID-19 is now 163. That’s after the health department announced yesterday that four more residents have died from the disease.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

140 people in the region were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Monday, down by 50 from a week ago. That number has declined steadily over the past month.
ICU bed capacity is increasing and is up to 24 percent, compared to 22 percent last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties.

Monday, February 14, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

County health officials reported on Friday that two more Champaign residents have died due to COVID-19. Both were men, one in his 50’s and one in his 80’s. Now a total of 273 Champaign County residents have died due to the virus – seven of those in the past week.
Health officials reported 259 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County over the weekend.
The University of Illinois announced 49 new cases over the weekend. The seven-day test positivity rate has dropped from 4% to 2% over the last week.

Key US-Canada bridge reopens after police clear protesters

WINDSOR, Ontario — The busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing has reopened after protests against COVID-19 restrictions closed it for almost a week, while Canadian officials are holding back from a crackdown on a larger protest in the capital, Ottawa. Detroit International Bridge Co. said in a statement late Sunday that "the Ambassador Bridge is now fully open allowing the free flow of commerce between the Canada and US economies once again." The crossing normally carries 25% of all trade between the two countries, and the blockade on the Canadian side had disrupted business in both countries. The protest in Ottawa, meanwhile, has paralyzed downtown, infuriated residents who are fed up with police inaction and turned up pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. - Associated Press

Friday, February 11, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois:

State health officials report 116 Illinoisans died of COVID-19 yesterday.
Officials also announced more than 40-thousand additional COVID-19 cases over the past week. That number has fallen sharply in the last two weeks.
66 percent of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated and nearly half of residents are boosted, according to the CDC.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

County health officials report five more Champaign County residents have died due to COVID-19. That marks 271 county resident deaths.
Health officials reported nearly 360 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is roughly 730.
66 percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 62 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that 30 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Illinois governor to lift mask mandate except for schools

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says that at the end of the month he will lift the requirement for face coverings to be worn in most indoor spaces to slow the spread of COVID-19, but the mandate will stay in place for K-12 schools where students, teachers and staff are clustered together. Pritzker said Wednesday that the worst of the deadly virus' omicron variant has passed. The Democratic governor has appealed a circuit court ruling last week that he had overstepped by requiring face coverings for in-person learning. Critics lashed out at him for keeping masks on school children, saying it it hurting their chances to learn while other states have adopted safe and mask-free alternatives. - Associated Press

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

County health officials have reported one additional death from COVID-19. The man was in his 60’s. He’s the 271^st county resident to die due to COVID.
Health officials reported more than 300 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reports 73 people hospitalized with COVID-19, down 35 from a week ago. Six of those patients are in the ICU.
66-percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 62 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that 62 people tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday. The seven-day test positivity rate on campus has fallen below 3% for the first time since late December.

In Coles County, health officials reported one additional COVID death today, bringing that county’s death toll to 159.

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois:

State health officials report 34 Illinoisans died of COVID-19 yesterday.
Officials also announced more than 52-thousand additional COVID-19 cases over the past week. That number has fallen sharply in the last two weeks.
66 percent of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated and nearly half of residents are boosted, according to the CDC.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

County health officials report three more Champaign County residents have died due to COVID-19. That marks 266 county resident deaths.
Health officials reported nearly 120 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County yesterday. The number of active cases is less than 800, the lowest it's been since mid-November.
66 percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 62 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that more than 110 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Macon County:

Nearly 140 people in Macon County tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend according to county health officials.
307 county residents have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
Of the 33 Macon County residents hospitalized with COVID-19, the vast majority are not up-t0-date on COVID-19 vaccines.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Coles County:

Two additional Coles County residents have died of COVID-19, bringing the all-time countywide total to 158.

Monday, February 7, 2022

Illinois attorney general appeals school mask ruling

Sangamon County Complex (Capitol News Illinois file photo)

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois attorney general is appealing a judge's ruling that invalidated the governor's requirement that masks be worn in schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed an emergency appeal to the 4th District Appellate Court in Springfield. It seeks to halt a temporary restraining order against the mask mandate. Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow on Friday declared that Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker had overstepped his authority in an emergency order issued in the fall that has required students and staff to wear face coverings. Raoul's appeal requested an immediate response from the appellate court because it was filed on an emergency basis. - Associated Press

Governors in 4 states plan for end to school mask mandates

TRENTON, N.J. — The governors of four states have announced plans to lift statewide mask requirements in schools a month or two from now. They cited the rapid easing of COVID-19's omicron surge. The decisions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon were announced Monday as state and local governments grapple with which COVID-19 restrictions to jettison and which ones to keep in place. The changes also come amid a growing sense that the virus is never going to go away and Americans need to find a way to coexist with it. The four states are among a dozen with mask mandates in schools. - Associated Press

Sunday, February 6, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

County health officials have reported one more resident has died of COVID-19. The man was in his 80’s. He’s the 265^th county resident to die due to COVID.
Health officials reported more than 600 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County over the weekend.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reports 99 people hospitalized with COVID-19, down 26 from a week ago. Eleven of those patients are in the ICU.
University of Illinois officials report that 49 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. The test positivity rate on campus has stayed between 4.5 percent over the last week.

Local districts react differently to school mask mandate ruling

Two area school districts are reacting differently to a judge’s ruling on Friday. Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow wrote that Gov. JB Pritzker overstepped his legal authority with the mandate and determined that other emergency orders he issued to combat the spread of COVID-19, including one that mandates vaccinations for school employees, are “null and void.” The Mahomet-Seymour school district sent a note to parents on Saturday saying that the district would adopt a “masks recommended, but not required” policy starting Monday because of the court ruling. Mahomet-Seymour was one of the approximately 150 Illinois school districts named in the lawsuit. The district’s school board had voted last summer to adopt a mask optional policy before the state instituted a statewide mask mandate in schools. Meanwhile, the Champaign Unit 4 school district says in an email to parents that its mask requirements will continue without any changes. Unit 4 was not named in the lawsuit.

Saturday, February 5, 2022

US death toll from COVID-19 hits 900,000, sped by omicron

Propelled in part by the wildly contagious omicron variant, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has hit 900,000, less than two months after eclipsing 800,000. The number of deaths, as compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is more than the populations of Indianapolis, San Francisco, or Charlotte, North Carolina. To public health experts, the milestone is made all the more tragic because so many of the recent deaths were preventable. Just 64% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. President Joe Biden acknowledged the pandemic has been "incredibly difficult to bear" and again urged Americans to get vaccinations and booster shots. - Associated Press

Illinois judge blocks school mask mandate, state to appeal

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A central Illinois judge has issued a temporary restraining order that prevents school districts from complying with Gov. J.B. Pritzker's mandate that requires students to wear masks in the classroom. In Friday's ruling, Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow wrote that Pritzker overstepped his legal authority with the mandate and determined that other emergency orders he issued to combat the spread of COVID-19, including one that mandates vaccinations for school employees, are "null and void." Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul say the ruling will put students and school staffers at risk of contracting and spreading the virus. Raoul says he will appeal the decision. - Associated Press

CDC backs Moderna COVID-19 shots after full US approval

NEW YORK — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has continued its endorsement of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for U.S. adults. The decision will have little practical effect. Tens of millions of Americans have already gotten Moderna shots, following an emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration more than a year ago. The FDA licensed the shots this week, so a CDC advisory committee and the agency itself were called on to do an additional review. The panel heard summaries of medical studies that showed the vaccine is working against the coronavirus and there is no evidence of new safety concerns. - Associated Press

Thursday, February 3, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois:

State health officials report 89 Illinoisans died of COVID-19 yesterday.
Officials also announced more than 70-thousand additional COVID-19 cases over the past week.
66 percent of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated and nearly half of residents are boosted, according to the CDC.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

County health officials report three more Champaign County residents have died due to COVID-19. That marks 263 county resident deaths.
Health officials reported nearly 600 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is more than 1,100.
Almost 66 percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 62 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that nearly 300 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. That's the most recorded cases on campus since testing began in August of 2020.

Monday, January 31, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois:

State health officials report 30 Illinoisans have died today due to COVID-19.
Officials also announced more than 6,600 additional COVID-19 cases today.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

County health officials report two more Champaign County residents have died due to COVID-19. The pair were both women was in their 90’s. They're the 261^st and 262^nd county residents to die due to COVID.
Health officials reported more than 500 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is more than 1,600.
65 percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 62 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that 170 people tested positive for COVID-19 on over the weekend.

Friday, January 28, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois:

State health officials report 843 Illinoisans have died over the past week due to COVID-19. That’s the highest weekly death toll so far this year.
Officials also announced more than 123-thousand additional COVID-19 cases over the past week.
66 percent of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated and nearly half of residents are boosted, according to the CDC.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

County health officials report one more Champaign County resident has died due to COVID-19. The woman was in her 70’s. She’s the 260^th county resident to die due to COVID.
Health officials reported more than 500 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is more than 1,200. That’s half what it was last week.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reports 125 people hospitalized with COVID-19, down 10 from a week ago. Eleven of those patients are in the ICU.
65 percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 62 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that 232 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

Here's the latest on COVID-19 in Macon County:

County health officials report one more Macon County resident has died due to COVID-19. The man was in her 70’s. He’s the 304^th county resident to die due to COVID.
Health officials reported 220 new COVID-19 cases in Macon County today.

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign and Macon Counties:

Champaign County public health officials reported 227 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases in the county has fallen to about 1,250… the lowest number since early December.
Two more Champaign County residents have died of COVID-19. Officials say they’re a man in his 70s and another in his 80s. That puts the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in Champaign County at 259.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reported 133 people hospitalized with COVID-19 yesterday, the lowest total since early this month. Twelve of those patients are in the ICU.
Macon County public health officials reported 260 new COVID-19 cases today.
A woman in her 40s is the latest Macon County resident to pass away from COVID-19. That puts the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in Macon County at 303.

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Public Health officials reported more than 630 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is nearly 1,700.
The number of COVID deaths in Champaign County remains at 257.
More than 65 percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and about 62 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report nearly 240 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday – the most recent reporting day.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Macon County:

Macon County Health Department announced 351 newly-reported COVID cases.
The county also reported the deaths of 3 residents including a man in his 50s, another man in his 60s and a woman in her 80s. The overall pandemic death toll in Macon County is 302.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The spread of COVID-19 seems to have plateaued since early January.
293 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has decreased slightly since last week.
ICU bed capacity has slightly risen to 16%.
The COVID-19 rolling average test positivity rate remains at around 19 percent. This is roughly double the test positivity rate from a month ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Public Health officials reported more than 350 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is nearly 2,000.
A woman in her 60s and a man in his 90s mark 257 COVID-19 deaths in Champaign County.
More than 65 percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and about 62 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that more than 250 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday – the most recent reporting day.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The spread of COVID-19 seems to have plateaued since early January.
298 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has decreased slightly since last week.
ICU bed capacity has slightly risen to about 16%.
The COVID-19 rolling average test positivity rate remains at around 19 percent. This is roughly double the test positivity rate from a month ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Monday, January 24, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign, Coles and Macon Counties:

Public health officials in Macon County reported there are 661 newly-reported COVID-19 cases in Macon County as of today. The county also reported three new deaths, including one man in his 40’s, another man in his 70’s and another man in his 90’s.
Coles County Health Department reported the death of a resident today.
Public Health officials reported that the number of active COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today is about 2,500.
Almost 65 percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that 202 people tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday. That includes 151 undergrads, who have just returned to campus and are required to test negative before attending in-person classes.

