The average number of new daily coronavirus cases in Illinois doubled during the first half of July, even as the state began handing out prizes of up to $1 million to encourage more people to get vaccinated.
Illinois averaged 294 new daily cases of COVID-19 during the week ending July 1, according to data from the state Department of Public Health. The average more than doubled, to 636 new cases per day, during the week ending Friday.
The numbers are well below what they were a year ago, when Illinois was averaging 1,071 new cases per day, the early stages of a gradual increase that began around the time the state allowed indoor dining to resume and loosened other restrictions.
Nationally, cases are up nearly 70% over the past week, compared with a 51% rise in Illinois.
But the increase comes as the state continues to struggle with convincing those who are eligible but have not yet been vaccinated to get the shot and as the more contagious delta variant of COVID-19 circulates, particularly in areas with lower vaccination rates.
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As of Friday, Illinois had identified 365 cases of the delta variant, a small fraction of the 10,519 total known cases involving one of the six “variants of concern.” But not every sample is tested for the specific variant.
In all, 73% of Illinois adults have received at least one dose, and 57% are fully vaccinated, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But there is a wide geographic disparity in vaccination rates, with nearly 62% of the population fully vaccinated in Jo Daviess County in the northwest corner of the state compared with less than 20% in Alexander County at the southern tip, according to CDC data.
Despite growing concerns about the delta variant, repeated warnings from public health officials about the risk to people who have not been vaccinated and even the lure of winning up to $1 million in the state’s vaccine lottery, the average number of people getting a shot each day in Illinois is down substantially in July.
The average number of daily doses was 21,217 for the week ending Friday, down from 41,150 for the week ending July 1, a nearly 50% drop. The average has increased somewhat from a lull during the week of the Fourth of July holiday, when it dipped as low as 16,423 vaccinations per day.
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When the state announced June 17 that it was launching a lottery with prizes including $100,000 and $1 million in cash for adults and $150,000 in college scholarships for kids who’ve gotten at least one dose in Illinois, the average number of daily doses administered was 42,153.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Public Health said earlier this month that without the lottery, “Illinois could’ve experienced a steeper drop off without our collective efforts to encourage these life-saving vaccinations.”
While cases continue to rise, coronavirus-related deaths in Illinois remain near their lowest level since the start of the pandemic, a possible result of more widespread vaccination among the older residents who are most vulnerable to the virus.
Over the past week, the state has average nine deaths per day, and the average has remained in single digits for nearly the entire month of July. Average daily deaths peaked at 155 during the week ending Dec. 8.
Roughly 79% of people 65 and older are fully vaccinated, according to state data.
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Another indication of the vaccine’s effectiveness is the relatively low number of people who’ve been hospitalized or died from COVID-19 after being fully inoculated.
As of Wednesday, 563 fully vaccinated people had been hospitalized this year, with 151 deaths from the virus or related complications. That represents 2.2% of all COVID-19 deaths in Illinois since Jan. 1. The vaccines have been shown to be less effective for some people with compromised immune systems.
Neither the department nor Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office responded immediately Friday to a request for comment on whether the state is considering any new strategies to encourage vaccinations or slow the spread of the virus.
The state lifted nearly all capacity limits on business and other pandemic-related restrictions on June 11. In California, Los Angeles County is reinstating its indoor mask mandate this weekend as cases there rise.
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