900K Illinoisans now fully vaccinated against COVID-19

More than 900,000 Illinois residents have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, public health officials announced Wednesday.

The state crossed that threshold when 82,449 more shots went into arms Tuesday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Almost three months into the vaccination campaign, the 906,490 Illinoisans who have received both required doses represent about 7.1% of the population.

But that percentage is expected to grow at an increasing rate from this week on as the state receives its first shipments of the one-and-done Johnson & Johnson vaccine. More than 100,000 doses were slated to make it to Illinois providers Wednesday.

About 2.9 million shots have been administered since mid-December. The state’s seven-day rolling average of daily shots administered is now up to a new high of 84,202.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he expects that capacity to keep growing as more mass vaccination sites are launched this week. Two more are scheduled to launch in suburban Des Plaines and downstate Quincy on Thursday. That’s also when seniors can start signing up for appointments at another site soon to be up and running outside the United Center.

“One in six Illinoisans have already received their first dose of vaccine, and as the federal government increases Illinois’ deliveries to over 100,000 a day later this month, [the Illinois Department of Public Health] and our 97 local health departments are prepared to meet the moment,” Pritzker said in a statement.

And for the moment, COVID-19 is about as well under control in Illinois as it has been since it first hit the state.

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Officials reported 2,104 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed among 80,854 tests to keep the average statewide positivity rate at an eight-month low of 2.4%.

With 1,260 hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients statewide as of Tuesday night, admissions are at the lowest level of the entire pandemic.

But the disease claimed 44 more lives, including those of seven Cook County residents. Daily case and death rates are still down by almost half compared to a month ago.

The virus has been detected in about 1.2 million residents statewide over the past year, and 20,626 of them have died.

Registration for United Center vaccination appointments opens 8:30 a.m. Thursday at zocdoc.com/vaccine, or at (312) 746-4835.