Please Note: CICI will only be sending out COVID-19 Updates periodically, when pertinent information is warranted such as this morning.  The American Chemistry Council has also postponed their updates on state specific information related to the pandemic.

OSHA Issues Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for Private Employers with 100 or More Employees: OSHA has issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) mandating COVID-19 vaccinations or at least weekly testing for workers at US companies with 100 or more employees.   The employment threshold will be based on company wide headcount and not at any particular work site.  Full-time and part-time employees will be counted but not contractors.  If at any time the employment numbers fluctuate, the new ETS will apply if the employment figures go above 100 at any time during the year.  The first deadline for employer compliance is Dec. 5, which is meant to provide time off for workers to receive vaccinations.  All affected company employees must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4 or submit to testing.  The new unpublished rule, or ETS, can be accessed here in a PDF format, but should be published by the end of the week. This ETS can last 6 months, after which it must be replaced with a permanent rule. Employers found violating the ETS could face a fine of up to $13,653 for each serious violation. Willful violations, defined essentially as an employer deliberately disregarding the mandate, could face fines as high as $136,532.

As you may be aware, similar rules already exist for federal workers and contractors, which take effect over the next five weeks, requiring vaccinations but offering no alternative for regular testing.

IDPH to Adopt CDC Recommendations for Vaccine in 5 to 11-Year-Olds: The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is adopting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendation for children ages 5 through 11 years to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The announcement comes following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) expansion of the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children on October 29, 2021.

Previously, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use in individuals ages 12 years and older. The vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 years is a smaller dose (10 µg), a third of the dose for individuals 12 years and older (30 µg). The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is administered as a series of two doses, 3 weeks apart, for all eligible individuals.

COVID-19 vaccinations for those 5 years and older will be available at local health departments, many pharmacies, pediatrician offices, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and from other providers who offer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. IDPH has requested all COVID-19 vaccine providers watch the Pfizer-BioNTech training video for administering the pediatric doses of vaccine. Approximately 2,200 pediatric providers in Illinois have enrolled in the state immunization registry and can administer COVID-19 vaccine to their patients. Additionally, IDPH continues to work with schools to set up vaccination clinics and more than 1,200 youth vaccination events have been held or are scheduled.

In clinical trials, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children ages 5 through 11 years. Side effects commonly reported in children, although less frequent compared to adolescents and adults, were generally mild to moderate and included injection site pain (sore arm), redness and swelling, fatigue, headache, muscle and/or joint pain, chills, and fever. Side effects occurred within two days after vaccination and went away within a day or two.

Update on Vaccinations: A total of 15,821,504 vaccines have been administered to Illinois residents. The average number of vaccines administered daily is 58,221.  According to the state’s vaccine administration data, over 66% of the state’s overall population have been fully vaccinated. Almost 80% of the state’s residents who are 12 and up have received their first dose, with 71% being fully vaccinated.

Here’s how the rest of the state’s population by age groups ranks in terms of vaccinations:

12 years of age and older – 71% fully vaccinated; 80% one dose administered
18 years of age and older – 72% fully vaccinated; 81% one dose administered
65 years of age and older – 86% fully vaccinated; 95% one dose administered             

Additionally, the state has updated its COVID-19 website containing current locations and other pertinent information on one webpage.

Update on COVID-19 Cases: IDPH is reporting 1,705,777 positive tests of COVID-19 in Illinois since the pandemic began. In total, 35,785,125 tests have now been conducted in Illinois for the virus. 

The state’s average positivity rate over all 11 regions is at 2.3%, which is where it’s been at for the past few weeks.  You can see where the various regions are at in terms of their positivity rates, hospitalizations, and other metrics at this link. 

Unfortunately, IDPH is reporting a total of 25,898 deaths since the pandemic began.

You can also check where these cases are occurring at the State of Illinois COVID-19 website which also contains more information on this outbreak.

Also, IDPH has a case breakdown of the number of positive cases in Chicago and each county relative to the number of fatalities.  The IDPH website also now includes a breakdown of the cases under each zip code in the state.

For information on other states and countries, John Hopkins University has developed this website that provides invaluable resources at a one-stop location detailing testing and tracing trends, timelines of COVID-19 policies, vaccinations, and interactive maps.

1400 E. Touhy Ave, Suite 110
Des Plaines, IL 60018
Tel: (847) 544-5995
Fax: (847) 544-5999