In-person services resuming at Ill. driver's license offices

Driver License office in Champaign Reginald Hardwick/Illinois Newsroom

CHICAGO — Illinois Secretary of State's offices _ including driver services facilities _ will resume in-person services in the coming days. In a news release, Secretary of State Jesse White says offices that have been closed since Jan. 3 because of the surge in COVID-19 cases across Illinois are opening their doors again. Those offices that operate on a Monday-Friday schedule will reopen on Monday and the offices that are on a Tuesday-Saturday schedule will resume in-person services on Tuesday. The office says people who enter the the offices will required to wear masks and practice social distancing. - Associated Press

Sunday, January 23, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Public Health officials reported more than 2,100 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. That’s the highest single-day increase all week. The number of active cases is nearly 3,000.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reported 135 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday. That’s down nine from a week ago. Fifteen of those patients are in the ICU.
Almost 65 percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and about 61 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
University of Illinois officials report that 129 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday – the most recent reporting day.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The spread of COVID-19 seems to have plateaued since early January.
312 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has decreased slightly since last week.
ICU bed capacity has leveled at about 14 percent.
The COVID-19 rolling average test positivity rate remains at around 19 percent. This is roughly double the test positivity rate from a month ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign and Macon Counties:

Public Health officials reported 190 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The countywide death toll remains at 250.
Roughly 65% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 61% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
Macon County reported 515 newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases today. Also, Macon County Health Department reported six new deaths of residents with COVID-19, including a woman in her 70's and three males and two females in the 80's. The countywide death toll is 291.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

About one in five COVID tests taken in the region over the last week have come back positive. That percentage has ballooned since late December.
The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has leveled off and started to decline since climbing steadily over the last month.
The percentage of available ICU beds has bounced back slightly since late December and now stands at around 15%.

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Illinois, Chicago omicron cases have peaked, officials say

CHICAGO (AP) — The state's top officials in the battle against COVID-19 had good news Wednesday, reporting that the vicious surge in the dread disease fueled by the omicron variant seems to have slowed statewide and in Chicago, the nation's third-largest city.But even as record numbers of hospitalizations decline, authorities said health care resources are still stretched to the limit. There are no plans for Chicago to drop its indoor mask mandate and no states are coming off the city's travel advisory list, which currently covers the whole country. State officials are cautiously plotting the future and necessary steps to, in the words of the public health director, "coexist with COVID." - Associated Press

Biden says nation weary from COVID but rising with him in WH

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden acknowledges that the pandemic has exhausted and demoralized many Americans in his first year in office. Yet Biden is defending his administration's efforts on the pandemic and noting the economy is actually surging despite concerns about inflation. He says he may well have to settle for "big chunks" of his stalled economic agenda being passed into law before the 2022 midterm elections. And he says voters will back Democrats in those elections — and support his efforts in the White House — so long as they are well informed. At a news conference marking his first year in office, Biden insisted he has "outperformed" expectations in dealing with the crises he's faced. - Associated Press

US begins offering 1B free COVID tests, but many more needed

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, people across the U.S. can log on to a government website and order free, at-home COVID-19 tests. But the White House push may do little to ease the omicron surge, and experts say Washington will have to do a lot more to fix the country's long-troubled testing system. The website, COVIDTests.gov, allows people to order four at-home tests per household and have them delivered by mail. But the tests won't arrive for seven to 12 days, after omicron is expected to peak in many parts of the country. - Associated Press

The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to launch.The website, COVIDTests.gov, now includes a link for Americans to an order form run by the U.S. Postal Service where Americans can request four at-home tests per residential address. (Reginald Hardwick/IPM News)

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

White House soft-launches COVID-19 test request website

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially launch. The website, COVIDTests.gov, now includes a link for Americans to order four tests per residential address, to be delivered by the Postal Service. It marks the latest step by President Joe Biden to address criticism of low inventory and long lines for testing during a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron varian. A White House official website is "currently in its beta phase" and operating at a "limited capacity ahead of its official launch" on Wednesday. - Associated Press

US faces wave of omicron deaths in coming weeks, models say

The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, yet COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing. Modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the omicron wave subsides this spring. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November. COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents started rising slightly two weeks ago, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated. The unprecedented level of infection means vulnerable people will become severely sick. But the notion that a milder disease on average could still take thousands of lives is difficult for health experts to convey. - Associated Press

Several COVID related deaths reported in Champaign and Macon Counties

On Tuesday, five more Champaign County residents have died of COVID-19. Officials say they’re a woman in her 40s, a woman in her 60s, a man in his 60s, and two men in their 70s. The county’s death toll has reached 250. Coles County reported three deaths on Monday due to COVID. The county's death toll stands at 150. On Monday, Macon County reported six residents passed away from coronavirus, adding to the countywide death toll of 285.

Monday, January 17, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Public Health officials reported 1,294 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County over the weekend. The countywide death toll remains at 245.
Roughly 64 percent of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 60 percent of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s after 700 new vaccine doses were reported on Sunday.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

About one in five COVID tests taken in the region over the last week have come back positive. That percentage has ballooned since late December.
The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has climbed more slowly and steadily over the last month.
The percentage of available ICU beds has bounced back slightly since late December and now stands at around 15 percent.

Friday, January 14, 2022

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Public health officials reported 450 new COVID-19 cases Friday, and four deaths --- a man in his 50s and three women in their eighties. That brings the total number of COVID-related deaths in Champaign County to 245. The number of active cases in the county fell slightly … but remains above 7-thousand, at7,054.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reports 144 people hospitalized with COVID-19, down by 15 from Wednesday, but up by ten from a week ago. 20 of those patients are in the ICU.

University of Illinois officials reported 116 new COVID cases on the Urbana campus from testing conducted yesterday Thursday. The seven-day rolling test positivity is at its lowest point since Christmas … just above four percent.
64.0 percent of the eligible population and 60.4 percent of the county’s total population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Health officials continue to recommend the following to help control viral spread: get fully vaccinated, including a booster dose if you’re eligible; wear a mask while at indoor public places; and get a COVID test if you have symptoms or have been exposed to anyone who’s tested positive.
In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:
343 people in the region are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. That number has increased by 12 over the last week.
ICU bed capacity is rising slowly, up from 13 percent a week ago to 15 percent as of Sunday.
The COVID-19 rolling average test positivity rate has plateaued at about 20.6 percent. That is up from 19.4 percent last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate remains in effect statewide.

Statewide, Illinois public health officials reported 207,203 new COVID-19 cases over the past week. That’s nearly six thousand more than were reported the previous week. There were 738 COVID-related deaths in Illinois over the past week, up by nearly 300 from the week before. 65 percent of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated against the virus --- that number is up a percentage point from the week before.

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Local school districts continue remote learning because of COVID cases

Danville students are learning remotely again Friday, after a sudden increase in COVID-19 cases among both students and staff. District 118 sent out a notice about the remote switch on Thursday evening. It’s the second time in two weeks that the district has gone virtual. The first time, coronavirus cases among staff members left a skeleton crew too small to run in-person school. Superintendent Alicia Geddis wrote in the notice that she expects school to resume in-person on Tuesday, after Monday’s holiday. Schools across central Illinois have struggled to remain in-person after returning from the winter holidays. Urbana Middle School has been remote this week, as have five public schools in Decatur. - Emily Hays, Illinois Newsroom

Rising levels of COVID-19 cases have led the Arcola school district to cancel classes, Friday and Monday. A post on the Arcola grade school Facebook page cites a “significant increase in COVID-19 cases”, as well as related staffing problems. The Arcola Record-Herald reports that all Arcola school sporting events have been canceled for Friday and Monday as well, except for girls’ basketball. Arcola school officials say the two lost classroom days will be made up in May. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

Supreme Court halts COVID-19 vaccine rule for US businesses

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has stopped a major push by the Biden administration to boost the nation's COVID-19 vaccination rate, a requirement that employees at large businesses get a vaccine or test regularly and wear a mask on the job. At the same time, the court is allowing the administration to proceed with a vaccine mandate for most health care workers in the U.S. The court's orders Thursday during a spike in coronavirus cases was a mixed bag for the administration. The court's conservative majority concluded the administration overstepped its authority by seeking to impose the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's vaccine-or-test rule on U.S. businesses with at least 100 employees. - Associated Press

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Chicago teachers accept COVID deal, keeping kids in school

CHICAGO — The Chicago Teachers Union has backed an agreement dictating COVID-19 safety protocols in the nation's third-largest school district. Wednesday's vote will keep kids in classrooms after five days of cancelled classes due to a standoff with the city over remote learning and virus testing. The union's full membership vote followed tentative approval on Monday by union leadership. Union officials urged teachers to back it despite frustration that the district wouldn't grant demands for widespread coronavirus testing or commit to districtwide remote learning during surges. The agreement will expand COVID-19 testing and create standards to switch schools to remote learning. - Associated Press

Strike teams aid COVID-19 battle, Pritzker preaches vaccine

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois' governor is dispatching mobile strike teams of medical professionals to parts of the state most in need of assistance battling COVID-19 and its omicron variant that have sickened record numbers and stretched health care resources thin. But Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his public health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike continued Wednesday to pound the drum that vaccinations, booster shots and masks are the best way to prevent the spread of the disease that has landed an unprecedented 7,100 people in hospitals across the state. - Associated Press

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Public health officials reported 773 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases in the county rose back above 7,000 after a slight drop yesterday.
The countywide death toll remains at 236.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reports 162 people hospitalized with COVID-19, a new pandemic high. Twenty-two of those patients are in the ICU.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

341 people in the region are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. That number has increased by more than 20 over the last week.
ICU bed capacity is rising slowly, up from 12 percent a week ago to 14 percent as of Saturday.
The COVID-19 rolling average test positivity rate has plateaued at 19.9 percent. That is up from 19.1 percent last week.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Illinois prisons pause county intakes due to pandemic

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Corrections has temporarily paused intakes from county jails because of COVID-19 outbreaks at prisons. The department said Tuesday the affected prison facilities include the Graham, Logan, Menard and Northern Reception and Classification Centers. The IDOC is using space normally reserved for new admissions to safely quarantine and isolate prisoners who have been exposed or tested positive for COVID-19. It said it will continue accepting individuals from county jails who are scheduled to be released from custody the same day they are transferred. When COVID-19 cases decline, IDOC expects space to become available for county jail intakes. - Associated Press

Omicron may be headed for a rapid drop in US and Britain

Scientists are seeing signals that COVID-19's alarming omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the U.S., at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically. The reason: The variant has proved so wildly contagious that it may already be running out of people to infect, just a month and a half after it was first detected in South Africa. Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, says omicron is "going to come down as fast as it went up." - Associated Press

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Public health officials reported nearly 600 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases in the county fell to about 6,900. The countywide death toll remains at 236.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reports 149 people hospitalized with COVID-19, down slightly from yesterday but slightly higher than a week ago. Twenty-two of those patients are in the ICU.
University of Illinois officials reported 216 new COVID cases on the Urbana campus from testing conducted yesterday. Most students have not yet returned to campus, but U of I employees are required to test upon returning to in-person work.

Monday, January 10, 2022

Home COVID tests to be covered by insurers starting Saturday

WASHINGTON — Starting Saturday, private health insurers will be required to cover up to eight home COVID-19 tests per month for those on their plans. The Biden administration announced the change Monday as it looks to lower costs and make testing for the virus more convenient amid rising frustrations. Under the new policy, first detailed to the AP, Americans will be able to either purchase home testing kits for free or submit receipts for the tests for subsequent reimbursement, up to the monthly per-person limit. A family of four, for instance, could be reimbursed for up to 32 tests per month. Only tests purchased on or after Jan. 15 will be required to be reimbursed. - Associated Press

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Public health officials report another death from COVID-19 today, a man in his 80s. The countywide death toll is now 236.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reports 152 people hospitalized with COVID-19, up by nearly 20 from Friday, but down slightly from a week ago.
University of Illinois officials reported 99 new COVID cases on the Urbana campus from testing conducted yesterday. Most students have not yet returned to campus, but U of I employees are required to test upon returning to in-person work.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

336 people in the region are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. That number has increased by nearly 30 over the last week.
ICU bed capacity is rising slowly, up from 10 percent a week ago to 14 percent as of Saturday.
The COVID-19 rolling average test positivity rate has increased to 20.1 percent.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate remains in effect statewide.

