Getting a COVID-19 vaccine in suburban Cook County just got a little easier. Mass vaccination sites in Tinley Park and Matteson will accept walk-in appointments through Saturday in an effort to remove barriers to vaccination, according to officials.
Cook County Department of Public Health
The county has seen virus-related hospitalizations increase for 10 consecutive days; and for three days, the availability of intensive care unit beds has dipped below 20%, according to public health data reported Thursday.
More than 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in suburban Cook County. While the pace of vaccinations is ramping up, infections are rising, keeping contact tracers busy doing vital work to stop the spread of the virus, officials say.
Suburban Cook County health officials are extremely concerned with the rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations but are holding off on reimposing mitigations to curb the spread of the virus, at least for now.
Cook County leaders may have no choice but to impose new restrictions designed to stop the spread of COVID-19 amid a “very sharp” increase in infections, officials said Saturday. “We are in the beginnings of a new surge,” said Dr. Rachel Rubin of the Cook County Department of Public Health.
The move comes a day after the city of Chicago loosened restrictions on outdoor businesses and social gatherings.
Officials will open new appointments at the county’s five mass vaccination sites for the residents who are newly eligible at noon Friday. More than 68% of individuals 65 and older in suburban Cook County have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, officials said.
Personal stories from Cook County residents who have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine highlight a new campaign that aims to dispel misinformation and encourage others to roll up their sleeves when it’s their turn.
A just-launched program will bring coronavirus vaccines to residents at temporary pop-up sites across suburban Cook County as part of an “equity-focused approach to the vaccine distribution,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Thursday.
Illinois will soon begin the next phase of its COVID-19 vaccination effort, extending doses to residents ages 65 and older as well as essential front-line workers. The rollout is again prompting officials to urge residents get the vaccine once it becomes available to them.
In an effort to curb COVID-19 infections, the Cook County Department of Public Health is asking bars, breweries and taverns that do not serve food to only serve customers outside.
Anyone entering suburban Cook County from a designated COVID-19 hot spot — including travelers and returning residents — will have to quarantine for 14 days. The list includes 22 states, and could grow more.
A newly launched website seeks to convey the seriousness of the opioid epidemic locally while providing resources and honoring those who have died, says Dr. Kiran Joshi of the Cook County Department of Public Health.
The individuals who became ill reported using water in their guest rooms in addition to the hotel’s hot tub and pool during their recent stays at the AmericInn by Wyndham Hotel in Schaumburg, according to health officials.
Measles, a virus once thought to be eradicated in the U.S. less than 20 years ago, seems to be rearing its head again. Where are we seeing the virus take hold, and why doesn’t it completely die off?
An individual with a confirmed case of measles visited more than a dozen Cook County stores, restaurants and theaters before realizing they were sick, according to health officials.
