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The Illinois Public Health Department approved a new set of rules from the federal government that not only approve in person visits [at nursing homes], but also allows people to hug and touch their loved ones, and it’s allowing places like Swann Special Care Center in Champaign to truly open their doors.

* Bad news…

City officials are cutting off vaccine supply to a private clinic that was contracted to vaccinate Chicago Public Schools employees but “knowingly misallocated” 6,000 doses to people with no ties to the district, the Chicago Department of Public Health said Tuesday.

The leaders of Innovative Express Care took some of those vaccines that had been set aside for second doses for CPS employees and instead used them for first doses for non-CPS patients, officials alleged.

* Good news…

Cook County Courts Pass Reopening Test For First COVID-19 Era Trial

* Bad news…

Enrollment is down at many Illinois colleges and universities since the pandemic began, continuing a long-term downward trend. Community colleges have been hit especially hard.

Enrollment is down by 14% percent this fall and spring compared to last school year at Illinois community colleges, according to the Illinois Community College Board. This includes City Colleges of Chicago. Low enrollment at two-year schools is greater among Latino students, who are among the most affected by the pandemic.

This trend has caused concerns among experts who say once students disenroll from college, it’s harder to get them back. Studies have shown the percentage of students coming back after dropping out of school is generally low.

* Good news…

Krispy Kreme is providing a sweet incentive to encourage more people to roll up their sleeves for the COVID-19 vaccine: Free doughnuts through the end of 2021.

Consumers who show a valid COVID-19 vaccination card at locations nationwide will get a free Original Glazed doughnut, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based chain announced.

* Bad news…

Chicago public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady warned the city, particularly its younger adults, on Tuesday that coronavirus metrics were once again creeping into a danger zone that resembled a previous second surge during last October.

She echoed Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Monday remarks that cautioned the city will lose its recent gains under its reopening plan if younger adults do not “remain diligent” in masking and social distancing. […]

Though the seven-day rolling average of positive cases in Chicago sits at a low-risk 3.2%, Arwady during a Tuesday question-and-answer session said it is “heading the wrong way” and is up from the previous week’s 2.9%. And the daily average cases rose by 23% from last week, according to the city’s dashboard, showing a rise from 285 to 350 cases that can’t be attributed to more testing because daily tests only rose 6%. The city’s caseload is at a “high-risk” category when it hits 300.

Though intensive care unit visits remain at their lowest since the pandemic started, Arwady said those numbers tend to lag case spikes and that emergency department visits from COVID-19 are up 45% in the past two weeks.

* Let’s end on some good news from the Metro East…

Also on Monday, the state health department listed metro-east Region 4 as having a seven-day average positivity rate of 3.0%, down from 3.3% on Sunday. The state reported a daily positivity rate of 2.3% on Monday, down from 3.2% on Sunday.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 3:16 am

Comments

=== Consumers who show a valid COVID-19 vaccination card at locations nationwide will get a free Original Glazed doughnut, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based chain announced. ===

Darren’s not gonna like that, but then, he could afford to skip a donut or two.

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 6:53 am
If it is not a crime already to misallocate a vaccine it should become one. A felony with a very very large fine and prison time and loss of professional license

Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 7:21 am
Krispy Kreme has their heart in the right place but they are opening a pandora’s box of trouble for their employees and store managers who are going to be asked to judge “valid” shot cards and that the person standing in front of them is the owner of the card? Man oh man. Anyone who has ever managed or worked the front line in retail can see the handwriting on the wall for this marketing “plan” from a mile away.

Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 7:58 am
- opening a pandora’s box of trouble for their employees and store managers who are going to be asked to judge “valid” shot cards -

Somehow I doubt they’re real worried about a few extra free donuts going out to the handful of people that would bother doing that.

Comment by Excitable Boy Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 8:05 am
=== opening a pandora’s box of trouble for their employees and store managers who are going to be asked to judge “valid” shot cards and that the person standing in front of them is the owner of the card?===

Oh boy. Ugh.

