As you begin to hear more about COVID-19 vaccinations and availability, please keep in mind that demand far exceeds supply. The City will continue to keep you updated on the vaccine rollout in Lake County in eNews and at cityhpil.com/vaccine.
News this week:
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The mass vaccination site at the United Center has limited vaccination appointments to residents of the City of Chicago. The State is working with FEMA to plan pop-up clinics; more information will be shared when available. Learn more.
- Those who work in Cook County may sign up for a vaccine appointment at the mass vaccination site in Des Plaines. Learn more.
- The FDA warns that scammers are attempting to sell fraudulent COVID-19 vaccines online. The vaccines authorized by the FDA cannot be sold online. Legitimate COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed for free. Learn more.
- The CDC's interactive Coronavirus Self-Checker may help you decide whether to seek testing or medical care if you are concerned you have been exposed to COVID-19. Learn more.
- As a reminder, some hand sanitizers have been recalled, and there are more than 225 hand sanitizers that the FDA recommends individuals stop using right away. Visit fda.gov/handsanitizerlist to view the most up-to-date information, and check to see if any of the products you have purchased are on the list.
- If you have been vaccinated and are using the V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker app from the CDC, please note that you cannot schedule a second dose appointment through the app. Learn more.
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COVID-19: One Year of the Pandemic |
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Thursday, March 11 marked one year since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. This upcoming Sunday, March 14, will be one year since Mayor Rotering declared a state of emergency in Highland Park during a special City Council meeting. Read Mayor Rotering's remarks from March 14, 2020.
In the year that has followed, our community has shown great leadership, courage, generosity, and compassion, responding to the pandemic by honoring and encouraging healthcare workers, first responders, and frontline essential workers, rallying support for local businesses, and finding new ways to connect with each other and preserve cherished local and family traditions. In response to the pandemic, Highland Park continues to lead with heart, organizing food drives, raising money, and coordinating volunteer efforts to help those most in need. Many of those amazing contributions are archived here.
Our community continues to share in the grief of family, friends, neighbors, and all Americans who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. The deaths of over 530,000 Americans eclipse our ability to truly understand the scale of this tragedy. The City extends its deepest condolences to all who have lost loved ones to COVID-19.
With three excellent vaccines currently being deployed in our state and nation, the end of the pandemic is in sight. While we continue to work with the Lake County Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health in efforts to improve access to the vaccine, the best way to recognize the many sacrifices of this past year is to continue to practice the 3Ws:
- Wear a mask over your nose and mouth;
- Watch your distance and stay six feet from others;
- Wash your hands thoroughly or use a safe, 60% alcohol hand sanitizer.
By carefully following these and other public health guidance, we can all play a part in keeping each other safe from this virus, which unfortunately is still present in our community.
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Why hasn't the City hosted a COVID-19 vaccine site?
In September 2020, the City met with the Lake County Health Department and offered a number of locations in Highland Park for a mobile vaccination site in partnership with the School Districts and Park District. The City has also reached out to private entities to explore partnerships such as Jewel-Osco, AbbVie, and Walgreens. The City is continuing to pursue opportunities to host a vaccine site in Highland Park. Should a vaccine site be established, the City will announce information through the eNews, social media, and on the City's website.
Where can I find case counts and other data for Highland Park?
About how many people in Lake County have been vaccinated?
The Lake County Health Department recently shared some vaccination statistics in a press release, including:
- 175,000 doses have been administered to Lake County residents
- 8% of Lake County residents are fully vaccinated
- 51% of Lake County seniors (age 65+) have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine
Why aren't we seeing an increase in vaccine appointment availability in Lake County?
Demand for the COVID-19 vaccine currently outpaces supply. As our local public health authority, the Lake County Health Department anticipates receiving increasing quantities of vaccine doses over the next few weeks. In a recent press release, LCHD executive director Mark Pfister explained that LCHD has prepared its local infrastructure to accommodate a significant increase in vaccine availability, with the capacity to vaccinate tens of thousands each week. Learn more.
I'm eligible in Phase 1b. When will I be able to get an appointment through AllVax?
LCHD has opened appointments to all remaining registrants eligible in Phase 1A (healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents.) In addition, thousands of appointments are being released to Phase 1B registrants (seniors 65+, frontline essential workers). If you are registered in AllVax and eligible in Phase 1B, you should ensure that your information is up to date in the system, and watch your email for appointment availability.
I booked an appointment at the United Center before they limited appointments to Chicago residents. Will my appointment be honored?
Yes, if you have a confirmed appointment at the United Center, keep it.
Do you have any tips for finding appointments?
Waiting for appointment availability is frustrating - and trying to book an appointment is time-consuming. The following ideas might help you:
- Browse a wide variety of websites. Find a list at cityhpil.com/vaccine.
- Save your contact information to your browser - it will be faster if you're able to pre-fill your details. Saving your autofill data depends on your browser. Here's how to do it for Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.
- Find out what information you may need to have on hand, such as photos of your health insurance cards, and make sure you can easily find those files on your computer.
- Create accounts for each website in advance. This way, you'll be logged in and ready to go if an appointment opens up.
- Make sure that your contact information and any applicable pre-existing conditions are updated in AllVax, the Lake County Health Department's vaccination portal.
- Reach out to your medical providers and let them know you're interested in being vaccinated.
Why are some pharmacies vaccinating Phase 1B+? Why do they have appointments and AllVax doesn't?
Some community vaccination sites are partnering to distribute vaccines from local health departments' supply. Others are receiving vaccine supply directly from the federal government. Those community sites, such as pharmacies that have expanded to Phase 1B+, may do so because it is allowed by the State of Illinois, regardless of any additional local constraints. If you are in Phase 1B+, you will need to read the information carefully before booking an appointment to ensure that you are eligible at each site.
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COVID-19 Testing in Highland Park |
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Convenient COVID-19 testing is coming to Highland Park in March. Testing will be available at the downtown Highland Park Metra Station (1700 St. Johns Ave.) from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM on the following dates: |
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About COVID-19 testing:
- Testing is provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Learn more at dph.illinois.gov/testing.
- Drive-through and walk-up testing will be available.
- Simple nasal swabs will be used.
- Anyone can get tested! You don’t have to have symptoms or be sick.
- You will be called with results within 4-7 days.
COVID-19 testing is an important way to identify and track the spread of variants. Learn more. |
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Faith in Action has offered non-emergency transportation services for medical appointments and essential errands at no cost to qualified seniors since 2004. To register for the program, call 847.721.8414 or email [email protected].
ElderCare Lake County provides free transportation to medical appointments, assistance with grocery shopping, and friendly visits. Learn more at eldercarelakecounty.org. Please note that visits are currently conducted virtually by phone. |
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Looking for ways to make a difference? You can help with Lake County's vaccination distribution and assist community members in need, even without medical training!
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ACA Special Enrollment Continues |
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The special enrollment period for health insurance through the ACA Marketplace continues through May 15. During the special enrollment period, you do not need to have experienced a qualifying event to purchase or modify a healthcare plan. For assistance in choosing the right healthcare plan for you and your family, contact Moraine Township at 847.432.3240. |
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Sourcing:
The City of Highland Park does not have its own health department. The information in this email is derived from the Lake County Health Department, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Questions pertaining to the distribution, scheduling, or administration of the vaccine should be directed to the Lake County Health Department. The City does not schedule appointments for or administer COVID-19 vaccines. |
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The City regularly shares updates regarding the COVID-19 situation on its website at cityhpil.com/covid-19. Resources on the City's website include:
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