January 25 targeted as date for 65+ and frontline essential workers to start receiving vaccine
Information provided by the Governor’s Office
CHICAGO, Ill. (January 15, 2021) – Following a decrease in COVID-19 test positivity rates and hospitalizations throughout Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker announced regions across the state are now eligible to move out of Tier 3 mitigations, the strictest tier of Illinois’ resurgence mitigation plan. After weeks of careful consultation with public health experts to balance the need to save lives and support hospital systems with protecting the economy, the Governor announced that regions could resume moving out of the tiered resurgence mitigations (Tier 3, Tier 2, and Tier 1) and back into Phase 4 on a data-driven basis.
The Governor also announced adjustments to the resurgence mitigations in light of ramped up vaccination efforts across the state, with Tier 1 of the resurgence mitigation plan now allowing restaurants and bars in a qualifying region to resume indoor dining with limited capacity. Youth and recreational sports may also resume play following the Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) All Sports Policy in all regions moving out of Tier 3.
In addition, the Governor announced Phase 1A of the Illinois COVID-19 Vaccination Administration Plan is on track to be substantially completed next week, with the entire state moving to Phase 1B on Monday, January 25. In accordance with local progress, IDPH has permitted local health departments who have already substantially completed their 1A populations to move forward with 1B in order to leave no vaccine on the shelves.
Three regions move to Tier 2 COVID mitigations
In response to decreased positivity rates, hospitalization rates, and hospital bed usage, any region that has met the metrics for a reduction of mitigations will move out of Tier 3 to less restrictive measures.
As of Friday, January 15, regions that will move into Tier 2 include:
- Region 1Â – North
- Counties: Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago
- Region 2 – North-Central
- Counties: Bureau, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Kendall, Knox, La Salle, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough, McLean, Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, and Woodford
- Region 5 – Southern
- Counties: Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union, Wabash, Wayne, White, Williamson
At this time, Regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 will remain in Tier 3 Mitigations, with several likely to meet the metrics to move to Tier 2 in the coming days if current trends hold.
Metrics for movement to a new tier
In order to move to Tier 2 mitigations, a region must meet the following metrics:
- A test positivity rate below 12 percent for three consecutive days, as measured by the 7-day rolling average; AND
- Greater than or equal to 20 percent available staffed ICU and medical/surgical hospital beds for three consecutive days, on a 3-day rolling average; AND
- A sustained decrease in the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 for seven out of 10 days, on a 7-day average.
In order to move to Tier 1 mitigations, a region must meet the following metrics:
- A test positivity rate below 8 percent for three consecutive days, as measured by the 7-day rolling average; AND
- Greater than or equal to 20 percent available staffed ICU and medical/surgical hospital beds for three consecutive days, on a 3-day rolling average; AND
- No sustained increase in the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 for seven out of 10 days, on a 7-day average.
In order to move to Phase 4, a region must meet the following metrics:
- A test positivity rate less than or equal to 6.5 percent for three consecutive days, as measured by the 7-day rolling average; AND
- Greater than or equal to 20 percent available staffed ICU and medical/surgical hospital beds for three consecutive days, on a 3-day rolling average; AND
- No sustained increase in the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 for seven out of 10 days, on a 7-day average.
Restaurants in Tier 1
As the pandemic has evolved, so has the state’s response. The updated plan accounts for months of continued deliberations by public health officials as well as the rollout of the first COVID-19 vaccines. The key change to the Mitigation Plan announced in July is resuming indoor dining with capacity limits in Tier 1.
Restaurants and bars in Regions in Tier 1 can open indoor dining with capacity limited to the lesser of 25 people or 25 percent of room capacity. Additionally, establishments must serve food and indoor tables must be limited to no more than four people, with reservations limited to two hours. Outdoor dining regulations across the resurgence plan and Phase 4 remain unchanged.
Additionally, Regions moving out of Tier 3 mitigations can resume youth and recreational sports under the statewide All Sports Policy. Greater levels of play will be permitted as metrics improve into the subsequent tier.
Vaccine administration plan
Illinois anticipates substantially completing Phase 1A of vaccinations next week and moving into Phase 1B of the Vaccine Plan on January 25, 2021, at which point residents over the age of 65 and frontline essential workers can receive the vaccine. As of January 15, 2021, Illinois—including Chicago—has received a total of approximately 726,475 doses since vaccinations first launched last month, not including the federal program that serves long-term care residents.
In the initial phases of the state’s plan, IDPH is partnering with large pharmacies to launch hundreds of new sites in communities across Illinois. Additionally, the Illinois National Guard (ILNG) will deploy two teams to two sites in Cook County. The guard is also partnering with St. Clair County to deploy to sites there in the coming weeks, alongside additional deployments statewide.
During their initial week of service, these new sites will administer vaccinations to Illinois residents within group 1A of the state’s vaccination plan. Beginning January 25, all vaccination sites across the state will move into phase 1B of the plan and begin vaccinations for the eligible population by appointment only.
As the state moves forward with its plan and continues to build out capacity, smaller independent pharmacies, urgent care clinics, doctors’ offices, and workplaces will all be coming online to serve as vaccination sites. Additional teams from the IL National Guard will also deploy to regions across the state to stand up new sites and build out additional capacity at existing sites. More information on locations and how to make appointments will be available to the public on a website to be launched prior to the start of Phase 1B.
Related
- First IL COVID-19 case of easily-spread variant detected (January 15, 2021)