Sunday, January 9, 2022

Chicago's COVID-19 fight with teachers hangs over a 2nd week

CHICAGO — Talks between Chicago school leaders and the teachers' union have resumed amid a standoff over remote learning and other COVID-19 safety measures. The situation looms over the start of a second week of school after three days of canceled classes in the nation's third-largest district. Chicago schools face the same pandemic issues as others nationwide, with a growing number of districts reverting to remote learning as infections explode during the omicron-fueled surge and sideline staff members. But the situation in union-friendly Chicago has been amplified in a labor dispute that's familiar to families in the mostly low-income Black and Latino district who've seen several similar disruptions in the last few years. - Associated Press

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

US urges COVID boosters starting at age 12 to fight omicron

The U.S. is strengthening its COVID-19 booster campaign, endorsing an extra shot for everyone age 12 and older. Boosters already were permitted at age 16 and urged for most adults as the nation battles the omicron surge. Earlier this week, regulators authorized an extra Pfizer shot for kids ages 12 to 15 as well. Now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has agreed, recommending that younger teens — and those 16 and 17 — should get a Pfizer booster five months after their last shot. - Associated Press

Pritzker working remotely after contact with infected worker

CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will be working remotely through the weekend after he had close contact with a state employee who tested positive for COVID-19. The governor's office said Wednesday that Pritzker will work remotely through Sunday out of "out of an abundance of caution" after he had close contact Tuesday with the infected employee. Pritzker's office says the 56-year-old governor tested negative for COVID-19 as recently as Wednesday morning and he is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and has received a booster shot. His office says "the governor is taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of the virus" as the omicron variant spreads across Illinois. - Associated Press

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Danville schools go to remote learning for the week.

DANVILLE - COVID-19 cases have forced Danville public schools to hold classes remotely for the rest of the week. The District 118 announced classes on Wednesday through Friday will be fully remote because of positive COVID cases among students, staff and bus drivers. The district also says each student will be offered a prepackaged breakfast and lunch. Danville expects to resume in-person learning next week. - Reginald Hardwick, IPM News

Biden urges concern, not alarm as omicron rises

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is urging concern but not alarm as the U.S. sets new records for daily reported COVID-19 cases and his administration struggles to ease concerns about testing shortages. Biden spoke from the White House about the surging omicron variant Tuesday ahead of a meeting with his COVID-19 response team. He is looking both to convey his administration's urgency and also to convince wary Americans that the current surge bears little resemblance to the onset of the pandemic or last year's deadly winter. Biden emphasized anew that vaccines, booster shots and therapeutic drugs have mitigated the danger for the overwhelming majority of Americans who are fully vaccinated. - Associated Press

Monday, January 3, 2022

COVID-19 closures and rules take effect Monday in Illinois

CHICAGO — Chicago will require proof of a COVID-19 vaccine for indoor venues starting Monday. That includes restaurants, bars, gyms and other indoor venues like sport entertainment arenas. The rules apply to everyone age 5 and older, but doesn't apply to those in the venue less than 10 minutes, like those getting takeout. Also starting Monday, all Illinois Secretary of State offices, including driver services, will be closed until at least Jan. 18. The country is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases to the highest levels on record. Also, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is urging Illinois hospitals to delay elective surgeries and non-emergency procedures to keep more beds open, anticipating a wave of COVID-19 patients. - Associated Press

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Illinois COVID cases top 30,000 in new state daily record

CHICAGO — Illinois has 30,386 new COVID-19 cases diagnosed statewide. The figure that public health officials announced Thursday smashed by more than 9,000 the previous state record for new cases in a day and nearly doubling the high from last fall's surge. The Chicago Sun-Times reports the previous record was set on Christmas Eve when more than 21,000 infections were diagnosed. Also Thursday, Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association urged hospitals to postpone non-emergency surgeries and other procedures to free up beds in intensive care units for a likely surge of post-holiday Omicron variant COVID-19 cases. - Associated Press

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 228.
Health officials reported 794 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is now 3,968. That’s the most active cases in the county since the pandemic began. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized has fallen by two since last week to 31 today.
63% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 59% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
The University of Illinois reported more than 100 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday for the fourth day in a row.
Health officials continue to recommend the following to help control the spread of the virus: get fully vaccinated, including a booster dose if you’re eligible; wear a mask while at indoor public places; and get a COVID test as close as possible to any holiday gatherings.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

287 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 15 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity is down one percentage point, from 10% a week ago to 9% today.
The COVID-19 rolling average test positivity rate has increased to 11.5%. That is up from 9% last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

New COVID-19 cases in US soar to highest levels on record

CHICAGO — More than a year after the vaccine was rolled out, new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average. The surge has been driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant. The previous mark was 250,000 cases per day, set in mid-January. The number of Americans now in the hospital with COVID-19 is running at around 60,000, or about half the figure seen last January. With New Year's Eve approaching, Dr. Anthony Fauci says there is no need to cancel small home gatherings among vaccinated and boosted family and friends. But he is strongly recommending against 40- and 50-person parties with lots of hugging and kissing. - Associated Press

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 228.
Health officials reported more than 550 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is now more than 3,300. That’s the most active cases in the county since the pandemic began. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized has fallen by one since last week to 32 today.
63% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 59% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
The University of Illinois reported more than 100 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday for the third day in a row.
Health officials continue to recommend the following to help control the spread of the virus: get fully vaccinated, including a booster dose if you’re eligible; wear a mask while at indoor public places; and get a COVID test as close as possible to any holiday gatherings.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

283 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 15 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has fallen to 8% from 10% a week ago.
The COVID-19 rolling average test positivity rate has increased to 10.9%. That is up from 9% last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Illinois is helping local health departments with additional staffing at mass vaccination sites. The move comes as the state is seeing its highest surge in COVID-19 cases during the entire pandemic. Governor J.B. Pritzker announced yesterday that Illinois will expand hours at its community-based testing sites to six days a week --- including the site at Market Place Mall in Champaign. The state is averaging 500 new hospital admissions daily for COVID-19, which is double from about a month ago.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 228.
Health officials reported nearly 650 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases has reached almost 3,000. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized doubled since yesterday from 18 to 36.
63% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 59% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
The University of Illinois reported nearly 150 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday.
Health officials continue to recommend the following to help control the spread of the virus: get fully vaccinated, including a booster dose if you’re eligible; wear a mask while at indoor public places; and get a COVID test as close as possible to any holiday gatherings.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

284 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 25 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has fallen to 9% from 11% a week ago.
The COVID-19 rolling average test positivity rate has increased to 10.6%. That is up from 8.8% last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Monday, December 27, 2021

Governor JB Pritzker is beefing up the state’s COVID-19 vaccination and testing efforts around the state. Pritzker says state agencies are more than doubling personnel at regional clinics to meet a growing demand for booster shots. In addition, regional testing sites are expanding their hours to six days a week. That includes the testing site at Market Place Mall in Champaign.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Champaign County public health officials reported three additional deaths related to COVID-19 on Monday, Dec. 27, bringing the all-time countywide death toll up to 228. The three were males, two in their 50s and one in their 70s.
Health officials reported 222 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County Monday. The number of active cases is 2,601. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized has fallen to 18.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several counties, reports 109 patients hospitalized with COVID, a new high for the year. 23 of those patients are in the ICU.
Nearly 63% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while about 69% have received at least one dose. Nearly 81% of county residents testing positive for COVID-19 are not fully vaccinated.
The University of Illinois reported 101 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

As of Sunday, 278 people in the region were currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 19 in the last week – a smaller increase than the week before.
ICU bed capacity has fallen to nine percent from 13% ten days earlier.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 13.3%, as of Friday. That is up from 8.1% a week earlier.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 225.
Health officials reported more than 275 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is nearly 2,500, the highest at any point during the pandemic. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized remains at 33.
More than 62% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 59% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19. About 42% of those fully vaccinated have also received a booster shot.
The University of Illinois reported nearly 100 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday for the second day in a row.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

272 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by more than 35 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has fallen to 10% from 13% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 9%. That is up from 8.4% last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 225.
Health officials reported nearly 430 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. That’s the largest single day case total since November of 2020. The number of active cases is more than 2,300. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized remains at 33.
More than 62% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 59% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.
The University of Illinois reported nearly 100 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday out of more than 1,700 tests performed. That marks a five and a half percent (5.5%) positivity rate, the highest since the University started performing tests in August of 2020.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

268 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by nearly 35 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has fallen to 10% from 13% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 9%. That is up from 8.4% last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

222 county residents have died due to COVID.
Health officials reported nearly 270 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is just shy of 2,100. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized has increased by 9 since yesterday to 33.
More than 62% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 59% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

259 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by nearly 30 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has fallen to 11% from 13% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased slightly to 8.8%. That is up from 8.5% last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Monday, December 20, 2021

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert Jones announced today that the first week of Spring classes will be held online. All undergraduate students will be required to submit two negative COVID tests, one off-campus and one on-campus, before they can return to in-person classes. Faculty, staff and graduate students are also required to submit two negative COVID tests, both of which can be taken on-campus.

In-person classes are scheduled to resume Jan. 24.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

222 county residents have died due to COVID.
Health officials reported more than 140 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is just shy of 2,000. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized has dropped by eight since yesterday to 24.
More than 62% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and nearly 59% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

259 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by nearly 35 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has fallen to 11% from 14% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased slightly to 8.8%. That is up from 8.5% last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 222.
Health officials reported nearly 250 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is more than 1,900. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized has dropped by nearly 20 since yesterday to 14.
More than 62% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 58% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19. More than 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have now been administered across the state.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

236 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 35 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 13% for the past week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at roughly 8.5% for the last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine being administered in Illinois. Since then, more than 18 million doses have been administered across the state. Roughly 63% of Illinoisans are fully vaccinated.

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

A man in his 60s and a man in his 90s were the latest COVID deaths in Champaign County. That brings the all-time countywide death toll to 221.
Health officials reported 270 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is more than 1,800. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized is up to 33 from 29 a week ago.
Nearly 62% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 58% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

234 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by more than 30 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 13% for the past week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at roughly 8.5% for the last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

US COVID death toll hits 800,000, a year into vaccine drive

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has topped 800,000. That is according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University. The once-unimaginable milestone was hit Tuesday. It's seen as doubly tragic, given that more than 200,000 of those lives were lost after the vaccine became available practically for the asking last spring. The death toll is about equal to the population of Atlanta and St. Louis combined, or Minneapolis and Cleveland put together. It is roughly equivalent to how many Americans die each year from heart disease or stroke. - Associated Press

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 219.
Health officials reported nearly 200 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is more than 1,700. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized is up to 33 from 31 a week ago.
61% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 58% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

231 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by nearly 35 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 13% for the past week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at roughly 8.5% for the last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 217.
Health officials reported more than 200 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is closing in on 1,900 for the first time since August of 2020. The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized is up to 29 from 26 a week ago.
61% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 57% of its total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

211 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by nearly 60 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 14% for the past week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 8.6%, up from 8% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 217.
Health officials reported 44 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases has topped 1,700 for the first time since August 2020. Champaign County resident hospitalizations have climbed to 32, up from 21 a week ago.
Nearly 61% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 57% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

203 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by nearly 60 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 14% for the past week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 8.7%, up from 7.5% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

195 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 55 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity is at 14%, down from 16% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 8.7%, up from 7.4% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

A man in his 50s and a woman in her 60s mark the 216th and 217th people to die of COVID in Champaign County.
Public health officials reported more than 210 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases has topped 1,600 for the first time since August 2020. Champaign County resident hospitalizations have climbed to 31, up from 18 a week ago.
More than 60% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 57% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Monday, December 6, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Champaign County:

The number of active COVID-19 cases is the highest it’s been all year – now at more than 1,500.
Officials reported 256 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend.
24 Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized. That number has more than doubled in the past week.
60 percent of the county’s vaccine-eligible population is fully vaccinated.

In Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has risen to 8%. It was 5% two weeks ago.
The number of people hospitalized in the region continues to rise, and is now at 164.
ICU bed capacity has been steadily falling over the past week, and is now at 14 percent.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in most Illinois counties to be “high.” An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

152 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 29 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity is at 15%, down from 17% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 8%, up from 5.9% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but one Illinois county. Alexander County reports “moderate” transmission. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 215.
Public health officials reported nearly 270 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. That is the largest single-day increase since November 2020. The number of active cases has topped 1,300, up 400 cases from a week ago. Champaign County resident hospitalizations have nearly tripled in the last week, from 8 to 23 today.
More than 60% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 57% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

144 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 24 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity is at 15%, down from 16% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 7.5%, up from 5.9% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but two Illinois counties. Pulaski County reports “substantial” transmission and Alexander County reports “moderate” transmission. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The all-time countywide death toll remains at 215.
Public health officials 169 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases has topped 1,100, up over 150 cases from a week ago. Twenty-one Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 60% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 57% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

140 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 28 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at almost 16% for the last week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 7.4%, up from 5.7% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but two Illinois counties. Pulaski County reports “substantial” transmission and Alexander County reports “moderate” transmission. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

A woman in her 70s is the 215th person from Champaign County to die from COVID-19.
Public health officials reported 216 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. That’s the most daily cases since early September. The number of active cases has topped 1,000 for the first time since mid-September. Eighteen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 60% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and nearly 57% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Dutch, Australians find omicron variant: others halt flights

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Morocco is suspending all incoming air travel from around the world starting Monday for two weeks because of the rapid spread of the new omicron variant of the virus. The Foreign Ministry tweeted Sunday that the decision was taken to "preserve the achievements realized by Morocco in the fight against the pandemic, and to protect the health of citizens." Morocco has been in the forefront of vaccinations in Africa, and kept its borders closed for months in 2020 because of the pandemic. Earlier, the Netherlands confirmed 13 cases of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus on Sunday and Australia found two as the countries half a world apart became the latest to detect it in travelers arriving from southern Africa. - Associated Press

EXPLAINER: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa?

LONDON — South African scientists identified a new version of the coronavirus this week that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country's most populous province. It's unclear where the new variant emerged, but scientists in South Africa first alerted the World Health Organization and it has also been seen in Botswana and travelers to Hong Kong, Belgium, Israel and elsewhere. Health minister Joe Phaahla said the variant was linked to an "exponential rise" of cases in the last few days, although experts are still trying to determine if the new variant is actually responsible. In a statement on Friday, the WHO designated it as a "variant of concern," naming it "omicron." - Associated Press

Monday, November 22, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The test positivity rate has risen a whole percentage point over the last week. It’s now 5.6 percent.

In Champaign County:

Officials reported 55 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is now at 924.

In Macon County:

Officials reported 119 new COVID-19 cases today. 15 people are currently hospitalized in Macon County. 643 are in home isolation.

In Illinois:

State officials announced 10 more deaths from COVID-19 statewide, bringing the total death toll to 26,277.
There are more than 4,705 new cases in Illinois.

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

97 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by six in the last week.
ICU bed capacity is at 13%, down from 15% last week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 4.9%, up from 4% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but nine Illinois counties. Most of those nine counties report “substantial” transmission. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll related to COVID-19 remains at 211.
Public health officials reported 129 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County today. The number of active cases is at 868 -- up by more than 150 in the last week. Ten Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 59% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 56% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

97 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 7 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has dropped to 13%, down from 16% last week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 4.7%, up from 4% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but eleven Illinois counties. Most of those eleven counties report “substantial” transmission. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 211.
Public health officials reported 97 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 790 -- up by more than 150 cases in the last week. Nine Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 59% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 56% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

100 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 12 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has dropped to 13%, down from 16% last week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 4.5%, up from about 4% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but nine Illinois counties. Most of those nine counties report “substantial” transmission. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 211.
Public health officials reported 72 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 764 -- up by almost 200 cases in the last week. Seven Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 59% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population and 56% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

90 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 12 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has dropped to 16%, down from 19% last week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to 4%, up from 3.5% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but 18 Illinois counties. Most of those 18 counties report “substantial” transmission. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 210.
Public health officials reported 94 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 635 -- up by over 260 cases in the last week. Eight Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
The University of Illinois has seen a spike in cases recently, with nearly 250 reported over the past week. That’s compared to only about 55 cases the week before.
Nearly 64% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 56% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

88 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 12 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has dropped to 16%, down from 20% last week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased to roughly 4%, up from 3.5% a week ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but eighteen Illinois counties. Most of those eighteen counties report “substantial” transmission. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 210.
Public health officials reported 85 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 571 -- up by over 220 cases in the last week. Ten Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
Nearly 64% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 56% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

76 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 5 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has dropped to 20%, down from 25% last week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at roughly 3.5% for the last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but twenty-two Illinois counties. Most of those twenty-two counties report “substantial” transmission. Brown and Greene county report “moderate” transmission. Putnam and Franklin county report “low” transmission. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 207.
Public health officials reported 47 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 351 -- up by 38 over the last week. Thirteen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 64% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 55% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

73 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by 6 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 25% for the past week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate is below 3.5%, down from nearly 4% last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but 25 Illinois counties. Most of those 25 counties report “substantial” transmission, while one county --- Scott County in western Illinois --- reports “moderate” transmission. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 207.
Public health officials reported 42 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 337 -- down by 45 over the last week. Eight Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 63% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 55% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

72 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by 14 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has increased to 26%, up from 22% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate is below 3.5%, down from roughly 4% last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but seventeen Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 207.
Public health officials reported 41 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 317 -- down by 45 over the last week. Eight Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 63% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 55% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

71 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by 20 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has increased to 25%, up from 22% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate is below 3.5%, down from roughly 4% last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but twelve Illinois counties, including throughout Region 6. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 207.
Public health officials reported 33 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 313 -- down by 70 over the last week. Eight Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 63% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 55% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

79 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by 30 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 22% for the last week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held at just below 4% for the last two weeks.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “substantial” in 14 Illinois counties, but “high” in the rest of the state, including all of Region 6. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 203.
Public health officials reported 50 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 382 -- down by nearly 60 over the last week. Eight Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 63% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 55% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

86 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by 23 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 22% for the last two weeks.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held at just below 4% for the last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but two Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 203.
Public health officials reported 39 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 362 -- down more than 70 over the last week. Eight Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 63% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 55% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

91 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by 20 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 20% for the last three weeks.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held at almost 4% for the last two weeks.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but thirteen Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 203.
Public health officials reported 23 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 383 -- down about 50 over the last week. Nine Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 63% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 55% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

109 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by 12 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 20% for the last two weeks.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held at almost 4% for the last week.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but five Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 201.
Public health officials reported 31 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is at 440 -- down about 20 over the last week. Twenty Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
Nearly 63% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and almost 55% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

111 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by almost 20 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 20% for the last two weeks.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to 4%.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but four Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 197.
Public health officials reported 55 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is back up to 435. Nineteen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 62% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 54% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thursday, October 7, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

121 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by almost 20 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 20% for the last two weeks.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to 4%.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but three Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

Three more residents have died of COVID -- a man in his 80s, a man in his 90s and a woman in her 90s. The countywide death toll is now up to 196.
Public health officials reported 44 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is down to 450. Sixteen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 62% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 54% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

123 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped more than 20 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 20% for the last week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to 4.2%.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but three Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 193.
Public health officials reported 53 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is down to 458. Sixteen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 62% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 54% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

128 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by 20 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at roughly 20% for the last week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to 4.2%.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be “high” in all but three Illinois counties. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death tolls remains at 193.
Public health officials reported 21 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is down to 462. Sixteen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
More than 62% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 54% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

142 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by 27 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity now stands at 21% -- up from 17% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to 5%.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission to be "high" in all but one Illinois county. An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

A man in his 60s was the 188th person to die of COVID.
Public health officials reported 55 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases stands at 570. Seventeen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
Almost 62% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 54% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

146 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by 25 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity now stands at 21% -- up from 16% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to 5.2%.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all 102 Illinois counties to be “high.” An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

A woman in her 80s was the 187th person to die of COVID.
Public health officials reported 65 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases stands at 551. Seventeen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
Almost 62% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and nearly 54% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

148 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by over 25 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity climbed to 21% from 16% a week ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to 5.4%.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all 102 Illinois counties to be “high.” An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 186.
Public health officials reported 39 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases has fallen to 546. Eighteen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
Almost 62% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and nearly 54% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Monday, September 27, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The test positivity rate continues to fall, dropping to 5.4% on Monday. That’s down from 8% two weeks ago.
The number of people hospitalized in the region has been decreasing over the past two weeks and now stands at 153.
ICU bed capacity has been at 20% for the past two days, after hovering at just under 20% for the past month.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all 102 Illinois counties to be “high.” An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

Public health officials reported 38 new COVID-19 cases Monday. The number of active cases has fallen to 561 – down from a high of 1,183 on September 4th.
18 Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves several nearby counties, reports 55 patients with COVID-19 … down from a recent high of 78 last week. Fifteen of those 55 patients are in the ICU.
61,5% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 53.68% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Friday, September 24, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The test positivity rate has dropped to about 6% -- down from 8% two weeks ago.
The number of people hospitalized in the region has been decreasing over the past two weeks and now stands at 164.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at just under 20% for the past month.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all 102 Illinois counties to be “high.” An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

Public health officials reported 14 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases stands at 662 – down from a high of more than 11-hundred at the beginning of the month.
Fifteen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves a broader region, reports 57 patients with COVID-19, down from a recent high of 78 last week. Fifteen of those 57 patients are in the ICU.
More than 61% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and more than 53% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Illinois:

State officials announced more than 21-thousand new COVID cases over the past week -- and 239 additional deaths.
State officials say vaccines are the key to ending the pandemic. To find a COVID vaccination location near you, visit www.vaccines.gov

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

169 people in the region are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by over 30 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at about 17% for the past week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to roughly 6.5%.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all 102 Illinois counties to be “high.” An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

A woman in her 70s was the 186th Champaign County resident to die of COVID.
Public health officials reported 63 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases has fallen to 659. Eighteen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
Over 61% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and over 53% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

171 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by over 30 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at about 16% for the past week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to roughly 6.5%.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all 102 Illinois counties to be “high.” An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 185.
Public health officials reported 72 new COVID-19 cases today (WEDNESDAY). The number of active cases is more than 660 (666). Twenty Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized.
Over 61% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and over 53% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

175 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has dropped by over 25 in the last week.
ICU bed capacity has held steady at about 16% for the past week.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to roughly 6.5%.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all 102 Illinois counties to be “high.” An indoor mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

Two more Champaign County residents have died of COVID, bringing the death toll to 185.
Public health officials reported 82 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is 678. Twenty-one Champaign County residents are hospitalized.
Over 61% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and over 53% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Monday, September 20, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has been below 8% for four days in a row. That’s after the rate held steady at about 8% for over a month. Most regions of Illinois report lower positivity rates, except for Region 5 in southern Illinois.
The region has 17% of intensive care unit beds available… That’s up from a low of 15% a week ago … but down from a high of 21% two weeks ago.
And the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 has been falling over the past few days, and is now at 177. But there were fewer than 30 hospitalized in Region 6 two months ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all 102 Illinois counties to be “high.” A statewide mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

53.38% of the county’s total population is vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s slightly below the state average.
Carle Hospital in Urbana is reporting 66 patients are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 – down from 72 a week ago. 15 COVID patients are in the ICU.

In Illinois:

State health officials announced nearly 22-hundred (2,198) new cases of COVID-19 yesterday (Monday) – and 16 additional deaths statewide.

