COVID-19 News

Local press releases, news articles and community notifications regarding COVID-19

May 2022

5/27/22

• Associated Press: U.S. making COVID antiviral drug more available at test sites
• Associated Press: Widespread disbelief over North Korea's tiny COVID death rate
• Associated Press: Dominant coronavirus mutant contains ghost of pandemic past
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: Most suburbs at high risk, hospitalizations still climbing
• Kane County Connects: 15 ILLINOIS COUNTIES RATED AT HIGH COMMUNITY LEVEL AS OF MAY 27 — KANE REMAINS AT MEDIUM LEVEL
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 36,843 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; KANE COUNTY STAYS AT MEDIUM LEVEL; HOSPITALIZATIONS UP AS AMERICANS HIT THE ROAD

5/26/22

• Associated Press: WHO: COVID-19 cases mostly drop, except for the Americas
• Associated Press: Coronavirus level now high for Cook, collar counties
• Associated Press: Chicago, Peoria areas now rated high for coronavirus
• Chicago Tribune: Cook among 15 counties to move into ‘high’ COVID-19 level Thursday evening: officials
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 1 in 5 Adults Have COVID-Related Health Condition; 6,358 New Illinois Cases, But Just 2 Deaths Reported Thursday

5/25/22

• Associated Press: Long COVID affects more older adults; shots don't prevent it
• The New York Times: More than 1 in 5 adult COVID survivors in US may develop long COVID, CDC study suggests
• Daily Herald: Daily Herald opinion: Let's use our current COVID 'down time' to better prepare for next surges
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 4TH KANE DEATH IN 3 DAYS; 6,406 ILLINOIS CASES WEDNESDAY; ‘HIDDEN’ WAVE OF COVID
• Kane County Connects: METRA’S COVID-RELATED TICKET EXTENSION ENDS JUNE 1

5/24/22

• Chicago Tribune: Long COVID symptoms lasted a median of 15 months, Northwestern study finds
• Chicago Tribune: Face coverings remain optional in newest COVID-19 spike, but doctors encourage people to put on masks again
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 2 MORE KANE DEATHS BUT CASE RATE DROPPING; BA.2.12.1 NOW DOMINANT IN U.S.

5/23/22

• Associated Press: Pfizer says 3 COVID shots protect children under 5
• Associated Press: What's next for COVID-19 vaccines for youngest US children
• Associated Press: Opponents of federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate ask appeals court to reconsider
• Chicago Tribune: As COVID-19 cases rise, 60% of kids 5 to 11 in Illinois are still unvaccinated
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: 1 KANE DEATH, 14,432 ILLINOIS CASES OVER WEEKEND; CHILDREN UNDER 5 WILL NEED 3 DOSES;

5/22/22

• Associated Press: COVID pandemic is ‘most certainly not over,’ head of World Health Organization warns
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations up nearly 87% from one month ago, back over 1,000
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 86% AMERICANS IN ‘HIGH’ RISK; 8 ILLINOIS COUNTIES NOW AT ‘HIGH’ 40,193 NEW CASES STATEWIDE

5/21/22

• Associated Press: COVID-19, shootings: Is mass death now tolerated in America?

5/20/22

• Associated Press: Kids ages 5 to 11 should get a booster dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, CDC says

5/19/22

• Associated Press: WHO: COVID deaths dropped by 21% last week but cases rising
• Associated Press: CDC urges Pfizer booster for children ages 5 to 11
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 1 KANE DEATH; 7,555 NEW ILLINOIS CASES; HEALTH OFFICIALS WORRY AS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND NEARS

5/18/22

• Associated Press: A third of US should be considering masks as COVID cases rise, officials say
• Daily Herald: With rise in COVID-19 hospital numbers, Kane County officials advise graduation precautions
• Daily Herald: As new COVID-19 cases surge, booster for kids comes just in time, expert says
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CDC URGES INDOOR MASKING FOR 1/3 OF U.S.; CHICAGO NEARING ‘HIGH’ LEVEL; 21% ICU BEDS AVAILABLE STATEWIDE

5/17/22

• Associated Press: FDA clears COVID booster shot for healthy kids ages 5 to 11
• Associated Press: Another batch of free COVID at-home tests — 8 per household — are now available
• Associated Press: Pandemic wedding blues: Fewer US couples said 'I do' in 2020
• Daily Herald: Kane County plans to address quality of life, economic needs with remaining COVID-19 funds
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FDA OK’S BOOSTERS FOR KIDS; AUTOMAKERS REINSTATE MASK MANDATE; 5,327 NEW ILLINOIS CASES; KANE GOES 2 WEEKS WITHOUT A COVID DEATH

5/16/22

• Associated Press: U.S. deaths from COVID hit 1 million, less than 2 1/2 years in
• The New York Times: How often can you be infected with COVID-19?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 16,856 NEW CASES OVER WEEKEND; BOOSTERS FOR 5-YEAR-OLDS?; U.S. HITS MILLIONTH DEATH
• Kane County Connects: STATE GIVES COVID-19 SICK LEAVE PROTECTIONS FOR VACCINATED SCHOOL STAFF

5/15/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.4, BA.5 NOW VARIANTS OF CONCERN; 40,000+ NEW ILLINOIS CASES; 23 COUNTIES NOW AT ‘MEDIUM’ LEVEL

5/14/22

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations up 12.5% this week, 45 more deaths

5/13/22

• Associated Press: U.S. 'vulnerable' to COVID without new shots, White House official says
• Associated Press: Biden marks COVID 'tragic milestone' in US at global summit

5/12/22

• Associated Press: WHO: COVID-19 falling everywhere, except Americas and Africa
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: U.S. NEARS 1 MILLION COVID DEATHS; KANE STAYS AT ‘MEDIUM’ LEVEL; STATE ICU BED AVAILABILITY DROPS UNDER 20%

5/11/22

• Associated Press: Creeping COVID-19 cases result in few schools mask mandates
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CDC FORECASTS RISE IN DEATHS; BA.2.12.1 POISED TO BECOME DOMINANT; 252 NEW KANE CASES WEDNESDAY

5/10/22

• Associated Press: Pandemic gets tougher to track as COVID testing plunges
• Associated Press: WHO calls on Pfizer to make its COVID pill more available
• Associated Press: House panel alleges cover-up by contract vaccine maker 
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: ONLY 1/3 U.S. POPULATION HAS EVEN 1 BOOSTER; 5,344 NEW ILLINOIS CASES TUESDAY

5/9/22

• Associated Press: Rare cases of COVID returning pose questions for Pfizer pill
• Daily Herald: Irvin attacks Pritzker over handling of fatal COVID-19 outbreak at veterans home
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 14,427 NEW ILLINOIS CASES OVER WEEKEND; STOCKS PLUNGE; INFECTIONS UP 50% IN 8 STATES

5/8/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE MOVES TO ‘MEDIUM’ LEVEL; 7,709 NEW ILLINOIS CASES IN 1 DAY; 100 MILLION INFECTIONS FALL

5/6/22

• Associated Press: COVID coverage for all dries up even as hospital costs rise
• Associated Press: Nearly 1 million COVID-19 deaths: A look at the US numbers
• Daily Herald: All suburban counties now at medium COVID-19 risk level, with DuPage approaching high
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY MOVES TO ‘MEDIUM’ COVID-19 RISK LEVEL

5/5/22

• Associated Press: WHO: Nearly 15 million deaths associated with COVID-19
• Associated Press: FDA restricts J&J's COVID-19 vaccine due to blood clot risk
• Associated Press: COVID coverage for all dries up even as hospital costs rise 
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE POSITIVITY HIGHEST SINCE FEBRUARY; STATE ICU BEDS DOWN TO 21%; WORLDWIDE COVID DEATHS 3 TIMES HIGHER THAN REPORTED

5/4/22

• Associated Press: WHO: COVID continues to decline, except in Americas, Africa
• Daily Herald: Moderna Q1 profit triples on robust COVID vaccine sales
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 5,748 NEW ILLINOIS CASES HIGHEST IN MONTHS; MORE YOUNG ADULTS GETTING VIRUS

5/3/22

• Associated Press: CDC restates recommendation for masks on planes, trains
• Associated Press: Pfizer aims to submit COVID vaccine data for children under 5 by early June
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago expected to reach ‘medium’ COVID-19 risk soon; city’s top doctor says mask rules could return if ‘high’ level reached.
• Chicago Tribune: Free, at-home COVID-19 tests can still be tough to find at Illinois pharmacies
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 4,047 NEW ILLINOIS CASES; 2 KANE COUNTY DEATHS; BA.4, BA.5 TRIGGER CONCERNS ABOUT NEW WAVE IN U.S.

5/2/22

• Associated Press: Sneakers, elastic pants: People alter office wear amid COVID
• Associated Press: What happens if I get COVID-19 while traveling?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 8,981 NEW ILLINOIS CASES OVER WEEKEND; KANE DEATH TOLL UNCHANGED SINCE APRIL 14; WHO WATCHING BA.4, BA.5 IN SOUTH AFRICA

5/1/22

• Daily Herald: How effective COVID-19 treatments are making the pandemic more manageable
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: PANDEMIC ‘FAR FROM OVER’, 24,646 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; DUPAGE STILL AT MODERATE LEVEL

April 2022

4/29/22

• Associated Press: Racial split on COVID-19 endures as restrictions ease in U.S.
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5 is 'a big deal,' doctors say
• Daily Herald: $309 million available through mortgage assistance program
• Chicago Tribune: Large portion of suburban Chicago is back to ‘medium’ COVID-19 risk; city expected to follow
• Chicago Tribune: Feeling the strain of a long wait for a COVID-19 vaccine for young children, parents welcome news of Moderna’s authorization request: ‘It’s like ... society has moved on’

4/28/22

• Associated Press: Moderna seeks to be 1st with COVID shots for littlest kids
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: MODERNA SEEKS EMERGENCY VAX OK FOR KIDS UNDER 5; ILLINOIS TALLIES 4,593 NEW CASES; KANE CASE RATE HIGHER THAN STATE’S

4/27/22

• Associated Press: ‘Pandemic phase’ over for the U.S., but COVID-19 is still here, Dr. Anthony Fauci says
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FAUCI SAYS U.S. IN A ‘DIFFERENT PHASE’ OF PANDEMIC; KANE DEATHS DROP BY 1; NEW YORK STATE IS U.S. HOT SPOT

4/26/22

• Associated Press: Vice President Kamala Harris tests positive for COVID-19, Biden not 'close contact'
• Associated Press: What do we know about the new omicron mutant?
• Associated Press: Administration expands availability of COVID antiviral pill
• The New York Times: Most Americans have been infected with COVID-19 at least once, CDC says
• STAT: With Omicron, nearly 60% in U.S. have been infected during pandemic
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KAMALA HARRIS TESTS POSITIVE; BA.4 SPREADING WORLDWIDE; 149 NEW KANE CASES

4/25/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 8,155 NEW ILLINOIS CASES OVER WEEKEND; KANE CASES RISING; REMDESIVIR OK’D FOR BABIES

4/24/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: DUPAGE COUNTY MOVES TO ‘MODERATE’ LEVEL; 19,551 NEW ILLINOIS CASES THIS WEEK; CONCERNS OVER BA.2

4/22/22

• Associated Press: Mask mandates return to many US college campuses as COVID cases rise
• Associated Press: Philadelphia to end mask mandate, days after reinstating it
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: New cases up by 39%, hospitalizations up by 12.7%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: DUPAGE COUNTY MOVES TO ‘MODERATE’ LEVEL; 19,551 NEW ILLINOIS CASES THIS WEEK; BA.212.1 NOW 11% IN OUR REGION OF U.S.

4/21/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: DOJ APPEALS JUDGE’S RULING; CDC STATEMENT ON MASKS IN TRANSIT; 3,587 NEW CASES STATEWIDE

4/20/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: BA.2.12.1 HAS ARRIVED IN KANE COUNTY; BACKLASH OVER DELTA COMMENT; 3,931 NEW ILLINOIS CASES WEDNESDAY

4/19/22

• Associated Press: Moderna announces step toward updating COVID boosters for fall
• Associated Press: As US ends mask mandates for travel, rules still vary from city to city
• Daily Herald: Metra, Pace, CTA not changing mask policy yet while some airlines do after judge's ruling
• Chicago Tribune: Taking public transit? Here’s where masks are still required in Chicago, and where they’re not
• Chicago Tribune: Midway Airport travelers have mixed emotions on first full day of no mask mandate on planes
• Kane County Connects: PRITZKER LIFTS MASK MANDATE FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: CDC LAUNCHES OUTBREAKS RESPONSE CENTER; BA.2 NOW 90% OF VARIANTS; 2,471 NEW CASES STATEWIDE

4/18/22

• Associated Press: Federal judge voids US transit mask mandate; major airlines swiftly drop requirements
• Daily Herald: Illinois averaging more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases a day. That has health officials concerned.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: JUDGE OVERTURNS MASK MANDATE ON PLANES; 8,175 NEW ILLINOIS CASES OVER 3-DAY WEEKEND; CDC REMOVES 49 COUNTRIES FROM ‘DO NOT TRAVEL’ LIST

4/17/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.2.12, BA.2.12.1 ARE IN NEW YORK; ILLINOIS ISSUES WARNING ON RISING CASES; 3,340 NEW CASES ON THURSDAY ALONE

4/15/22

• Associated Press: It's not over: COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in U.S.
• Associated Press: COVID-19 cases are rising again in the US. But how high will they get?
• Daily Herald: Appellate court allows state vaccine mandate on teachers, other public employees to continue

4/14/22

• The New York Times: Supply chain hurdles will outlast pandemic, White House says
• The New York Times: Pfizer says its booster shot strengthens immune response for ages 5-11
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: ILLINOIS ISSUES WARNING ON RISING CASES; 3,340 NEW CASES ON THURSDAY ALONE

4/13/22

• Associated Press: CDC extends travel mask requirement to May 3 as COVID rises
• Daily Herald: Traveling? Don't throw that mask away: The mask rule is extended to May 3
• Daily Herald: What our wastewater can tell us about COVID-19 rates
• Chicago Tribune: Hundreds in Chicago Police Department still not vaccinated, despite Wednesday’s deadline to receive the shots
• Chicago Tribune: Philadelphia reinstated its indoor mask mandate. Will Chicago be next?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.2.12, BA.2.12.1 ARE IN NEW YORK; ILLINOIS ISSUES WARNING ON RISING CASES; 3,340 NEW CASES ON THURSDAY ALONE
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: TRAVEL MASK MANDATE EXTENDED; IDPH NO LONGER POSTING TEST POSITIVITY RATES; 2,060 NEW ILLINOIS CASES WEDNESDAY

4/12/22

• Associated Press: COVID, cancer and overdoses: 2021 was the deadliest year in U.S. history
• The New York Times: New White House COVID czar says it’s not a moment to be ‘excessively concerned’

4/11/22

• Associated Press: Philadelphia reinstates indoor mask mandate after sharp increase in COVID-19 cases
• The New York Times: COVID vaccinations rise in U.S. after several weeks of steady decline
• Daily Herald: Tired of COVID-19 fatigue? Don't forget the pandemic isn't over, experts say
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: PHILLY REINSTATES MASK MANDATE; 4,438 NEW ILLINOIS CASES OVER WEEKEND, INCLUDING 194 IN KANE

4/10/22

• Daily Herald: We still have the pandemic to deal with -- and COVID-19 fatigue

4/8/22

• Associated Press: COVID outbreaks give a taste of living with the virus
• Chicago Tribune: Six Chicago teachers who sued CPS over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate win legal victory
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois lawmakers approve sweeping changes to nursing home funding meant to increase staffing and improve care
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: HIGH-PROFILE D.C. INFECTIONS; 10,786 NEW CASES, 71 DEATHS THIS WEEK; IDPH SAYS CASES NO LONGER DECLINING

4/7/22

• Daily Herald: New COVID-19 cases top 2,000 for first time since February
• Chicago Tribune: Though ‘stealth’ omicron cases are climbing in Chicago, top doctor doubts another major surge is on the way: ‘I am not alarmed’
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FAUCI SAYS UPTICK NOW, SURGE LIKELY THIS FALL; BA.2 CONTINUES RISE; TEST POSITIVITY NOW 4.0% IN REGION 8

4/6/22

• Associated Press: COVID cases and deaths continue to fall globally, WHO says
• Associated Press: US experts discuss COVID boosters for the fall and beyond
• Daily Herald: What will fast-spreading COVID-19 variant abroad mean for Illinois?
• Daily Herald: Pritzker approves paid COVID leave for vaccinated teachers
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 72% OF U.S. CASES ARE BA.2; ILLINOIS RECORDS 2,194 NEW CASES WEDNESDAY; KANE TEST POSITIVITY TICKS UP

4/5/22

• Daily Herald: House advances bill protecting nursing home visitation rights
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago and CPS see rising COVID-19 numbers but ‘nothing alarming at this point,’ city’s top doc says
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: YEARLY COVID SHOT LIKELY; TRUMP AD BOOSTS VACCINATIONS; 1 ADDITIONAL KANE DEATH TUESDAY; 1,798 NEW CASES STATEWIDE

4/4/22

• Kane County Connects: $150 MILLION IN UTILITY ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR FAMILIES IN NEED
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: XE VARIANT CONFIRMED IN UK; 92 KANE CASES OVER WEEKEND, BUT TEST POSITIVITY RISING

4/3/22

• Daily Herald: Nasal irrigation may help with COVID
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: Hospitalizations up 6.3% from last week

4/2/22

• Associated Press: UK hits record COVID-19 levels; nearly 5 million infected

4/1/22

• Associated Press: Number of COVID patients in US hospitals reaches record low
• Chicago Tribune: The feds are no longer paying for COVID-19 tests for uninsured people. Here’s what that means in Illinois.
• Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 update: Hospitalizations up 6.3% from last week
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: WHO WATCHING NEW XE VARIANT; CHINA HIT HARD; 8,426 NEW ILLINOIS CASES THIS WEEK; JUST 39 CASES FRIDAY IN KANE COUNTY
• Kane County Connects: APPOINTMENTS ENCOURAGED FOR COVID-19 SECOND BOOSTER VACCINATIONS AT THE KANE VAX HUB IN BATAVIA

March 2022

3/31/22

• Associated Press: England ends free virus tests under 'living with COVID' plan
• Daily Herald: Kane Co. focusing $71M in COVID funds for budget, wish list
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 leave for vaccinated teachers clears General Assembly
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CHILD VAX LAGGING; MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS; KANE TEST POSITIVITY RISES AGAIN

3/30/22

• Associated Press: WHO: COVID deaths jump by 40%, but cases falling globally
• Associated Press: Who really needs a second COVID booster? Here's what to know
• Associated Press: BioNTech's quarterly profit soars on COVID-19 vaccine demand
• Daily Herald: Who's eligible and when to get second COVID-19 booster shot
• Kane County Connects: NEW COVID.GOV CREATES ONE-STOP SHOP FOR VACCINES, TESTS, TREATMENTS, MASKS, LATEST COVID-⁠19 INFORMATION
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: WILL CONGRESS END COVID FUNDING?; REGION 8 HOSPITALIZATIONS TICK UP FOR 1ST TIME IN WEEKS
• Kane County Connects: AURORA COMMUNITY-BASED COVID-19 TESTING SITE CLOSES MARCH 31

3/29/22

• Associated Press: FDA OKs another Pfizer, Moderna COVID booster for people age 50 and older
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FDA OK’S 4TH SHOT; BA.2 DOMINANT IN U.S.; 1 MORE KANE DEATH TUESDAY

3/28/22

• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY DIRECTS FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO NONPROFITS
• Kane County Connects: COMMUNITY-BASED COVID-19 TESTING SITES TO END OPERATIONS MARCH 31
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: AIRLINE MASKS LIKELY TO GO AWAY IN LESS THAN A MONTH; KANE TEST POSITIVITY RISES; 2,511 ILLINOIS CASES OVER WEEKEND

3/27/22

• Daily Herald: 'Coming back in full force': As pandemic eases, couples in the suburbs commit to weddings
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 9% OF SCOTLAND POPULATION INFECTED; 8,309 NEW ILLINOIS CASES THIS WEEK

3/25/22

• Associated Press: Experts worry about how US will see next COVID surge coming
• Daily Herald: 40 nonprofits in Kane County to share $2 million in relief funds
• Daily Herald: State closing down 10 COVID-19 testing sites as demand drops
• Kane County Connects: 4 ACTIVE SCHOOL OUTBREAKS IN KANE — 2 NEW TO LIST THIS WEEK

3/24/22

• Daily Herald: 'It's been difficult waiting': What to know about Moderna's proposed vaccine for kids under 6
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.2 SYMPTOMS MIGHT BE MISTAKEN FOR SPRING ALLERGIES; 1 KANE COVID DEATH OUT OF 15 STATEWIDE

3/23/22

• Associated Press: Moderna says its low-dose COVID shots work for kids under 6
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.2 DOMINANT WORLDWIDE; ‘MAJOR SURGE’ UNLIKELY IN U.S.; JUST 18 DEATHS REPORTED STATEWIDE WEDNESDAY

3/22/22

• Associated Press: Scientists worry BA.2 variant may push up COVID cases in US
• Chicago Tribune: ‘Stealth’ omicron is expected to be dominant variant among Chicago COVID-19 cases by the end of March
• Courier News: Kane County woman says a hands-on nurse helped her transition into motherhood during COVID-19 pandemic
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.2 NOW 35% OF CASES; 4 MORE KANE COVID DEATHS; HOSPITALIZATIONS DOWN TO 42 IN REGION 8

3/21/22

• Associated Press: Doctors finding hurdles to using pills to treat COVID-19
• Daily Herald: Rosemont rebates Allstate $1.7 million for arena shutdown during pandemic
• Daily Herald: Pritzker: State 'in a good place' with COVID-19 subvariant, but it's closely monitoring trends
• Chicago Tribune: Lake County health officials hope COVID-19 fades into flu-like concern; expect masks and other mitigation measures to linger
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.2 ACCOUNTS FOR 25% OF ILLINOIS CASES; 2,451 NEW ILLINOIS CASES OVER WEEKEND; ZERO KANE DEATHS

3/20/22

• Associated Press: Scientists explore potential connection between diabetes and COVID-19
• Chicago Tribune: Two years. 33,000 dead. Tracing the pandemic’s toll across Illinois and one doctor’s family.
• Chicago Tribune: New first probable COVID death in Illinois uncovered — a 64-year-old woman from Chicago who thought she had a cold
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FAUCI SAYS RESURGENCE POSSIBLE; 7,467 ILLINOIS CASES THIS WEEK; 1 KANE DEATH FRIDAY

3/19/22

• Associated Press: China reports first COVID-19 deaths in more than a year

3/18/22

• Associated Press: Moderna seeks FDA authorization for 4th dose of COVID shot
• Associated Press: More than 30 companies to start making Pfizer's COVID pill
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 case levels in Illinois stagnate, hospitalizations continue decline

3/17/22

• Kane County Connects:  COVID-19 UPDATE: ANOTHER WAVE MAY BE ‘IMMINENT’; NO KANE DEATHS FOR 2ND STRAIGHT DAY; 16 DEATHS STATEWIDE

3/16/22

• Chicago Tribune: Two years of the COVID pandemic in Chicago: Take a look back
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: HEALTH OFFICIALS BRACING FOR BA.2 IN U.S.; KCHD ID’S BA.2 IN KANE

3/15/22

• Associated Press: Pfizer seeking OK for 4th COVID dose for seniors, AP source says
• Associated Press: 
• Daily Herald: District 303 to lift additional COVID-19 measures after spring break
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.2 ON RISE; NUMBERS SPIKING IN U.K.; 2 MORE KANE DEATHS TUESDAY

3/14/22

• Chicago Tribune: Parents split on the end of the mask mandate in Chicago Public Schools
• Chicago Tribune: Commentary: It has been two years since the pandemic began, and masks are coming off. If you want to keep yours, here are 12 that are worth adding to your buy list
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY BOARD LIFTS FACE COVERING, DISTANCING MANDATES IN COUNTY BUILDINGS

3/13/22

• Daily Herald: Constable: Mask mandates are magically disappearing, but many still need masks to remain

3/11/22

• Associated Press: Two years into COVID pandemic, world takes cautious steps forward
• Daily Herald: 93 cases of new variant of omicron reported in Illinois
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 1,825 new cases, 23 additional deaths, 676 hospitalizations
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois driver’s licenses, ID cards renewal deadlines extended until July 31
• Chicago Tribune: Mayor Lori Lightfoot warns police and other city employees will lose pay if they don’t get 1st COVID-19 vaccine by Sunday
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 9 MILLION IN CHINA ON LOCKDOWN; STATE REPORTS 8,519 NEW CASES, 149 DEATHS THIS WEEK; WORLDWIDE DEATHS PASS 6 MILLION

3/10/22

• Daily Herald: U.S. requiring masks on planes, transit an extra month as it weighs new approach
• Daily Herald: Mask mandates are over, but 'we have every reason to expect another surge,' experts warn
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois ends its indoor mask mandate for most public places. Here's what to know.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: TSA EXTENDS MASK MANDATE TO MID-APRIL; 36 KANE CASES BUT 2 DEATHS; ‘DELTACRON’ VARIANT SPOTTED IN U.S.

