CHICAGO — Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker gave an update on the state’s COVID-19 vaccine plan during a news conference Friday.
The state anticipates completing Phase 1A next week and moving into Phase 1B on Jan. 25. In Phase 1B, residents over the age of 65 and frontline essential workers can receive the vaccine.
Frontline essential workers include:
- First responders: Firefighters (including volunteers), law enforcement officers, 911 dispatch, security personnel, school officers.
- Corrections officers/inmates: Jail officers, juvenile facility staff, workers providing in-person support, inmates.
- Food and agriculture workers: processing, plants, veterinary health, livestock services, animal care.
- Postal service workers
- Manufacturing Workers: Industrial production of goods for distribution to retail, wholesale or other manufacturers.
- Grocery Store Workers: Baggers, cashiers, stockers, pick-up, customer service.
- Public Transit Workers: Flight crew, bus drivers, train conductors, taxi drivers, para-transit drivers, in-person support, ride sharing services.
- Education: teachers, principals, student support, student aids, day care workers.
- Shelters/adult day care: Homeless shelter, women's shelter, adult day/drop-in program, sheltered workshop, psycho-social rehab.
Although shipments from the federal government remain limited, the state is building out “wide-reaching capacity” for additional shipments to ensure those eligible in Phase 1B can receive a vaccine as quickly as possible, according to a news release.
As of Jan. 15, Illinois has received a total of 726,475 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
In the initial phase of the state’s plan, IDPH is partnering with large pharmacies to launch hundreds of new sites in communities across the state. During their first week of service, the new sites will administer vaccines to residents in group 1A.
Beginning Jan. 25, all vaccination sites will move into Phase 1B and will begin vaccinations for those who are eligible, by appointment only.
As the state moves forward with its plan, smaller independent pharmacies, urgent care clinics, doctors’ offices and workplaces will also serve as vaccination sites.
More information on locations and how to make appointments will be available to the public prior to the start of Phase 1B.
In addition to the vaccine update, Pritzker announced three regions across the state are now eligible to move out of Tier 3 mitigations due to decreased positivity rates.
After a surge in COVID-19 cases across Illinois in the fall, all 11 regions moved into Tier 3, the strictest tier of Illinois’ mitigation plan, on Nov. 20. By adhering to mitigations throughout the holiday season, the state was able to bring down rates of community spread, according to the release.
Starting Friday, regions 1, 2 and 5 will move into Tier 2. Tier 2 includes changes for bars and restaurants, gyms, cultural institutions and more.
At this time, Regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 will remain in Tier 3 mitigations but many regions will likely move to Tier 2 in the coming days if current trends hold, the release stated. Most of the Metro East in the St. Louis area falls into these regions.
Click here for more information about Illinois' mitigation plan.