Lemme get this straight, Krispy Kreme is going to turn someone away for a card?

A donuts is like $0.16 (if that) to make, so corporate is worried people are coming for (checks notes) ONE donut?

C’mon… the PR alone, they’ve already made out on the deal.

Further, for every 3 times I visit a Krispy Kreme, 2+ times I’m *offered* a free donut as I wait.

Have you ever been to a Krispy Kreme?

To the post,

There have been many a student whom have decided a “gap year” this year made sense… major universities, flagship schools, aren’t giving rebates (generally and the majority) or a reduction in dorm or other services… as students learn… “on campus”… virtually.

I’m not surprised in the least about our Illinois colleges and universities facing these drops.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 8:11 am
Gross. Krispy Kremes are probably not a good idea, esp. if you’re chubby to begin with. Not a healthy freebie, esp if you are concerned with your health(which is why you got your jab in the first place, right?).

Comment by lizabth Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 8:15 am
==The freebie is valid at all 369 Krispy Kreme shops located in 41 states and available “anytime, any day, every day for the rest of the year,” Dave Skena, Krispy Kreme chief marketing officer, told USA TODAY. No purchase is necessary.==

So not exactly “one” donut. This is not, as they say, a one shot deal.

Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 8:26 am
=== So not exactly “one” donut. This is not, as they say, a one shot deal.===

Narrator: Krispy Kreme will survive.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 8:27 am
If you ever been to a Krispy Kreme and you’ve walked in, odds are you’ve already been offered a free donut anyway.

The PR genius in this is now pretending it’s about the vaccine card. Good on them to piggy back on a practice they already do.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 8:31 am
The really bad news is that it is necessary to offer an incentive to encourage some people to get a Covid shot.

Comment by CapnCrunch Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 8:40 am
I suspect that there’s a lot of overlap between the anti-vaccine group and the pro-Krispy Kreme group…..

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 8:57 am
Concerning Illinois colleges, I’m not sure it’s just Covid to blame for lower enrollment. The out of pocket cost for an average student is ridiculous.

Comment by BTO2 Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:02 am
Good news: it was mentioned in comments yesterday: the state-run big site in Kane County is up and running, and it is very easy to see appointment availability and book for those eligible (you don’t have to live in Kane County). kanevax.org
At the moment, looks like scattered availability in the next couple days, but as of yesterday early evening there was a lot of availability. Perhaps that’s when they update it. Good luck, stay safe and healthy

Comment by natty lite Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:05 am
Lot of conflicting info on Innovative Express - CPS/Lori claim diversion of doses from CPS teachers; IE claims that it had substantial excess doses that it distributed to people who met Chicago eligibility and signed up appropriately (that is, no favoritism/line cutting). Disconnect appears to be stockpiling second doses - CPS says IE should have kept 50% of allocation in freezer for 4 weeks; IE says CPS said no such thing. Who knows, but I will say that IE should have asked for clarification before it shot non-CPS.

But this is no Loretto - query whether Lori is trying to divert attention from the massive Loretto screw-up by hanging IE out in the press?

Comment by WestBurbs Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:08 am
How many people go to Krispy Kreme only for one donut? Almost all of these people will at least buy coffee or something else, so the “free” donut is nothing. They’re driving traffic to their stores. Retail 101.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:19 am
Right now a person my age (54) can qualify for that free Krispy Kreme donut in Indiana and Wisconsin but NOT in Illinois. Why?

Comment by Blue Dogs are Blind, Deaf, and Dumb Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:27 am
Come for the COVID shot, leave for the blood sugar spike. That’s wise marketing Krispy Kreme’s got there. lol

Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:31 am
Natty Lite - look again. NO availability (except for second shots). I’ve been trying to help an elderly Kane County couple get a shot for weeks without luck and have checked this site every day since it’s been up. Kane County hasn’t done squat except advise people to check with pharmacies. So, please don’t send non-Kane people to this one underwhelming effort by the State to bail out Kane’s puny efforts. (And the site can only handle 700 shots. Kane has 500,000 residents. Even if that’s 700 per day, not week, that will take a year and half to help everyone.)