3/9/22

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 1,634 new cases, 32 more deaths, 699 hospitalizations
• Daily Herald: The changing definition of the workplace
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 91 KANE CASES, 1 DEATH OVER 2 DAYS; WHY U.S. IS INURED TO COVID DEATHS; MORE FREE BY-MAIL COVID TESTS

3/8/22

• Associated Press: WHO says COVID boosters needed, reversing previous call
• Daily Herald: Legislators vote to make masks optional on House floor
• Daily Herald: Illinois reports no COVID-19 deaths Sunday or Monday
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations now at 2.5% of total beds, compared to 23% in January
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: NO NEW IDPH DATA POSTED TUESDAY; UKRAINE GRAPPLING WITH COVID; AURORA STILL LEADS KANE IN CASE COUNTS

3/7/22

• Associated Press: Death toll surpasses 6 million for pandemic now in 3rd year
• Daily Herald: Masks on trains and planes, still? TSA policy decision coming soon
• Chicago Tribune: First it was pizza and nightly applause. Now, hospitals look at longer-term solutions to support exhausted health care workers
• Kane County Connects: PRITZKER ISSUES UPDATED COVID-19 EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR SCHOOLS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: COVID LINKED TO BRAIN DAMAGE; 2,607 ILLINOIS CASES OVER WEEKEND; 1 ADDITIONAL KANE DEATH

3/6/22

• Daily Herald: End of mask mandate brings optimism and challenges to small businesses
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 10,462 NEW ILLINOIS CASES, 272 DEATHS THIS WEEK; WORLDWIDE DEATHS PASS 6 MILLION; TRUCKERS ADVANCE ON DC TO PROTEST MANDATES

3/4/22

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 vaccination average drops below 12,500 shots daily
• Chicago Tribune: More remote workers are moving to small towns like Quincy that better match their lifestyles as pandemic reshapes the workplace
• Kane County Connects: 5 ACTIVE KANE COUNTY SCHOOL COVID-19 OUTBREAKS AS OF MARCH 4 — BUT NO NEW OUTBREAKS THIS WEEK

3/3/22

• Associated Press: As vaccine demand falls, states are left with huge stockpile
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations drop below 900
• Chicago Tribune: Omicron takes over 100% of tracked Illinois cases. Here’s your guide to the Greek alphabet of COVID variants.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 3 KANE DEATHS THURSDAY; RURAL AREAS FALLING BEHIND IN VACCINATION; NEW OMICRON VARIANT FOUND IN DEER

3/2/22

• Associated Press: Biden admin: COVID-19 should no longer ‘dictate how we live’
• Daily Herald: 'This is my chance': Ezike ends tenure atop state health department with virus numbers down
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 ICU hospitalizations drop 34% from last week
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois ends its indoor mask mandate for most public places. Here's what to know.
• Chicago Tribune: Downstate attorney reignites battle against the Chicago Public Schools COVID-19 mask mandate
• Courier News: U-46 nixes rules requiring students must wear masks on buses, athletic vans and driver’s ed cars
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: U.S. ENTERS NEW PHASE OF COVID RESPONSE; 64 NEW KANE CASES AND NO DEATHS WEDNESDAY

3/1/22

• Daily Herald: 'It's honestly a relief': Many happy to see mandates end, but some continue to mask up
• Chicago Tribune: Dr. Ngozi Ezike, a familiar face throughout the pandemic, leaving post as top Illinois public health official in mid-March
• Courier News: Elgin residents slowly embracing mask free world again but many say it’s a personal decision
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 3 MORE KANE DEATHS BRING TOTAL TO 1,100; 1,841 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; U.S. CASES LOWEST SINCE OCTOBER

February 2022

2/28/22

• Chicago Tribune: After 2 years of volatile debates, COVID-19 school mask mandate ends without fanfare in Illinois
• Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker adds child care centers to list of places where masks are no longer required
• Chicago Tribune: Masks still rule in Chicago Public Schools ‘for now’ as rest of Illinois mostly ditches them; CEO says he’s reviewing guidance
• Chicago Tribune: Homeless population count shows numbers dropping in Illinois, but advocates warn we may be in a COVID bubble. ‘We know they’re out there.’
• Kane County Connects: PRITZKER’S UPDATED EXECUTIVE ORDER LIFTS MASK REQUIREMENT FOR K-12 SCHOOLS, DAYCARES — BUT SCHOOLS CAN REQUIRE MASKS AT THEIR DISCRESSION
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 139 DEATHS STATEWIDE, 2 MORE KANE DEATHS OVER WEEKEND; HOSPITALIZATIONS LEVELING; HONG KONG, SOUTH KOREA STILL HARD HIT

2/27/22

• Associated Press: Nearly half of President Joe Biden’s 500M free COVID tests still unclaimed
• Daily Herald: Pritzker makes it official: Indoor mask mandate will be lifted Monday, including for schools
• Daily Herald: Pritzker lifts school mask mandate even as state Supreme Court strikes down order blocking it
• Chicago Tribune: Masks can come off Monday in most places. After almost two years of COVID mandates, is this the end?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: STATE TO LIFT SCHOOL MASK MANDATE; ‘WOW’ CHANGE IN PANDEMIC MEASUREMENTS; KANE JUMPS TO ‘LOW’ LEVEL

2/26/22

• Associated Press: Why the CDC suggests more time between 1st and 2nd COVID vaccine doses for some people
• Associated Press: Most Americans can take a break from masks, new CDC guidelines say
• Daily Herald: Eight Kane schools on state's latest COVID-19 outbreak list for second consecutive week

2/25/22

• Associated Press: CDC: Many healthy Americans can take a break from masks
• Associated Press: Treasury: Most COVID rental aid went to low-income residents
• Associated Press: COVID-stricken mom reunites with baby 2 months after birth
• Associated Press: CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday
• Daily Herald: Some suburban theaters prepare to lift mask, vaccination mandates
• Daily Herald: Face mask requirement ends Monday, but some exceptions apply: Here's what you need to know
• Chicago Tribune: Pritzker halts school mask mandate with arrival of new CDC guidance

2/24/22

• Associated Press: As 'stealth omicron' advances, scientists are learning more
• Daily Herald: Kane County courts to go mask-optional
• Daily Herald: New COVID-19 infections down 38%, and deaths decline nearly 28%
• Chicago Tribune: Most Chicago-area theaters and music clubs will keep COVID mask requirements after Feb. 28
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: NEW CDC MASK GUIDANCE FRIDAY?; KANE RECORDS 65 CASES, 2 DEATHS THURSDAY; TEST POSITIVITY WAY DOWN

2/23/22

• Associated Press: CDC: Some people should wait longer for 2nd COVID shot
• Associated Press: Is omicron leading us closer to herd immunity against COVID?
• Associated Press: US vaccination drive is bottoming out as omicron subsides
• Daily Herald: Attorney general appeals decisions lifting masks in schools to Illinois Supreme Court
• Daily Herald: Where are the most vaccinated kids? DuPage leads in COVID-19 shots, followed by Lake
• Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 vaccine mandate upheld for Chicago police; FOP president calls on officers to ‘hold the line’ but concedes they’re now ‘forced’ to get shots
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago travel advisory for unvaccinated residents doesn’t contain all of US for 1st time since early 2022
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 118 KANE CASES, BUT 2 MORE DEATHS; CHICAGO SCHOOLS WON’T LIFT MASKS FEB. 28; NEW VACCINE EMERGES

2/22/22

• Associated Press: WHO says new COVID cases fall for the third week; deaths also drop
• Daily Herald: Chicago, Cook County lifting most mask, proof of vaccine requirements Feb. 28
• Chicago Tribune: Should doctors who spread false information about COVID-19 lose their medical licenses? Some states say yes, others say no
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 4 KANE DEATHS IN 3 DAYS; U.S. CASES DROP 90% SINCE PEAK; ICU BEDS OPENING UP IN REGION 8

2/21/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: UK ENDS RESTRICTIONS; 29,896 NEW ILLINOIS CASES LAST WEEK; STATE TEST LOCATIONS NOW OPEN TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, SATURDAYS 
• Kane County Connects: KANE SCHOOL MASK UPDATE: KANE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ADJUST COVID MITIGATION POLICIES FOLLOWING COURT RULINGS

2/20/22

• Daily Herald: No, ingesting marijuana will not prevent COVID-19

2/18/22

• Daily Herald: Appellate court rules school mask mandate expired; Pritzker plans state Supreme Court appeal
• Daily Herald: Kane Co. health official asks business leaders to welcome masks after mandate
• Chicago Tribune: Pritzker to take school mask case to Illinois Supreme Court after ruling leaves masking up to local districts. About 700 are mask optional; CPS staying the course.

2/17/22

• Associated Press: Estimated 73% of US now immune to omicron: Is that enough?
• Associated Press: Vaccination during pregnancy helps protect babies from COVID-19, according to CDC study
• Daily Herald: No court ruling on school masks yet as COVID-19 ICU hospitalizations drop below 300
• Daily Herald: Illinois averaging fewer than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases daily
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 1,611 hospitalized, 298 in ICU, 73 more deaths
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois will end its indoor mask mandate for most public places on Feb. 28
• Chicago Tribune: Judge ordered to reconsider United Airlines employees’ bid to put vaccine policy on hold
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 8 MORE KANE COUNTY COVID DEATHS; HOSPITALIZATIONS DROP; FAUCI SAYS TIME TO INCH TOWARD NORMALCY

2/16/22

• Associated Press: More virus rules fall as CDC hints at better times ahead Associated Press: 
• Daily Herald: Court decision on school masking order expected Thursday
• Daily Herald: Kane Co. COVID-19 numbers driving reconsidering of mass vacc site
• Daily Herald: GOP members challenge Illinois House floor mask mandate
• Chicago Tribune: Pritzker’s school mask mandate is losing steam as suburban Chicago districts go mask optional
• Chicago Tribune: Kane County Board members say it may be time to close mass vaccination site as COVID-19 cases decrease
• Kane County Connects: KANE SCHOOL MASK UPDATE: 3 MORE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TRANSITION TO ‘MASKS ENCOURAGED’ BUT NOT REQUIRED
• Kane County Connects: STATE COMMITTEE VOTES TO BLOCK REISSUANCE OF GOVERNOR’S EMERGENCY RULES IN SCHOOLS

2/15/22

• Daily Herald: Legislative panel suspends COVID-19 rules for schools
• Daily Herald: Mask-optional policies questioned as children and teens lead in new Illinois COVID-19 cases
• Daily Herald: Hospitalizations on track for Feb. 28 lifting of state mask mandate
• Chicago Tribune: Democratic lawmakers join GOP to block Pritzker administration effort to set school mask rules ahead of appellate court ruling
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago’s top doctor hints the city mask mandate could end when the state drops its rule on Feb. 28
• Chicago Tribune: After requiring proof of vaccination for Evanston City Council, aldermen approve similar COVID-19 mandate for board and commission members
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: For 1st Time Since Jan. 4, IDPH Reports No Kane Deaths

2/14/22

• Daily Herald: Five things to know about life without masks Feb. 28
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 13 Kane Deaths Since Thursday But Test Positivity Drops Dramatically

2/13/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: Fauci Says Full-Blown Pandemic Almost Over; UK Watches ‘Delacron’ Variant; Kane Test Positivity Stuck at 11.1%

2/12/22

• Daily Herald: How downstate judge's mask ruling sowed confusion in schools across suburbs, state
• Chicago Tribune: Treatment aimed at preventing COVID-19 for those at high risk now available at some Illinois hospitals
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago White Sox employees — including minor-league players — will be required to be up to date on their COVID-19 boosters

2/11/22

• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations drop below 2,400
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago-area schools see more protests and student walkouts over state’s mask mandate
• Chicago Tribune: ‘The harder they push, the harder I’ve dug in’: The threat of getting fired still hasn’t persuaded some to get COVID-19 vaccine. How are resisters affecting the pandemic?

2/10/22

• Associated Press: Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US
• Daily Herald: Pediatric experts: Masks are key to preventing COVID-19 infections at school

2/9/22

• Associated Press: Under pressure to ease up, Biden weighs new virus response
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 4,742 new cases, 109 additional deaths, 2,496 hospitalizations
• Daily Herald: Pritzker to drop mask mandate indoors by Feb. 28, school restrictions will stay in place
• Daily Herald: Some parents rally against District 300's continued mask requirement
• Daily Herald: Teachers unions urge schools to maintain agreed-upon mask requirements
• Daily Herald: Archdiocese of Chicago making masks optional for suburban schools starting Thursday
• Daily Herald: Cook County offers $100 incentive for getting a COVID shot
• Daily Herald: Programming glitch takes rental assistance portal offline for two days
• Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker will lift indoor mask mandate by Feb. 28, but rules remain in place for schools
• Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker set to unveil exit plan for COVID mask mandate
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois parents, educators call for COVID-19 exit strategy after schools left out of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to lift mask mandate
• Chicago Tribune: Pandemic endgame: As Illinois aims to ease masking restrictions, experts weigh in on the right time to return to normalcy
• Kane County Connects: PRITZKER SETS FEB. 28 TARGET FOR LIFTING SOME MASK MANDATES — BUT NOT SCHOOLS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 4 ADDITIONAL KANE COUNTY DEATHS; CDC SAYS ‘WE ARE NOT THERE YET’; ILLINOIS, NY TO DROP MASK MANDATES
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY TO DELIVER $2 MILLION TO NON-PROFITS

2/8/22

• Associated Press: Hospitals begin to limp out of the latest COVID-19 surge
• Daily Herald: What legal experts are saying about the school mask ruling
• Daily Herald: State poised to relax indoor masking rules, but maybe not so fast with schools, Pritzker says
• Daily Herald: Kane County releases $4 million in COVID money to address mental health crisis
• WBEZ: No bullying vs. 'ugliness in the hallways': What suburban kids are seeing after mask ruling
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois school mask mandate lawsuit: What you need to know about a judge’s ruling that upended school COVID-19 rules
• Chicago Tribune: School mask ruling roils Illinois districts for a second day, prompting more protests as state’s appeal remains pending
• Courier News: Parents urge U-46 board to lift mandate or make masks optional for school children
• Kane County Connects: 3 KANE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS REOPEN AFTER SORTING OUT MASK MANDATE RULING

2/7/22

• Daily Herald: Suburban school districts scramble to resolve mask question as students return to class
• Daily Herald: How treating long-haul COVID-19 is affecting health care resources
• Daily Herald: Here we go again: Judge's order sparks conflict, renews debates over masks in schools
• Daily Herald: School mask decision by judge 'cultivates chaos,' Pritzker says
• Chicago Tribune: Ruling on Illinois school mask mandate throws districts into chaos
• Fox32: Elgin schools keep mask requirement in place despite judge's ruling
• Courier News: Elgin U-46 school mask policy remains in place despite judge’s order
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: U.S. CASES DOWN IN EVERY STATE; 187 ILLINOIS DEATHS OVER WEEKEND; NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE END SCHOOL MASK MANDATES

2/6/22

• ABC7: Illinois AG seeks stay against mask order; suburban schools split on whether masks will be required Monday
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.2 ‘WILL BECOME DOMINANT’; ILLINOIS HOSPITALIZATIONS, DEATHS DROPPING; CANADA MANDATE PROTESTERS TAKE TO STREETS

2/5/22

• Chicago Tribune: Downstate judge finds in favor of parents who object to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s school mask mandate; CPS says COVID-19 protocols will continue

2/4/22

• Associated Press: US death toll from COVID-19 hits 900,000, sped by omicron
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: Illinois averaging 28,626 daily vaccine shots; 3,135 hospitalized
• Shaw Media: Sangamon County judge temporarily halts school mask mandate; Pritzker vows appeal 
• Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker mandates COVID-19 vaccine boosters for nursing home and other long-term care workers

2/3/22

• Associated Press: A different COVID-19 vaccine debate: Do we need new ones?
• Associated Press: Medicare opens up access to free at-home COVID-19 tests
• Associated Press: More nations around the world ease coronavirus restrictions
• Daily Herald: Homeless shelters, food pantries ask for more help than Kane County is offering
• Chicago Tribune: They knocked on strangers’ doors and persuaded naysayers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Here are their tips.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: DUE TO STORM, NO COVID DATA FROM IDPH; U.S. DEATHS UP 40% IN 2 WEEKS; SOME CHICAGO MANDATES COULD END ‘NOT LONG FROM NOW’

2/2/22

• Associated Press: The US has a far higher COVID death rate than other wealthy countries
• Associated Press: Army to immediately start discharging COVID vaccine refusers
• Daily Herald: Suburban COVID-19 case positivity rate drops below 6%
• Daily Herald: Public health officials renew vaccination push as case surge wanes
• Daily Herald: 'It's not just teachers in front of kids': How suburban schools have dealt with the omicron surge
• Daily Herald: Suburban COVID-19 case positivity rate drops below 6%
• Chicago Tribune: An ‘off ramp’ from masking and quarantines? As COVID cases drop, some school districts want an exit plan.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 7 KANE DEATHS WEDNESDAY; 9,463 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; BA.2 COULD BE ‘WAVE WITH ANOTHER HUMP’

2/1/22

• Associated Press: Pfizer asks FDA to allow COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5
• Associated Press: WHO: In 10 weeks, omicron surge causes COVID cases to soar
• Associated Press: Too many masks: WHO cites glut of waste from COVID response
• Daily Herald: January ends as Illinois' second deadliest month of pandemic
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations down 26% from last week
• Daily Herald: Indiana governor extends COVID-19 emergency amid debate
• Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5 might be coming soon. Here’s what we know.
• Chicago Tribune: Many people say they’ve gotten false negatives on at-home, COVID-19 tests. Why?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.2 VARIANT IS IN CHICAGO; APPROVAL SOUGHT FOR KIDS-UNDER-5 VACCINES; LOCAL ICU BED AVAILABILITY BACK OVER 20% THRESHOLD
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY DISTRIBUTES THOUSANDS OF COVID PPE TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES, SHELTERS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS

January 2022

1/31/22

• Associated Press: US gives full approval to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine
• Associated Press: Omicron amps up concerns about long COVID and its causes
• Chicago Tribune: Omicron subvariant detected in Illinois by Northwestern Medicine
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: DEATHS STILL RISING, BUT DRAMATIC SIGNS OMICRON IS WANING; KANE TEST POSITIVITY PLUMMETS; HOSPITAL BED AVAILABILITY REBOUNDS

1/30/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: BA.2 VARIANT IS COMING; 1,026 KANE DEATHS SO FAR; 123,812 NEW ILLINOIS CASES THIS WEEK

1/29/22

• Associated Press: Charges: Nurses made $1.5 million off fake vaccination cards

1/28/22

• Associated Press: Omicron drives US deaths higher than in fall's delta wave 
• Associated Press: How many times can I reuse my N95 mask?
• Daily Herald: 7-day COVID-19 case positivity rate dips into single digits after four weeks of highs
• Daily Herald: 'Our grief is so great': Kane County remembers more than 1,000 lives lost to COVID
• Chicago Tribune: As COVID-19 surge wanes, Chicago-area hospitals are resuming elective surgeries
• Chicago Tribune: State says 225,000 free COVID-19 rapid test kits available to vulnerable communities in 14 counties
• Kane County Connects: CDC: HOW TO CARE FOR SOMEONE SICK AT HOME WITH COVID-19
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY CEREMONY REMEMBERS LIVES LOST TO COVID
• Kane County Connects: 225,000 FREE, RAPID, SELF-ADMINISTERED COVID-19 TESTS AVAILABLE IN 14 COUNTIES — BUT NOT KANE

1/27/22

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations in Illinois the lowest in a month
• Daily Herald: Feds cite multiple deficiencies at two COVID-19 testing companies with pop-ups across suburbs
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: HEALTH-CARE VAX MANDATE STARTS FRIDAY; KANE DEATHS RISE TO 1,022; 149 ILLINOIS DEATHS THURSDAY
• Kane County Connects: 

1/26/22

• Associated Press: WHO: Record weekly COVID cases last week but deaths stable
• Associated Press: Hospital patient without COVID shot denied heart transplant
• Associated Press: Moderna begins testing omicron-matched COVID shots in adults
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases are down, but blood donors needed
• Chicago Tribune: My young child tested positive for COVID-19. The rest of the family remained negative. Now what?
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY EXTENDS VAX HUB APPOINTMENTS THROUGH FEBRUARY
• Kane County Connects: JAN. 28 CEREMONY WILL REMEMBER THE 1,000+ KANE COUNTY LIVES LOST TO COVID-19
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE TEST POSITIVITY STILL OVER 25%; DAILY U.S. DEATHS EXCEED FORMER PEAK; 143 ILLINOIS DEATHS WEDNESDAY

1/25/22

• Associated Press: COVID-19 vaccine booster drive is faltering in the US
• Associated Press: Pfizer begins testing omicron-matched COVID shots in adults
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois schools could see fewer student quarantines from COVID-19 close contacts
• Chicago Tribune: What is ‘stealth omicron’ and how worried should we be about another COVID-19 mutation? Chicago experts explain
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: NEW COVID SUBVARIANT; 26 KANE COVID DEATHS IN PAST WEEK; 63 ICU BEDS IN REGION 8
• Kane County Connects: STATE GIVES COVID-19 SICK LEAVE TO VACCINATED SCHOOL STAFF

1/24/22

• The New York Times: For small towns during the omicron surge, calling in sick often means there’s no Plan B
• Daily Herald: Probe into botched COVID-19 test complaints at Rolling Meadows clinic intensify with reported FBI search
• Daily Herald: 2 years ago, Illinois' first COVID-19 case was diagnosed. 2.8 million (and counting) followed.
• Daily Herald: Court weighing whether to block school COVID mitigations statewide
• Chicago Tribune: Pritzker vetoes proposal to pay COVID-19 sick leave to all school employees, says only fully vaccinated should be compensated
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL SHUTS DOWN CENTER FOR COVID CONTROL’S POP-UP TESTING SITES
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE COUNTY’S HARD WEEKEND — 4,530 NEW CASES, 12 DEATHS, 25% TEST POSITIVITY

1/23/22

• Associated Press: Some conservatives say considering race when allocating COVID treatments discriminates against white people
• Chicago Tribune: Hospital chaplains remain family link as COVID-19 pandemic closes in on 2-year mark: ‘It takes a toll ... on us and on one another’
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE HITS 1,000 DEATHS; 6,054 IN ILLINOIS HOSPITALS; OMICRON SHOULD PEAK IN U.S. BY MID FEBRUARY

1/22/22

• Associated Press: Omicron surge is undermining care for other health problems
• Associated Press: Food banks scrambling for volunteers amid omicron wave of COVID-19 cases
• Daily Herald: ICU COVID-19 patients drop below 1,000 for first time this year
• Chicago Tribune: Long ER waits. Canceled surgeries. Closed urgent care centers. The latest COVID-19 surge has made it difficult to get basic medical care in Illinois.

