The Omicron strain of the virus driving the current surge in COVID-19 cases has placed a significant burden on health care workers and institutions, requiring extra measures announced by Gov. J.B. Pritzker Wednesday.
During a COVID-19 press conference Wednesday, Pritzker said out-of-state health care workers can now continue to work in Illinois during the ongoing public health emergency with expanded permission allowing them to treat all patients, not just those diagnosed with COVID-19. Additionally, doctors trained in other countries may now assist physicians licensed here, and out-of-state providers may now provide telehealth services to Illinoisans.
“Medical professionals and staff are caring for our family members, for our neighbors, for our friends in this hour of need. They need help, and I'm doing everything that I can to support them as they tackle this latest surge. To give them a reprieve and to expand the number of staffed hospital beds. 2048 health care workers have been deployed across the state. 919 of them are on-site supporting hospitals hit hard by COVID,” Pritzker said Wednesday.
“Throughout this crisis, state government has had to be innovative and agile, to find creative solutions to maintain healthcare capacity during this unprecedented crisis, delivering assistance, waivers and guidance to our healthcare institutions as they pursue creative and safe solutions to build capacity for patient care.”
Pritzker also offered remarks on the efforts his administration undertook to help end the weeklong work stoppage at Chicago Public Schools (CPS), thanking Abbott Laboratories CEO Robert Ford for their cooperation in providing 350,000 rapid COVID-19 tests to CPS on Monday.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike continued to urge Illinoisans to get vaccinated and boosted.
“Our health care workers are burning the candle at both ends, and in the middle as well, to care for COVID patients who could have avoided the hospitalization if they were up to date on their vaccine. I hear people say, ‘Oh, I know someone I know someone who had the vaccine and they still got sick.’ But please don't equate someone with a cough, runny nose, or sore throat to someone having to be admitted into the hospital and [needing] precious hospital resources,” she said.
“Of the 7.7 million people in Illinois who've been fully vaccinated, 0.08 percent have been hospitalized with COVID. That's not less than 1 percent, that's less than one-tenth of 1 percent.”
Taking questions from reporters, Pritzker said that the state’s recent adoption of rules requiring employers with over 100 employees to require vaccination was driven by federal mandate. He said full adoption will depend on an issue currently sitting before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“We wanted to give them enough notice ahead of time so they could get prepared in case to the Supreme Court affirms the Biden administration’s request,” he said.
Pritzker also offered remarks on the efforts his administration undertook to help end the weeklong work stoppage at Chicago Public Schools (CPS), thanking Abbott Laboratories CEO Robert Ford for their cooperation in providing 350,000 rapid COVID-19 tests to CPS on Monday.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike continued to urge Illinoisans to get vaccinated and boosted.
“Our health care workers are burning the candle at both ends, and in the middle as well, to care for COVID patients who could have avoided the hospitalization if they were up to date on their vaccine. I hear people say, ‘Oh, I know someone I know someone who had the vaccine and they still got sick.’ But please don't equate someone with a cough, runny nose, or sore throat to someone having to be admitted into the hospital and [needing] precious hospital resources,” she said.
“Of the 7.7 million people in Illinois who've been fully vaccinated, 0.08 percent have been hospitalized with COVID. That's not less than 1 percent, that's less than one-tenth of 1 percent.”
Taking questions from reporters, Pritzker said that the state’s recent adoption of rules requiring employers with over 100 employees to require vaccination was driven by federal mandate. He said full adoption will depend on an issue currently sitting before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“We wanted to give them enough notice ahead of time so they could get prepared in case the Supreme Court affirms the Biden administration’s request,” he said.
Allison F. Richard
Legislative Consultant
