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* We’re seeing a 24.1 percent decrease in hospitalizations since last Friday, a 20.9 percent decrease in ICU usage and a 24.2 percent decrease in ventilator usage. Tomorrow is a state holiday, so that’s why we’re getting this week’s numbers early. Deaths are still increasing because they are the ultimate lagging indicator, but they’re not increasing by as as last week’s report. Again, though, this is a truncated reporting week. Positivity rates continue to decline, but so is the vaccine uptake rate, although that’s probably to be expected as the omicron fear wears off. IDPH…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 29,939 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including an increase of 499 deaths since February 4, 2022.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 2,987,502 cases, including 31,795 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since February 4, 2022, laboratories have reported 707,521 specimens for a total of 52,553,574. As of last night, 2,380 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 432 patients were in the ICU and 238 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 3-9, 2022 is 4.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 3-9, 2022 is 5.8%.
A total of 20,803,108 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 24,334 doses. Since February 4, 2022, 150,651 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, more than 75% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 66% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and 48% boosted according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19.html.
Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov.
* Let’s move on to the roundup. From the latest Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus poll comprising 1,049 interviews conducted February 4-7 with a margin of error of +/-3.3 percentage points…
The American public is clearly divided on how we should be handling the pandemic right now.
• When given the choice, people are split roughly into quarters on whether we should open up and get back to life as usual with no restrictions (21%), move in that direction with some precautions (29%), mostly keep requirements in place (23%), or increase mask mandates and vaccine requirements (21%).
• Americans are also evenly divided on their support for businesses requiring customers to show proof of vaccination before being allowed into stores or restaurants (51% favor, 48% oppose).
• A bare majority (55%) oppose federal, state, and local government lifting all COVID-19 restrictions.
• Throughout all of these data points, there are clear divisions by party affiliation and vaccination status. For example, 64% of Republicans support government entities lifting all restrictions, compared to just 23% of Democrats. Independents are right in the middle (47% support). There is a roughly 30 percentage point gap between the vaccinated and unvaccinated on this topic as well, with the latter more inclined to support lifting restrictions.
There’s more, and toplines are here. Also, a 55-44 split on opposition/support of lifting all restrictions is definitely not a “bare majority.”
* ABC 7…
Chicago and suburban Cook County health officials said they anticipate that the city’s proof of vaccine requirement and indoor mask mandate will lift around the same time as the state’s. […]
Shortly after, Chicago health officials released their own statement saying if the city continues to see declines in these leading COVID metrics, it, too, should be in a position to lift restrictions at that time.
Proof of vaccination would no longer be required for patrons of restaurants, bars and gyms, along with the indoor mask mandates applying to those spaces in the city.
As with the state, the changes would not apply to public transit, health care facilities or schools, and business owners can still impose stricter requirements if they want to.
The news was met with mixed reactions. At Charbella Salon in Lakeview, customers wore masks while getting their hair done, as did their stylist. The owner said so far no one has complained about it, but once the mask mandate is lifted she still plans to ask for proof of vaccination.
* Tribune…
“I believe lifting these mitigations is premature at this time,” said Murphy, executive director of Northwestern University’s Institute for Global Health and a professor of infectious diseases at the Feinberg School of Medicine. “These decisions should be based on science and not political. That said, we are definitely trending in the right direction, and I think soon it will be safe to pull back.”
He said new case metrics are becoming difficult to monitor because so many are diagnosed through at-home tests that might not be reported to local health departments. The best metric, he said, is hospitalizations, which are tracked very closely each day. The trouble is that hospitalization numbers tend to lag after infections; testing other environmental sources, like waste water, might also be a good indicator, he said.
Murphy also warned that the new BA.2 subvariant of the virus, often dubbed stealth omicron, is more transmissible than the earlier omicron variant, which fueled this most recent surge. He added that vaccine mandates should be kept in place for now.
“If we loosen too quickly, we’ll be back with another wave sooner than later,” he said.
* AP…
Up to 7 million immune-compromised Americans have been left behind in the nation’s wobbly efforts to get back to normal. A weak immune system simply can’t rev up to fight the virus after vaccination like a healthy one does. Not only do these fragile patients remain at high risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, they can harbor lengthy infections that can help spark still more variants.
With more of the country now abandoning masks and other precautions as the omicron wave ebbs, how to keep this forgotten group protected is taking on new urgency.
This is ‘quickly transitioning into an epidemic of the vulnerable,’ said Dr. Jacob Lemieux, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. While healthy vaccinated people may return to pre-pandemic activities with little worry about severe consequences, ‘the immunocompromised — despite vaccination, despite taking all precautions — cannot, and remain at risk.’
* Tribune…
School officials are reacting to an incident at Maine South High School in Park Ridge this week that involved a group of students acting out and yelling obscenities in opposition to the continued mask requirement in school.