1/21/22

• Associated Press: Booster shots needed against omicron, CDC studies show
• Associated Press: Biden’s federal worker vaccine mandate blocked by Trump appointee Daily Herald: $42 million in new state COVID-19 grants go to small businesses in 162 suburbs
• Daily Herald: Suburban COVID-19 case positivity rates rapidly decline
• Daily Herald: Metra waiting for spring to expand schedules as COVID-19 discourages riders
• Chicago Tribune: New sensor called FaceBit can tell if health mask fits properly and provide other data. Designed for workers, device also could benefit public eventually.
• Chicago Tribune: With constant COVID closures, parents with kids in day care are at their wit’s end: ‘I honestly don’t know how we keep doing this.’

1/20/22

• Daily Herald: Pritzker 'cautiously optimistic' about nearly 10% drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations
• Daily Herald: 'Our entire department is mourning': Aurora police sergeant dies of COVID-19
• Chicago Tribune: Cracked teeth. Grinding. Sore jaws. Chicago dentists say COVID-19 stress is affecting our dental health.
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago’s top doctor ‘hopeful’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate for restaurants and public venues will end by spring
• Kane County Connects: UPDATE: WHERE TO GET COVID-19 SCREENING IN KANE COUNTY
• Kane County Connects: 2ND AURORA POLICE OFFICER IN 8 DAYS DIES OF COVID-19
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 198 ILLINOIS DEATHS THURSDAY; REGION 8 ICU BEDS DROP TO 32; WHO SAYS PANDEMIC ‘NOWHERE NEAR OVER’

1/19/22

• Associated Press: Biden to give away 400 million N95 masks starting next week
• Associated Press: US begins offering free COVID tests, but many more are needed
• Associated Press: Study: Prior infection, vaccines provide best protection from COVID
• Associated Press: Biden says US weary from COVID, but nation in a better place
• Chicago Tribune: Omicron surge appears to have peaked in Illinois, but officials urge continued caution as hospitals remain stressed
• Kane County Connects: KCHD COVID-19 UPDATE: UNVACCINATED PATIENTS FILLING KANE HOSPITALS
• Kane County Connects: CDC ADJUSTS ITS POSITION ON MASKS AND RESPIRATORS

1/18/22

• Associated Press: US faces wave of COVID deaths due to omicron in coming weeks, models say
• Daily Herald: Illinois surpasses 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered
• Chicago Tribune: Free at-home COVID-19 tests are available to order now. Here's how to get them
• Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 pandemic worsens hiring woes at Illinois schools, with 88% of districts reporting teacher shortages in new survey
• Kane County Connects: IDPH: HOW TO FIND A RELIABLE COVID-19 TESTING SITE
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE RECORDS 4,296 CASES, 5 DEATHS OVER MLK WEEKEND, BUT DATA SUGGESTS OMICRON IS WANING

1/17/22

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 90% IN HOSPITALS ARE UNVACCINATED; 20% AMERICANS HAVE HAD COVID; MORE VARIANTS COMING

1/16/22

• Daily Herald: How insurance companies - but not Medicare - will handle those free COVID-19 test kits
• Chicago Tribune: Aurora not planning COVID-19 vaccine mandate, but some city businesses are setting their own guidelines
• Courier News: Elgin’s U-46 updating COVID-19 procedures after virus keeps nearly 5,000 students and staff at home

1/15/22

• Associated Press: Expect more worrisome COVID-19 variants after omicron, scientists say
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 testing pop-ups halt operations after complaints
• Chicago Tribune: Health care inequities add to frustration as hospitals face fifth COVID surge

1/14/22

• Associated Press: Americans can order 4 free COVID tests per home when federal website launches Wednesday
• The New York Times: Parents of kids under 5, with the rest of the world eager to move on from COVID, are stuck in grueling limbo
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 new-case averages dip slightly for second day in a row
• Chicago Tribune: Pritzker plans to veto proposal to grant teachers extra sick leave for COVID-19

1/13/22

• Associated Press: Supreme Court halts COVID-19 vaccine rule for US businesses
• Associated Press: Businesses react to Supreme Court ruling against Biden vaccine mandate
• Associated Press: Biden to double free COVID tests, add N95 masks, send military aid to overwhelmed hospitals
• Associated Press: Almost all teens needing ICU care for COVID are unvaccinated, study says
• Daily Herald: Why suburban retailers once again are struggling to keep shelves stocked
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 death rates rise but still below pre-vaccine levels
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago cites 10 restaurants, 6 other businesses for violating vaccine requirement order
• Aurora Beacon News: With only 28 ICU beds available in Kane and DuPage due to COVID-19 surge, hospital officials say ‘this is painful to watch’
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT HOSTS COVID VAX CLINIC SUNDAY, JAN. 16, AT SPRING HILL MALL
• Kane County Connects: AURORA POLICE MOURN LOSS OF OFFICER WHO DIED FROM COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 7 KANE DEATHS IN 1 DAY; 38,048 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; SOME SIGNALS OF OMICRON PLATEAU

1/12/22

• Associated Press: Soaring COVID-19 cases renew US debate over mask mandates
• Associated Press: Kids’ low COVID-19 vaccination rates called a ‘gut punch’
• Associated Press: Biden announces millions of COVID tests for schools to help them stay open
• Daily Herald: State shortens minimum COVID-19 quarantine at schools to five days
• Daily Herald: As hospitals reel with omicron and staff shortages, state promises aid
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois’ top doctor says it’s too soon to tell if omicron surge has peaked as COVID-19 deaths reach highest level in nearly a year
• Chicago Tribune: How do I get a free, at-home COVID-19 test? Insurers and pharmacies are still working out details.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 CASES BY POTENTIAL EXPOSURE: SCHOOLS ARE NO. 1 LOCATION MENTIONED IN CONTACT TRACING
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: DEATHS COULD BE HIGH OVER NEXT 4 WEEKS; KANE PASSES 100,000 CASES; 144 NEW ILLINOIS DEATHS WEDNESDAY

1/11/22

• Associated Press: Omicron may be headed for a rapid drop in US and Britain
• Associated Press: U.S. hospitals letting infected staff members stay on the job
• Associated Press: Because omicron is so contagious, should you try to catch it and get it out of the way? Experts say no.
• Associated Press: Lightfoot tests positive for COVID-19
• The New York Times: Retail workers are reaching a breaking point with omicron disruptions: ‘Morale could not be lower’
• Daily Herald: 'With omicron, it's different': How parents can detect and deflect the variant in kids
• Daily Herald: When is omicron peak coming? Case counts in Illinois dip slightly, but still high
• Daily Herald: Kane County inks deal to keep Batavia mass vaccination site open
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois reduces quarantine time for schools from 10 to 5 days to align with CDC guidance amid COVID-19 surge
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19: U.S. HOSPITALIZATIONS HIT NEW HIGH; REGION 8 ICU BEDS DOWN TO 26; KANE COUNTY NEARS 100,000 POSITIVE CASES

1/10/22

• Associated Press: Insurers to cover at-home COVID-19 tests starting Jan. 15
• Associated Press: U.S. hospitals let staff infected with COVID-19 stay on the job with mild symptoms
• The New York Times: Your head of HR is now basically the school nurse
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 9 KANE COUNTY DEATHS OVER THE WEEKEND; 32 ICU BEDS LEFT IN REGION 8; STARTING JAN. 15, INSURANCE MUST COVER COVID HOME TESTS

1/9/22

• Associated Press: Stay home or go to work sick? Workers face difficult choice in time of COVID-19′s omicron surge
• Daily Herald: The higher the vaccination rate, the lower the death rate: How Illinois is proving it
• Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 long hauler from Hobart describes life after virus: ‘I had more symptoms post-COVID than I did during the time I had the COVID’
• Chicago Tribune: ‘We thought we saw the light at the end of the tunnel.’ Anxiety and pandemic fatigue are spiking amid latest COVID surge.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CRITICAL HOSPITAL STAFFING SHORTAGE; U.S. DEATHS RISING; 201,428 NEW ILLINOIS CASES LAST WEEK

1/8/22

• Associated Press: As COVID-19 vaccine mandate goes to Supreme Court, companies keep quiet
• Daily Herald: 'Our schools need help': Most districts in Illinois face a worsening teacher shortage

1/7/22

• Associated Press: Across the US, hospitalizations skyrocket in kids too young for COVID shots
• Associated Press: Where are the COVID-19 tests that Biden promised?
• Associated Press: Supreme Court’s conservative majority skeptical of Biden’s workplace vaccine rule
• Associated Press: As omicron spreads, Europe scrambles to shore up health care
• Associated Press: Families despair over post-holiday return to remote learning
• Chicago Tribune: I tested positive for COVID-19. Now what?
• Chicago Tribune: Latest sign of hospitals’ COVID crisis: Patients kept waiting in ERs for beds
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ANNOUNCES COVID-19 ANTIVIRALS AVAILABLE IN THE COMING WEEKS

1/6/22

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 testing sites are popping up. Here's how you can avoid questionable ones.
• Daily Herald: Daily COVID-19 deaths in Illinois hit triple digits for first time since last February
• Kane County Connects: GOVERNOR TO WORK REMOTELY AFTER CLOSE CONTACT TO STATE EMPLOYEE WITH COVID-19
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES PFIZER COVID-19 BOOSTER APPOINTMENTS FOR YOUTHS AGES 12 TO 15
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 1,906 KANE COUNTY CASES, 23.9% TEST POSITIVITY; ‘FLURONA’ BECOMING MORE FREQUENT; 7,098 ILLINOISANS HOSPITALIZED

1/5/22

• Associated Press: 'This is getting very tiring': U.S. hospitals seeing different kind of COVID surge this time
• Associated Press: 
• Daily Herald: Most Kane County court business to be done remotely the next four weeks
• Daily Herald: Fewer than 10% of suburban ICU hospital beds are available
• Daily Herald: Suburban libraries halting programs because of COVID-19 surge
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: HOSPITALS FACE STAFF SHORTAGES; 32,279 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; 1,191 NEW KANE CASES AND 4 MORE DEATHS; 36 ICU BEDS LEFT IN REGION 8

1/4/22

• Chicago Tribune: More suburban schools close as COVID-19 surge hits teachers. At one district, more than 500 employees are out sick.
• Courier News: Five elementary schools in District U-46 closed Tuesday because of COVID-related staff shortages
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 103,000 AMERICANS HOSPITALIZED; 24,423 NEW ILLINOIS CASES; KANE TEST POSITIVITY 21.7%; 43 ICU BEDS LEFT

1/3/22

• Associated Press: How will pandemic end? Omicron clouds forecasts for endgame
• Associated Press: FDA expands Pfizer boosters for more teens as omicron surges
• Daily Herald: 'Frustrating and tragic': Illinois sets new COVID-19 hospitalization record
• Chicago Tribune: Rising student, teacher COVID-19 cases during winter break leave some suburban educators scrambling to reopen schools safely
• Kane County Connects: COVID SURGE CLOSES SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICES THROUGH JAN. 17
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 46 ICU BEDS REMAINING IN KANE-DUPAGE REGION 8; KANE RECORDS 3,393 NEW CASES SINCE THURSDAY; KANE TEST POSITIVITY 20.9%

1/2/22

• Daily Herald: Highs, lows, highs again: What Illinois endured in another year of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Daily Herald: The changing rules for hospital visits
• Daily Herald: District 300 canceling classes Monday due to COVID-19 cases among staff
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: U-46 RETURNS TO IN-PERSON LEARNING JAN. 4; PEDIATRIC CASES HIT RECORD HIGHS; 128,246 ILLINOIS CASES LAST WEEK; OMICRON UNLEASHES TRAVEL CHAOS; CDC COULD REQUIRE NEGATIVE TEST TO END ISOLATION

December 2021

12/31/21

• Courier News: Surging COVID numbers prompt cancellation of in-person library programs, city meetings, but U-46 to resume in-person

12/30/21

• Chicago Sun Times: State lawmakers slash January legislative session due to COVID-19 surge 
• Daily Herald: Illinois responsible for 5.8% of nation's new COVID-19 cases this week
• Daily Herald: Gail Borden Public Library halts in-person events in January
• Aurora Beacon News: Elgin-area hospitals warning against large New Year’s gatherings as Kane COVID cases skyrocket
• Kane County Connects: UPDATE: WHERE TO GET COVID-19 SCREENING IN KANE COUNTY

12/29/21

• Associated Press: New COVID-19 cases in US soar to highest levels on record
• Associated Press: WHO chief worried about 'tsunami' of omicron, delta cases
• NBC5: Officials Learning More About Omicron Variant as COVID Cases Continue Their Rise
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH WILL CENTRALIZE COVID-19 CONTACT TRACING
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: U.S. CASES HIGHEST ON RECORD; 845 NEW CASES IN KANE, 21,098 IN ILLINOIS; HOSPITALIZATIONS RISE AGAIN

12/28/21

• Associated Press: First COVID-19 shot recipient in US now a vaccine activist
• Associated Press: US move to shorten COVID-19 isolation stirs confusion, doubt
• Daily Herald: How long of a wait to get a COVID-19 test? Sites, supplies are getting stretched this week
• Daily Herald: New COVID-19 cases top 20,000 for second time this week, for a 15% positive-test rate
• Chicago Tribune: More places added back to Chicago’s COVID-19 travel advisory; only 1 state and 1 territory now off warning list
• Chicago Tribune: Got a cold? Get a COVID-19 test. University of Chicago expert explains the do’s and don’ts of testing during omicron.
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois sets another grim COVID-19 record: Highest average daily case count since start of pandemic
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE TEST POSITIVITY JUMPS TO 12.4%; 20,804 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; HOSPITALS FILLING UP; PEDIATRIC INFECTIONS SURGING

12/27/21

• Associated Press: CDC recommends shorter COVID isolation, quarantine for all 
• Associated Press: Omicron spreads global gloom over New Year’s celebrations
• Associated Press: Dr. Anthony Fauci says US should consider vaccine mandate for US air travel
• Associated Press: New York City COVID vaccination mandate for the private sector takes effect
• Daily Herald: Facts Matter: Omicron variant is not just the common cold
• Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker urges scaled-down New Year’s Eve plans as COVID-19 surges: ‘Omicron and delta are coming to your party’
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 3,334 NEW KANE CASES SINCE WEDNESDAY; REGION 8 TEST POSITIVITY JUMPS TO 11.5%; THOUSANDS MORE FLIGHTS CANCELED
• Kane County Connects: STATE SURGES MASS VACCINATION OPERATIONS TO MEET COVID BOOSTER DEMAND

12/26/21

• Associated Press: There’s another home treatment option for COVID-19, but it does come with a catch
• Associated Press: EXPLAINER: What COVID-19 therapies are available in U.S.?
• Associated Press: France records over 100K COVID-19 cases in one day for first time
• Chicago Tribune: Kane County health officials trying to keep vaccination hub open until end of May, but say they need more staff
• Aurora Beacon News: Kane County health officials trying to keep vaccination hub open until end of May, but say they need more staff
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 4,271 ILLINOISANS HOSPITALIZED; 1,000+ FLIGHTS CANCELED; 18,942 NEW CASES IN 1 WEEK

12/25/21

• Associated Press: Thousands line up for Christmas Day ‘jingle jabs’ of COVID vaccine amid omicron surge
• Associated Press: 
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago police officer dies of COVID-19, department’s fifth known fatality tied to coronavirus

12/24/21

• Associated Press: COVID puts a damper on Christmas Eve again around the world
• Associated Press: Pope celebrates Christmas Eve Mass as virus surges in Italy
• Chicago Tribune: Family that lost mother to COVID-19 continues court fight for father to receive ivermectin treatment
• Chicago Tribune: Despite mandates, COVID vaccination rates for nursing home workers lag behind residents, remain low at some facilities

12/23/21

• Associated Press: To grandmother's house or no? Omicron disrupts holiday plans
• Associated Press: U.S. adds Merck pill as 2nd easy-to-use drug against COVID-19
• Associated Press: UK data suggest hospitalization is less likely with omicron
• Associated Press: Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for children?
• Associated Press: US sets shorter COVID-19 isolation rules for health workers
• Daily Herald: Want to get a COVID-19 vaccine before Christmas? Here's where you can get a shot
• Daily Herald: Cook County to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination at restaurants, fitness centers, bars
• Daily Herald: Illinois sets record for new COVID-19 cases in a day with 18,942
• Daily Herald: Businesses see challenges, but some good, in Cook County vaccination requirement
• Chicago Tribune: 

12/22/21

• Associated Press: Pause on student loan payments is extended through May 1
• Associated Press: Pfizer pill becomes 1st US-authorized home COVID treatment
• Associated Press: White House: Biden negative for COVID-19 after close contact
• Associated Press: Japan confirms first known local omicron transmissions
• Associated Press: South Africa’s COVID case drop may show its omicron peak has passed
• Associated Press: British studies say omicron variant of COVID-19 may be milder than delta
• The New York Times: Omicron dread is here — and Americans are already exhausted
• Daily Herald: Illinois sets record for new COVID-19 cases with 18,942
• Daily Herald: Kane County working to keep mass vaccination site open through January
• Daily Herald: Death rates from COVID-19 drop by 45% in 2021 as 16,581 new cases are reported Wednesday
• Daily Herald: Elgin woman dies of COVID-19 amid family's court battle for access to ivermectin
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois sets record for daily coronavirus cases and surpasses 2 million infections since pandemic began
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 612 NEW KANE CASES IN 1 DAY; 16,561 STATE CASES 2ND HIGHEST EVER; 71 OMICRON CASES REPORTED STATEWIDE

12/21/21

• Associated Press: Biden pivots to home tests to confront omicron surge
• Associated Press: Biden pivots to home tests to confront omicron surge
• Associated Press: UK to give $1.3 billion in aid to businesses hurt by omicron
• Daily Herald: Judge denies ivermectin treatment for Elgin couple in ICU
• Kane County Connects: IDPH: MULTIPLE WAYS TO GET COVID VACCINE, BOOSTER, TESTING THROUGH HOLIDAY SEASON
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: LOCAL TEST POSITIVITY NEARS 8% THRESHOLD; KANE PASSES 80,000 POSITIVE CASES; OMICRON ALREADY DOMINANT IN U.S.

12/20/21

• Associated Press: Moderna: Initial booster data shows good results on omicron
• Daily Herald: As new Illinois COVID-19 cases jump 30% in two weeks, doctors urge boosters to fight omicron
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 1,110 NEW KANE CASES, 5 DEATHS OVER WEEKEND; 31,459 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; WHO RECOMMENDS CANCELING HOLIDAY EVENTS
• Kane County Connects: WHERE TO GET COVID-19 SCREENING IN KANE COUNTY AHEAD OF THE HOLIDAYS
• Kane County Connects: IDPH OFFERS ADDITIONAL COVID TESTING TUESDAY, DEC. 21, AT ELGIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

12/19/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: ‘VIRAL BLIZZARD’ COMING; 59,312 NEW CASES, 316 DEATHS IN PAST WEEK; 3,783 ILLINOISANS HOSPITALIZED

12/17/21

• Associated Press: Can you safely enjoy the holidays? Experts offer COVID tips
• Associated Press: Pfizer, in change of plans, will now test three doses of COVID vaccine for kids under 5
• Associated Press: CDC endorses schools’ coronavirus ‘test-to-stay’ policies
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 10,765 new cases, 52 additional deaths, 3,783 hospitalizations
• Daily Herald: State omicron cases at 16: Cook County urges businesses to require vaccinated or tested patrons
• Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 hospitalizations at Edward Hospital in Naperville reach highest level in months
• Chicago Tribune: Should parents worry about a vaccine affecting a child’s fertility? Your COVID-19 questions answered.
• Kane County Connects: IDPH: 19 ACTIVE KANE COUNTY SCHOOL OUTBREAKS AS OF DEC. 17

12/16/21

• Associated Press: Full CDC recommends Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 shots over J&J's
• Daily Herald: Illinois averaging 8,011 new COVID-19 cases a day, the highest level in a year
• Daily Herald: COVID vaccine clinic for kids age 5 to 11 offered Dec. 20 in Elgin
• Chicago Tribune: Vaccine mandate upheld for Chicago firefighters, other city workers
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: LOCAL ICU BED AVAILABILITY DROPS TO 14%; 11,858 NEW CASES STATEWIDE, 421 IN KANE; UK CASE COUNT SETS RECORD

12/15/21

• Associated Press: Vaccine alliance chief: Omicron could trigger 'Inequity 2.0'
• Associated Press: U.S. COVID death toll hits 800,000, a year into vaccine drive
• Associated Press: Colleges go back to drawing board -- again -- to fight COVID
• Associated Press: Omicron to be dominant variant in EU by mid-January
• Associated Press: Omicron’s fast spread could lead to winter surge, CDC says
• Daily Herald: After one year, how are the suburbs and Illinois doing in vaccinations?
• Daily Herald: Omicron variant confirmed in suburban Cook County resident
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID hospitalizations up 20% from week ago
• Chicago Tribune: Weeks away from Christmas, omicron comes to town as Chicago celebrates one-year anniversary of the vaccine rollout
• Chicago Tribune: First omicron case reported in suburban Cook County
• Chicago Tribune: Amid surge, more people want a COVID-19 treatment called monoclonal antibodies. But it’s not always easy to find in Illinois.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 366 CASES IN KANE, 9,784 STATEWIDE; NEW OMICRON CASE IN SUBURBAN COOK; U.S. PASSES 800,000 DEATHS

12/14/21

• Associated Press: Data indicate omicron is milder, better at evading vaccines
• Associated Press: Pfizer confirms COVID pill's results, potency versus omicron
• Associated Press: COVID toll nears 800,000 to close out year filled with death
• Daily Herald: Kane County Board wants mass vaccination site to stay open, Dems trade blame
• Chicago Tribune: Kane County Board members say they felt blindsided by decision to close county’s COVID-19 vaccination hub
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 7,390 NEW ILLINOIS CASES; 3 NEW KANE DEATHS; LOCAL ICU BED CAPACITY DOWN TO 15%; OMICRON LIKELY TO BECOME DOMINANT STRAIN

12/13/21

• Associated Press: One year of vaccines: Many lives saved, many needlessly lost
• The New York Times: As US nears 800,000 COVID deaths, 1 of every 100 older Americans has perished 
• Daily Herald: Hospitalizations continue to rise because of the unvaccinated, state health officials say
• Daily Herald: 
• Chicago Tribune: ‘It’s a high-risk environment’: The Chicago Bulls’ COVID-19 outbreak reflects the nationwide struggle to understand and contain the virus, team doctor says
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT REASSESSING OPTIONS FOR FUTURE MASS VACCINATION CLINICS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 8 KANE COUNTY DEATHS, 786 NEW CASES OVER THE WEEKEND; 19,515 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; U.K. RECORDS 1ST OMICRON DEATH