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

200 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has increased by 35 over the last month.
ICU bed capacity has dropped to 16% -- down from 22% a month ago.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at almost 8% over the past month.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in Champaign County and all surrounding counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

In Champaign County:

Public health officials reported 37 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is 817. The number of Champaign County residents who are hospitalized is at 17.
The countywide death toll remains at 182.
Over 60% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and over 53% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6, which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at almost 8% for the past month.
ICU bed capacity is down to 15% -- from 20% a month ago.
203 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all of Illinois' 102 counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll has increased to 182.
Public health officials reported 51 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is now 843.
60% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 53% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19 – which tracks with the state average.

Friday, September 10, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at about 8% for about a month now – up from a low of 1% at the start of July.
The region has 18% of intensive care unit beds available -- down from about 40% two months ago.
The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 has been hovering just below 200 for the past week. That’s a 10-fold increase compared to two months ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all 102 Illinois counties to be “high.” A statewide mask mandate is in effect.

In Champaign County:

The death toll rose to 178 – following the deaths of two additional county residents: a male in his 60s and female in her 70s.
About 60 percent of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and about 52% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s slightly below the state average.
Carle Hospital in Urbana is reporting 79 patients are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 – that’s up from a low of nine hospitalizations in early July. 22 COVID patients are in the ICU.

In Illinois:

State health officials announced 26,062 new cases of COVID-19 over the past week -- and 197 additional deaths statewide.
The number of new cases and deaths due to COVID-19 has held about steady since late August – following a resurgence that began in mid-July.

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6, which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at almost 8% for the past month.
ICU bed capacity is down to 19% -- from 30% a month ago.
191 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19 -- more than twice as many as a month ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all of Illinois' 102 counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 176.
Public health officials reported 41 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is now 1,065.
59% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and just over 52% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19 – which tracks with the state average.

Friday, September 3, 2021

Pritzker extends shot deadline; CTA workers must get shots

CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike are giving people in high-risk settings another two weeks to receive an initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. They announced Friday that all health care workers including nursing home employees, all education teachers and staff from kindergarten through college and higher education students are now be required to receive an initial dose of the vaccine by Sept. 19. They say the extension came at the request of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association and leaders of education groups. Meanwhile, the Chicago Transit Authority says all of its employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 25. - Associated Press

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6, which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at about 8% for the past three weeks.
ICU bed capacity been hovering at just under 20% -- down from about 30% a month ago.
And the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 has held steady at about 190 for the past week. That’s a two-fold increase compared to a month ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all 102 Illinois counties to be “high.” A statewide mask mandate took effect on Monday.

In Champaign County:

Public health officials reported 174 new COVID-19 cases Friday. The number of active cases now stands at 1,183 -- that's a nearly 3-fold increase compared to last month. The county’s death toll from the virus remains at 176.
About 60% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and about 52% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19. That tracks closely with the state average.
Carle Hospital in Urbana is reporting 68 patients are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 – that’s up from a low of 9 hospitalizations in early July. Eleven COVID patients are in the ICU.

In Illinois:

State health officials announced more than 30-thousand (30,319) new cases of COVID-19 over the past week and 178 additional deaths statewide.
The daily number of new cases and deaths due to COVID-19 has been steadily rising since mid-July.

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6, which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at almost 8% for the past two weeks.
ICU bed capacity is down to 18% -- from 31% a month ago.
191 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19 -- more than twice as many as a month ago.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all of Illinois' 102 counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

In Champaign County:

The countywide death toll remains at 176.
Public health officials reported 104 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is now 1,091, the most since mid-December of last year.
59% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and just over 52% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19 – which tracks with the state average.

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

State: 26 Illinois schools report COVID-19 outbreaks

CHICAGO — More than 25 Illinois schools are reporting COVID-19 outbreaks, mostly in districts that are complying with Gov. J.B. Pritzker's school mask executive order. The Illinois Department of Public Health on Tuesday identified 26 schools with COVID-19 outbreaks. The outbreaks include those that have been identified by the school's local health department to have at least two COVID-19 cases among people who may have a shared exposure on school grounds and come from different households. Most of the schools reported fewer than five cases. Carlyle School District 1 east of St. Louis, Missouri, which is on the state's list of school districts refusing to comply with the indoor mask mandate, reported 16 or more. - Associated Press

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6, which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at about 8% for the past two weeks.
ICU bed capacity is down to 18% -- from 32% a month ago.
188 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19 -- a roughly 3-fold increase over the past month.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all of Illinois' 102 counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

In Champaign County:

An additional Champaign County resident has died of COVID, bringing the countywide death toll to 175.
Public health officials reported 49 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is now 912.
59% of the county’s vaccine eligible population and just over 51% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19 – which tracks with the state average.

Sunday, August 29, 2021

Here's the latest regarding COVID-19 in Champaign County:

Public health officials reported nearly 200 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend. Almost 1,000 Champaign residents are actively fighting the virus – that’s compared to about 40 earlier this summer.
The countywide death toll stands at 174.
59% of the county’s vaccine eligible population and just over 51% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s compared to nearly 53% of the statewide population.

The statewide indoor mask mandate – issued by Governor Pritzker last week – goes into effect tomorrow.

Friday, August 27, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6, which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has held steady at about 8% for the past two weeks.
ICU bed capacity has been hovering at about 20% -- down from 30% a month ago.
176 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19 -- a roughly 3-fold increase over the past month.
A statewide indoor mask mandate in Illinois takes effect Monday – and affects everyone older than two, regardless of vaccination status
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in all of Illinois' 102 counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

In Champaign County:

Public health officials reported 124 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is now 946 -- that's about 100 more than last week.
The countywide death toll stands at 174.
59% of the county’s vaccine eligible population and just over 51% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19 – which tracks with the state average.

State health officials announced more than 25,000 new cases of COVID-19 over the past week -- and 174 additional deaths statewide. The number of new cases and deaths due to COVID-19 have been steadily rising since early July.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has almost doubled over the past month to 8.2%.
ICU bed capacity has dropped to 21% -- down from 30% a month ago.
170 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has more than tripled over the past month.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in Champaign County and all surrounding counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

In Champaign County:

Another Champaign County resident has died of COVID, bringing the county’s death toll to 174.
Public health officials reported 47 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is 886. The number of Champaign County residents who are hospitalized is at 27, which is the highest number hospitalized since early February.
58.9% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and over 51% of the total population are vaccinated against COVID-19. The state overall has a vaccination rate of over 52%.

In Region 6:

Governor JB Pritzker's office says there are only 15 open ICU beds in Region 6 as of Thursday at 2pm.
Availability is shrinking due to the continued surge in patients being hospitalized with COVID 19.
Region 6 covers 21 counties, includding 4 hospitals, and the VA hospital in Danville.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has almost doubled over the past month to 8.2%.
I-C-U bed capacity has dropped to 21% -- down from 30% a month ago.
And 170 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has more than tripled over the past month.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in Champaign County and all surrounding counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

In Champaign County:

Another Champaign County resident has died of COVID, bringing the county’s death toll to 173.
Public health officials also reported 131 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases has past 900 (909), the first time since mid-December.
58.8% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and over 51% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19. The state overall has a vaccination rate of over 52%.

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6 -- which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has more than doubled over the past month to 8.3%.
I-C-U bed capacity has dropped to 22% -- down from 31% last month.
And 168 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19. That number has more than tripled over the past month.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in Champaign County and all surrounding counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

In Champaign County:

Three more Champaign County residents have died of COVID, bringing the county’s death toll to 172.
Public health officials also reported 51 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases now stands at 778.
58.7% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and over 51% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19. The state overall has a vaccination rate of over 52%.

Monday, August 23, 2021

US Regulators Give Full Approval To Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

WASHINGTON — The U.S. has given full approval to the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer. The Food and Drug Administration's decision on Monday may help lift public confidence in vaccinations as the nation battles the most contagious coronavirus mutant yet. The FDA has never before had so much evidence to judge a shot's safety. More than 200 million doses already have been administered in the U.S. since emergency use began in December. The decision could push some vaccine holdouts toward getting the shots. And it could spur more vaccine mandates by companies, universities and local governments. - Associated Press

Sunday, August 22, 2021

In Champaign County:

Another Champaign County resident has died of COVID, bringing the county’s death toll to 169.
Public health officials also reported 180 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend. The number of active cases now totals 886.
58% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 51% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19. The state overall has a vaccination rate of 52%.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign added 8 more positive cases out of 1,267 tests on Saturday.

Friday, August 20, 2021

Here’s the latest regarding COVID-19 in Illinois’ Region 6, which includes 21 counties in east-central Illinois:

The COVID-19 test positivity rate has more than doubled over the past month to 8%.
ICU bed capacity has dropped to 21% -- down from 32% last month.
168 people in the region are now hospitalized for COVID-19 -- a roughly 5-fold increase over the past month.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in Champaign County and all surrounding counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

In Champaign County:

Public health officials reported 89 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is now 847 -- that's a 5-fold increase over the past month.
Three additional county residents have died from the virus – bringing the death toll to 168.
58% of the county’s vaccine eligible population and just over half of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19 – which tracks with the state average.

State health officials announced 24,682 new cases of COVID-19 over the past week -- and 126 additional deaths statewide. The number of new cases and deaths due to COVID-19 have been steadily rising since early July.

Sunday, August 15, 2021

$10M Program To Will Aid Illinois Tourism's COVID-19 Rebound

SPRINGFIELD — Federal pandemic-relief money will be funneled into a $10 million grants program to aid Illinois tourism's rebound. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity says the grants will be handed out to organizations which are starting or enhancing tourism attractions or festivals planned for this year or next. The money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, doled out to states to help them recover from the economic damage wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. - Associated Press

Saturday, August 14, 2021

Today in Champaign County:

46% of all county residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That accounts for 57.8% of everyone in Champaign County who is eligible to be vaccinated, which includes people age 12 and older. Vaccination rates have risen 2.8 percentage points over the past month.
21 Champaign County residents were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of August 14, up from a low of five hospitalizations a month ago.
Champaign County officials reported 79 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, August 14. The number of active cases in the county is up to 808, up from 617 a week earlier.
Champaign County’s total death total from the coronavirus remains at 164.
The federal CDC rates viral transmission levels as “high” in 94 of Illinois’ 102 counties, including Champaign County and counties adjacent to it. Transmission rates are “substantial” in six counties: Peoria, Henry, Bureau, Whiteside, Lee and Ogle. Viral transmission is “moderate” in Putnam County and “low” in Henderson County. The CDC recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces in counties with “substantial” or “high” transmission rates.

In Macon County:

Officials from Macon County’s two hospitals and its public health department are imploring the public to get vaccinated and take other basic precautions, in order to curb rising rates of COVID-19. At a Friday news conference, Decatur Memorial Hospital CEO Drew Early said the number of people with COVID-19 in Macon County is back up to what it was last fall. As of Friday, August 13, Macon County reported 489 COVID-19 patients in home isolation, and 21 who were hospitalized. 286 additional people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past week. Macon County Public Health Administrator Brandi Binkley said just 38% of Macon County residents are vaccinated against COVID-19. For children aged 12-17, who are eligible to be vaccinated, the rate is even lower, at 21%.

In Illinois:

State health officials reported 3,479 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, August 14. The number of daily cases have been gradually increasing since early July. Friday’s cases are the second highest number reported in 90 days, surpassed only by the 3,933 reported on August 11.

