* Jake Griffin…
Illinois hit another COVID-19 vaccination milestone Tuesday with more than 50% of the state’s population now fully vaccinated, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. […]
While more than half the state’s overall population is now fully vaccinated, IDPH records show 55.7% of the state’s vaccine-eligible population of residents 12 and older are now fully vaccinated, with 71.2% of that population having received at least one dose.
*** UPDATE *** Bummer…
* Related…
* Illinois COVID Update: IL reports 745 cases, 6 deaths; Mayor Lightfoot gives update: As positivity rates rise across the nation, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued new guidance recommending every student over the age of 2 wear face masks in school for in person learning.
* New COVID-19 guidance calls for all Illinois college students to be vaccinated: ‘Science is showing us that vaccines are the best way to protect our students’
* Cook County COVID mass vaccination sites close this week: Ariyanna Halsell got vaccinated Tuesday, after being hesitant about the side effects, but the Northern Illinois University student said she had to get it done. “I wanna get the full college experience, so I have to,” Halsell said. “I wanted to live on campus, so that’s one of the requirements to live on campus.”
* As state says unvaccinated kids should wear masks, here’s what suburban schools are doing so far: On Monday night, the state’s second-largest school system, Elgin Area School District U-46, mandated masks in elementary classrooms, St. Charles Unit District 303 made face coverings voluntary, and Geneva Unit District 304 deferred a decision. … Still, some — including Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211, Arlington Heights Elementary District 25, Barrington Unit District 220 — are opting for voluntary masking, a move decried by concerned parents and applauded by anti-mask groups that have shown up in force to school board meetings. … Many other suburban school systems — Palatine Township Elementary District 15, Lake Zurich Unit District 95, Burlington Central School District 301 — are taking a wait-and-see approach as Illinois sees a rise in new infections blamed on the highly contagious delta variant of the virus.
* Illinois teachers unions: Vaccinations, masks critical to preventing COVID-19 in schools
* Chicago expands travel advisory again and mayor warns restrictions could return as COVID-19 numbers creep up
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 8:29 am:
Just returned from a vacation to Maine. First of all, our four flights were all packed and oversold, people are traveling. No issues at any airport or flight, 100 % mask wearing.
Best thing I saw were to two signs on doors of tourist type stores; “Fully vaccinated are Welcome, Those Who Are Not are welcome to shop elsewhere” and If you are not vaccinated wear a mask in here, if you don’t like that see ya”.
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 8:58 am:
Add plainfield D202 to the list of voluntary masking. Board meeting was Monday.
- Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 8:58 am:
As tired as I am of the utter nonsense going on downstate, we can’t just build a fence around those people and leave them to their fate.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 9:01 am:
This is very good news. Hopefully the folks getting just one jab will follow through and get the second. Hopefully there are robust efforts to convince the unvaccinated who are least likely to resist getting shots. Many may be beyond hope, unfortunately.
“If you are not vaccinated wear a mask in here, if you don’t like that see ya”
I want everyone who can to get vaccinated. But, like a good and proper elitist, I decided I’m going to basically hang out in and travel to the more vaccinated areas in Illinois and elsewhere, like New England. Why should I patronize places where such a harmful attitude toward public health persists?
- Pundent - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 9:18 am:
=we can’t just build a fence around those people and leave them to their fate.=
Agreed. But like a child we can’t continue to ignore their attention seeking behavior. I think we’ve been far too tolerant of those that are deliberately disrupting society and our collective health and well-being. Political and community leaders need to find the courage to do what they were elected to do.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 9:35 am:
=I think we’ve been far too tolerant of those that are deliberately disrupting society and our collective health and well-being.=
Yep.
- Cool Papa Bell - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 10:18 am:
There is a slight uptick in the 7 day rolling average of shots given. I hope those are the holdouts who are finally getting around to taking the shot. But 19,500 a day isn’t going to get it done. Hard to look back on days when 100k shots were going to arms. If only that would have lasted 30 days longer.
- The stupidity of it all - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 10:31 am:
The only way out is vaccinations so let’s mandate it
- Common Sense - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 12:33 pm:
Would a sudden uptick of serious cases within the less vaccinated areas of our country then lead to a corresponding increase in vaccinations? You would think seeing friends and family become seriously ill might change some perspectives.
- DuPage - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 1:47 pm:
Just when we started to feel safe, a new variant called Gamma is attacking and has become dominant in Illinois according to CBS2 news. It is even more contagious then Delta.
- EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 1:50 pm:
Should ISBE reconsider their stance on no all-remote learning as the next school year begins, and allow schools and students to have that option again? With Delta variant on the warpath and now Gamma.
- Cool Papa Bell - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 2:25 pm:
@Essential - Remote learning was a big time tax on the school system. I don’t think it’s right to have teachers to have to draw up two lesson plans all over again at this point.
What ISBE might want to do - or local districts will do, is to create a standard online only learning platform for students who want to be remote. It would have to be an already created online platform that a student could do, and largely detached from the local district.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jul 21, 21 @ 2:38 pm:
my anger at people who do not get vaccinated— when they can get vaccinated per their health—is real.