12/12/21

• Daily Herald: What you need to know about rapid at-home COVID-19 tests
• Chicago Tribune: Inside a Chicago COVID-19 vaccine trial for babies, toddlers: ‘It will help all of the littles get their shots.’
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 49,668 ILLINOIS CASES LAST WEEK; KANE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 914; OMICRON IN 25 STATES

12/10/21

• Associated Press: Companies rethink return-to-office plans amid omicron cases
• Associated Press: 
• Daily Herald: 22% of kids 5-11 have gotten a COVID-19 shot. Vaccines for 4 and younger? 'Closer to springtime'
• Kane County Connects: KANE VAX HUB IN BATAVIA WILL CLOSE IN JANUARY — LAST MASS VACCINATION CLINIC DEC. 15

12/9/21

• Associated Press: FDA expands Pfizer COVID booster eligibility to age 16
• Daily Herald: 'Life is worth fighting for': COVID-19 survivor heads home after months in hospital, mother's loss
• Daily Herald: Will omicron become the alpha COVID-19 variant over delta? Suburban doctors answer questions
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 399 NEW KANE COUNTY CASES, 3 DEATHS; 9,301 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; CDC OKS BOOSTERS FOR 16-17S; BRITAIN IMPOSES WORK-FROM-HOME ORDER

12/8/21

• Associated Press: Pfizer says COVID booster offers protection against omicron
• Associated Press: 
• Daily Herald: Thanksgiving gatherings add to latest COVID-19 hospitalization spike, highest since January
• Kane County Connects: HEALTH OFFICIALS CONFIRMS ILLINOIS’ FIRST CASE OF OMICRON COVID-19 VARIANT
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: OMICRON IN CHICAGO; LOCAL HOSPITALIZATIONS CONTINUE TO RISE; 6,370 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; MANY CHRISTMAS EVENTS CANCELLED

12/7/21

• Associated Press: Omicron v. delta: Battle of coronavirus mutants is critical
• Daily Herald: Omicron variant detected in Chicago becomes first case in Illinois
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: ICU BEDS DOWN TO 16% IN KANE-DUPAGE; 7,356 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; 2 KANE DEATHS; OMICRON IN 19 STATES

12/6/21

• Daily Herald: As COVID-19 case average rises 73% in two weeks, doctor says act as if omicron is in Illinois
• Daily Herald: Application portal opens for new round of Illinois rental assistance
• Daily Herald: Elgin library to hold Facebook Live COVID-19 Q&A Tuesday, vaccine clinic Saturday
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 815 NEW KANE CASES, 19,110 STATE CASES OVER WEEKEND; HOSPITALIZATIONS RISING FAST; OMICRON IN AT LEAST 17 STATES

12/5/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 17 STATES WITH OMICRON CASES; KANE TEST POSITIVITY JUMPS AGAIN; 42,559 NEW CASES IN 1 WEEK STATEWIDE

12/3/21

• Associated Press: Omicron and delta COVID-19 variants spell return of unpopular restrictions
• Associated Press: Biden launching winter COVID-19 booster campaign and plan for insurers to cover cost of at-home tests
• Associated Press: Omicron confirmed in Minnesota man who traveled to NYC
• Daily Herald: Illinois records highest single-day vaccination total since May
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE TEST POSITIVITY JUMPS AGAIN; 42,559 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; OMICRON SPREADING TWICE AS FAST AS DELTA
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT URGES VACCINATION, PREVENTION IN WAKE OF OMICRON VARIANT
• Kane County Connects: IDPH REPORTS 17 SCHOOL OUTBREAKS IN KANE COUNTY — HIGHEST WAS 24 CASES AT A CHARTER SCHOOL

12/2/21

• Daily Herald: Portion of state hospitalizations from COVID-19 doubles in a month, 11,524 new cases Thursday

12/1/21

• Associated Press: First US case of COVID-19 omicron variant confirmed in California
• Associated Press: Omicron unravels travel industry's plans for a comeback
• Associated Press: Mysteries of omicron variant could take weeks to untangle
• Chicago Tribune: About 15% of Illinois residents have gotten COVID-19 booster shot, as Omicron enters U.S. and Illinois faces surge
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 1ST OMICRON CASE IN U.S; 221 NEW CASES IN KANE, 6,109 NEW CASES STATEWIDE

November 2021

11/30/21

• Associated Press: FDA panel narrowly backs COVID-19 pill from Merck
• Associated Press: Omicron variant may have reached Europe earlier than thought
• Daily Herald: Illinois tallies 595 COVID-19 deaths in November
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations climb amid Omicron variant fears
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois prepares for ‘likely’ arrival of omicron variant, but for now delta remains top COVID-19 concern
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 5,714 NEW ILLINOIS CASES; KANE TEST POSITIVITY 6.7%; STOCKS FALL ON OMICRON CONCERNS; FDA PANEL OK’S ANTIVIRAL PILL

11/29/21

• Associated Press: EXPLAINER: What we know and don't know about omicron variant
• Associated Press: New variant cause for concern, not panic, Biden tells US
• Associated Press: WHO warns new omicron variant poses ‘very high’ global risk as countries rush to restrict travel
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations climb amid Omicron variant fears
• Chicago Tribune: Will the vaccines protect against the new omicron variant? Your COVID-19 questions answered. 
• Chicago Tribune: Will the vaccines protect against the new omicron variant? Your COVID-19 questions answered.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: OMICRON TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS; KANE PASSES 900 DEATHS; 19,261 NEW ILLINOIS CASES OVER THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

11/28/21

• Associated Press: World scurries to contain new COVID-19 variant omicron
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CONCERNS MOUNT OVER OMICRON VARIANT; MIDWEST TOPS LATEST DELTA SURGE

11/26/21

• Associated Press: FDA: Merck COVID pill effective, experts will review safety
• Associated Press: New omicron variant stokes world fears, triggers travel bans
• Chicago Tribune: From tearful interviews to summoning ambulances, contact tracing ‘takes an emotional and psychological toll.’ Cook County is offering mental health support.

11/24/21

• Associated Press: White House: 92% of fed workers under mandate are vaccinated
• Associated Press: On the road again: Travelers emerge in time for Thanksgiving
• Daily Herald: More than 186K Illinois kids ages 5 to 11 have received COVID vaccine
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 average infections grow by 27% in a week, including 47-student outbreak in Villa Park
• Chicago Tribune: Now that COVID-19 vaccine boosters are open to all adults, will Illinois employers require them?

11/23/21

• The New York Times: Pediatricians say COVID cases in US children are on the rise
• Daily Herald: Where does Illinois rank in new COVID infections? And which Midwest neighbor tops the list
• Chicago Tribune: Why some vaccine mandate objectors in police and fire ranks are willing to lose jobs rather than get the shot
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CHILD INFECTIONS UP 32%; 4,589 NEW ILLINOIS CASES; KANE-DUPAGE HOSPITALIZATIONS RISING

11/22/21

• Associated Press: Official: More than 90% of fed workers got shots by deadline
• Associated Press: How COVID shots for kids help prevent dangerous new variants
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 average infections grow by 27% in a week, including 47-student outbreak in Villa Park
• Aurora Beacon News: Kane County COVID-19 vaccination hub closed during Thanksgiving week
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 17,107 NEW CASES OVER THE WEEKEND; 2 NEW KANE DEATHS; ICU BED CAPACITY FALLS UNDER STATE THRESHOLD

11/21/21

• Associated Press: GOP embraces natural immunity as substitute for vaccines
• Associated Press: Tens of thousands protest Belgium's tighter COVID-19 rules
• Associated Press: Austrians enjoy last day out in cafes, Xmas markets before lockdown to combat COVID-19 infections
• Chicago Tribune: School-aged children being hit hardest by COVID-19 spike in Kane County
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 28,280 NEW ILLINOIS CASES; 234 NEW KANE CASES FRIDAY; FDA OK’S BOOSTERS FOR ALL ADULTS; AUSTRIA GOES ON LOCKDOWN

11/20/21

• Associated Press: New hurdle for COVID-19 home testing -- the holiday season
• Associated Press: Europe's COVID crisis pits vaccinated against unvaccinated
• Daily Herald: Should your kids get the COVID-19 vaccine?

11/19/21

• Associated Press: US opens COVID boosters to all adults, urges them for 50+
• Associated Press: EU reviewing Pfizer's COVID antiviral pill for emergency use
• Associated Press: EU says Merck's COVID pill can be taken in emergencies
• Associated Press: Facing surge, Austria will mandate COVID-19 shots, lock down
• Associated Press: Scientists mystified, wary, as Africa avoids COVID disaster
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 infection rate for Illinois kids ages 5-11 at highest level yet
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations climb above 1,700 again
• Daily Herald: Naperville hospital COVID-19 patient in ivermectin lawsuit doing better
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois health department urges everyone 18 and older to get a COVID-19 booster; CDC authorizes boosters for all adults nationwide soon after
• Chicago Tribune: Coronavirus cases continue to increase in Illinois ahead of one of year’s busiest travel weekends

11/18/21

• Associated Press: Why can't some COVID-19 vaccinated people travel to the US?
• Associated Press: EU drug agency starts evaluating new COVID-19 treatment
• Associated Press: COVID-19 deaths in Russia hit record for 2nd straight day
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 case positivity rate climbs above 3% once again
• Daily Herald: Editorial: Rise in COVID hospitalizations indicates need to keep mask mandate through the holidays
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois school district superintendents demand local control in COVID-19 policies: ‘The kids are telling us, go and fight for us’
• Chicago Tribune: With COVID-19 continuing to damage patients’ lungs, Northwestern announces new institute focused on lung care, thanks to $20 million donation
• Chicago Tribune: A week before Thanksgiving, and the kids are not fully vaccinated. What should I keep in mind when traveling? Your COVID-19 questions answered.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 220 NEW KANE CASES AS TEST POSITIVITY RISES TO 4.0; ILLINOIS RECORDS 5,644 NEW CASES; BOOSTER OK FOR ALL ADULTS COULD COME FRIDAY

11/17/21

• Associated Press: Hungary's COVID-19 deaths, cases hit new highs amid surge
• Associated Press: U.S. offering investment to boost COVID-19 vaccine capacity
• Associated Press: WHO: Europe is only region with increasing COVID deaths
• Associated Press: Germany sees surge in COVID cases, mulls new restrictions
• Daily Herald: Illinois outpacing national vaccination rate for younger children
• Daily Herald: Youth, minorities impacted most in latest Kane County COVID-19 spike
• Daily Herald: NFL updates COVID-19 protocols ahead of Thanksgiving
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois sees uptick in youth COVID-19 cases, school outbreaks heading into Thanksgiving break
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 180 NEW CASES IN KANE COUNTY; 4,989 NEW ILLINOIS CASES; 14,561 NEW CASES IN MICHIGAN

11/16/21

• Associated Press: Indiana governor, GOP lawmakers look to end COVID-19 orders
• Associated Press: Pfizer agrees to let other companies make its COVID-19 pill
• Associated Press: Pfizer asks US officials to OK promising COVID-19 pill
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations up 16.8% from a week ago
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago’s COVID-19 advisory adds 1 state, removes 3: Thanksgiving travel ‘a risky move’ for those not vaccinated, Arwady warns 
• Chicago Tribune: CDC panel to discuss expanding COVID booster shots to all adults
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 3,005 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; U.S. CASES RISING IN ‘FIFTH WAVE’; WORLDWIDE CASES HIGHEST EVER

11/15/21

• Associated Press: Austrian unvaccinated lockdown starts amid COVID resurgence
• Associated Press: Belgium expedites decision on COVID-19 measures to Wednesday
• Daily Herald: Foreign students returning to US, but below pre-COVID levels
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 346 KANE COUNTY CASES, 8,922 ILLINOIS CASES RECORDED OVER WEEKEND; HOSPITALIZATIONS RISING IN REGION 8

11/14/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 26,000 ILLINOIS CASES THIS WEEK; 3 SNOW LEOPARDS DIE OF COVID; AUSTRIA PUTS NON-VACCINATED ON LOCKDOWN; 4 KANE DEATHS FRIDAY

11/13/21

• Daily Herald: Editorial: Our COVID-19 obligations

11/12/21

• Daily Herald: With cases up, are we entering another COVID-19 wave?
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois schools look to bridge widening achievement gap for low-income students during the pandemic
• Chicago Tribune: Kids under 12 won’t be fully vaccinated by Thanksgiving. That’s creating a dilemma for some parents.
• Kane County Connects: IDPH: 7 KANE COUNTY SCHOOLS ON NOV. 12 ACTIVE COVID OUTBREAKS LIST

11/11/21

• Associated Press: Can at-home COVID-19 tests make holiday gatherings safer?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: VIRUS IS MOVING NORTH; KANE COUNTY CASES RISING; 5,044 NEW STATE CASES WEDNESDAY

11/10/21

• Associated Press: Study: Fox viewers more likely to believe COVID falsehoods
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 5,044 new cases, 20 more deaths, 1,467 hospitalizations
• Daily Herald: Naperville hospital ordered to let COVID-19 patient receive ivermectin from unvaccinated doctor
• Chicago Tribune: As holidays approach, latest rise in Illinois coronavirus cases ‘could mark the beginning of yet another wave’
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 5,044 NEW CASES WEDNESDAY; 900,000+ KIDS ARE VACCINATED; KANE COUNTY CASES RISING BUT DEATHS FALLING

11/9/21

• Associated Press: Pfizer asks FDA to OK COVID-19 booster shots for all adults
• Associated Press: COVID vaccine developer BioNTech sees profits rise
• Daily Herald: 'Essential we make the right call': HHS secretary visits suburbs to urge kids' COVID-19 shots
• Daily Herald: U-46 offers COVID-19 vaccine clinics at all 40 elementary schools
• Chicago Tribune: Judge rules unvaccinated doctor can treat COVID-19 patient with ivermectin at Edward Hospital in Naperville
• Courier News: U-46 setting up three clinics this month for students ages 5 to 11 to receive COVID-19 vaccinations
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: PFIZER ASKS TO EXPAND BOOSTER SHOTS FOR ALL ADULTS; ILLINOIS DEATHS PASS 26,000; KANE CASES PASS 70,000
• Kane County Connects: U-46 TO OFFER COVID-19 VACCINE CLINICS FOR STUDENTS AT ALL 40 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 
• Kane County Connects: PRITZKER SIGNS COVID-19 AMENDMENT TO HEALTH CARE RIGHT OF CONSCIENCE LAW

11/8/21

• Associated Press: Federal COVID shot opt-out not as clear as Democrats claim
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 7,359 new cases over the weekend, 38 more deaths, 1,314 hospitalizations
• Daily Herald: Elgin Area Pandemic Team supervisor to testify at U.S. Congressional Select Subcommittee Nov. 10
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 case averages up 18% in a week, hospitalizations up 4% with more unvaccinated patients
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: WHO EXPERTS SAY U.S. SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO EUROPE SURGE; 3 KANE DEATHS OVER WEEKEND; 7,359 NEW CASES STATEWIDE

11/7/21

• Associated Press: Many myths exist about kids and the COVID-19 vaccine
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UDPATE: 17,462 ILLINOIS CASES THIS WEEK; 140 NEW KANE CASES FRIDAY; PFIZER ‘GAME CHANGING’ ANTIVIRAL PILL

11/6/21

• Daily Herald: 'Oh my God, where are these kids?': How COVID-19 obscured true picture of homeless suburban students

11/5/21

• Associated Press: More vaccines, fewer mask rules as US keeps fighting COVID
• Associated Press: Pfizer says COVID-19 pill cut hospital, death risk by 90%
• Chicago Tribune: Growing number of Illinois high school students signing up for AP, dual credit and career courses during pandemic
• Kane County Connects: IDPH: 6 KANE COUNTY SCHOOLS ON NOV. 5 ACTIVE COVID-19 OUTBREAKS LIST

11/4/21

• Associated Press: U.S. mandates vaccines or tests for big companies by Jan. 4
• Associated Press: UK authorizes Merck antiviral pill, 1st shown to treat COVID
• Associated Press: Are COVID-19 boosters the same as the original vaccines?
• Associated Press: AstraZeneca pulls request for Swiss approval of COVID shot
• Associated Press: Moderna lowers forecast for 2021 COVID-19 vaccine deliveries
• Daily Herald: 'This is a very important moment for our family': Suburban kids start getting COVID-19 vaccine
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 cases among Illinois youngsters spiking

11/3/21

• Associated Press: Roll up your sleeves: Kids' turn arrives for COVID-19 shots
• Associated Press: COVID-19 cases rise in Europe for 5th consecutive week
• Daily Herald: It’s time: Where to get kids’ COVID-19 vaccinations in the suburbs
• Daily Herald: State adopts federal guidelines for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids
• Chicago Tribune: UChicago Medicine pediatrician talks about timing of COVID-19 shot for kids turning 12 soon, how to celebrate holidays safely and more on Facebook Live
• Chicago Tribune: Armed with new data, Cook County tries to close wide vaccination gap in suburbs
• Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5-11 begin to roll out
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: Cases Rising Again in U.S., Illinois; Kane Vax Hub Appointments Now Available For 5-11s

11/2/21

• Associated Press: US gives final clearance to COVID-19 shots for kids 5 to 11
• Associated Press: Pfizer tops Q3 forecasts as total COVID vaccine sales soar
• Daily Herald: Your kids anxious over getting a COVID-19 shot? What local doctors advise to say and do
• Chicago Tribune: Here’s what to know about kids’ COVID-19 vaccines in Illinois, and where appointments can be scheduled
• Chicago Tribune: When will Illinois’ mask mandate end? COVID-19 cases are no longer dropping, leaving endgame uncertain
• Chicago Tribune: Have questions about COVID-19? Send them to us and we’ll ask the experts
• Chicago Tribune: Do children now eligible for a COVID-19 shot get the same vaccine dose as adults? Your COVID-19 questions answered.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CDC Panel Votes Yes For Kids Vax; Region 8 Dips Below ICU Bed Threshold; Pritzker Says Masks Stay On, For Now

11/1/21

• Associated Press: COVID-19's global death toll tops 5 million in under 2 years
• Associated Press: U.S. prisons face staff shortages as officers quit amid COVID
• Daily Herald: Of the 843 COVID-19 deaths Illinois recorded in October, nearly 55% were downstate
• Chicago Tribune: Judge rules city vaccine mandate must be arbitrated with police unions, pauses Dec. 31 deadline to receive shots

October 2021

10/31/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 14,616 New Cases Statewide Last Week; 28 Million Children Eligible For Vax This Week; 2,000 Tourists Quarantined in China

10/30/21

• Associated Press: A World Remembers: Memorials honor COVID-19's 5 million dead
• Associated Press: Art Therapy: How UK's COVID memorial wall brought comfort

10/29/21

• Associated Press: COVID shots more protective than past infection, study shows
• Associated Press: FDA paves way for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in young kids
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 booster shots surpass 667,000, daily infection averages slide in October
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois legislators pass COVID-19 administrative leave for school employees, but Pritzker is not a fan
• Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 vaccines for kids 5 to 11: U. of C. Medicine doctor to answer parents’ questions on Facebook Live

10/28/21

• Associated Press: World faces shortage of syringes as COVID vaccine doses rise
• Associated Press: 
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 shots for kids 5-11 expected in days, but ‘we have to work on the parents’ who resist
• Daily Herald: Ezike promotes 'boosterizing' state against COVID-19, and first shots for others
• Chicago Tribune: Vaccine mandate refusal sidelines 2 dozen Chicago Fire Department personnel; judge hears police union bid to pause shot reporting rule
• Chicago Tribune: Cook County prepares to roll out COVID vaccine for kids 5 to 11 pending federal approval
• Chicago Tribune: I’m pregnant and concerned about mixing vaccines with a booster. Is there anything women should consider when deciding when and which to get? Your COVID-19 questions answered.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: EUROPE SEES 18% INCREASE IN CASES IN PAST 7 DAYS; 15 KANE DEATHS IN PAST 9 DAYS; REGION 8 ICU BED AVAILABILITY DROPS TO 23%

10/27/21

• Associated Press: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early COVID-19
• Associated Press: Merck agrees to let other drug makers make its COVID pill
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS ENCOURAGED TO GET COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOTS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: State Bill Seeks to Bar Vaccine Moral Exemptions; Kane County Moving Closer To ‘Substantial Transmission’ Level; U.S. Cases Dropped 60% Since September

10/26/21

• Associated Press: FDA advisers review Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for kids
• Daily Herald: Children age 11 and younger represent 15.8% of new COVID-19 cases in Illinois
• Chicago Tribune: 4 states removed from Chicago’s COVID-19 travel advisory
• Chicago Tribune: Lawsuit by Chicago workers challenging vaccine mandates heads to federal court today
• Kane County Connects: IDPH REPORTS 6 KANE COUNTY SCHOOLS ON ACTIVE OUTBREAKS LIST
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FDA PANEL OK’S VAX FOR KIDS; SADLY, 4 KANE DEATHS TUESDAY; ABOUT 82% OF ILLINOISANS AGE 18+ HAVE AT LEAST 1 SHOT

10/25/21

• Associated Press: Moderna says its low-dose COVID shot works for kids 6 to 11 
• Associated Press: Merck asks EU regulator to authorize pill that treats COVID
• Associated Press: COVID cases falling, but trouble signs arise as winter looms
• Daily Herald: Pritzker says 'robust supply' of 500,000 'kid-sized' doses of COVID-19 vaccine are coming
• Daily Herald: New COVID-19 infections continue on downward slope in Illinois
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois expecting 500,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses initially for kids, with pediatricians expected to play a big role
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: ‘BRAIN FOG’ IS VIRUS SIDE EFFECT; 2 KANE DEATHS OVER WEEKEND; STATE READIES 500,000 DOSES FOR KIDS
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS WILL INITIALLY ALLOCATE 500,000 DOSES OF COVID-19 VACCINE FOR CHILDREN AGES 5 TO 11

10/24/21

• Kane County Connects: ALL THREE COVID VACCINATION BOOSTER SHOTS NOW AVAILABLE IN KANE COUNTY
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CDC EXPANDS ELIGIBILITY FOR BOOSTER SHOTS; AGE 5-11 COULD GET VACCINE NEXT MONTH; 15,131 ILLINOIS CASES LAST WEEK

10/23/21

• Daily Herald: Have a COVID-safe Halloween

10/22/21

• Associated Press: States that cut off enhanced jobless aid are still asking, where are the workers?
• Associated Press: FDA says Pfizer COVID vaccine looks effective for young kids
• Associated Press: Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine more than 90% effective in kids
• Associated Press: EXPLAINER: Is it time to get a COVID-19 booster? Which one?
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations drop below 1,300 patients
• Chicago Tribune: The time is nearing for kids to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Here are 12 tips for minimizing their pain and anxiety while getting a shot of any kind.
• Aurora Beacon News: COVID-19 vaccination count nearly stagnant, with only 52% of residents fully vaccinated
• Kane County Connects: PRITZKER ORDERS COVID-19 VACCINATION OR TESTING AT DAY CARE CENTERS

10/21/21

• Associated Press: COVID vaccine: CDC expands booster rollout, OKs mixing shots
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations at lowest level since early August
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19: NEW ‘DELTA PLUS’ VARIANT CONCERN; BOOSTERS OK’D FOR MODERNA, J&J; CASES GROWING IN KANE UNDER 20 POPULATION; STATE TRANSMISSION STILL HIGH BUT TRENDING DOWN

10/20/21

• Associated Press: WHO: Europe the only region with rise in COVID-19 last week
• Associated Press: FDA OKs mixing COVID vaccines, backs Moderna, J&J boosters ­-- but who can get them still TBD
• Daily Herald: Illinois' COVID-19 case positivity at lowest point since mid-July
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 3 NEW KANE DEATHS; CHILDREN WILL SOON GET COVID SHOTS; STATE TEST POSITIVITY DOWN TO 1.9%

10/19/21

• Associated Press: COVID-19 and pregnancy: Women regret not getting the vaccine
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FDA TO ALLOW MIX-AND-MATCH BOOSTERS; PRITZKER COULD DROP MASK MANDATES BY HOLIDAYS; KANE TEST POSITIVITY DOWN TO 2.9%
• Kane County Connects: STATE LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE COVID-19 BOOSTER RATES AMONG OLDER ILLINOISANS
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES UPDATED COVID-19 HALLOWEEN, FALL FESTIVITIES GUIDANCE

10/18/21

• Associated Press: Why COVID boosters weren't tweaked to better match variants
• Associated Press: Vaccines, masks? Japan puzzling over sudden virus success
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: Virus has killed 1 of every 500 Illinois residents
• Daily Herald: Pritzker extends deadline again for state workers to get COVID-19 shots
• Chicago Tribune: Lax regulation of Illinois nursing homes resulted in poor resident care, including in early months of pandemic, consultant finds
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CDC SETS HOLIDAY GUIDELINES; J&J BOOSTERS OK’D; PRITZKER PUSHES BACK DEADLINE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES TO GET VACCINATED

10/17/21

• Daily Herald: Pace looks to electric buses, Uber rides and express to O'Hare to rebuild COVID-19 damage
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CDC SETS HOLIDAY GUIDELINES; J&J BOOSTERS OK’D; PRITZKER PUSHES BACK DEADLINE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES TO GET VACCINATED

10/16/21

• Associated Press: Lawsuits demand unproven ivermectin for COVID patients

10/15/21

• Associated Press: States can reserve COVID-19 shots for younger kids next week
• Daily Herald: FDA panel endorses booster shot for J&J COVID-19 vaccine
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 2,413 new cases, 30 additional deaths, 1,550 hospitalizations
• Chicago Tribune: As unions continue to balk, Gov. J.B. Pritzker extends vaccine deadline for workers in state prisons and other facilities to Nov. 30
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois changes definition of COVID-19 school outbreaks to align with CDC guidance
• Chicago Tribune: Booster shots are outpacing new COVID-19 vaccinations in Illinois, US. Health officials say top priority is still shots for the unvaccinated.