Thursday, Aug. 13, 2021

Today in Champaign County:

Half of all residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That accounts for about 58% of everyone who’s eligible, which includes people 12 and older.
Vaccination rates have risen only 2 percentage points over the past month. County metrics track with the state average.
21 county residents are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 – up from a low of two hospitalizations a month ago.
County officials reported 93 new cases. The number of active cases is up to 782 -- a roughly 30 percent increase compared to a week ago.
The county’s death toll from the virus remains at 164.
The CDC considers the level of viral transmission in nearly all of Illinois' 102 counties to be “substantial” or “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.
Over the past week, state health officials reported 21,334 new cases of COVID-19 statewide -- and 92 additional deaths.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Today in Champaign County:

57.6% of the county’s vaccine eligible population and 50.28% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19. The increase in vaccinations has slowed to a one percentage point increase every two weeks. The state of Illinois overall has a vaccination rate of 51.06%.
The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized for COVID-19 is still 19.
Champaign County officials reported 90 new cases today — the biggest one day increase since February. The number of active cases is up to 716.
The county’s death toll from the virus remains at 162.
And the CDC considers the level of viral transmission in Champaign County and all surrounding counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

Today in Illinois:

State health officials reported more than 39-hundred new cases of COVID-19. That’s the highest number of cases in one day in Illinois since the more than 4-thousand cases reported April 9th, during the third wave of the virus.
There have been nine more deaths from the virus, state-wide.
The CDC considers 89 of Illinois’ 102 counties to be at “high” viral transmission. Ten are classified as “substantial.” Mask-wearing is recommended in all indoor public spaces for these combined 99 counties. The remaining three --- Henderson, Lee and Putman --- are considered to have “moderate” or “low” transmission.

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Today in Champaign County:

57 percent of the county’s vaccine eligible population and just over 50 percent of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19 — that’s about a one percentage point increase over the past two weeks. The state has an overall vaccination rate of 52 percent.
The number of county residents hospitalized for the virus remains at 19.
County officials reported 54 new cases today. The number of active cases is up to 675 -- a 140 percent increase compared to case numbers two weeks ago.
The county’s death toll from the virus remains at 162.
Yesterday, Carle Hospital in Urbana reported 50 total patients are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, the highest number since early February. Nine of those 50 patients are in the ICU.
And the CDC considers the level of viral transmission in Champaign County and all surrounding counties to be “high” -- and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

Today in Illinois:

State health officials reported more than 2900 new cases of COVID-19.
There have been 10 more deaths from the virus, state-wide.
The CDC considers only three of Illinois’ 102 counties to be at “moderate” or “low” viral transmission. The vast majority are classified as “high” or “substantial.”

Monday, August 9, 2021

Today in Champaign County:

57.1% of the county’s vaccine eligible population and 49.89% of the total population is vaccinated against COVID-19. The state overall has a vaccination rate of 51%.
The number of COVID hospitalizations is 19, close to nine times what it was a month ago.
County officials reported 75 new cases. The number of active cases is up to 642 -- a 50 percent increase compared to a week ago.
The county’s death toll from the virus remains at 162.
And the CDC considers the level of viral transmission in Champaign County and all surrounding counties to be “high” — and recommends mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces.

Today in Illinois:

State health officials reported more than 2500 new cases of COVID-19.
There have been 6 more deaths from the virus, state-wide.
The CDC considers only three of Illinois’ 102 counties to be at “moderate” or “low” viral transmission. The vast majority are classified as “high” or “substantial.”

Thursday, August 5, 2021

Public health officials report 86 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County, the most since April 14th. The number of active cases now sits at 511 -- that’s the highest total since late February. Nineteen Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized with the virus. The death toll in the county remains at 160. The University of Illinois reported 7 new cases of COVID-19 out of 935 tests conducted on Wednesday.

The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Champaign County sits 212,628. 104,130 people have been fully vaccinated in Champaign County. That’s 56.8% percent of the vaccine-eligible population, and 49.6% percent of the total population.

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced universal mask mandates in schools and long term care facilities as well as a vaccination requirement for many state employees as a result of the rising COVID-19 cases and the spread of the more contagious Delta variant.

Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health Director, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, explained that wearing masks is a key way to slow transmission of the virus, but both also stressed that getting vaccinated is the best protection from COVID-19.

State health officials report 353 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Champaign County yesterday, which brings the seven-day average number of vaccinations administered to 332 doses.

The total number of people fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in Champaign County has surpassed 104-thousand. Currently, 56.8% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 49.6% of the county’s entire population are fully vaccinated.

Champaign County health officials reported 52 new COVID-19 cases today. There are now 448 active cases in Champaign County, and the county’s death toll from the virus remains at 160. There are now 19 county residents hospitalized with COVID-19, up 1 from yesterday.

The University of Illinois reported eight new cases of COVID-19 from testing conducted Tuesday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 26,667 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered statewide yesterday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is currently more than 28,180 doses.

State officials also announced 2,682 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 8 more confirmed deaths.

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

The Illinois Department of Public Health reports 271 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Champaign County Monday, keeping the seven-day rolling average of vaccinations administered to 338 doses a day.

The total number of people fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in Champaign County is 103,968. Currently, 56.7% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 49.53% of the county’s entire population are fully vaccinated.

Champaign County health officials reported 40 new COVID-19 cases today. The county’s death toll from the coronavirus is up to 160, and there are now 430 active cases in Champaign County, 10 times higher than the county’s lowest case count a month ago in late June. There are now 18 county residents hospitalized with COVID-19, up 5 from Monday.

The University of Illinois reported five new cases of COVID-19 from testing conducted Monday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 19,830 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered statewide Monday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is currently 28,250 doses.

State officials also announced 2,682 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 8 more confirmed deaths.

Monday, August 2, 2021

State officials reported 162 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Champaign County yesterday, bringing the seven-day rolling average of vaccinations administered to 338 doses a day.

The total number of people fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in Champaign County is 103,874. Currently, 56.7% of the county’s vaccine-eligible population and 49.48% of the county’s entire population are fully vaccinated.

Champaign County health officials reported 45 new COVID-19 cases today, and one additional death, bringing county’s death toll from the coronavirus to 160. There are 415 active cases in Champaign County, the highest number since early May. There are 13 county residents hospitalized with COVID-19, unchanged from yesterday.

Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves a broader region, reported that there are now 54 patients hospitalized for the virus, up 15 from last week’s report and the highest number of hospitalizations since early May. Ten of those patients are in the ICU.

The University of Illinois reported no new cases of COVID-19 from testing conducted yesterday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 13,706 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered statewide yesterday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is currently 27,396 doses a day.

State officials also announced 1687 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as three more confirmed deaths across the state.

Masks Required In Champaign And Urbana City Facilities

August 2, 10:14 a.m. - As of today, the city of Champaign joins Urbana in requiring all visitors and employees inside city facilities to wear a mask or face covering. That includes people who are vaccinated. The change follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisement that people wear masks indoors. Just last week, the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 was reported in Champaign County. The same policy is in effect in all state of Illinois facilities and on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. - Reginald Hardwick, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Average For Positive COVID Tests Remains Below 1%

June 13, 4:20 p.m. — The number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois is continuing to drop with the state's seven-day positivity rate on all tests remaining under 1%. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 298 new and confirmed cases on Sunday, along with 11 new deaths. At the same time, more than half of the state's adult population has been fully vaccinated. Overall, Illinois has logged more than 1.3 million infections. The death toll from the coronavirus is 23,061. - Associated Press

Statewide COVID-19 Rates Continue To Fall On Saturday

June 12, 3:35 p.m. - 268 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Illinois Saturday. That number marks the second time this week that the Illinois Department of Public Health has reported a daily coronavirus case count below 300. Previous daily case counts below 300 occurred at the very start of the pandemic, in March 2020.

15 additional COVID-related deaths were reported Saturday.

Illinois’ seven-day test positivity rate fell below one percent Saturday, to 0.9%. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

Champaign County reported six new COVID-19 cases Saturday, and one new death for a total of 153 COVID-related deaths in the county. The number of active COVID-19 cases in Champaign County has fallen to 95.

The University of Illinois reported one new COVID-19 case on its Urbana campus on Friday.

IDPH says 52% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and almost 69% have received at least one vaccine dose.

In Champaign County, 93,330 county residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s 50.9% of vaccine-eligible county residents, and 44.46% of the county’s total population.

Champaign County Posts Lowest Active Case Total In Nearly A Year

June 12, 1:16 p.m. - For the second straight day, Champaign County's active case total stayed below 100. The number of active COVID-19 cases in the county has continued to decline since May 29th. This comes just a day after Illinois lifted all capacity limits on bars, restaurants, businesses and other venues.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District reported that over 750 doses of vaccines were administered on Friday, bringing the percentage of eligible people that have been fully vaccinated to 50.9%. The CDC reports that over 53% of all adults in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated. - Tristen Kissack, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Lifting Capacity Limits For Businesses

June 10, 8:24 p.m. - Illinois is lifting all capacity limits on bars, restaurants, businesses and other venues Friday, nearly 15 months after the first stay-at-home order during the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses still can have their own rules for capacity, masks and social distancing. Masks are still required on public transportation and in airports, schools and hospitals. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday that “as we take this next step forward, let’s do so with a renewed commitment to empathy, to community, and to making each day together count.” State health officials say more than 68% of Illinois residents who are 18 or older have received at least one dose of vaccine against the coronavirus, and 51% of adults are fully vaccinated. - Associated Press

More Than Half Of Illinois Adults Have Received COVID-19 Vaccine

June 7, 3:00 p.m. - Public health officials say nearly 70 percent of adults in Illinois have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. The state also says there are 244 new coronavirus cases. Fourteen additional Illinois residents have lost their lives to COVID, bringing the state’s death toll to just under 23,000. Champaign County reported today that a man in his 50s is the 150^th person to die from the coronavirus. As of Monday, there are 114 active cases in the county, and 15 people hospitalized. The Champaign Urbana Public Health District says nearly 50 percent of people eligible for the vaccine in Champaign County have been fully immunized. - Reginald Hardwick/Illinois Newsroom

Champaign County Reports New COVID-19 Death

June 6, 12:50 p.m. - Champaign County is reporting a new death from COVID-19. The public health department says a man in his 80’s is the 149th person to die from the illness. There are 122 active cases in Champaign county right now. 90,483 people in the county have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Statewide, health officials reported 880 new cases over the weekend. Sixty-nine Illinoisans lost their lives, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 22,949. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 51 percent of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated. - Reginald Hardwick, Illinois Newsroom

Champaign City Offices Reopen Today

June 1, 12:00 a.m. - For the first time in more than a year, city facilities in Champaign will reopen to the public on Tuesday, June 1. The hours are as follows:

Police Station: 7 Days/Week 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
City Building: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Public Works: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Fire Station 1-Administration: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

The city is requiring people to wear a mask while requesting in person customer service. If you do not want to wear a mask, you can still access the city of Champaign on the phone or online. The city of Champaign began limiting access to city facilities on March 13, 2020 when COVID-19 cases were spiking in Illinois and across America. - Reginald Hardwick, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Sees Lowest Daily COVID Case Count In Nearly A Year

May 31 9:20 p.m. — The daily COVID-19 case count in Illinois has dropped to 521, which is the lowest point in nearly one year. Illinois Department of Public Health data show the state reported 462 cases on June 22 of last year. Still, public health officials on Monday reported 33 additional deaths the same day. They've previously said that weekend case counts are generally lower. The news comes as more than half of Illinois adults have been fully vaccinated. Overall, Illinois has reported more than 1.3 million cases and 22,827 COVID-19 deaths. - Associated Press

More Than Half Of Illinois Adults Fully Vaccinated For COVID

May 30 2:18 p.m. — More than half of Illinois adults have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. The Illinois Department of Public Health says about 67% of all adults have received at least one vaccine dose. The number of coronavirus cases has been declining in the state. Health officials on Sunday reported 602 new coronavirus cases and 18 additional deaths. The seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test is 1.7%. State officials are making vaccines available to Memorial Day weekend travelers throughout the state, including a vaccine clinic at Union Station in Chicago. - Associated Press

Just One New COVID-19 Case In Champaign County Thursday

May 28 3:40 a.m. -- Champaign County reported a single new COVID-19 case Thursday. The number of active cases has fallen to 190, the lowest number since last August. 13 county residents are currently hospitalized with the virus.

Illinois Public Health officials say there were 891 new COVID-19 cases statewide, and 42 COVID-related deaths. Those include fatalities in DeWitt and Vermilion Counties. Illinois’ seven-day case positivity rate has fallen to 1.9%.