Comment by Rasselas Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:32 am
If Illinois colleges added free Krispy Kreme donuts to enrollment…

Comment by Bruce( no not him) Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:32 am
Krispy Kreme just the drug dealer giving you your first hit free.

Comment by Homebody Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:43 am
Good news - free donuts.

Bad news - the plague isn’t ending.

Comment by MG85 Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 10:08 am
===so the “free” donut is nothing===

My good sir, free donuts are not nothing.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 10:18 am
= Krispy Kreme just the drug dealer giving you your first hit free. =

I’ve had one Krispy Kreme, and that was one too many. (In fact, as I recall, I had one bite and that was one too many.)

Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 10:32 am
== Krispy Kremes are probably not a good idea, esp. if you’re chubby to begin with. Not a healthy freebie, esp if you are concerned with your health..==

In case anyone needs the reminder, a donut is not going to have a great impact on a human’s body fat percentage. Nor is a donut indicative of good health. A donut is just a donut, a high fat, high sugar, deep fried doughy, glazed treat that tastes good. If someone who got vaccinated wants to partake in a free donut campaign maybe we can try not shaming them for doing so. Enjoy the donut if you want to!

And hat tip to Krispy Kreme’s marketing team for this one. Marketing 101 says that bringing more traffic to their stores has a positive impact on their bottom line.

Comment by EssentialWorkingMom Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 10:42 am
As others have said, it’s not a big cost to Krispy Kreme. I’m probably going to buy coffee and other donuts to bring home.
I did laugh though at a post I saw elsewhere from an anti vaccine person complaining about the offer for political reasons. I seriously doubt the donut place is using mind control to get people to go get vaccinated.

Comment by thoughts matter Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 11:25 am
=== I seriously doubt the donut place is using mind control===

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 11:32 am
My gosh people. It is an individual choice. If you want a donut, go for it. If you don’t want a donut, then don’t go. Individuals are capable of making up their own minds about whether they want a donut though it seems that some even want to control that decision making for the individual.

Comment by Lawman Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 11:34 am
Donuts are kind of like booze. The best kind is the kind that someone else is buying for you.

Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 11:42 am
Have I been swayed by donuts? Yes.

Until the pandemic, it was a staple (or cannoli) with morning coffee.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 11:43 am
My concern is that large number of people will not get their shots as a personal decision.

Comment by Unconventionalwisdom Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 12:20 pm
Unconventionalwisdom,

yes that’s a concern, but I am starting to see a growing interest in vaccines, so that’s good. And at least some percentage of the anti-vaxxers have overlap with the anti-maskers so that lot has probably already had it (allowing for some immunity in some cases), so it might not be that bad.

Comment by cermak_rd Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 1:56 pm
@- Rasselas - Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:32 am:
=== So, please don’t send non-Kane people to this one underwhelming effort by the State…===

The emphasis should be to get the shots in peoples arms, qualifications based on county lines should be eliminated because this is being put on by the state. Any Illinois resident (or if they work in Illinois or have had to move in with relatives in Illinois), all should be eligible.

Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 3:01 pm
DuPage -

You don’t understand how ‘herd immunity’ works. If the overall population is 80% vaccinated, but there are parts of the state which are lower, those parts will become incubators for disease, including new variants. The only way to make the distribution uniform is to allow local vaccination efforts to target local populations. If you were complacent about the disease spreading in populations that weren’t YOU during the first year of the pandemic, please don’t suddenly get on a high horse about everyone being ‘equal’ during the vaccination phase.

Comment by Rasselas Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 4:41 pm
Is there any source for more information on the IDPH action regarding nursing home visits? I couldn’t find any at the WCIA story.

Comment by drew Wednesday, Mar 24, 21 @ 9:06 pm