10/14/21

• Associated Press: FDA panel endorses lower-dose Moderna COVID shot for booster
• Associated Press: Nursing schools see applications rise, despite COVID burnout
• Associated Press: FDA unlikely to rule on Merck's COVID pill before December
• Associated Press: US advisory panel endorses Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for seniors and other high-risk groups
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations, ICU use down by about 21% in October
• Daily Herald: Clarity coming from FDA on the mixing and matching of COVID-19 booster brands
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 has taken a heavy toll on police, but suburban departments avoid vaccine mandates

10/13/21

• Associated Press: COVID-19 hospital visitor rules: Families want more access
• Associated Press: FDA grapples with timing of booster for J&J COVID-19 vaccine
• Associated Press: US to reopen Mexico, Canada land borders for fully vaccinated travelers
• The New York Times: Hundreds of police officers have died from COVID-19. Vaccines remain a hard sell.
• Daily Herald: Lake County requiring COVID-19 vaccine or weekly testing for 600 employees
• Chicago Tribune: With a booster vaccine, should we expect the same kind of side effects? That and more COVID-19 questions answered by experts.

10/12/21

• Associated Press: Boeing tells workers they must get COVID-19 vaccine
• Daily Herald: New COVID-19 cases drop by 27% on average in October, yes to mingling flu and COVID shots
• Daily Herald: DuPage County reopening mass vaccination clinic for COVID-19 boosters

10/11/21

• Associated Press: Merck asks US FDA to authorize promising anti-COVID pill
• Associated Press: Moderna has no plans to share its COVID-19 vaccine recipe

10/10/21

• Associated Press: Small businesses navigate ever-changing COVID-19 reality

10/8/21

• Associated Press: Number of Americans getting COVID-19 vaccine increases as people seek boosters and comply with employer mandates
• Associated Press: Anti-vaccine chiropractors: a rising force of COVID misinformation
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 case counts in kids and teens surpass older Illinoisans'
• Chicago Tribune: State sees slight uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations, but not in suburbs
• Chicago Tribune: Surpassing 25,000 dead in state from COVID-19: How pandemic evolved from killing Chicagoans to southern Illinoisans

10/7/21

• Associated Press: Can I get the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time?
• Associated Press: What to expect as US weighs COVID shots for younger kids
• Daily Herald: Kane County food pantries, shelters experience overwhelming demand in wake of COVID-19
• Daily Herald: Illinois hospitals averaging 8.4% fewer COVID-19 patients than week ago
• Chicago Tribune: Pfizer’s request to approve shots for kids ages 5 to 11 a relief for parents across the US

10/6/21

• Associated Press:  AP: Flush with COVID-19 aid, schools steer funding to sports
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 1,747 hospitalized, 54 more deaths, 2,932 new cases
• Daily Herarld: State sees slight uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations, but not in suburbs
• Chicago Tribune: Facing burnout amid a prolonged pandemic, some hospital workers want out. ‘It’s just been really hard.’

10/5/21

• Associated Press: J&J seeks US clearance for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations rise slightly in Illinois
• Chicago Tribune: Private schools violating COVID mask mandate will get probation rather than ‘nonrecognized’ status under Illinois board of ed policy change
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: HALLOWEEN GUIDANCE COMING SOON; TEST KITS RECALLED; 1 NEW KANE DEATH BRINGS TOTAL TO 862

10/4/21

• Associated Press: Doctors grow frustrated over COVID-19 denial, misinformation
• Daily Herald: COVID hospitalizations down, but not enough for Pritzker to lift mask mandate
• Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he’s waiting for further decline in COVID-19 transmission before lifting indoor mask mandate
• Kane County Connects: COMMUNITY-BASED TESTING SITE IN AURORA NOW OFFERS COVID-19 VACCINATIONS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: STATE NOT LIFTING MASK MANDATE; 4 MORE KANE DEATHS, 7,139 NEW STATE CASES OVER WEEKEND; J&J SEEKS OK FOR BOOSTER; BIDEN COMING TO CHICAGO

10/3/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FAUCI APPLAUDS MERCK PILL; LOCAL EDUCATORS’ ANTI-VAX CHALLENGE DENIED; SOME COVID RELIEF UNSPENT

10/2/21

• Associated Press:  COVID-19 deaths eclipse 700,000 in US as delta variant rages

10/1/21

• Associated Press:  The Latest: COVID cases drop but US on brink of 700,000 dead
• Associated Press: Merck says experimental pill cuts worst effects of COVID-19
• Associated Press: US consumer spending rebounded in August despite COVID
• Associated Press: California will become first state to require COVID vaccines for all eligible schoolchildren
• Associated Press: As COVID-19 cases fall in the US, hospitals brace for another possible surge as cold weather drives people indoors
• Daily Herald: Suburban school COVID-19 outbreaks trend up; Illinois deaths pass 25,000
• Daily Herald: What you need to know about COVID-19 booster

September 2021

9/30/21

• Associated Press:  It's flu vaccine time, even if you've had your COVID shots
• Associated Press: Am I fully vaccinated without a COVID-19 vaccine booster?
• Daily Herald: More COVID-19 deaths in September than previous two months combined
• Chicago Tribune: Daily cases continue to drop, but September was the deadliest month for COVID-19 in Illinois since February, state data shows
• Kane County Connects: HEALTH DEPARTMENT: COVID-19 VACCINATIONS TOP 600,000 IN KANE COUNTY
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 1,000+ ILLINOISANS DIED IN SEPTEMBER; U.S. DEATHS FORECAST TO DECREASE; 1/3 OF PARENTS WILL VACCINATE 5-11S ‘RIGHT AWAY’

9/29/21

• Associated Press:  More than a year after health care workers on the front lines against COVID-19 were saluted as heroes, some are now getting threats
• Associated Press: Experts worry move to dispense boosters to the masses will hurt drive to reach the unvaccinated
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 2,989 new cases, 42 more deaths, 1,901 hospitalizations
• Naperville Sun: Firefighter/paramedics file federal suit to stop Naperville, state from forcing them to be vaccinated or tested for COVID 
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 3 NEW KANE DEATHS; ILLINOIS NEARING 25,000 DEATH TOLL; URGENT ADVISORY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

9/28/21

• Associated Press:  COVID-related attacks prompt hospital to issue panic buttons
• Associated Press: Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccines for children under 12 may not be ready until November
• Daily Herald: Nursing home staffs continue to lag residents for COVID-19 vaccinations
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations continue decline from recent peak
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: U.S. HOSPITALS BRACE FOR STAFF SHORTAGES; 1 NEW KANE DEATH; CASE COUNTS DROPPING NATIONWIDE

9/27/21

• Chicago Tribune: Who can get a COVID-19 booster? Where? Here’s what Illinois residents should know about the next round of shots.
• Courier News:
• Kane County Connects: CDC: STUDIES SHOW MORE COVID-19 CASES IN AREAS WITHOUT SCHOOL MASKING POLICIES
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 225 NEW KANE CASES, 1 DEATH OVER WEEKEND; COVID PATIENTS INCREASE IN REGION 8; PFIZER TO SEEK OK FOR CHILD VACCINE
• Kane County Connects: PFIZER COVID VACCINE BOOSTER SHOTS NOW AVAILABLE IN KANE COUNTY

9/25/21

• Associated Press:  COVID-19 vaccine boosters could mean billions in profits for drugmakers

9/24/21

• Daily Herald: Illinois hospitals averaging 15% fewer COVID-19 patients from peak of delta surge
• Chicago Tribune: Pfizer says its COVID vaccine is safe and works well in young kids. So what’s next?
• Chicago Tribune: Childhood COVID-19 cases fall for second week, as experts say student quarantines, testing are curbing virus spread
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CDC ENDORSES PFIZER BOOSTERS; 13TH KANE DEATH IN 8 DAYS; 3,505 NEW CASES STATEWIDE
• Kane County Connects: HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANTICIPATES COVID VACCINATION BOOSTER SHOTS WILL BE COMING TO KANE COUNTY NEXT WEEK
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 SCHOOLS: 15 OUTBREAKS SO FAR IN KANE COUNTY — 2 IN PAST WEEK
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: GENEVA, ST. CHARLES SCHOOL EMPLOYEES CHALLENGE COVID REQUIREMENTS; CASES DOWN, DEATHS UP NATIONWIDE

9/23/21

• Daily Herald: Hearing delayed in school workers' court fight about COVID-19 vaccination mandate
• Daily Herald: Kane County offers vaccination clinics in Elgin, Carpentersville
• Kane County Connects: STATE OF ILLINOIS REMINDER: SEPT. 30 DEADLINE FOR LOCAL COVID-19 RELIEF
• Kane County Connects: COMMUNITY COVID VACCINATION CLINICS THIS WEEK AT CARPENTERSVILLE FALL FEST, ELGIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE!

9/22/21

• Associated Press:  Biden doubles US global donation of COVID-19 vaccine shots
• Associated Press: COVID-19 creates dire US shortage of teachers, school staff
• Associated Press: FDA backs Pfizer COVID-19 boosters for seniors, high-risk
• Daily Herald: Kane County COVID-19 cases outpacing contact tracing
• Daily Herald: Increased demand for COVID-19 tests prompts Abbott to reboot Gurnee facility
• Daily Herald: Why it may be better to wait for COVID-19 booster
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FDA BACKS PFIZER BOOSTERS FOR 65+, HIGH RISK; 99% OF KANE CASES ARE DELTA; REGION 8 HOSPITALIZATIONS TICK UP

9/21/21

• Associated Press:  COVID-19 deaths in US average more than 1,900 a day for first time since March
• Associated Press: Johnson & Johnson says booster dose of its COVID shot prompts strong response
• Associated Press: Biden bets on rapid COVID tests but they can be hard to find 
• Daily Herald: Cook measures lowest COVID-19 transmission rate in state, but it's not out of the woods
• Chicago Tribune: When will kids under 12 be approved for the COVID-19 vaccine? Here’s what parents need to know.
• Chicago Tribune: From booster shots to mixing and matching vaccines, 5 things to know for those who got Johnson & Johnson
• Chicago Tribune: Pritzker defends vaccine and testing policy for educators during visit from U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona
• Kane County Connects: IDPH CONCERNED ABOUT FLU CO-INFECTION WITH COVID-19
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 11 KANE DEATHS IN 6 DAYS; 2ND J&J DOSE SUPER-BOOSTS PROTECTION; STATE PUSHING FLU VACCINATION

9/20/21

• Associated Press: Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11
• Associated Press: COVID-19 death toll in US equals that of the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic
• Associated Press: US to ease virus restrictions for vaccinated travelers on foreign flights to America
• The New York Times: When COVID took away their smell, it threatened their livelihoods
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations declining, but ICU space still low
• Chicago Tribune: As talk increases about COVID booster shots, Cook County officials begging the many who still haven’t gotten their first shots to do so
• Kane County Connects: STATE REACHES UNION AGREEMENT FOR VACCINE MANDATE IN CONGREGATE FACILITIES
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 5 KANE DEATHS, 8,415 CASES STATEWIDE OVER THE WEEKEND; PFIZER ANNOUNCES VAX SAFE FOR AGES 5-11

9/19/21

• Associated Press:  As leaders reconvene at UN, climate and COVID top the list
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 could have been our unifying moment
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: VACCINE FOR CHILDREN COMING SOON; U.S. AVERAGING 2,012 NEW DEATHS A DAY; 25,956 NEW ILLINOIS CASES LAST WEEK

9/17/21

• Associated Press: COVID-19 surge forces health care rationing in parts of West
• Associated Press: EXPLAINER: What are current COVID-19 guidelines for schools?
• Associated Press: FDA panel backs COVID-19 boosters only for Americans 65+ and others at high risk
• Associated Press: President Biden faces limits of $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid as some states resist
• Daily Herald: Walgreens to reward workers for getting vaccinated against COVID-19
• Daily Herald: 
• Chicago Tribune: As COVID-19 school outbreaks in Illinois climb, overall childhood virus cases fall, but questions arise about the data
• Chicago Tribune: As plans for booster shots are still up for debate, many with medical conditions have already received a third dose. ‘I want to be protected.’
• Chicago Tribune: As talks with unions continue, Gov. J.B. Pritzker extends deadline for workers in state prisons, congregate facilities to be vaccinated
• Chicago Tribune: Remaining Illinois unemployment offices reopening for in-person appointments
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 SCHOOLS: 13 OUTBREAKS AS OF SEPT. 17 IN KANE COUNTY

9/16/21

• The New York Times: US booster plans are in flux as studies add to dissent 
• Daily Herald: Cases of COVID-19 are rising in children, but there's reason for optimism, expert says
• Daily Herald: Kane Vax Hub offers Janssen COVID vaccine for hospital and school employees before Sept. 19 deadline
• Chicago Tribune: Most Illinois schools have not yet started COVID-19 saliva SHIELD testing. Here’s why.
• Chicago Tribune: Is a ‘twindemic’ on the horizon? Experts warn of brutal flu season as COVID-19 still spreads. Here are 8 things to know about getting your flu shot.
• Chicago Tribune: Should I worry about injury from repeated COVID-19 swab testing? I got the J&J vaccine. What’s next as far as booster shots and mixing and matching vaccines? More COVID-19 questions answered.
• Kane County Connects: ELGIN’S 4TH ROUND OF COVID-19 RELIEF GRANTS FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH — DEADLINE SEPT. 27
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: COULD WE BE FACING FLU ‘TWINDEMIC’?; 142 CASES, 2 DEATHS IN KANE; ER VISITS DROPPING NATIONWIDE

9/15/21

• Associated Press: As COVID-19 vaccine mandates rise, religious exemptions grow
• Associated Press: More than half of US states have cut back public health powers during the pandemic
• Associated Press: Biden, business leaders meet on COVID-19 vaccine mandates
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations level off, but ICU availability continues to shrink
• Daily Herald: Can you get flu shot with COVID-19 vaccination? Yep.
• Kane County Connects: FREE COVID VAX CLINICS AT ECC’S FIESTA EN LA YARDA, TWO RIVERS HEAD START IN AURORA
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 1 IN 500 AMERICANS HAVE DIED FROM COVID; 133 NEW KANE CASES; NO ICU BEDS IN ILLINOIS’ SOUTHERN REGION

9/14/21

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 deaths spike to 71, rise in September as Pritzker holds to mask mandate
• Chicago Tribune: Southern Illinois reports zero available ICU beds this week, amid COVID-19 surge
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 4,660 NEW CASES, 40 DEATHS; 168 NEW KANE CASES; BUT SIGNS SURGE COULD BE SUBSIDING

9/13/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: MOST SCHOOLS DON’T MEET VAX REQUIREMENTS; 2 KANE DEATHS, 9,152 ILLINOIS CASES OVER WEEKEND

9/12/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: U.S. DEATHS FORECAST TO RISE; 2 KANE DEATHS FRIDAY; 26,062 STATE CASES LAST WEEK

9/11/21

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 vaccines: Allergic reactions and booster news

9/10/21

• Associated Press: CDC finds unvaccinated 11 times more likely to die of COVID

9/9/21

• Associated Press:  AP source: Biden requiring federal workers to get COVID shot
• Daily Herald: Her 26-year-old fiance died from COVID-19. Now, she's telling people to get vaccinated.

9/8/21

• Associated Press:  Summer that was supposed to mark America’s independence from COVID-19, ends in gloom
• Chicago Tribune: Should parents get COVID-19 shots for their 11-year-old? Can children get a COVID-19 vaccine and a flu shot? More COVID-19 questions answered.
• Aurora Beacon News: Kane County sees decrease in COVID-19 cases
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO BUSINESSES, RESIDENTS: FOLLOW THE MASK MANDATE
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: U.S. PEDIATRIC CASES SOARING; 1 NEW KANE DEATH; REGION 8 HOSPITALIZATIONS DECLINING
• Kane County Connects: UPDATE: COVID VACCINATION CLINICS COMING THIS WEEK TO COMMUNITY EVENTS IN ELGIN, AURORA

9/7/21

• Daily Herald: How U of I fought the clock to develop a COVID-19 test that schools will use this fall
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: BIDEN TO LAY OUT NEW COVID PLAN; MU VARIANT IN 49 STATES; 12,051 NEW CASES OVER WEEKEND; REGION 8 HOSPITALIZATIONS DROPPING

9/6/21

• Associated Press:  First responders nationwide resist COVID vaccine mandates
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: 94.81% OF U.S. IN HIGH TRANSMISSION; POST LABOR DAY OUTLOOK NOT GOOD; BOOSTER WAIT FOR FDA OK

9/4/21

• Daily Herald: Is long COVID a concern for children?

9/3/21

• Associated Press:  Efforts grow to stamp out use of parasite drug for COVID-19
• Associated Press: US plan for COVID booster shots faces complications, some may miss Sept. 20 
• Chicago Tribune: The summer brought signs of recovery for Illinois’ tourism industry, but hiring woes and the delta variant are hurdles to full recovery
• Chicago Tribune: New COVID-19 variant mu has a toehold in Illinois. Should you be worried?
• Kane County Connects: PRITZKER EXTENDS VACCINE DEADLINE AT REQUEST OF HOSPITAL, SCHOOL LEADERS

9/2/21

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: Suburban hospitals say they're 'busy' but not as bad as other parts of state
• Daily Herald: Kane County COVID-19 vaccination clinics
• Chicago Tribune: Meet some of the kids volunteering in a Chicago COVID-19 vaccine trial: A ‘beacon of hope’ as cases in children surge nationwide
• Courier News: KANE VAX HUB CLOSED SATURDAY FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND — TRAVELING COVID VACCINATION CLINICS COMING TO CHURCHES, COMMUNITY EVENTS IN ELGIN, AURORA
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: 3RD BOOSTER ‘LIKELY’; 111 NEW KANE CASES; 51 DEATHS STATEWIDE; UNITED CENTER WILL REQUIRE PROOF OF VAX

9/1/21

• Daily Herald: Suburbs' share of state's COVID-19 deaths is shrinking as downstate bears the brunt
• Kane County Connects: 2 KANE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE RECORDED SMALL COVID-19 OUTBREAKS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: 349 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH IN KANE; 5,178 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; CDC TO UNVACCINATED: DON’T TRAVEL THIS WEEKEND

August 2021

• Associated Press:  Oxygen supplies grow precarious amid COVID surge
• Daily Herald: There's hope for COVID-19 'flattening' in Illinois, but are neighboring states safe?
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago now asks unvaccinated travelers to quarantine — even with a negative COVID-19 test — and advises against Labor Day travel for unvaccinated kids
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: 3 DEATHS, 303 NEW CASES IN KANE COUNTY; 4,871 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; 5 STATE HAVE LESS THAN 10% ICU BED CAPACITY

• Daily Herald: Weekend COVID-19 hospitalizations stable, 38 more deaths reported
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY DISTRIBUTES THOUSANDS OF COVID-19 PPE SUPPLIES TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: TRAVEL BAN ON UNVACCINATED AMERICANS?; 10,066 NEW ILLINOIS CASES SINCE FRIDAY; KANE TEST POSITIVITY DROPS

• Daily Herald: Throwing a party? As delta surges, many ask for vaccine status with RSVP
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: NEW C.1.2 VARIANT; 25,636 NEW CASES IN 1 WEEK; MASK MANDATE STARTS MONDAY

8/28/21

• Associated Press:  Contact tracing takes a back seat during latest COVID surge
• Daily Herald: Kane County distributes thousands of COVID PPE supplies to health care facilities and schools
• Daily Herald: Editorial: Refusing to mask and get vaccinated against COVID-19 hurts all of us

8/27/21

• Associated Press:  More COVID-19 shots, studies offer hope for US schools
• Associated Press: COVID vaccination site opens at Dulles for arriving Afghans
• Daily Herald: Enforcing masks indoors: Businesses are off the hook this time. What will suburban police do?
• Daily Herald: Lake, DuPage lead state in COVID-19 vaccination rates for kids 12-17

8/26/21

• Associated Press:  What is a COVID-19 vaccine passport, and do I need one?
• Daily Herald:  Pritzker reimposes statewide indoor mask mandate and vaccinations for several groups
• Daily Herald: 59 more COVID-19 deaths as Illinois surpasses 1.5 million infections
• Daily Herald: Kane County Board committee proposes $4M in COVID-19 aid for social service agencies
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois governor mandates COVID vaccines for teachers, college students and health care workers, and imposes indoor mask mandate for all
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois has new COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates. Here’s how they’ll work.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: 100,000+ HOSPITALIZED NATIONWIDE; NEW ILLINOIS MANDATES; 2 NEW KANE COUNTY DEATHS

8/25/21

• Daily Herald: Sources: Pritzker to order indoor masks statewide, require vaccines for school employees
• Daily Herald: Pfizer seeking FDA OK for COVID-19 vaccine booster dose
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: FEDS PUSHING FOR BOOSTERS AT 6 MONTHS; ‘TIME TO ACT NOW’ FOR KANE COUNTY UNVACCINATED; 4,451 NEW CASES STATEWIDE
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY BOARD CHAIR URGES VACCINE-HESITANT RESIDENTS TO ACT NOW

