Children age 11 and younger represent 15.8% of new COVID-19 cases in Illinois
New cases of COVID-19 among Illinois children ages 5 to 11 reached 277 Tuesday, the same day a federal panel of experts recommended use of Pfizer's vaccine for that age group.
New infections in children age 4 and younger came to 73, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported. Combined, the tally of 350 represents 15.8% of the 2,213 total new COVID-19 cases announced Tuesday.
Children younger than 12 are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccines yet, but a U.S. Food and Drug Administration vote in favor of expanding vaccines to the 5- to 11-year-old contingent is expected to trigger final approvals in the coming days.
The IDPH also recorded 34 additional deaths from COVID-19 Tuesday.
Illinois hospitals were treating 1,230 COVID-19 patients Monday night compared to the seven-day average of 1,270.
On Monday, 41,404 more COVID-19 shots were administered. The seven-day average is 36,052.
The federal government has delivered 18,380,325 doses of vaccine to Illinois since distribution began in mid-December and 15,343,270 shots have been administered.
So far, 7,223,764 people have been fully vaccinated, 56.7% of Illinois' 12.7 million population. Vaccines manufactured by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. require two doses several weeks apart.
The state's positivity rate for COVID-19 cases is 1.9% based on a seven-day average.
Total cases statewide stand at 1,688,261 and 25,682 Illinoisans have died since the pandemic began.
Labs processed 85,514 virus tests in the last 24 hours.