Governor JB Pritzker has announced plans to surge booster and vaccination clinics across the state to meet the increased demand driven by the Omicron variant….
{Audio: ‘’To get more shots in arms we are coordinating with local health departments expanding capacity by assisting them with surge staffing to help administer the vaccinations. We are more than doubling personnel by adding at least 100 people to regional sites administering vaccinations, preparing vaccine doses for clinic personnel, and doing data entry.’’}
Additionally, starting next week, the state’s free Community Based Testing Sites will begin operating six days a week to increase COVID-19 testing availability across the state.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike says it is critically important for those who have yet to receive even one dose of vaccine to get vaccinated. ‘’The vast majority of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are among those who are not vaccinated,’’ she said during a news briefing with the Governor on Monday…
{AUDIO: ‘’Right now we are absolutely seeing the highest surge in cases from across the entire pandemic for the last two years. We had over 21-thousand new cases reported from December 24th. It’s the highest for the entire pandemic. But it’s not just about cases. If it was just cases and no one was ending up in the hospital – then let the cases be. But we saw just in the last 24-hours the number of COVID patients in the hospital increase by a net of 330.’’}
Governor Pritzker also addressed those people who are not yet vaccinated for COVID…
{Audio: ‘’If you are unvaccinated and you get very sick, you will be filling a bed that would have been available for your ailing spouse, or your parent, or your child – or someone else’s child. Someone with cancer or a heart attack or seriously injured in a car accident. If we are forced to move to a crisis standard of care in our hospitals it will be because massive numbers of unvaccinated people chose to let others go without quality care. And even more people will die.’’}
Dr. Ezike said COVID-19 can be prevented through vaccination as she urged citizens to get vaccinated and boosted.