8/24/21

• Associated Press:  
• Daily Herald: Editorial: COVID patients must stand up and be counted
• Daily Herald: Pritzker warns of 'significantly greater mitigations' as COVID-19 patients increase
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: DEATHS INCREASING IN 43 STATES; PRITZKER WARNS OF ‘GREATER MITIGATIONS’; 556 KANE CASES SINCE THURSDAY

8/23/21

• Associated Press:  US regulators give full approval to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
• Associated Press:  Americans support mask and vaccine mandates for schools, AP-NORC poll finds
• Daily Herald: Three counties red-flagged over number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU
• Daily Herald: Kane County Medical Society supports countywide COVID prevention efforts
• NBC5 Chicago: Pfizer COVID Vaccine FDA Approval: Here's What it Means
• Chicago Tribune: Will more Illinois residents get vaccinated now that Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has FDA approval?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: 9,213 NEW ILLINOIS CASES SINCE FRIDAY; KANE TEST POSITIVITY DROPS; PFIZER VACCINE FULLY APPROVED
• Kane County Connects: FDA APPROVES FIRST COVID-19 VACCINE

8/22/21

• Associated Press:  Pop-up restaurants may stick around as COVID sees resurgence
• Daily Herald: Mask mandate inside suburban Cook County public places restarts Monday
• Daily Herald: Lifestyle changes may help protect against COVID-19
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: COVID DEATHS RISING IN U.S.; GULF COAST ‘ANGRY RED SCAR’; 3RD DOSE WORKS IN ISRAEL

8/21/21

• Daily Herald: Jesse Jackson, wife Jacqueline hospitalized for COVID-19
• Daily Herald: State Sen. McConchie experiencing breakthrough case of COVID-19

8/20/21

• Associated Press: Americans support vaccine mandates, AP-NORC poll finds, and COVID anxiety is rising
• Associated Press: Do I need a booster if I got the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine?
• Associated Press: US keeps ban on nonessential border crossings to slow COVID
• The New York Times: Plastic barriers probably don’t help protect against COVID spread — and may make things worse
• Daily Herald: Demand for COVID antibody drugs soars in hard-hit states
• Daily Herald: No credible link between COVID-19 vaccine and infertility
• Daily Herald: Illinois records highest single-day COVID-19 case total since January
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY: GET VACCINATED, WEAR MASKS IN PUBLIC TO STOP COVID-19 SPREAD

8/19/21

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 26,214 more shots, 14 more deaths, 3,180 new cases
• Daily Herald: Illinois records most deaths in a day since May; breakthrough cases a quarter of week's deaths
• Daily Herald: Elgin residents have until end August to weigh in on spending federal relief money
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: KANE-DUPAGE DATA NEARING MITIGATION THRESHOLDS; KANE TEST POSITIVITY JUMPS TO 7.4%; 86.77% OF U.S. AT HIGH TRANSMISSION

8/18/21

• Associated Press: Biden administration to require that nursing home staff are vaccinated against COVID-19
• Associated Press: NIU may return to remote learning if COVID rate climbs
• Daily Herald: More than 250,000 Kane County residents have been vaccinated for COVID-19
• Daily Herald: Suburban vaccine providers await guidance on boosters
• Daily Herald: EXPLAINER: What do we know about booster shots for COVID-19?
• Kane County Connects: CDC: BOOSTER SHOTS WILL START SEPT. 20 — AND KANE COUNTY WILL BE READY TO GIVE 3RD DOSE
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: KCHD READY FOR SEPTEMBER BOOSTER-SHOT SURGE; LOCAL TEST POSITIVITY RISES TO 7.2%; 3,833 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; FEDS WILL CHALLENGE STATE MASK BANS

8/17/21

• Associated Press: US officials may soon recommend COVID booster shots. Here’s what we know.
• Associated Press: Americans spent less in July as COVID-19 cases surged
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 cases continue climb, but so do vaccinations
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: KANE TEST POSITIVITY 7.1%; CHICAGO REINSTATES MASK MANDATE; 3,639 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; BOOSTER SHOTS LIKELY FOR U.S.
• Kane County Connects: ONE OF 3 ILLINOIS $100K ‘ALL IN FOR THE WIN’ WINNERS IS FROM ST. CHARLES, IL!

8/16/21

• Daily Herald: Pritzker noncommittal on eviction moratorium amid COVID-19 surge
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATES: 445 KANE CASES IN 4 DAYS, TEST POSITIVITY RISES TO 6.8%; ALL BUT 4 ILLINOIS COUNTIES AT ‘HIGH’ TRANSMISSION LEVEL

8/15/21

• Daily Herald: $10M program to will aid Illinois tourism's COVID-19 rebound
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: HOSPITALIZATIONS OF UNDER 50 REACH NEW HIGH; U.S. ON TRACK FOR 200,000 NEW CASES PER DAY

8/13/21

• Daily Herald: Several suburbs get millions in COVID-19 relief grants
• Daily Herald: As Illinois logs highest COVID-19 counts since April, what now with booster shots?
• Daily Herald: US allows extra COVID vaccine doses for some. Now what?
• Kane County Connects: GET BACK TO SCHOOL SAFELY! COMMUNITY COVID VAX CLINICS SUNDAY IN AURORA, FRIDAY IN ELGIN
• Kane County Connects: HEY, KANE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENTS! ILLINOIS EXTENDS COVID ASSISTANCE GRANT DEADLINE TO FRIDAY, AUG. 20

8/12/21

• Associated Press: Extra COVID vaccine OK'd for those with weak immune systems
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois launches online site for residents to check COVID-19 vaccination status 
• Chicago Tribune: Northwestern and Amita hospitals have yet to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for workers. Here’s why.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: NO END IN SIGHT FOR ‘FIFTH WAVE’; 2 MORE KANE COUNTY DEATHS; 3,114 NEW CASES STATEWIDE

8/11/21

• Daily Herald: Nurses, protesters rally against hospital vaccine mandate in Elgin
• Daily Herald: CDC urges COVID vaccines during pregnancy as delta surges
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalization average goes up for 28th straight day in Illinois
• Chicago Tribune: To combat pandemic learning loss, new Project Rainbow brings free early childhood programs to homes, phones in Cook County
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT: WE HAVE NOW HIT ‘HIGH’ LEVEL OF COVID-19 TRANSMISSION
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE AT ‘HIGH’ LEVEL OF TRANSMISSION; PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD GET VACCINATED ASAP; 3,933 NEW STATE CASES AMONG HIGHEST SINGLE-DAY TOTALS IN WEEKS
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS LAUNCHES COVID-19 VACCINE VERIFICATION SYSTEM

8/10/21

• Daily Herald: State says camps, community events and factories the culprits in recent COVID-19 outbreak
• Daily Herald: Hospitals run low on nurses as they get swamped with COVID
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE TEST POSITIVITY JUMPS TO 6.1%; REGION 8 HOSPITALIZATIONS RISING; U.S. HITS 124,000 NEW CASES PER DAY

8/9/21

• Associated Press: Fake COVID-19 vaccination cards worry college officials
• Associated Press: Pentagon will require all US troops to get COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 15
• Chicago Tribune: Events are returning to Chicago-area convention centers, but delta variant looms over rebound
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: PANDEMIC ‘CLOSER TO BEGINNING THAN END’; KANE TEST POSITIVITY 5.9%; 7,858 NEW ILLINOIS CASES SINCE FRIDAY

8/8/21

• Associated Press: Fauci hopeful COVID-19 vaccines will get full approval by FDA within weeks
• Associated Press: U.S. averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day
• The Washington Post: ‘Goldilocks virus’: Delta vanquishes all variant rivals as scientists race to understand its tricks
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: U.S. HITS 100,000 NEW CASES; VACCINE APPROVAL ON THE WAY

8/7/21

• Associated Press: Researchers look for COVID, Alzheimer's links
• Associated Press: Some in US getting COVID-19 boosters without FDA approval

8/6/21

• Associated Press: Shots give COVID-19 survivors big immune boost, studies show
• Chicago Tribune: An uptick in mild breakthrough COVID infections in Illinois has some feeling they’re no longer ‘untouchable,’ but doctors say the vaccines are working

8/5/21

• Associated Press: 'There are only so many beds': COVID-19 surge hits hospitals
• Associated Press: Novavax seeks OK for COVID vaccine in needy countries first
• Daily Herald: Pritzker hopes school mask mandate 'very temporary,' but new COVID-19 cases top 3,000
• Daily Herald: With COVID cases rising, Latino leaders hoping to motivate their community to get vaccinated
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: ‘5TH WAVE’ NOW 2ND HIGHEST; 3,048 NEW CASES IN ILLINOIS; 97 NEW KANE CASES
• Kane County Connects: STATE RELEASES COVID-19 VACCINATION DATA, DEATH TOLLS AT KANE COUNTY LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES

8/4/21

• Associated Press: WHO chief calls for moratorium on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots through September so low-income countries can catch up
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 cases triple, vaccinations down by half in one month
• Daily Herald: Pritzker mandates masks for schools, day cares, nursing homes, plus vaccines for some state workers
• Chicago Tribune: Pritzker issues mask mandate for schools effective immediately and vaccine requirement for some state workers
• Chicago Tribune: Masks back in demand as Illinois announces statewide mandate in schools. ‘We are going to be selling masks like crazy.’
• Chicago Tribune: Is it ethical to offer prize money to people who waited to get vaccinated?
• Chicago Tribune: Editorial: Businesses in Chicago are insisting on vaccinated customers. Good. No counterproductive government mandate needed.
• Chicago Tribune: US plans to require all foreign travelers to be vaccinated for the coronavirus
• Chicago Tribune: Head of World Health Organization calling for moratorium on COVID-19 vaccine boosters
• Chicago Tribune: It’s now recommended that pregnant individuals be vaccinated against COVID-19. What changed? Can COVID-19 push someone into diabetes?
• Chicago Tribune: Advocate Aurora hospital system mandating COVID-19 vaccines for its 75,000 workers
• Chicago Tribune: Genesis Healthcare, nation’s largest nursing home operator, tells workers to get COVID-19 shot — or lose your job
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: GLOBAL INFECTIONS PASS 200 MILLION; ILLINOIS MANDATES MASKS IN SCHOOLS; 71 NEW KANE CASES
• Kane County Connects: IDPH EXPANDS FREE COVID-19 TESTING TO ALL K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS

8/3/21

• Associated Press: More than 110M COVID vaccines sent to 60 countries, US says
• Daily Herald: Illinois | Will vaccine requirements to enter all businesses like in NYC happen here? What local leaders say
• Chicago Tribune: FDA plans to give final approval to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine by early next month
• Chicago Tribune: 7-day average of new COVID-19 cases tops 2,000 in Illinois for first time since early May
• Courier News: COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Elgin this week
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 1 DEATH IN KANE; 2,682 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; NYC REQUIRES PROOF OF VACCINATION; LOUISIANA REINSTATES MASK MANDATE

8/2/21

• Daily Herald: New COVID-19 cases per capita: Kane County lowest in the region, Will County highest
• Daily Herald: Kane County COVID vaccinations
• Daily Herald: Community COVID vaccination clinics continue in Elgin this week
• Chicago Tribune: US employers losing patience, ratchet up the pressure on the unvaccinated
• Chicago Tribune: CDC issues new eviction ban for most of US through Oct. 3 due to COVID spread
• Chicago Tribune: US hits Biden’s goal of 70% of adults receiving at least one COVID shot — a month late and amid a surge
• Chicago Tribune: Cook County offering free rides to COVID-19 vaccine sites
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: A LOT OF RED ON U.S. COVID MAP; 144 KANE CASES OVER WEEKEND; MORE MASK RECOMMENDATIONS
• Kane County Connects: GET SIX FLAGS TICKETS AT COMMUNITY COVID VACCINATION CLINICS IN ELGIN THIS WEEK

8/1/21

• Kane County Connects: MASK UP, KANE COUNTY! WE HAVE REACHED ‘SUBSTANTIAL’ LEVEL
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FAUCI SAYS ‘THINGS ARE GOING TO GET WORSE’; RSV ATTACKS CHILDREN; KANE IS NOW IN ‘SUBSTANTIAL’ LEVEL

July 2021

7/31/21

• The New York Times: They spurned the COVID-19 vaccine. Now they want you to know they regret it.
• Daily Herald: Kane, Lake counties now at 'substantial' COVID-19 risk, rounding out surge in all suburbs

7/30/21

• Associated Press: Vaccinated people with rare breakthrough infections can carry as much virus as others, CDC study finds
• The New York Times: Delta variant as contagious as chickenpox, according to CDC internal report 
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 cases higher than a year ago, but hospitalizations, deaths down
• Daily Herald: States race to use COVID-19 vaccines before they expire
• Tribune Content Agency: Unraveling the mysterious mutations that make delta the most transmissible COVID virus yet

7/29/21

• Associated Press: Biden says federal workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or face mandatory masking, weekly testing
• Associated Press: AstraZeneca to seek US approval of COVID vaccine in 2nd half
• Associated Press: Emergent: FDA letting troubled COVID vaccine factory restart
• Associated Press: Research looks for possible COVID tie to later Alzheimer's
• The New York Times: Behind the masks, a mystery: How often do the vaccinated spread the virus? 
• Chicago Tribune: Masks up for debate again at suburban districts after CDC calls for universal masking in schools
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE SURROUNDED BY ‘SUBSTANTIAL’ INFECTION; FED WORKERS MUST BE VACCINATED; 1,691 NEW CASES STATEWIDE

7/28/21

• Associated Press: New CDC guidelines set off rush to reimpose mask mandates across the US
• Associated Press: US extends expiration dates on J&J COVID vaccine to 6 months
• The New York Times: Citing new data, Pfizer makes case for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots
• The New York Times: Will the delta variant wreck the recovery?
• Daily Herald:  Elgin Area Pandemic Team to host vaccine clinics with Six Flags tickets giveaway
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: ILLINOIS RECORDS HIGHEST CASE COUNT SINCE MAY; PFIZER SUGGESTS BOOSTER SHOT; 1 KANE DEATH IN 16 DAYS

7/27/21

• Associated Press: Do employers have a legal right to mandate COVID-19 shots? Here’s what the DOJ and employment lawyers say.
• Associated Press: CDC urges vaccinated people to wear masks indoors where COVID-19 is surging, recommends masks for everyone in schools
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations climb back over 800 in Illinois, doubling in a month
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois follows CDC recommendation that people wear masks indoors in coronavirus hot spots — which right now doesn’t include most of Chicago area
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CDC RECOMMENDS MASKS FOR PUBLIC INDOOR SPACES; ‘WOW’ JUMP IN KANE TEST POSITIVITY; STATE REPORTS 1,669 NEW CASES
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS UPDATES COVID-19 PREVENTION GUIDANCE IN K-12 SCHOOLS

7/26/21

• Associated Press: VA becomes first major federal agency to require health care workers to get COVID-19 vaccines
• Associated Press: Vaccination rates climbing in US as COVID-19 cases rise during summer months
• Daily Herald: Pritzker considering mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for state employees as case counts rise
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FLORIDA NOW THE HOT SPOT; VACCINE MANDATES FOR SOME GOV WORKERS; KANE PASSES 60K POSITIVE CASES; CHICAGO WARY ABOUT LOLLAPALOOZA
• Kane County Connects: PHOTO STORY: BUS-SHELTER ADS EMPHASIZE VALUE OF COVID-19 VACCINATION

7/25/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: PANDEMIC ‘SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL’; FRANCE MANDATES VACCINE PASSES; CHILDREN DYING IN INDONESIA

7/24/21

• Associated Press: Should vaccinated people mask up with COVID-19 cases rising?

7/23/21

• Daily Herald: Why should my kid mask up? Because COVID-19 has infected 4 million+ children, experts say
• Kane County Connects: $742 MILLION IN COVID-19 RELIEF NOW AVAILABLE TO ILLINOIS SMALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

7/22/21

• Associated Press: China rebuffs WHO's terms for further COVID-19 origins study
• Associated Press: Rare 'breakthrough' COVID cases are causing alarm, confusion
• Associated Press: What is a COVID-19 vaccine 'breakthrough' case?
• Daily Herald: Illinois records nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 cases, most since May
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: DEATHS WILL RISE FOR AT LEAST 4 WEEKS; ITALY INVOKES COVID PASS; 1,993 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; 50 NEW CASES IN KANE

7/21/21

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 numbers in some parts of southern Illinois going the wrong way
• Daily Herald: Illinois surpasses 13 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered
• Daily Herald: Kane County COVID numbers up, vaccine equity still lagging
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: U.S. COVID CASES TRIPLED IN 2 WEEKS; OLYMPICS NOW IN QUESTION; WHY ARE DUPAGE NUMBER SPIKING?
• Kane County Connects: ONWUTA: DELTA VARIANT ACCOUNTS FOR 78.9% COVID CASES IN OUR REGION

7/20/21

• Daily Herald: Illinois teachers unions: Vaccinations, masks critical to preventing COVID-19 in schools
• Daily Herald:  As state says unvaccinated kids should wear masks, here's what suburban schools are doing so far
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 83% OF CASES ARE DELTA; INDIA’S REAL DEATH TOLL COULD BE 3 MILLION; ILLINOIS HOSPITAL BED CAPACITY SHRINKING

7/19/21

• Daily Herald: American Academy of Pediatrics: Universal masking in schools will protect kids from COVID-19
• Daily Herald: Illinois COVID-19 cases up nearly 200% in two weeks
• Daily Herald: State 'strongly encourages' colleges to require COVID-19 vaccine
• Daily Herald: Three community vaccine clinics offered in Kane County this week
• Kane County Connects: COMMUNITY COVID VACCINATION CLINICS IN ELGIN, AURORA THIS WEEK
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: WE ARE SEEING ‘PANDEMIC OF THE UNVACCINATED’; STATE CASES COUNT CLIMBING; NO NEW KANE DEATHS

7/17/21

• Capitol News Illinois: Pritzker has 'no plans' for added COVID-19 mitigations

7/16/21

• Daily Herald: Unvaccinated patients with COVID-19 trigger alert in DuPage, Kane

7/15/21

• Associated Press: Will COVID-19 vaccines work if I have a weak immune system?
• Daily Herald: ECC to hold COVID-19 vaccination clinics on July 21, Aug. 11
• Kane County Connects: HEALTH COMMUNITY COVID VACCINATION CLINICS AT KANE COUNTY FAIR, AURORA FARMER’S MARKET
• Kane County Connects: WEST DUNDEE FIRE DEPARTMENT SEEKING HOMEBOUND RESIDENTS FOR COVID-19 VACCINE

7/14/21

• Associated Press: EXPLAINER: Are we going to need COVID-19 booster shots?
• Associated Press: Summer setback: COVID deaths and cases rising again globally
• Daily Herald: Small counties downstate racking up COVID-19 cases and concerns
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CONCERNS INCREASE FOR CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER; 742 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; REGION 8 HOSPITALIZATIONS RISING

7/13/21

• Associated Press: US COVID-19 cases rising again, doubling over three weeks
• Daily Herald: How suburban hospitals are handling 'long-haul' COVID-19 patients
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CASES SURGE IN 45 STATES; CHICAGO REINSTATES TRAVEL WARNINGS; KANE TEST POSITIVITY RISES

7/12/21

• Daily Herald: New COVID-19 daily infection averages nearly double in a week
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: U.S. BELL CURVE IS RISING AGAIN; 1 DEATH, TEST POSITIVITY JUMPS IN KANE COUNTY; HOSPITALIZATIONS RISE IN KANE-DUPAGE REGION 8

7/11/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: FAUCI SAYS THERE SHOULD BE LOCAL MANDATES TO GET COVID-19 VACCINE

7/10/21

• Daily Herald: Should children take swim lessons if they are too young to get the COVID-19 vaccine?

7/9/21

• Daily Herald: Average daily COVID-19 case rate climbs over 400 in Illinois again
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ADOPTS COVID-19 PREVENTION SCHOOL GUIDANCE

7/8/21

• Associated Press: At many companies, changes from COVID-19 are now permanent
• Daily Herald: Illinois hospitals report fewest COVID-19 ICU patients yet
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: ALMOST ALL DEATHS, NEW CASES AMONG UNVACCINATED; TOKYO IN STATE OF EMERGENCY; 1 KANE DEATH; STATE HOSPITALIZATIONS TICK UP

7/7/21

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 13,135 more shots, 6 more deaths, 462 new cases
• Daily Herald: Pritzker announces vaccine incentive program for frontline state workers
• Daily Herald: Kane County vaccination clinics
• Kane County Connects: HOW TO REQUEST A REPLACEMENT COVID-19 VACCINATION CARD
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: CASES SURGING IN TOKYO; DELTA SYMPTOMS MORE LIKE A COLD; SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS SEES SPIKE

7/6/21

• Associated Press: Unending grief of COVID-19 deaths causing problems for some
• Daily Herald: Illinois reports no COVID-19 deaths for first time in 475 days, but positivity rate ticks up
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 3 IN 10 ADULTS SAY THEY PROBABLY WON’T GET VACCINATED; 1 KANE DEATH OVER WEEKEND; DELTA VARIANT HARDENS DIVIDE
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 3 IN 10 ADULTS SAY THEY PROBABLY WON’T GET VACCINATED; 1 KANE DEATH OVER WEEKEND; DELTA VARIANT HARDENS DIVIDE

7/5/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: DEATH TOLL NEARS 4 MILLION WORLDWIDE; CDC SAYS TRANSMISSION ‘MODERATE’ IN KANE COUNTY

7/2/21

• Chicago Tribune: ‘I am 30 and have no reason to get vaccinated.’ Getting COVID-19 shots in the arms of young adults a challenge for public health experts.
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: 26,697 more shots, 356 new cases, 10 more deaths
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: TOP 4 U.S. COVID HOTSPOTS AS FOURTH OF JULY APPROACHES; GERMANY RECOMMENDS MIXING VACCINES; ILLINOIS SEES 2,120 NEW CASES THIS WEEK

7/1/21

• Daily Herald: New COVID-19 case count inches up in Illinois
• Daily Herald: Editorial: From 'incentives' to mandates, steps to raise vaccination rates must not be delayed
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: U.S. CASES ARE 10% HIGHER; 457 NEW CASES STATEWIDE; KANE TEST POSITIVITY TICKS UP
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY SURPASSES 70% COVID VACCINATION GOAL

June 2021

6/30/21

• Associated Press: As COVID recedes in prisons, will any lessons learned stick?
• Daily Herald: All six counties surpassing Biden 70% goal for COVID-19 shots
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: DELTA VARIANT IN ALL 50 STATES; 103 DELTA VARIANT CASES IN ILLINOIS; ZERO KANE CASES BUT 1 DEATH WEDNESDAY

6/29/21

• Associated Press: End to COVID-19 hotel housing for homeless raises worries
• Daily Herald: IDPH: Delta variant to dominate COVID-19 cases in Illinois by fall
• Daily Herald: Get a COVID-19 shot before Thursday for a shot at $1 million
• Courier News: Elgin Sports Complex expansion and homeless housing initiative on the table for possible funding
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: WHO RECOMMENDS MASKS FOR FULLY VACCINATED; SUMMER CAMP NUMBERS GROW; JUST 8 NEW CASES IN KANE
• Kane County Connects: COVID VACCINE CLINICS THIS WEEK AT FARMER’S MARKETS IN CAMPTON HILLS, ST. CHARLES, SUGAR GROVE
• Kane County Connects: NOW 85 COVID-19 CASES ASSOCIATED WITH YOUTH CAMP OUTBREAK

6/28/21

• The New York Times: Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines likely to produce long-lasting immunity, study suggests
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 cases, deaths decline on average after state's reopening
• Kane County Chronicle: Illinois reaches 48% fully vaccinated against COVID-19
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: WORLDWIDE CASES ARE RISING AGAIN; 2 NEW KANE DEATHS; 747 NEW CASES STATEWIDE OVER WEEKEND

6/27/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: SOUTH AFRICA RESUMES COVID RESTRICTIONS; 50 INFECTED IN SUMMER CAMP OUTBREAK

6/26/21

• Daily Herald: Will border states' COVID-19 uptick affect Illinois?
• Courier News: Elgin plans to use grant money to do study on how to attract new development to East Chicago Street

6/24/21

• Associated Press: ‘This summer will be hot for the U.S. economy’: 2021 may see most growth since 1951
• Associated Press: Nearly all COVID deaths in US are now among unvaccinated
• Daily Herald: Six Flags ticket giveaway at Elgin vaccination clinic Friday
• Courier News: Elgin may fund lead water pipe replacement, storm and sewer line separation with $19.5M in federal cash
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: NEARBY MISSOURI IS U.S. HOTSPOT; KANE GOES 6 DAYS WITHOUT A DEATH; 248 NEW CASES STATEWIDE
• Kane County Connects: HEY, 12- TO 17-YEAR-OLDS! GET VACCINATED FRIDAY AT ELGIN LARKIN AND GET 2 FREE SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA TICKETS!