66%of Illinois adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while more than 49% are fully vaccinated.

In Champaign County, the percentage of vaccine-eligible county residents who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as of Thursday is at 47.6%. When all county residents are included, the vaccination rate is 41.61%. (County vaccination figures corrected 5/28/21 from incorrect higher rates posted earlier) - Jim Meadows. Illinois Newsroom

Mask Requirements Loosened In Illinois Courthouses

May 28 3:35 a.m. -- People who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 will no longer have to wear face masks in Illinois courthouses … and temperature checks will no longer be required. The Illinois Supreme Court says it’s changing its mask requirements in keeping with recent C-D-C guidance. However, people who have not been vaccinated must still wear a mask. And local jurisdictions may impose more stringent guidelines. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

Vermilion County Plans Vaccination Clinics

May 28, 3:30 a.m. -- The Vermilion County Health Department is holding vaccination clinics next week for the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines. Illinois National Guard personnel will help with the clinics, which are set for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, June 2-4, at the health department office, at 200 South College Street in Danville. People can register for the clinics at www.vchd.org, or by calling 431-2662, ext. 263 or 264.

Thursday COVID Figures Include Five Deaths In East-Central Illinois

May 21, 12:20 a.m. - State public health officials reported 1,542 new COVID-19 cases Thursday and 42 additional deaths. Those include two fatalities in DeWitt County, and one each in Coles, Macon and Vermilion Counties. The seven-day case positivity rate for the state is at 2.2% --- compared to 2.5% a week ago.

Champaign County reported 24 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, and 273 active cases. Seven county residents are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus.

45% of vaccine-eligible people in Champaign County are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Statewide, 47% of Illinois adults have been fully vaccinated … and 64% have received at least one vaccine dose.

Two new COVID-19 cases were reported on the University of Illinois Urbana campus Wednesday. The seven-day positivity rate on campus is at 0.08%. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

Urbana Park District Announces “Bridge Phase” Policies

May 18, 2:42 p.m. -- The Urbana Park District has loosened its COVID-19 safety guidelines, now that Illinois has moved to the Tier Four Bridge Phase.

More people will be allowed inside park district buildings, and temperature checks are no longer required to enter. However, face masks are still required inside park district facilities.

At Crystal Lake Park Family Aquatic Center, people can once again come to the pool on a first come, first served basis. The locker room has reopened, but people are encouraged to change and shower at home. The pool can once again be rented for parties, as can the Lake House at Crystal Lake Park.

The Anita Purves Nature Center will be open for public visits of up to 15 at a time, on Saturday and Sundays from June 5 to August 15. Day camps will start at 50 percent capacity, with the possibility of increased capacity later in the summer.

More details can be found on the Urbana Park District website. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

Vaccine Clinic For 12+ Planned In Decatur On Wednesday

May 18, 2:40 p.m. - The Macon County Health Department has scheduled a Pfizer vaccination clinic for people aged 12 and up on Wednesday, May 19. The clinic will be held from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 – 3:30 p.m., at the health department office at 1221 East Condit Street in Decatur. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Others should bring a photo I.D. or insurance card, if possible. The second dose of the vaccine will be administered on June 9^th. Walk-ins are welcome, or appointments can be made online at 5/19 Pfizer First Dose 12+ (juvare.com) -- Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

COVID-19 Positivity Rates Continue To Fall

May 18, 2:35 p.m. - 29 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Champaign County on Tuesday. The number of active cases rose to 267, with hospitalizations falling to eight. The county’s seven-day average test positivity rate, excluding data from the University of Illinois, is 2.6%.

44.8% of Champaign County’s vaccine-eligible population, and 39.10% of its total population, has been fully immunized against COVID-19.

The University of Illinois reported five new COVID-19 cases on its Urbana campus Monday. That brings the total number since the start of the spring 2021 semester to 1,863. By comparison, the fall 2020 semester (including the winter break that followed) saw 4,897 cases. The campus’ seven-day average positivity rate is at .06%.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,495 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday. 21 deaths were reported, including two women in Coles County, one in her 60s and the other in her 80s. Illinois’ seven-day case positivity rate continues to fall, at 2.3%. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

City Of Urbana And University Of Illinois Campus Update Mask Guidance

May 14, 5:10 p.m. - Both the City of Urbana and the University of Illinois have announced changes to their mask policies after updated guidance was released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday. In Urbana, face coverings are no longer required for anyone in public places, including businesses and all outdoor spaces. However, businesses may set their own safety protocols if they wish.

At the U of I campus, fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear masks or practice social distancing at most indoor locations and outdoors. According to the university, the new guidance will be enforced on the honor system and students, faculty and staff that participate in on-campus activities are still required to get tested regularly for COVID-19.

Champaign County health officials announced 29 new COVID-19 cases today. There are currently 283 active cases within the county and 11 residents are hospitalized. The county’s seven-day average test positivity rate, excluding data from the University of Illinois, is 2.9%.

44% of Champaign County’s eligible population and 38% of its total population has been fully immunized.

Two new COVID-19 cases were detected on the University of Illinois campus yesterday. That brings the semester-total to more than 1,800 cases. By comparison, last semester saw nearly 4,900 cases. The campus’ seven-day average positivity rate is .03%.

Illinois state health officials announced more than 1,800 additional coronavirus cases today and 49 more deaths. The state’s seven-day average case positivity rate is 2.5%. - Dana Cronin, Illinois Newsroom

12-To-15-Year-Olds Become Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccine

May 13, 11:15 p.m. - COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Illinois began offering the 2-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to young people ages 12 to 15 for the first time Thursday, one day after federal authorities gave their approval.

In Champaign County, the extension of vaccines to the 12-to-15 group caused a change in the percentage of vaccine-eligible people who have been fully vaccinated. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District reported that the addition of those in the younger age group caused the percentage to go down, from 45.6% on Wednesday to 43.3% on Thursday.

Several vaccine clinics in Champaign County offer the Pfizer vaccine, according to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. Those include:

The Carle vaccine clinic at Kohl's Plaza, 1901 N Market Street in Champaign. First-dose appointments take place on Friday through Monday. Call (217) 902-6100 to schedule an appointment or use mycarle.com .

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, 201 W. Kenyon Road, Champaign. Walk-ins are welcome on Fridays from 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM. Call (217) 531-5365 for more information, and to get help for those with special needs or disabilities.

Promise Healthcare, 819 Bloomington Road, Champaign. To register, call (217) 403-5402. Individuals will need to register as a patient.

Area pharmacies. Visit www.vaccinefinder.org for information about vaccination appointments.

Parkland College, Champaign. Walgreens will administer vaccinations from a tent in the M-4 Parking Lot. The next clinic is Thursday, May 20 from 3 to 7 PM. Walk-ins are welcome.

The clinics are open to people who live or work in Champaign County. Parental consent is required to vaccinate those under 18. While the Pfizer vaccine is available to those as young as 12, the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine is only for those ages 18 and up. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

More Than 1,900 New COVID-19 Cases In Illinois Thursday

May 13, 11:00 p.m. -- State Public Health officials reported more 1,918 new COVID-19 cases in Illinois Thursday. There were 35 deaths reported, including in Coles and Macon County. The state’s seven-day case positivity rate is now down to 2.7%.

Champaign County reported 21 new COVID-19 cases Thursday. There are 285 active cases in the county, with eleven currently hospitalized. 43.3% of Champaign County residents have been vaccinated against the virus. That number is down slightly from Wednesday, due to the addition of 12-to-15-year-olds to the eligible group.

The University of Illinois Urbana campus reported two new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. The daily case rate for the campus has stayed below ten for two and a half weeks, or since April 27^th. -Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

1,741 New COVID-19 Cases Statewide On Sunday

May 9, 9:40 p.m. - 1,741 new COVID-19 cases and 30 COVID-related deaths were reported in Illinois on Sunday by the state Department of Public Health. One of the deaths occurred in Vermilion County. The seven-day case positivity rate is at 2.9%, compared to 3.4% a week ago, and 4.2% a month ago.

Champaign County reported 22 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. The county has 337 active cases of the virus, with 18 hospitalized.

Champaign County reports 36.62% of its total population and 44.5% of its vaccine eligible population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

One new COVID-19 case was reported on Saturday at the University of Illinois Urbana campus, out of 2,799 tests conducted.

Vermilion County reported 16 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, including one involving a person who reported they had been fully vaccinated against the virus. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

1 New Champaign County COVID-19 Death, Zero New Campus Cases

May 8, 11 p.m. - Champaign County recorded its 146^th COVID-19 death on Saturday, along with 25 new cases. The number of active cases is declining, now at 372.

The Champaign County COVID death, and one in Macon County, were among the 22 new deaths from the virus reported Saturday by the Illinois Department of Public Health. IDPH reported 1,729 new COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, for the first time in months, the University of Illinois Urbana campus reported no new COVID-19 cases on Friday.

13 Champaign County residents are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. As of Friday night, 2,000 people were hospitalized across Illinois with the virus. That includes 473 in Intensive Care, and 238 on ventilators.

Illinois’ seven-day positivity rates fell to 2.9% for cases and 3.6% for tests. A week ago, on May 1, the rates were at 3.5%/4.1%.

88,753 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in Illinois on Friday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered statewide is currently 87,494. In Champaign County, those fully vaccinated make up 36.05% of the total population, and 43.08% of the vaccine-eligible population. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce Over 3-Thousand New Cases Of COVID-19

May 7, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 3,321 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 36 new deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 30 through May 6 was 3.1% - down slightly from this time last week.

State officials are also reporting 73,526 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Thursday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 65,750 doses.

There are currently 1,977 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 464 of them are in the ICU and 239 of them are on ventilators. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce Over 17-Hundred New Cases Of COVID-19

May 6, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 1,778 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 40 new deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 29 through May 5 was 3.0% - down from 3.5% this time last week.

State officials are also reporting 99,599 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Wednesday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 70,063 doses.

There are currently 2,055 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 483 of them are in the ICU and 243 of them are on ventilators. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce Over 2,000 New Cases Of COVID-19

May 4, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 2,211 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 19 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 27 through May 3 was 3.4%, down slightly from this time last week.

State officials are also reporting 40,361 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Monday, however, this number is excluding data from Walgreens, Albertsons and CVS due to a national outage in the pharmacies system. The missing doses will be shown in a future report. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 72,613 doses.

There are currently 2,074 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 493 of them are in the ICU and 262 of them are on ventilators. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Officials Say Illinois Approaching 10M COVID-19 Vaccines

May 2, 4:20 p.m. — Illinois health officials say the state is nearing 10 million COVID-19 vaccines. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Sunday that Illinois has roughly 11.8 million vaccines on hand, of which more than 9.3 million have been administered. Meanwhile, the state logged another 1,860 new confirmed and probable infections and 27 more COVID-19 deaths. Overall, Illinois has totaled more than 1.3 million cases and 22,019 deaths. With COVID-19 cases declining, some restrictions are easing. That includes Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot saying some sports fans will be allowed to return to the United Center for the first time in more than a year. - Associated Press

Illinois Officials Announce Over 3,000 New Cases Of COVID-19

April 30, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 3,207 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 33 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 23 through April 29 was 3.4%, down slightly from this time last week.

State officials are also reporting 103,717 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Thursday. The seven-day average of vaccines administered is currently 92,747 doses.

There are currently 2,024 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 475 of them are in the ICU and 235 of them are on ventilators. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce Over 3,000 New Cases Of COVID-19

April 29, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 3,394 new cases of COVID-9 today, as well as 38 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 22 through April 28 was 3.5%, down slightly from 3.8% this time last week.

State officials are also reporting 107,689 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Wednesday. The seven-day average of vaccines administered is currently 97,434 doses.

There are currently 2,115 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 475 of them are in the ICU and 231 of them are on ventilators. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce Over 2,000 New Cases Of COVID-19

April 27, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 2,556 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 23 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 20 through 26 was 3.5%, down slightly from 3.8% this time last week.

