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217 Today — Dec. 11, 2020

The latest news around the state for Dec. 11, 2020.

Friday December 11, 2020

Today’s headlines: 

  • Governor JB Pritzker’s administration is sending Illinois National Guard medical staff to assist with Coronavirus testing and screening at three of the state’s four veterans’ homes.

  • The governor’s office last week announced the 50 counties in Illinois that would be first in line for vaccine distribution for healthcare workers, a demographic with the highest death rates from COVID-19, but now there’s some reallocation of those doses to counties with regional hospitals. 

  • Yesterday, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced more than 11,000 additional COVID-19 cases across the state. 196 more Illinoisans have died from the virus since yesterday. The state’s seven-day average positivity rate is 9.5%, down slightly from Wednesday.

  • A group of migrant farmworkers is suffering ongoing health problems after being sprayed with pesticides in a central Illinois cornfield last year. Now they’ve filed a lawsuit.

In today’s deep dive, for many mothers giving birth during the pandemic, pregnancy has not gone as planned. To learn about these experiences, a pair of researchers is collecting pandemic birth stories from across the country.

217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts and hosted by Brian Moline. Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Dana Cronin, and Darian Benson.


Thursday December 10, 2020

Today’s headlines:

  • The state’s Department of Public Health reported more than 8,200 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday – and 179 additional deaths from the virus.

  • A huge increase in firearm purchases nationwide this year has exacerbated an already backlogged system for gun owners to register with the State of Illinois. 

  • Illinois health officials want people to be prepared for the possibility of mild and temporary side effects from the coronavirus vaccine.  

  • Just three Democrats will run for mayor of Urbana in the upcoming primary election. The city’s Electoral Board voted yesterday to remove former basketball player, Verdell Jones III, from the ballot. 

  • Two more people have died from COVID-19 in Champaign County, according to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. Since the pandemic began, 72 people have died from COVID-19 county-wide. 

In today’s deep dive, Kirby Medical Center in Piatt County is one of 53 “critical access hospitals” in Illinois. That’s a federal designation for hospitals providing essential health services in rural areas. Christine Herman talks with their CEO.

 217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts and hosted by Brian Moline. Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Jim Meadows, and Christine Herman.

Jose Zepeda

Jose Zepeda

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