Slight Decrease In Hospitalizations, But Higher Than Spring Peak

ILLINOIS — As Illinois reported 7,910 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, the state is starting to see the number of hospitalizations slightly decrease. As of Monday night, 5,199 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across Illinois, including 1,071 in intensive care and 626 on ventilators.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker wrote that even with the decrease, the "COVID hospitalization total statewide is still 14 percent higher than our spring peak."

"That means our hospitals' ability to handle another surge is much tighter than last spring. So now more than ever, let's stay masked and stay home," Pritzker wrote.

As the entire country faces record-high numbers, hope for the coronavirus vaccine is high. The state is expecting to receive 109,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which could be doled out starting the week of Dec. 13, if the Food and Drug Administration gives its approval.

The first vaccines will be dedicated to hospitals and health care workers in the 50 counties in Illinois with the highest death rates per capita, Pritzker has said previously.

Those vaccines will be stored at 10 hospitals that will serve as regional hospital coordinating centers. The City of Chicago, which makes up 21 percent of the state's population, will get 21 percent of the initial vaccines sent: an estimated 23,000. The rest of the state will receive the remaining 86,000.

Here is a look at the number of vaccines that will be sent to regional hospital coordinating centers:

1. Northshore -Highland Park Hospital: 27,300 doses
2. Loyola University Medical Center: 16,575 doses
3. Advocate Christ Hospital and Medical Center: 8,775 doses
4. Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin: 7,800 doses
5. Memorial Hospital, Bellville in Belleville: 6,825 doses
6. OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria: 5,850 doses
7. Rockford Memorial Hospital in Rockford: 4,875 doses
8. Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana: 3,900 doses
9. SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale in Carbondale: 2,925 doses
10. St. John's Hospital in Springfield: 1,950 doses

From there, health departments in counties across the state will be tasked with working with the hospitals to get the vaccines out locally. CVS and Walgreens has also offered to send its staff into long-term care facilities to assist with vaccinations.