* Press release…

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,143 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 20 additional deaths.

- Cook County: 1 female 60s, 2 males 70s, 6 males 80s, 1 male 90s
- Douglas County: 1 male 70s
- Henry County: 1 female 80s
- Iroquois County: 1 male 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 90s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 60s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 60s
- Union County: 1 male 60s
- Will County: 1 female 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 70s

Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,187,839 cases, including 20,536 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 42,234 specimens for a total of 18,178,487. As of last night, 1,288 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 308 patients were in the ICU and 148 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 22–28, 2021 is 2.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 22–28, 2021 is 2.7%.

A total of doses of 2,740,105 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 443,700 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 3,183,805. A total of 2,756,831 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 319,393 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 77,876 doses. Yesterday, 50,897 doses were administered in Illinois.

*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.

* Finally…

The University of Illinois System received emergency use authorization (EUA) today from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for covidSHIELD, its innovative saliva-based COVID-19 test that was used on the U of I campuses to hold the virus in check by utilizing widespread testing with rapid results.

Under FDA guidelines, the EUA allows the U of I System to broadly expand its covidSHIELD testing beyond its universities. […]

The $20 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding released by Pritzker will provide a million tests across the state’s 12 public universities and 48 community colleges, under an agreement between the Illinois Department of Public Health and the U of I System. […]

The million tests will be allocated based on a formula developed by the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Each university has determined how it will handle COVID-19 testing for the spring semester, as was the case during the fall, but SHIELD Illinois provides a proven option.

* Vox interviews Hilda Bastian, who has been consistently prescient on the pandemic for the past year…

I don’t think there’s been a pandemic quite like this because they were either that the thing went through and did its worst and left horrific death in its wake, or the smaller ones in more contained areas that are recent.

But this thing on this scale, while there’s this level of antibody-based treatments out there, and vaccines of different efficacy, and all of this stuff that could play in the favor of variants, this situation has never existed before.

I don’t think that the past tells us where this is going. [But] I believe the people who are saying that we appear to be on a course to eventually get to the point where we get vaccinated against this each year. The path to global eradication — through very high levels of vaccination with a high level of other suppression efforts — seems narrow. That could change, though, and I hope it does.

* WBEZ…

With millions of residents in Chicago to vaccinate, the city has prioritized restaurant workers in the so-called group 1c — which Chicago officials estimate won’t start getting vaccinated until March 29.
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Meanwhile, indoor dining is accelerating. Restaurants can now seat 40% of their total capacity or up to 50 people, whichever is fewer.

Officials say they may soon allow 50% capacity if COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline. As of Wednesday, the rolling 7-day average test positivity in Chicago was 3%.

Restaurant workers who talked to WBEZ said they agree some of the groups ahead of them — which include health care workers, the elderly, and frontline workers like teachers and grocery store workers — should be a priority.

But, they’re frustrated that indoor dining keeps getting expanded, increasing their risk to COVID-19 before they can be vaccinated.

Palmer pointed out that her husband, who works in a brewery, which is considered a manufacturing job, got his first dose — even though he only comes face-to-face with his masked coworkers. She doesn’t think it’s right for most restaurants to open up before workers have a chance to protect themselves.

“I’m angry at both the city and the bigger restaurant corporations because it seems like they are the ones pushing to be open, even without vaccines, and the city is allowing that,” she said. “I’m in the service industry, not the servant industry.”

* Tribune live blog headlines…

Outside Lincoln Elementary, doughnuts and face masks

Despite the CPS reopening, majority of parents are keeping kids home

1,143 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 20 additional deaths reported

‘Dehumanization’ of Chicago’s restaurant workers leaves them with a tough choice: COVID-19 risk or unemployment?

As some CPS families return to classrooms, others participate in ‘sick-out’ protest

Next on some parents’ wish list: a full-time return to in-person classes

Back to school, but not quite back to normal: ‘I pray that this works out so next fall, we will have a familiar first day of school’

Mayor: No one thought schools would be closed this long ‘but fate had another plan’

Restaurants say delivery has been both a blessing and a curse during the pandemic. What happens as eateries reopen?

Coronavirus testing in US has seen a sharp decline. Here are a few reasons why.

Lightfoot, CPS chief Jackson to visit North Side school, discuss reopening

CPS opens its schools Monday to the most students since last March. Is the system ready?

* Sun-Times live blog headlines…

Johnson & Johnson’s one-and-done vaccine arriving in Chicago this week, mayor says

It’s another back-to-school Monday for CPS

Near West Side’s profit lure outlasts the pandemic’s lull

Illinois’ daily caseload has surpassed 2,000 only three times in the last 15 days. Because of this, the state’s seven-day positivity rate has dropped to the lowest its been since June. On Sunday, that figure, which experts use to gauge the spread of the virus across the state, was 2.4%.

Pandemic makes obvious another great health threat to African Americans: obesity

Tensions over vaccine equity pit rural against urban America