Well being Officers ‘Anxious’ About Rising COVID Metrics Throughout Chicago Space – NBC Chicago

Health officials across the Chicago area said they were “concerned” about the upward trend in COVID-19 metrics over the past few weeks and were watching the numbers closely.

Dr. Rachel Rubin, co-head of Cook County’s Department of Health, said they are following the latest coronavirus metrics and “will not hesitate to withdraw the plan to reopen the area.”

“A little more concerned, a little more scared, but we’re still waiting to see how things go over the weekend,” said Rubin.

The Cook County doctor believes vaccination shots are the only way to reduce the current surge in numbers.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 20% of the state is fully vaccinated. As of Saturday, the state administered over 7 million doses of coronavirus vaccine during the pandemic, receiving 9,001,105 doses in the process.

The state reported 175,681 vaccinations given on the last day, according to the latest data. Friday’s vaccinations brought the 7-day moving average of vaccines administered to 122,674 doses.

“We have more vaccines available, more locations, people will come out and be vaccinated, and that will help us smooth out that rise on the curb, and we no longer have to limit ourselves to movement and make the attenuation tighter,” said Rubin.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot encouraged residents to get the vaccine on Saturday while they attended a mass vaccination event. This is the only way to get to the other side of the pandemic.

“These vaccines are safe and necessary as a community to thrive,” said Lightfoot.

On March 15, Illinois reported 782 cases of the coronavirus, according to IDPH data. On April 1, that number rose to more than 3,500 infections and stayed at 3,630 on Saturday.

In Illinois, eligibility for the vaccine is open to all residents 16 years of age and older, with the exception of Chicago.

For more information on how to register for the COVID vaccine across Illinois, please visit here.