About 75 students left the Park Ridge school campus on Feb. 8 after some students became disruptive over the school’s mask mandate in the school commons area and nearby hallway between passing periods, said Principal Ben Collins. […]
Maine Township High School District 207 Superintendent Ken Wallace called the incident a premeditated act that was committed with the aim of disrupting the school day.
“The hardest part of navigating through the pandemic is the increasing loss of civility,” Wallace said Wednesday. “People think if you just yell and insult and call names it somehow makes their position right. And it’s just the opposite. We have to remember when we disagree that we do it respectfully and listen to each other to try to have an understanding.”
* WSIL TV…
Time for Pritzker to ‘follow the science, not the politics’ says Sen. Bryant […]
“A whole lot of the folks in southern Illinois have not been listening to him for a long time,” Bryant said.
No mention in the story of the high percentage of unvaccinated southern Illinoisans and that there are just 2 ICU beds available in Region 5.
* Yucky headline…
McConchie: Pritzker “using our kids” in a “naked power grab”
It’s even yuckier that Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie would specifically tailor a statement to the same network of publications which has been pushing the blatantly false “Rep. Deb Conroy wants to create concentration camps” garbage.
If you respond to their questions, I can only assume you believe they are legitimate.
* Speaking of Rep. Conroy…
Members of a far right group protested Tuesday in front of Conroy’s district office with police cars providing protection. She was forced to close her Villa Park office after receiving multiple death threats for misinformation spread about legislation she is proposing.
“I can’t explain to you the things that people said, the words they used,” Conroy said. “There is a word that begins with the letter “C” that I can tell you at my age I’ve never said it out loud. And I’ve read it so many times, it’s disturbing.” […]
In a response [to Speaker Welch], Durkin said Republicans are not immune to threats, writing, in part: “In an effort to be part of the solution, I encourage you to allow voices of the minority party to be heard and not continue to be disregarded.”
“I was really disappointed in Leader Durkin’s response because he is not addressing doing anything to stop it,” Conroy said.
She’s right about Leader Durkin.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:19 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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== increase mask mandates and vaccine requirements (21%).==
Count me among the 21% in favor of these. And you probably know where I stand on a mandatory state employee vaccine requirement for everyone–needs to happen.
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:33 pm
“A whole lot of the folks in southern Illinois have not been listening to him for a long time,”
The senator is keeeywrecked…wasn’t one the first IL deaths the guy from down her way who owned the canned vegtable plant who dies after a golf outing that gave COVID as a door prize
Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:33 pm
=“In an effort to be part of the solution, I encourage you to allow voices of the minority party to be heard and not continue to be disregarded.”=
In other words, we are loud and obnoxious and can’t win elections but you should do what we want.
That is how a democracy is supposed to work./s
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:39 pm
==She’s right about Leader Durkin.==
At what point is the honorific “Leader” inappropriate?
Comment by OutHereInTheMiddle Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:40 pm
It baffles me that a majority believe that the Government should FORCE a business to serve and employ the unvaccinated. So, if I own a business I must put myself at risk so as not to violate the “rights” of the unvaxxed? When did unvaxxed become a “protected class” akin to race, religion, gender, etc? Wow.
Comment by WestBurbs Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:43 pm
===School officials are reacting to an incident at Maine South High School in Park Ridge this week that involved a group of students acting out and yelling obscenities in opposition to the continued mask requirement in school.===
“You, who are on the road
Must have a code
That you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a goodbye
Teach your children well
Their father’s hell
Did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick’s the one you’ll know by.”
–Graham Nash
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:43 pm
In addition to bed use for COVID patients, the hospitals in Bloomington-Normal (and elsewhere most likely) are also trying to catch up on postponed treatments and surgeries. Long COVID cases may also be taking a toll on bed space, especially for people with comorbidities. Hospitalizations may be dropping, but the overall length of the stay may be another factor in how soon the beds will again be available. Staff shortages can also play a factor in length of stay if the staff to patient ratio is overextended and complications arise in patient care that also extend a hospital stay.
“BLOOMINGTON — All of McLean County’s hospital beds are full, the McLean County Health Department reported Wednesday.
Twenty-six McLean County residents are hospitalized because of COVID-19 and McLean County’s two hospitals have a total of 27 COVID patients.
Wednesday’s report was the first time since December that intensive care unit beds in the county have been at capacity.
According to data released by Carle Health, all 27 of the county’s hospitalized COVID patients were at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, with two of those patients being treated in the ICU.”
https://pantagraph.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/mclean-countys-hospitals-are-full-health-department-reports/article_3913b6d1-5230-5543-b562-903739c9be06.html
Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:43 pm
It was brought up by more than one in comments about the change in Leader Durkin, the man many have known, and noted that they believe Durkin’s own heart is not in those words as the man they know is not the person signing the letter.
