Spring looking like fall? COVID-19 cases creeping up, despite vaccine ramp-up: ‘We are worried about this’on March 23, 2021 at 6:08 pm

COVID-19 cases are ticking back upward across Chicago and the rest of Illinois even as vaccine supply improves, the top doctors from the city and state warned Tuesday.

Infections have increased about 23% in Chicago over the past week, mostly among people age 18 to 40, according to city Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.

That’s the same trend Arwady’s team saw in October, before a record-breaking resurgence that saw Chicago suffer its worst days of the pandemic.

“We are worried about this,” Arwady said during an online Q&A. “We’ll be in good shape this summer, but I am really worried about this next four to eight weeks. … We are not at a point where we can assume that most people have started to get some protection from the vaccine.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,832 new cases of the disease were diagnosed statewide among 49,739 tests.

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That lowered the average statewide positivity a notch down to 2.5% compared to a day earlier. But that key indicator of transmission had been at a record low of 2.1% on March 13 — a net increase of 19% over a span of just 10 days.

COVID-19 hospital admissions have crept upward, too, with 1,270 beds occupied Monday night.

The rising metrics come weeks after public health officials identified three more infectious strains of COVID-19 in the state — and weeks before more business restrictions are set to be loosened by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Officials also reported 13 more coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, including two Cook County women in their 60s. Daily death rates have fallen by about half over the past month, but experts agree an increase in cases results in an increase in hospitalizations and deaths weeks later.

“Even as we’re getting more and more vaccine doses, we cannot let our guard down, especially with these virulent new strains circulating,” Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement. “We’ve come so far and are so close to a more normal time, but we’re already seeing some concerning plateaus and even increases in hospitalizations and cases.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file

“We’re not out of the woods yet so continue to wear your masks, avoid large crowds, and keep six feet of distance,” Ezike said.

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A total of 70,252 COVID-19 shots were went into arms statewide Monday, a third straight disappointing daily total that lowered Illinois’ average number of vaccinations per day to 91,000 — its lowest point since March 4.

Ezike’s agency said that number could be underreported, though, due to “discrepancies” with the federal government “in some of the vaccine administration data.”

More than 4.8 million doses have been administered in all across the state, with nearly 1.8 million residents fully vaccinated — about 14% of the population. Only about 11% of Chicago residents have been fully immunized, Arwady said.

Over the past year, more than 1.2 million Illinoisans have tested positive for the virus, and 21,116 have died.

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