State officials are also reporting 81,152 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Monday. The seven-day average of vaccines administered is currently 105,757 doses.

There are currently 2,180 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 502 of them are in the ICU and 251 of them are on ventilators. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Reports 2,035 New COVID Cases, Resumes J&J Vaccine

April 25, 1:32 p.m. — Illinois health officials on Sunday reported 2,035 new cases of COVID-19 including 24 new deaths. The preliminary statewide positivity rate for the past week, as a percentage of total tests, is 3.5%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The department announced late Friday that Illinois is resuming use of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot coronavirus vaccine, after U.S. health officials lifted an 11-day pause on the vaccinations. The change came after scientific advisers decided the vaccine's benefits outweigh a rare risk of blood clot. - Associated Press

Illinois Officials Announce 3,369 New Cases of COVID-19

April 23, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 3,369 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 22 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 16 through April 22 was 3.6%, down from 4.2% this time last week.

There are currently 2,112 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 506 of them are in the ICU and 230 of them are on ventilators.

State officials are also reporting 136,525 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Thursday. The seven-day average of vaccines administered is currently 118,741 doses. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce 3,170 New Cases Of COVID-19

April 22, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 3,170 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 33 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 15 through April 21 was 3.8%, down from 4.2% this time last week.

There are currently 2,147 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 511 of them are in the ICU and 238 of them are on ventilators.

State officials are also reporting 131,411 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Wednesday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 123,078 doses. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce 2,587 New Cases of COVID-19

April 20, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 2,587 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 9 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 13 through 19 was 3.8% - down from 4.3% this time last week.

There are currently 2,288 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 522 of them are in the ICU and 223 of them are on ventilators.

State officials are also reporting 81,963 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Monday; however, this number excludes data from Walgreens, which will be included tomorrow. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 122,531 doses. - Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Half of US Adults Have Received At Least One COVID-19 Shot

April 18, 4:41 p.m. — Half of all adults in the U.S. have now received at least one COVID-19 shot. That's according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The announcement on Sunday marks another milestone in the nation's largest-ever vaccination campaign. It also leaves more work to do to convince skeptical Americans to roll up their sleeves. The CDC says almost 130 million people 18 or older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, or 50.4% of the total adult population. Almost 84 million people adults, or about 32.5% of that population, have been fully vaccinated. - Associated Press

Illinois Administers More Than 8M COVID-19 Vaccinations

April 18, 2:33 p.m. — State health officials say more than 8 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Illinois. The state's Department of Public Health said Sunday that the seven-day average of daily shots is just over 125,000. The news comes as the state on Sunday added 2,666 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease and logged 10 additional deaths. Illinois has reported 21,663 deaths from COVID-19 with more than 1.3 million infections overall. Starting Monday, all Chicago residents age 16 and older are eligible for vaccines. Illinois has already expanded vaccine eligibility. - Associated Press

Worldwide COVID-19 Death Toll Tops A Staggering 3 Million

April 17, 11:54 a.m. — The global death toll from the coronavirus has topped a staggering 3 million people. The milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, comes amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in places such as Brazil, India and France. The toll is about equal to the population of Kyiv, Ukraine; Caracas, Venezuela; or metropolitan Lisbon, Portugal. It is bigger than Chicago (2.7 million) and equivalent to Philadelphia and Dallas combined. - Associated Press

Illinois Officials Announce 3,866 New Cases of COVID-19

April 16, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 3,866 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 21 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 9 through April 15 was 4.2%, the same as this time last week.

There are currently 2,058 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 468 of them are in the ICU and 205 of them are on ventilators.

State officials are also reporting 166,885 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Wednesday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 129,664 doses. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce 3,581 New Cases of COVID-19

April 15, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 3,581 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 40 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 8 through April 14 was 4.2%, the same as this time last week.

There are currently 2,043 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 468 of them are in the ICU and 190 of them are on ventilators.

State officials are also reporting 129,755 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Wednesday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 129,317 doses. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Vaccine Delays Not Expected Despite Pause On J&J Vaccine

April 13, 1:45 p.m. – Following recommendations from the FDA and CDC, the Illinois Department of Public Health is asking all vaccine providers in the state to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Health officials in Champaign, Vermilion, Macon, DeWitt and Piatt counties say the vaccine had been used in prior clinics across east-central Illinois, including ones in Farmer City and Clinton earlier this week.

C-U Public Health administrator Julie Pryde said in an email that a large clinic planned for next week has been canceled, but the county will work to transition people to clinics offering the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. A delay in overall vaccine distribution efforts is unlikely, she said, as Moderna and Pfizer make up the vast majority of doses in Illinois.

Federal officials say the move to pause the vaccine is being made out of an abundance of caution after six U.S. reports of a rare and severe type of blood clot. Seven million Johnson & Johnson doses have been administered nationwide. Federal health officials said in a media briefing Tuesday that the pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will allow time to evaluate the situation and educate health care providers on how to recognize, treat and report this extremely rare illness when it arises. People who develop severe headache, abdominal or leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. -- Christine Herman, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce 3,193 New Cases Of COVID-19

April 13, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 3,193 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 17 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 6 through April 12 was 4.3% - up from 3.9% this time last week.

There are currently 2,028 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 466 of them are in the ICU and 185 of them, are on ventilators.

State officials are also reporting 100,729 doses of a COVID-19 were administered in Illinois on Monday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 132,979 doses.

The IDPH is pausing the use of Johnson & Johnson vaccines, per a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as they investigate blood clots found in six women aged between 18 and 48 years old. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

US Recommends 'Pause' For J&J Vaccine Over Clot Reports

April 13, 6:47 a.m. — The U.S. is recommending a "pause" in administration of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots. In a joint statement Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said it was investigating clots in six women in the days after vaccination, in combination with reduced platelet counts. More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S. U.S. federal distribution channels, including mass vaccination sites, will pause the use of the J&J shot, and states and other providers are expected to follow. - Associated Press

Today FDA and @CDCgov issued a statement regarding the Johnson & Johnson #COVID19 vaccine. We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution.

— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) April 13, 2021

COVID-19 Cases, Vaccinations Both Rise

April 12, 2:30 p.m. - Illinois reported 2,433 new COVID-19 cases Monday, including 18 additional deaths. The state’s seven-day case positivity rate is 4.4%, up from 3.8% a week ago. The test positivity rate is 4.9%, compared to 4.5% a week ago.

Champaign County reported 40 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. The number of currently active cases is 399, up by ten from the day before. The number of COVID-19 related deaths in Champaign County remains at 138. The county has gone thirteen days without a COVID-19 death.

12 Champaign County residents are hospitalized with the coronavirus. Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves a larger region, reported 22 COVID-19 patients in its weekly report issued Monday, with six in Intensive Care. For the entire Carle Health system (including hospitals in Olney, Normal, Hoopeston and Eureka), 49 patients were reported hospitalized with COVID-19, with nine of them in intensive care.

The total number of Champaign County residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 surpassed 55,000 over the weekend, and stood at 55,600 as of Monday. That number is 26.49% of Champaign County’s total population, and 32.2% of the vaccine-eligible population.

More than 7.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been delivered to providers in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, with more than 6.3 million administered so far. On a seven-day rolling average, nearly 106,000 Illinois residents are being vaccinated daily. Only 27,248 vaccinations were reported on Sunday, but IDPH says reporting from some providers may be delayed. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom (Updated to correct Carle COVID-19 hospitalizations - JM 4/12/21)

About a third of eligible Champaign County residents fully vaccinated

April 11, 9 p.m. -- The number of Champaign County residents who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 topped 55,000 today. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District says about 26 percent of the county’s total population, and 32 percent of its vaccine-eligible population is now totally vaccinated.

In Champaign County, 82 new COVID-19 cases were reported over the weekend. The number of active COVID-19 cases in Champaign County is 389. Thirteen county residents are currently hospitalized.

Over the weekend, 5,572 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Illinois, along with 29 deaths. The seven-day case positivity rate is 4.2% – up from 3.8% this time last week. -- Christine Herman, Illinois Newsroom

Most of White Sox Traveling Party Gets COVID-19 Vaccine

April 11, 1:19 p.m. — More than 90% of the traveling party for the Chicago White Sox got the COVID-19 vaccine after their home opener, moving the team closer to meeting Major League Baseball's threshold for relaxing some of the protocols put in place for the pandemic. Showing an unusual amount of transparency for the sport, the White Sox announced the step before their series finale against Kansas City. The team says in a release that "virtually the entire" traveling party had received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and general manager Rick Hahn put the number at "well in excess of 90%." - Associated Press

Illinois Officials Announce 4,004 New Cases of COVID-19

April 9, 2:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 4,004 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 21 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 2 through April 8 was 4.2% - up from 3.5% this time last week.

There are currently 1,808 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 369 of them are in the ICU and 153 of them are on ventilators.

State officials are also reporting 164,462 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Thursday – the highest amount ever recorded. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 118,336 doses. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce 3,739 New Cases of COVID-19

April 8, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 3,739 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 34 additional deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from April 1 through April 7 was 4.2% - up from 3.5% this time last week.

There are currently 1,798 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 351 of them are in the ICU and 151 of them are on ventilators.

State officials are also reporting 154,201 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Wednesday – the highest amount ever recorded. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 112,680 doses. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce 2,931 New Cases of COVID-19

April 6, 12:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 2,931 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 13 new deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from March 30 through April 5 was 3.9% – up from 3.4% this time last week.

There are currently 1,648 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 357 of them are in the ICU and 143 of them are on ventilators.

State officials are also reporting 95,188 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Monday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 106,976 doses. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

Vaccinated in Champaign County tops 50,000

April 4, 3:05 p.m. - The number of Champaign County residents who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has topped 50-thousand. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District reported 50,314 vaccinated as of Sunday. The number is 23.97% of the county’s total population of 209,689 people (according to 2019 Census estimates), and 29.1% of the vaccine-eligible population. 73 new COVID-19 cases were announced. Meanwhile, the University of Illinois announced five new COVID-19 cases on the Urbana campus for Saturday.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Champaign County rose for the fifth straight day on Sunday, reaching 399 cases. Ten county residents are currently hospitalized.

2,449 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Illinois Sunday by the Illinois Department of Public Health. 14 additional deaths were reported. The seven-day case positivity rate is at 3.8%, while the test positivity rate is 4.3%. Both numbers are unchanged from Saturday. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois COVID-19 Positivity Rate Continues Increase

April 3, 6:45 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 2,839 new cases of COVID-19 in the state on Saturday, along with 13 deaths from the virus. Illinois’ seven-day positivity rate continues to increase; the case positivity rate is now at 3.8%, and the test rate is 4.3%. Statewide, 1,426 people are reported hospitalized with COVID-19, including 325 in Intensive Care and 132 on ventilators.

Public Health officials reported 35 new COVID-19 cases in Champaign County Saturday, with no additional deaths. The number of active cases in the county is 374, continuing a steady rise in cases over the past four days. Ten county residents are currently hospitalized with the virus. Carle Hospital in Urbana, which serves a multi-county area, reported 18 COVID-19 patients on Friday, including three in Intensive Care.

As of Saturday, the percentage of Champaign County residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 was 28.9% of the vaccine-eligible population, and 23.77% of the total population. - Jim Meadows, Illinois Newsroom

Illinois Officials Announce 3,235 New Cases of COVID-19

April 2, 2:15 p.m. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 3,235 new cases of COVID-19 today, as well as 24 new deaths from the virus. The average seven-day positivity rate from March 26 through April 1 was 3.5% - up from 2.9% this time last week.

There are currently 1,445 people in hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Of those patients, 314 of them are in the ICU and 129 of them are on ventilators.

State officials are also reporting 124,870 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Illinois on Wednesday. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered is currently 108,811 doses. – Jose Zepeda, Illinois Newsroom

TAGS: Archived, COVID-INFO-CENTER

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