The partisanship now in the caucus Durkin leads gives no relief for Durkin to be able to lead in a way that even allows Durkin himself to show decorum. Think on that for a minute… Durkin needs to posture as he does, and owns, make no mistake, so Durkin can herd his own cats and keep leadership.
It’s not that I’m disappointed, and I am, and Conroy is not wrong at all… I’m most disappointed that Durkin feels he needs this manner to keep his own power in a misguided caucus willing to shrink because of a lacking a Durkin I knew/know would tamp down, because it is right… and not doing so is a deference to a want to stay a leader.
It’s the only logical answer, and that too is very disappointing, almost as bad as Durkin disappointing Conroy.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:47 pm
McConchie asserts that having people wear masks and get vaccines prevent deaths and serious illness is a “naked power grab,” while he condones GOP lying to people about the pandemic and misrepresenting mitigations for their partisan benefit.
People are still dying GOP minority leaders and all you want to do play on the narcissistic crowd who don’t care to be a part of the solution.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:50 pm
Is there any more challenging thing to lead in Illinois than the Illinois GOP? I’m not sure I’ve heard of a more delusional, self-important yet completely ineffective and powerless cohort or group in some time. They have literally no plan and no opportunity to improve their standing. Their future almost solely relies on Democrats self-imploding so as to be able to offer some alternative, but given the new leadership statewide, that seems nigh impossible on a grand enough scale to matter.
Comment by DuPage Dad Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:53 pm
== Yucky headline ==
Not just an editorialized headline either. Those seem to have been his actual words.
Slight tangent;
Earlier in the week I was watching a documentary called “Hail Satan?”.
There was a segment where one of the members laid out clearly his reasoning for what he was doing regarding his political activities. It went something like this;
“All this time, you were accusing us of abusing children through our supposedly satanic dungeons and dragons games, and that whole time it was you who was doing the abusing, not me. You knew about it and you knowingly helped protect the offenders. You were trying to push your own actions onto someone else. It was pure projection.”
That’s all I’m going to say about the word choice used by the SGOP leader here.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:55 pm
== Time for Pritzker to ‘follow the science, not the politics’ says Sen. Bryant […] “A whole lot of the folks in southern Illinois have not been listening to him for a long time,” Bryant said. ==
By not listening to him for a long time, they’ve been the ones who have been following the politics and not the science all along. What a twist!
Comment by Leap Day William Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 12:58 pm
This is a tasteless attempt by McConchie…
I defer the rest of my comment to - Norseman- who crystallized my thoughts before I could articulate them as well as he did;
===People are still dying GOP minority leaders and all you want to do play on the narcissistic crowd who don’t care to be a part of the solution.===
It can’t be any simpler, and it’s tasteless to try this by McConchie.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 1:01 pm
My heart goes out to the parents/children of those under 5. Hopefully Pfizer gets approval on (or before) 2/28. The bad news I’m hearing is that kids between the ages of 2 and 5 might need three shots to be protected.
Comment by Jocko Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 1:23 pm
==Hopefully Pfizer gets approval on (or before) 2/28. ==
Hopefully they’ll also get 4th vaccine (the 2nd booster) approval by then too, if not by late March.
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 1:24 pm
===“A whole lot of the folks in southern Illinois have not been listening to him for a long time,” Bryant said.===
Always fun to see a State Senator being proud of people abandoning public health measures intended to reduce the impact and deaths caused by a deadly pandemic.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 1:27 pm
It appears leader McConchie has decided to find and join his party’s lost way rather than fight for something better. How incredibly disappointing and cynical.
Remember this?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/7/22219349/republican-party-future-illinois-gop
That the same leader who took the above position for the future of the GOP would now embrace the misinformation outlets that are intentionally fanning the very flames of radicalism he sought to quell makes him an early front runner for the biggest disappointment of 2022.
It’s going to be a long, disappointing year.
Comment by Nefarious Veneer Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 1:36 pm
Misogynistic insults reveal fearful hatred…in the most disturbed form.
Comment by Dotnonymous Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 2:18 pm
I missed Durkin’s complete statement, but it sure sounds like he’s trying to blame a crime victim.
I am so old I recall when Jim Durkin was pro-victim.
Comment by Juvenal Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 2:20 pm
If we had widespread vaccination (whether that was mandated or voluntary) then masking would be much less necessary. I’m fine with a shot mandate for school kids and employees. If the people so opposed to masks had any common sense they would be too.
Comment by The Velvet Frog Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 3:08 pm
At this point both McConchie and Durkin have proven they do not have the morals or integrity to continue to be leaders in the General Assembly. Both have taken the easy way out of caving to the extreme elements within the GOP instead of trying to lead the GOP in a new direction. Just another reason why I cannot in good conscience vote for any Republican anymore.
Comment by MyTwoCents Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 4:22 pm
From now on, shouldn’t the title be “Follower Durkin?”
Comment by Keyrock Thursday, Feb 10, 22 @ 8:59 pm