Illinois positivity rate hits lowest point in a month

Illinois’ average COVID-19 infection rate fell to its lowest level in over a month Tuesday as Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot teased a potential full reopening for the city and state this summer.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 2,211 new coronavirus cases diagnosed among the latest 57,483 tests to lower the average statewide positivity rate to 3.3%, suggesting the virus is spreading at its slowest pace since March 31.

Still, the state reported 19 more COVID-19 deaths. Illinois’ death toll is up to 22,066.

Meanwhile, vaccine demand is heading in the wrong direction.

About a third of all residents are fully vaccinated, but Illinois is averaging just 72,613 shots administered statewide per day over the past week — a rate that has fallen by 45% since April 12. The state reported only 40,361 shots went into arms Monday, though that figure is an undercount due to a national reporting outage among several pharmacies, officials said.

Demand has dwindled while shots have become easier than ever to get. Walmart and Sam’s Club announced 175 of their Illinois pharmacies are now accepting walk-in vaccine appointments. Many Walgreens pharmacies are also accepting walk-ins, as are all of Chicago’s city-run mass vaccination sites.

Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the city’s “vaccination bus” will stop Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Atlas Senior Center in South Shore, providing the one-and-done Johnson & Johnson vaccine at 1767 E. 79th St.

Also Tuesday, the city’s health department updated its travel order to include Indiana on the list of hot spots from which travelers arriving here have to self-quarantine or show proof of a negative test. It doesn’t apply to people who are at least two weeks removed from their final vaccine dose.