Cook County offers $100 incentive for getting a COVID shot
The state's positivity rate for COVID-19 cases dipped below 5% for the first time since Dec. 18, Illinois Department of Public Health data showed Wednesday.
New cases of COVID-19 numbered 4,742 Wednesday, about half the 9,463 tally reported a Feb. 2. However, 109 more people died from the respiratory disease, higher than the seven-day average of 79, which has risen in the past two days from 81 on Monday.
As of Tuesday night, there were 2,496 patients in the hospital with COVID-19, lower than the seven-day average of nearly 2,861.
On Tuesday, 27,077 more COVID-19 shots were administered, above the seven-day average of 23,504.
However, vaccination rates lag compared to a month ago, when the average was 50,468 on Jan. 8.
To encourage people to get jabs, Cook County Health is offering a $100 Visa gift card to anyone who gets a vaccine at a CCH site through Sunday as long as supplies last.
This promotion is open to anyone age 5 and older who receives a first, second or booster shot. There is no limit to the number of gift cards a single household can receive.
To make an appointment at a Cook County vaccination site, go to vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or call (833) 308-1988. Walk-ins are also eligible.
The state's positivity rate for COVID-19 cases is 4.9% based on a seven-day average.
So far, 8,440,786 people have been fully vaccinated, or 66.6% of Illinois' 12.7 million population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The CDC defines fully vaccinated as two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson's.
Of those people who are fully vaccinated, 48% have received a booster shot.
Total cases statewide stand at 2,982,083, and 31,679 Illinoisans have died since the pandemic began.
The federal government has delivered 23,348,645 doses of vaccine to Illinois since distribution began in mid-December 2020, and 20,775,048 shots have been administered.
Labs processed 124,732 virus tests in the last 24 hours.