6/23/21

• Associated Press: Major banks to require vaccinations for employees returning to the office
• Associated Press: Experts: Benefits of COVID vaccine outweigh small heart risk
• Daily Herald: Kane County Health Department to close Elgin Vax site June 25
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES CLOSING OF THE ELGIN VAX SITE THIS WEEK
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: DELTA VARIANT CONFIRMED IN KANE; 258 NEW CASES, 8 DEATHS STATEWIDE
• Kane County Connects: COMMUNITY COVID VACCINATION CLINIC AT SWEDISH DAYS FESTIVAL FRIDAY, JUNE 25

6/22/21

• Associated Press: White House redoubling efforts to vaccinate Americans between ages 18-26 as rate of new vaccinations drops
• Daily Herald: Illinois averaging fewest daily COVID inoculations since January
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: NATION NOT LIKELY TO MAKE BIDEN’S 70% VACCINATION BY FOURTH OF JULY — BUT ILLINOIS, KANE COUNTY ARE ALREADY THERE

6/21/21

• Associated Press: COVID-19 deaths dip to lowest numbers in over a year as US hits vaccine milestone
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: KANE PASSES 500,000 VACCINATIONS; EXPERTS CONCERNED ABOUT FALL SURGE; CHECK OUT CDC’S ‘VULNERABILITY INDEX’

6/20/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: ARIZONA SEES SPIKE; AFRICA FULL-BLOWN THIRD WAVE

6/19/21

• Associated Press: Frustration sets in for families as nursing homes continue to enforce COVID-19 restrictions
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 shots for children 12 to 15 double in two weeks

6/18/21

• Daily Herald: Some suburban hospitals report having no COVID-19 patients
• Post Tribune: Health workers given incentives to get COVID-19 vaccination; challenges to employer demands continue

6/17/21

• Associated Press: Can you mix and match COVID-19 vaccines?
• WGN: Illinois starting $10M lottery for vaccinated residents, giving away scholarships
• Chicago Tribune: Social Graces: Is it rude to make sure unvaccinated family members follow COVID-19 precautions?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 UPDATE: 2 NEW KANE DEATHS; STATE PASSES BIDEN’S 70% BENCHMARK; ILLINOIS VACCINE LOTTO IS HERE

6/16/21

• Associated Press: The potential final stage in the US campaign to vanquish COVID-19 is turning into a slog as an infectious variant spreads
• Daily Herald: Illinois ranks second for fewest new COVID-19 cases among nine Midwest states
• Chicago Tribune: Kane County closes COVID-19 mass vaccination site in Aurora
• Kane County Connects: COVID VAX CLINICS: THIS WEEKEND IN CARPENTERSVILLE, JUNETEENTH IN AURORA, SWEDISH DAYS IN GENEVA — AND MORE!
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: HEALTH DEPARTMENT EMPHASIZES COUNTY’S PROGRESS AGAINST PANDEMIC, ANNOUNCES MORE MOBILE CLINICS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 VACCINE MYTHS: CAN VACCINE MAKE YOU MAGNETIC? (NO.)

6/15/21

• Associated Press: More evidence suggests COVID-19 was in US by Christmas 2019
• Daily Herald: 70,062 more COVID-19 vaccine doses administered statewide
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 STATE / NATION: ILLINOIS PASSES 12 MILLION-DOSE MARK; CDC SAYS DELTA IS ‘VARIANT OF CONCERN’
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 6 NEW CASES, NO DEATHS TUESDAY; CASE COUNTS LOWEST SINCE MARCH 2020

6/14/21

• Associated Press: Medical workers push back against hospitals requiring COVID vaccines: ‘We are going to be fighting for quite a while’
• Associated Press: Illinois records fewest new COVID-19 cases since March 2020
• Associated Press: Extra COVID vaccine may help protect transplant patients
• Associated Press: As US COVID-19 death toll nears 600,000, racial gaps persist
• Daily Herald: If you want to avoid the ICU, get a COVID-19 shot, doctors say
• Daily Herald: Innovative ways found to respond to pandemic
• Chicago Tribune: Novavax COVID-19 vaccine proves 90% effective and protects against variants, company says
• Kane County Connects: HEALTH DEPARTMENT UNVEILS LIST OF 106 COVID VACCINATION SITES IN KANE COUNTY
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH EXPANDS COVID-19 TESTING TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 165 NEW CASES, 9 DEATHS; TEST POSITIVITY DOWN TO 1.1%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 6 NEW CASES; 1 ADDITIONAL DEATH IS MAN IN HIS 50S

6/13/21

• Courier News: Opening of Festival Park’s splash pad signals a return to ‘normal’ for Elgin residents ready for summer
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 11 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH OVER WEEKEND
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 566 NEW CASES, 26 DEATHS OVER WEEKEND

6/11/21

• Daily Herald: 'Bring it on!': Suburban residents, visitors enjoying first day of the state's full reopening

6/10/21

• Associated Press: Why do some people get side effects after COVID-19 vaccines?
• Daily Herald: Ready or not, Illinois is reopening on Friday
• Daily Herald: Fourth of July fireworks will be back in Elgin, but no parade this year
• Daily Herald: As Illinois reopens, what do families with children too young for vaccines do?
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations reach new low as Illinois moves to full reopening
• Daily Herald: Q&A: Dr. Ezike on dealing with the health crisis of a century and what reopening means
• Chicago Tribune: Reopening day: Illinois on Friday to take biggest step yet back to normalcy after more than a year of COVID-19 restrictions
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 366 NEW CASES, 18 DEATHS AS ILLINOIS OFFICIALLY REOPENS JUNE 11
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 13 NEW CASES, NO DEATHS AS KANE CELEBRATES STATE REOPENING

6/9/21

• Daily Herald: How employers can turn the tide of COVID-19 vaccinations
• Daily Herald: More Illinois kids ages 12 to 15 are getting COVID-19 shots
• Daily Herald: Elgin church to host vax clinic for homeless
• Chicago Tribune: Social Graces: Where should you put your mask when dining at a restaurant?
• Chicago Tribune: You can ask your doctors if they’ve gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, but you may not get an answer. Here’s why.
• Chicago Tribune: US buying 500M COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer to share with global vaccine program over next year, source says
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: KANE DEATH TOLL HITS 800 TWO DAYS BEFORE REOPENING
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 408 NEW CASES, 23 DEATHS; 68% ADULTS HAVE AT LEAST 1 SHOT

6/8/21

• Associated Press: US is on pace to fall short of President Biden’s aim to have 70% of Americans at least partially vaccinated by July 4
• Daily Herald: More people adopted pets at pandemic's start, and in the suburbs, they're keeping them
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: TWO DAYS IN A ROW WITH 6 NEW CASES, NO ADDITIONAL DEATHS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: DELTA VARIANT THREATENS UK REOPENING BUT ILLINOIS STILL ON TRACK FOR JUNE 11

6/7/21

• Daily Herald: Help wanted ASAP: Suburban business owners feel COVID-19 labor fallout
• Daily Herald: As COVID-19 cases hit new low, Illinois tops Midwestern states for one or more shots
• Chicago Tribune: What are the guidelines for phase 5 in Chicago and Illinois? No capacity limits, some masking, and possible limits from individual businesses or towns. Here’s our guide.
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY ON TRACK FOR JUNE 11 REOPENING; LOCAL OFFICIALS CAN DECIDE WHETHER TO FOLLOW STATE’S LEAD
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: JUST 6 NEW CASES, NO DEATHS MONDAY; TEST POSITIVITY DOWN TO 1.9%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: ILLINOIS ON PACE TO MEET BIDEN’S JULY 4 VACCINATION GOAL

6/6/21

• Daily Herald: Illinois closing in on 70% of adults having received at least one vaccine dose
• Daily Herald: Is 60% fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the end good enough for Illinois?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 880 NEW CASES, 69 DEATHS OVER WEEKEND
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 30 NEW CASES, 2 DEATHS OVER WEEKEND

6/5/21

• Daily Herald: State: 48% of people 12 and older now fully vaccinated
• Chicago Tribune: ‘I can feel the clouds lifting.’ Many long-haul COVID patients report improvement post-vaccination, surprising medical experts.

6/4/21

• Daily Herald: US adds 559K jobs as firms still struggle to fill positions
• Daily Herald: Kane County Judicial Center employees celebrate going mask-free
• Daily Herald: Masks anymore? Pritzker sets reopening guidelines as COVID-19 cases continue decline

6/3/21

• Associated Press: COVID-19 vaccine: Why and when do vaccines expire?
• Daily Herald: Half of daily COVID-19 vaccine shots going into suburban arms
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations drop to lowest level since state started keeping track
• Chicago Tribune: Social Graces: What should you say to an unvaccinated friend who leaves the house without a mask?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 674 NEW CASES, 24 DEATHS; COVID UP PAST 2 DAYS BUT DOWN OVERALL; 51% ADULTS FULLY VACCINATED
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 41 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH IS MAN IN HIS 30S 

6/2/21

• Associated Press: Free beer, other new incentives as President Biden urges more Americans to get vaccinated before the July 4 holiday
• Associated Press: COVID-19 vaccine protection may diminish need for yearly boosters, but more research needed, scientists say
• Daily Herald: Half of daily COVID-19 vaccine shots going into suburban arms
• Daily Herald: What suburban colleges plan to do with latest COVID-19 relief funds
• Daily Herald: As some mass COVID-19 vaccination sites close, next stage is doctor's offices
• Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs 3-year cocktails-to-go extension that includes ‘shot-for-a (COVID-19) shot’ provision
• Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker raises possibility of a lottery to encourage more people to get their COVID-19 shots
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 19 NEW CASES; 1 DEATH WEDNESDAY; NEARLY 40% OF KANE RESIDENTS FULLY VACCINATED
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 478 NEW CASES, 9 DEATHS AS STATE MOVES CLOSER TO JUNE 11 REOPENING
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY USING PAID SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE COVID-19 VACCINATION
• Kane County Connects: IDPH: NO EVIDENCE COVID CAN SPREAD IN SWIMMING POOLS; DIARRHEA IS LEADING CAUSE OF SWIMMING ILLNESS

6/1/21

• Associated Press: World Health Organization issues emergency use listing for the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for adults 18 and over
• The New York Times: Many Americans are celebrating a return to normal life, while others are mourning loved ones lost recently to COVID-19
• Daily Herald: Illinois planning to offer a lottery for vaccinated residents
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 cases shrink in May, but so do vaccinations
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago’s travel order has no restricted states for first time since July 2020
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 12 NEW CASES, NO DEATHS TUESDAY; TEST POSITIVITY DOWN TO 2.6%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 401 NEW CASES, 8 DEATHS TUESDAY; 51% ADULTS FULLY VACCINATED; TEST POSITIVITY 1.9%

May 2021

5/31/21

• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 52 NEW CASES; 4 DEATHS OVER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND; TEST POSITIVITY PLUMMETS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 1,925 NEW CASES, 88 DEATHS OVER 3-DAY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

5/30/21

• Daily Herald: Illinois reaches vaccine milestone as new case figures hit 10-month low
• Daily Herald: Almost half of Illinois adults fully vaccinated, according to federal data
• Chicago Tribune: Legislators pass bill to extend cocktails-to-go until 2024 and also allow bars and restaurants to offer free drink to people who’ve received a COVID-19 vaccination

5/29/21

• Associated Press: How vaccine passports for global travel will work
• Naperville Sun: Local college/university presidents plan to spent $146M in federal COVID-19 relief money helping students stay in school 

5/28/21

• Daily Herald: As demand drops, some COVID-19 vaccination sites are closing
• Daily Herald: Illinois daily COVID-19 cases average fewer than 1,000 for first time since last summer
• Aurora Beacon News: Kane County COVID-19 mass vaccination sites cutting back schedule 

5/27/21

• Chicago Tribune: Will we need a COVID booster shot? It’s an open question, but so far immunity appears ‘durable.’ Illinois providers say they are ready if necessary.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 891 NEW CASES, 42 DEATHS; 66% OF ILLINOIS ADULTS HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE VACCINE DOSE
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: JUST 18 NEW CASES, BUT 2 MORE DEATHS; DATA REFLECTS VACCINE DISPARITY BY RACE, ETHNICITY

5/26/21

• Associated Press: Controversial vaccine passports may be essential to reopen international travel. Here’s how they might work.
• Daily Herald: Illinois surpasses 11 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered
• Chicago Tribune: Vaccinated? Prove it. As businesses ease mask requirements, getting carded isn’t just for people buying booze.
• Chicago Tribune: What’s it like to go back to the office now? Weird, with masks, moveable walls and touchless elevators.
• Kane County Connects: Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 1,139 NEW CASES, 27 DEATHS; MORE THAN 11 MILLION VACCINE DOSES ADMINISTERED

5/25/21

• Daily Herald: Daily cases of COVID-19 drop by almost 43% in a month, but deaths rise
• Chicago Tribune: Confused about mask rules? Here’s what major grocery and retail chains require now.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 35 NEW CASES, NO DEATHS, BUT KANE TEST POSITIVITY RATE STILL DOUBLE THAT OF ILLINOIS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 808 NEW CASES, 17 DEATHS; STATE TEST POSITIVITY RATE DROPS TO 2.7%

5/24/21

• Associated Press: Pandemic has left many overwhelmed with guilt after exposing loved ones to COVID-19: ‘It’s just something I’m going to have to go to the grave with’
• New York Times: What activities are safe for your unvaccinated children? Here’s what 828 experts said.
• Daily Herald: Hospital execs describe COVID's toll on mental health of front-line personnel
• Chicago Tribune: Pandemic Gap Year 2.0: Another wave of students defer admissions and take an independent gap year instead
• Tribune News Services: COVID-sniffing dogs can be used to detect virus and reduce long testing lines at airports, according to UK researchers
• Kane County Connects: STATE OF ILLINOIS DEVELOPING SYSTEM TO MONITOR COVID-19 IN WASTEWATER
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 34 NEW CASES, NO DEATHS MONDAY; KANE COUNTY PASSES 200,000 FULLY VACCINATED
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 933 NEW CASES MONDAY; 48% ILLINOISANS FULLY VACCINATED 

5/23/21

• Associated Press: People fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can largely skip getting tested for the virus, CDC says in major change
• The New York Times: CDC looking into reports of heart problem in small number of young COVID-19 vaccine recipients
• Daily Herald: Nearly half of Illinois adults fully vaccinated, state reports
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: BIG, UNEXPLAINED JUMP IN CASES, TEST POSITIVITY
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 92 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH OVER THE WEEKEND; KANE COUNTY TEST POSITIVITY RATE JUMPS TO 5.3%

5/22/21

• Associated Press: 5 ways to help small businesses recover from the pandemic
• Associated Press: New COVID-19 cases across US plummet to lowest levels since last June
• Daily Herald: Illinois one of just 16 states with 20% of children 12-17 getting at least one shot
• Daily Herald: More than 5 million Illinois residents fully vaccinated

5/21/21

• Daily Herald: Daily vaccine shots top 120,000 for first time this month
• Daily Herald: Workers back in the offices? Experts expect permanent change to suburban cubicle culture
• Daily Herald: Illinois ranks 27th in percentage of residents fully vaccinated
• Daily Herald: How Illinois would administer COVID-19 booster shots
• Chicago Tribune: Return visits to hospital for additional care were common for many early COVID-19 patients as the disease’s impact lingered, new study finds

5/20/21

• Associated Press: US jobless claims decline to a new pandemic low; many states cutting benefits but Pritzker opposes move
• Associated Press: Retail, grocery employees are nervous as co-workers, customers go maskless. ‘You wonder, do they really have their COVID shot?’
• Daily Herald: Experts: Now Kane County needs people Hispanics trust to persuade them to get vaccinations
• Chicago Tribune: Memorial Day observances modified for second year because of COVID-19. Here’s a list of some Chicago-area holiday weekend events.
• Chicago Tribune: In wake of COVID-19′s impact, Illinois lawmakers to consider nursing home funding plan aimed at increasing staffing, improving care
• Capitol News Illinois: State plans to pay off federal COVID loans early
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 54 NEW CASES; 1 DEATH BRINGS TOTAL TO 780; TEST POSITIVITY DOWN TO 4.3%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 1,542 NEW CASES, 42 DEATHS; 64% OF ADULTS HAVE HAD 1 SHOT OR MORE

5/19/21

• The New York Times: More than 100 million Johnson & Johnson doses are on hold as US regulators inspect them, Emergent BioSolutions chief executive testifies
• Daily Herald: 'It's a difficult situation': Mask guidance creates issue for businesses
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois schools must reopen full time this fall, but mandate raises new questions about who will still qualify for remote learning and how quarantines will work
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 73 NEW CASES; DEATH TOTAL INCREASES TO 779; 36.76% OF KANE RESIDENTS FULLY VACCINATED
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 73 NEW CASES; DEATH TOTAL INCREASES TO 779; 36.76% OF KANE RESIDENTS FULLY VACCINATED

5/18/21

• Daily Herald: State has fully vaccinated about 44% of eligible Illinoisans
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 1,495 NEW CASES, 21 DEATHS; BUT TEST POSITIVITY UP AGAIN FOR REGION 8
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: NUMBER OF DAILY VACCINATIONS SLOWING SIGNIFICANTLY — LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT IT WAS AT ITS PEAK
• Chicago Tribune: When COVID-19 hit, study abroad students scrambled to get home. Will those programs resume this year? Some schools say there’s still too much uncertainty.

5/17/21

• Associated Press: Biden boosting world vaccine sharing commitment to 80M doses: ‘Our nation’s going to be the arsenal of vaccines for the rest of the world’
• Daily Herald: Pritzker rescinding mask rule for fully vaccinated residents
• Daily Herald: State rental assistance program opens May 17
• Daily Herald: After two-day spike, COVID-19 deaths in Illinois decline
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois could require schools to teach fully in person this fall but has not issued a COVID-19 vaccine mandate
• Capitol News Illinois: State will phase out eviction moratorium, expand grants for renters
• Shaw Media: How funeral homes evolved during COVID-19
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 STATE OF ILLINOIS: LESS THAN 1,000 NEW CASES; REGION 8 TEST POSITIVITY UNDER 4.0%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 46 NEW CASES, NO DEATHS; KANE HAS 4TH-BEST VACCINATION RATE IN ILLINOIS
• Kane County Connects: PRITZKER OFFICIALLY ALIGNS ILLINOIS MASK GUIDANCE WITH CDC FOR FULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE

5/16/21

• New York Times: They aren’t anti-vaxxers, but some parents are hesitant to have their kids get the COVID-19 vaccine 
• Chicago Tribune: Feds won’t issue COVID-19 vaccination mandates, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 119 NEW CASES, 4 DEATHS OVER WEEKEND
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 2,761 NEW CASES, 70 DEATHS STATEWIDE OVER THE WEEKEND

5/15/21

• Daily Herald: No maskless free-for-all yet: Here's where precautions remain in place in the suburbs
• Chicago Tribune: Swimming pools scramble to overcome lifeguard shortage as opening day looms. Teen workforce, unnerved by COVID-19, proves hard to reach.

5/14/21

• Associated Press: States, business sort out what new CDC mask guidance means; Walmart drops mask requirement for vaccinated shoppers and workers
• Daily Herald: Restaurants, theaters see benefits as 'Bridge Phase' starts
• Daily Herald: Six Flags donates 50,000 free tickets to encourage youths to get vaccines
• Aurora Beacon News: Kane, DuPage teens begin receiving vaccines: ‘You could see the smile in his eyes’
• Chicago Tribune: Thrilled! It’s about time. Too soon. Relieved but nervous. How the CDC’s new mask guidelines made you feel — and how you told us you’d adapt your mask wearing
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois COVID-19 questions answered: Now that younger teens can get the COVID-19 vaccine, is it a good time for them to get other shots too?
• Pioneer Press: After a year of profound grief and isolation, nursing homes across suburban Chicago seek healing
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 3 ADDITIONAL CORONAVIRUS DEATHS FRIDAY INCLUDE WOMAN IN HER 40S
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 1,841 NEW CASES, 49 DEATH; FAR MORE WOMEN ARE GETTING VACCINATED

5/13/21

• Associated Press: 'Get vaccinated -- or wear a mask until you do': Vaccinated can largely ditch masks, CDC says
• Associated Press: Schools ditch student mask requirements in growing numbers
• Associated Press: How a network of nonprofit groups is making big money stoking fear and distrust of COVID-19 vaccines
• Associated Press: $300/week pandemic unemployment boost cut off in more than a dozen GOP-led states
• Associated Press: National teachers union leader urges full reopening of schools in fall: ‘Conditions have changed’
• Associated Press: How vaccine disinformation super spreaders have cashed in on Americans’ fears during pandemic
• Daily Herald: 'Kind of nervous but excited': Elgin girl the first 12-year-old vaccinated at Sherman Hospital
• Daily Herald: What you need to know about COVID-19 restrictions easing Friday in the 'Bridge Phase'
• Daily Herald: Got COVID-19 vaccine questions for your 12- to 15-year-olds? We've got answers
• Chicago Tribune: Crowd limits eased, mask mandates likely next as Illinois enters next-to-last phase of COVID-19 reopening plan Friday
• Chicago Tribune: Children 12 to 15 begin receiving COVID-19 vaccinations in Chicagoland. ‘I want him to hug me without being afraid.’
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 84 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH AS ‘BRIDGE PHASE’ NEARS, MASKS COME OFF FOR THOSE FULLY VACCINATED
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: ‘BRIDGE PHASE’ STARTS FRIDAY; 62% ILLINOIS ADULTS HAVE HAD 1 SHOT; FULL VAX = NO MASK (MOSTLY)
• Kane County Connects: CDC: IF YOU’RE FULLY VACCINATED, YOU CAN TAKE OFF MASKS IN MOST SETTINGS

5/12/21

• Associated Press: COVID-19 deaths in U.S. hit lowest level in 10 months
• Associated Press: CDC advisers mull how to use Pfizer shots in kids 12 and up
• Associated Press: Millions of Americans can apply for $50 off their internet bill
• Daily Herald: Stronger, more resilient: Hospitals respond to pandemic with growth, change
• Daily herald: Illinois COVID-19 deaths up 22% over a month ago, but cases continue to decline
• Daily Herald: Get the kids vaccinated? Many suburban parents eager to get it done, but others hesitate
• Daily Herald: Illinois surpasses 10 million COVID-19 shots as daily vaccination tallies rebound
• Chicago Tribune: Social Graces: Is it OK to ask guests to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend your wedding?
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois invests big in COVID-19 tests for schools, even as vaccines expand to younger kids
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois’ plan to use chunk of $7.5 billion in federal coronavirus relief to pay off debt may be in jeopardy
• Chicago Tribune: Finally ready to dine out? Here’s what to know before heading to Chicago restaurants and bars.
• Aurora Beacon News: Kane County to open COVID-19 vaccines to kids 12 and older starting Thursday
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 73 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH AS VAX OPENS TO TWEENS, SCHOOLS GET NEW TESTS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 1,795 NEW CASES, 26 DEATHS, BUT CASE MODELS SHOW LAST SURGE IS WANING
• Kane County Connects: COVIDSHIELD SALIVA TESTING COMING TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS
• Kane County Connects: CDC: HOW TO TALK ABOUT COVID-19 VACCINES WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

5/11/21

• Associated Press: Pfizer COVID-19 shot expanded to U.S. children as young as 12
• Associated Press: Schools race to track down students who stopped showing up to class as surge in dropout rate feared
• Daily Herald: 'Shot and a beer' bill would allow free drink for the vaccinated
• Daily Herald: Do kids need to catch up in school or take a break this summer?
• Daily Herald: As vaccine counts tick back up, Illinois is on track for looser COVID-19 restrictions this week
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: KANE COULD START VACCINATING 12- TO 15-YEAR-OLDS AS SOON AS THURSDAY
• Kane County Connects: HEY, KANE COUNTY RENTERS AND LANDLORDS! APPLY MAY 17 FOR UP TO $25,000 IN EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 1,562 NEW COVID-19 CASES AS STATE PASSES 10 MILLION VACCINE DOSES ADMINISTERED

5/10/21

• Associated Press: FDA authorizes Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 12; shots could begin as soon as Wednesday
• New York Times: Dr. Anthony Fauci says he’s open to relaxing indoor mask rules as more Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19
• Daily Herald: Vaccine teams move to office buildings to make getting COVID-19 shots easier
• Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 positivity rate in Illinois lowest in more than a month, and hospitalizations also down
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 1,424 NEW CASES, 12 DEATHS AS VACCINATION NUMBERS REBOUND
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: KANE PASSES 400,000 SHOTS IN ARMS
• Kane County Connects: FDA AUTHORIZES PFIZER VACCINE FOR 12- TO 15-YEAR-OLDS

5/9/21

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations fall as state nears 10-million vaccine mark
• Daily Herald: Illinois' 'Bridge Phase' of COVID-19 restrictions is coming. What will that mean?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 3,470 NEW CASES, 52 DEATHS OVER WEEKEND; STATE NEARING 10 MILLION DOSES ADMINISTERED

5/7/21

• Daily Herald: COVID-19 vaccinations decline by nearly 40%
• Daily Herald: What's leading to the law enforcement lag in vaccinations?
• Daily Herald: Pritzker expects state to fully reopen by June 11, with 'bridge' phase starting May 14
• Daily Herald: 85% of Illinoisans 65 and older have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose
• Chicago Tribune: Burned out but hopeful: Teachers look back on the year of pandemic educating, from virtual learning to fights over reopening schools

5/6/21

• Chicago Tribune: Chicago’s ready to vaccinate 12- to 15-year-olds ‘pretty much right away’ once federal government gives OK, health commissioner says
• Courier News: Elgin’s utility grant program for people behind on water bills off to slow start as officials try to get the word out
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 62 NEW CASES, 2 DEATHS; KANE PUSHING HARD TO GET MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 1,778 NEW CASES, 40 DEATHS AS STATE ANNOUNCES REOPENING PLANS
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY ENTERING NEW PHASE OF COVID-19 VACCINATION EFFORT

5/5/21

• Associated Press: Chicago launches concert series for fully vaccinated people
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois’ COVID-19 vaccination pace is slowing, particularly downstate. Here’s what researchers say must be done to boost the effort and return to normalcy.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 102 NEW CASES, NO DEATHS; HERE’S TOP 10 ON KCHD COVID DASHBOARD
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 2,410 NEW CASES, 30 DEATHS; STATE OFFICIALS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT JULY 4 VAX GOALS
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS RELEASES INDEPENDENT REPORT ON COVID-19 CASES AT LASALLE VETERANS HOME

5/4/21

• Daily Herald: 'This summer is going to be very different': Pritzker, Lightfoot expect full reopen this summer
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 vaccine site opening at Spring Hill Mall
• Daily Herald: From target shooting to museum passes: State plans to offer 'free stuff' for vaccinations
• Daily Herald: Reaching herd immunity against COVID in Illinois likely a 'longer process' than hoped
• Capitol News Illinois: Study shows working mothers hit hard by pandemic-related child care burdens
• Chicago Tribune: What’s allowed as Illinois and Chicago reopen: The rules for restaurants, gyms, concerts, conventions and more
• Kane County Connects: HEY, KANE COUNTY BUSINESSES! RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION GRANTS NOW OPEN
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 94 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH IS MAN IN 50S; DAILY VACCINE DEMAND PLUMMETS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 2,211 NEW CASES, 2,074 IN HOSPITAL WITH COVID-19 AS CHICAGO ANNOUNCES JULY 4 REOPENING

5/3/21

• Associated Press: Starting today, restaurants get a $26.8 billion federal lifeline. Will it be enough?
• Associated Press: Public transit agencies across US seek to lure back commuters lost during the pandemic
• New York Times: Reaching herd immunity to COVID-19 in US unlikely due to variants, resistance to vaccines, experts say
• Daily Herald: Funding available to help students pay for college
• Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Illinois could reopen a bit more next week as COVID-19 hospital admissions tick down
• Tribune News Services: COVID-19 risk greater if passengers board plane back to front, study shows 
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 118 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH; KANE GETS ZERO 1ST DOSES BUT 30,000+ 2ND DOSES THIS WEEK
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 2,049 NEW CASES, 28 DEATHS; STATE CONCENTRATING ON 2ND-DOSE ALLOCATION THIS WEEK

5/2/21

• Associated Press: During pandemic year, US teachers faced backlash over school closures, and saw a newfound respect for their work
• Daily Herald: Suburban school districts step up efforts to vaccinate teens
• Daily Herald: State reports new COVID-19 cases down from previous day
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 187 NEW CASES, 4 DEATHS OVER THE WEEKEND
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 4,673 NEW CASES, 59 DEATHS OVER WEEKEND; STATE COVID-19 DEATHS PASS 22,000

5/1/21

• Chicago Tribune: High school proms are back, sort of. Some will have no dancing, no eating, no heels — and entrance might require a negative COVID-19 test.

April 2021

4/30/21

• Associated Press: US to restrict travel from India over COVID starting Tuesday
• Associated Press: Number of Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 reaches another milestone: 100 million
• New York Times: Q&A: Does it matter if I skip my second Covid-19 vaccine shot?
• Daily Herald: Nearly 1.9 million fully vaccinated in April, 672 more COVID-19 deaths
• Daily Herald: Average of shots in arms falls below 100,000 as demand tapers off
• Daily Herald: Cook County easing restrictions on outdoor activities, proms, weddings, more
• Capitol News Illinois: Housing protection legislation sent to governor

4/29/21

• Daily Herald: Illinois surpasses 9 million vaccine shots
• Daily Herald: Could a vaccination passport program be coming to Illinois?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: CASE COUNTS UP THURSDAY, VACCINATION RATES CONTINUE TO FALL
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 3,394 NEW CASES, 38 DEATHS; VACCINATION SLOWDOWN NOW BIGGEST CONCERN
• Kane County Connects: CDC: WHAT TO DO IF YOU RECEIVED — OR ARE CONSIDERING — THE J&J/JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE 

4/28/21

• Daily Herald: Illinois surpasses 9 million vaccine shots
• Chicago Tribune: Summer camp rituals amid a pandemic will be different, from more masks to no high-fives — ‘elbow- and foot-fives only’
• Chicago Tribune: Pritzker says anyone wanting a shot just has to ‘raise your hand’ as daily COVID-19 vaccinations average continues to slip
• Chicago Tribune: More than 30% of Illinois residents now fully vaccinated against COVID-19
• Courier News: 
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 2,728 NEW CASES, 33 DEATHS; STATE PASSES 9 MILLION VACCINE DOSES; REGION 8 HOSPITALIZATIONS HIGH
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 140 NEW CASES; NO DEATHS; KANE TEST POSITIVITY UP TO  7.2%; GET VACCINATED!

4/27/21

• Associated Press: CDC says many Americans can now go outside without a mask
• Daily Herald: Day cares, factories, offices, events: Where COVID-19 outbreaks are happening now
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois COVID-19 questions answered: After I am vaccinated, is my immune system weakened? Is having survived COVID-19 the same protection as a vaccine? The fully vaccinated can go outdoors without a mask. Are there exceptions?
• Tribune Content Agency: Restaurants, bars and food trucks can get up to $10 million in federal grants to offset pandemic-related losses. Here’s what to know.
• Courier News: Many U-46 students would like remote learning option to continue after pandemic, advisors tell school board
• Aurora Beacon News: Summer festival planners cautiously schedule 2021 events — while others cancel
• Kane County Connects: CDC SAYS YOU CAN TAKE OFF THE COVID MASK OUTDOORS — WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 2,556 NEW CASES, 23 DEATHS; STATE STILL SHORT OF REOPENING METRICS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 125 NEW CASES; 1 DEATH?; KANE TEST POSITIVITY STILL AT 7.1%

4/26/21

• City of Elgin: Elgin Announces Temporary Water Bill Assistance Program
• Associated Press: A pill for COVID-19? Here's what treatments are available for the virus now and what’s on the way.
• Daily Herald: Applications accepted for Elgin water bill assistance grants
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois sees substantial drop in daily COVID-19 vaccinations as Gov. J.B. Pritzker says ‘supply will soon exceed demand’
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH RESUMES USE OF JOHNSON & JOHNSON COVID-19 VACCINE
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 2,137 NEW CASES, 10 DEATHS; 515,000 VACCINE ALLOCATION THIS WEEK — INCLUDING J&J
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 134 NEW CASES; NO DEATHS; KANE DAILY VACCINATION COUNTS DROPPING
• Kane County Connects: GOV COMES TO AURORA VNA TO ANNOUNCE PANDEMIC HEALTH NAVIGATOR PROGRAM

4/25/21

• The New York Times: More than 5 million Americans who got the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine are not getting the second 
• The New York Times: Analysis: Families face tough choice on when to resume pre-pandemic life while the kids are still not vaccinated
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 4,942 NEW CASES, 49 DEATHS OVER WEEKEND
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 257 NEW CASES; 4 DEATHS OVER WEEKEND; TEST POSITIVITY DROPS TO 7.0%

4/24/21

• Chicago Tribune: Cook County doctors say vaccine pause should create confidence; walk-in appointments start Monday

4/23/21

• Associated Press: Pandemic rental assistance: Here’s how to get your share of $46 billion in federal aid
• CDC: FDA and CDC Lift Recommended Pause on Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccine Use Following Thorough Safety Review
• Daily Herald: Most colleges, universities will encourage -- not require -- COVID-19 vaccines for fall semester
• Chicago Tribune: Guidance on Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine expected from U.S. health panel after pause over rare clots
• Chicago Tribune: Flu shots at work are routine, but company COVID-19 vaccination clinics have been hard to come by. That might be changing. 
• Courier News: New operator opens restaurant at Elgin’s Bowes Creek golf course and plans to reopen the Grumpy Goat at The Highlands

4/22/21

• Associated Press: COVID-19 hospitalizations among older Americans have plunged more than 70 percent since start of the year
• Daily Herald: Has supply caught up with COVID-19 vaccine demand?
• Courier News: 1 in 5 Kane County residents are vaccinated, but COVID-19 positivity rates escalate again 
• Courier News: Gail Borden library using state grant to work with Centro de Informacion in helping Elgin residents solve COVID problems
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 153 NEW CASES; 3 DEATHS ARE PEOPLE IN THEIR 50S, 60S; TEST POSITIVITY 7.5%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 3,170 NEW CASES, 33 DEATHS; HOSPITALIZATIONS PREVENTING MOVE TO REOPEN ILLINOIS

4/21/21

• Associated Press: White House offers new tax credit to help spur vaccinations
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 update: Variants infecting Illinoisans in their 20s most, data shows
• Daily Herald: Kane County's COVID-19 infections, vaccinations both surge in April
• Daily Herald: Suburban COVID-19 caseload down by nearly 11% from last week
• Daily Herald: Cook County opens up two walk-in mass vaccination sites 
• Aurora Beacon News: Kane County officials say vaccine supply finally in line with demand: ‘We need to go out and encourage people to get vaccinated’
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 106 NEW CASES; TEST POSITIVITY 7.6%; IS KANE COUNTY TURNING A CORNER?
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 2,765 NEW CASES, 28 DEATHS; DATA SHOWS SIGNS THAT ‘4TH WAVE’ COULD BE DECLINING
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT COVID-19 UPDATE: COUNTY FACING ‘TRANSITIONAL’ TIME IN PANDEMIC
• Kane County Connects: STATE ORDERS FLAGS RETURNED TO FULL STAFF AFTER 1 YEAR LOWERED FOR COVID VICTIMS

4/20/21

• Daily Herald: More than half of Illinois adults have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
• Chicago Tribune: Massive supply imbalance fueled by vaccine hesitancy: Illinois’ latest struggles with COVID-19 mass vaccination
• Chicago Tribune: Some people are reporting abnormal periods after a COVID-19 vaccine. U. of I. professor is looking for answers.
• Capitol News Illinois: Lawmakers push to require nursing homes to offer virtual visits
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE: 160 NEW CASES TUESDAY; TEST POSITIVITY DROPS TO 7.5%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 2,587 NEW CASES, 9 DEATHS; VAX ALLOCATIONS UP

4/19/21

• Associated Press: Half of US adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, CDC says
• Daily Herald: In recent COVID-19 outbreaks at schools, sports are the frequent culprit
• Daily Herald: National Guard Unit comes to Aurora COVID-19 vaccination site
• Daily Herald: State eclipses 8 million mark for COVID-19 vaccination shots
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 111 NEW CASES MONDAY; TEST POSITIVITY STAYS AT 8%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 1,959 NEW CASES, 22 DEATHS; 50% OF ILLINOISANS AGE 16+ HAVE HAD 1 DOSE
• Chicago Tribune: During COVID-19, many people who were homeless lived in Chicago-area hotels. Here’s what was learned.
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois close to having 50% of residents 16 and older vaccinated, but ongoing third COVID-19 surge will put a hold on any reopening plans
• Tribune News Service: Global COVID-19 infections hit weekly record with 5.2 million cases, despite increased vaccinations

4/18/21

• Associated Press: Fauci expects decision soon on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
• Daily Herald: As cases rise, health authorities urge younger people to get vaccinated
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 287 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH OVER WEEKEND; KANE PASSES 300,000 DOSES ADMINISTERED
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 5,860 NEW CASES, 33 DEATHS; TEST POSITIVITY DROPS OVER WEEKEND

4/17/21

• Associated Press: Barbers, artists help defy vaccine myths for people of color
• New York Times: COVID-19 booster shots could be needed. Drug companies are planning for it.

4/16/21

• New York Times: Vaccines won’t protect millions of patients with crippled immune systems, experts say
• Daily Herald: High demand for COVID-19 shots continues despite Johnson & Johnson setback
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois health department sets aside vaccine appointments for college students

4/15/21

• Associated Press: COVID-19 blamed for large increase in US deaths
• Daily Herald: More than 3 million now fully vaccinated in Illinois
• Daily Herald: 'It's like a godsend': Suburban businesses get pandemic relief from The Barstool Fund
• Capitol News Illinois: State unemployment falls to 7.1% in March
• Courier News: Yes, there will be swimming at Wing Park pool this year but admission fees will be higher due to COVID rules, pay increases
• Courier News: Elgin News Digest: Vaccination center volunteers sought
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SEEKING VACCINATION CLINIC VOLUNTEERS
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 169 NEW CASES; TEST POSITIVITY STAYS AT 8.4%; 21.5% OF KANE POPULATION FULLY VACCINATED
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 3,581 NEW CASES; STATE TEST POSITIVITY DROPS A NOTCH; HOSPITALIZATIONS HIGH
• Kane County Connects: STATEWIDE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DOWN, JOBS UP IN MARCH 2021 — GAINS IN HOSPITALITY, CONSTRUCTION, BUSINESS SERVICES

4/14/21

• Associated Press: I got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Now what?
• Associated Press: Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine to remain in limbo while officials seek evidence that blood clots were linked to the shot
• Daily Herald: Grant to help Elgin-area residents affected by pandemic
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 130 NEW CASES; KANE DEATHS HIT 750 TOTAL; TEST POSITIVITY RISES AGAIN — TO 8.4%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 3,536 NEW CASES; 2,076 IN ILLINOIS HOSPITALS WITH COVID-19
• Kane County Connects: STATE ANNOUNCES NEW COVID-19 MASS VACCINATION SITE TO OPEN IN COOK COUNTY

4/13/21

• FDA: Joint CDC and FDA Statement on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine
• Associated Press: U.S. recommends 'pause' for J&J vaccine over clot reports
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations up 24% from a week ago, while teens face vaccine challenge
• Daily Herald: What you need to know about the J&J vaccine pause
• Daily Herald: Officials: No known cases of serious side effects from J&J in Illinois or suburbs
• Daily Herald: Illinois expecting half a million new vaccine doses this week
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois, Chicago and Cook County pause distribution of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after blood clotting cases
• Chicago Tribune: You just became eligible for a COVID-19 shot. Try these vaccine hunter tips to score an appointment.
• Kane County Connects: STATE DISTRIBUTES IPADS FOR OLDER ADULTS TO ASSIST DURING PANDEMIC
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 154 NEW CASES; TEST POSITIVITY RATE JUMPS OVER 8%; LOCAL HOSPITALIZATIONS GROWING
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 3,193 NEW CASES; HOSPITALIZATIONS DOUBLE FROM 1 MONTH AGO; TEST POSITIVITY STILL CLIMBING
• Kane County Connects: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH PAUSES USE OF JOHNSON & JOHNSON COVID-19 VACCINE
• Aurora Beacon News: Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccinations at Aurora, Elgin sites postponed

4/12/21

• Daily Herald: State widens vaccine eligibility today, but how fast can you get an appointment?
• Daily Herald: Are 'vaccine passports' for real? Field is wide open on COVID-19 travel IDs
• Daily Herald: Walgreens surpasses 11 million COVID-19 vaccines administered
• New York Times: Study results bolster the case that antibody drugs can prevent COVID-19
• Chicago Tribune: Coronavirus metrics in Illinois continue to move in wrong direction, stressing hospital ICU capacity in some regions
• Tribune News Service: Will COVID-19 vaccine be mandatory? At some colleges, events and workplaces, it already is.
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 130 NEW CASES, 1 ADDITIONAL DEATH; 7.8% TEST POSITIVITY RATE; VACCINE ALLOCATION DOWN
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 2,433 NEW CASES; ALL RESIDENTS 16+ ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINE, BUT ALLOTMENT DOWN THIS WEEK

4/11/21

• Associated Press: Are some COVID-19 vaccines more effective than others?
• Daily Herald: Vaccinations continue to rise - but so do COVID-19 cases
• Daily Herald: 
• Chicago Tribune: 
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 374 NEW CASES, 1 ADDITIONAL DEATH OVER WEEKEND; 7.8% TEST POSITIVITY RATE
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 6,572 NEW CASES OVER WEEKEND; REGION 8 TEST POSITIVITY 7.3%; 7.1M+ TOTAL DOSES

4/10/21

• Daily Herald: State sets vaccine records as county officials warn of virus surge, urge precautions
• Daily Herald: 
• Chicago Tribune: With vaccine authorization for young kids still months away, what should families who are partially vaccinated do?

4/9/21

• Associated Press: No region in the world is spared as COVID-19 cases, deaths surge: ‘The mutant form of the virus is causing more harm’
• Daily Herald: Walgreens to schedule 2nd Pfizer shots after recommended three weeks instead of four
• Daily Herald: 4,004 new COVID-19 cases, but a record 164,462 vaccine doses. Is that enough for Monday?
• Daily Herald: Tourism and hospitality leaders say industry might not recover until 2024
• Daily Herald: Illinois sets single-day vaccination record as worry over variants grows
• Chicago Tribune: Almost all Illinois schools have now resumed some in-person classes. But will rising COVID-19 numbers see districts close up again?
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois sets a new high for COVID-19 vaccinations, but case count tops 4,000 for first time since late January
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois COVID-19 questions answered: Can you take Tylenol or ibuprofen after getting a COVID-19 vaccine? Should I let my child play sports? Why should I hold on to my vaccination card?

4/8/21

• Associated Press: US jobless claims up to 744K as virus still forces layoffs
• Capitol News Illinois: Illinois Emergency Management Agency shares lessons learned from pandemic
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 157 NEW CASES, TEST POSITIVITY RATE SOARS TO 7.8%
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: NEW CASES, HOSPITALIZATIONS SURGE AS STATE SETS 1-DAY VACCINE RECORD

4/7/21

• Courier News: Elgin’s mass vaccination clinic opens to applause for the joint effort that made it happen and relief for those getting shots
• Chicago Tribune: Public health official says Cook County ‘will not hesitate’ to impose further COVID-19 restrictions if suburban case numbers don’t improve
• Daily Herald: New mass vaccination site opens in Elgin
• Daily Herald: State reports most new cases since late January, and Cook County warns of new limits
• Daily Herald: Appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations open up at Aurora site
• Telemundo Chicago: Abre centro de vacunación COVID-19 en Elgin
• Associated Press: AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine declared safe by EU agency despite blood clot link, but UK to give alternatives to people under 30
• Associated Press: As more schools reopen, large numbers of students in US still learning at home, survey shows
• Kane County Connects: KANE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT OPENS ELGIN VACCINATION SITE
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: LOCAL SURGE CONTINUES WITH 160 NEW CASES, 7.6% TEST POSITIVITY RATE 
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILLINOIS: 3,790 NEW CASES; REGION 8 TEST POSITIVITY RISES TO 6.9%!
• Tribune Content Agency: How the pandemic has adversely affected already marginalized populations
• Chicago Tribune: Daily COVID-19 cases, positivity rate in Illinois reach levels not seen since late January
• Chicago Tribune: Illinois reopening plans may have some excited to go back to ‘normal.’ But others are feeling FOGO — fear of going out.

4/6/21

• Associated Press: Official: Biden moving vaccine eligibility date to April 19
• Associated Press: Harris: Vaccinated can be 'role models' for friends, family
• Associated Press: Nearly half of new US COVID-19 infections are in just 5 states
• New York Times: Likely legal, ‘vaccine passports’ emerge as the next coronavirus divide
• Daily Herald: New COVID-19 vaccination site coming Wednesday to Elgin
• Daily Herald: COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to grow, but mortality dwindles
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 KANE COUNTY: 165 NEW CASES, 7.4% TEST POSITIVITY RATE AS COVID-19 INFECTIONS CONTINUE TO RISE LOCALLY
• Kane County Connects: COVID-19 ILINOIS: 2,931 NEW CASES TUESDAY AS CDC EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT VARIANTS
• Courier News: Mass COVID-19 vaccination site to open Wednesday in Elgin
• Chicago Tribune: The rush is now on to vaccinate Illinois college students before they leave campus for summer break. But will the shots be required for them to come back?

4/5/21

• Daily Herald: Suburbs worry about bottleneck with COVID-19 vaccination eligibility set to expand
• Daily Herald: