(KMOX) - Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that starting on April 12, all residents age 16 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. He also unveiled a new "Bridge Phase" that will be the next step before all sectors of the state are fully reopened under "new normal" guidelines.
So far, the state has administered the COVID-19 vaccine to more than 1 in 4 Illinois adults over the age of 16, including over 58% of Illinoisans ages 65 and over, according to a press release. The state has administered over 4.3 million total doses.
Pritzker also announced a new phase called the "Bridge Phase" that the state will go through before reaching Phase 5, which is fully reopening businesses, recreation and events. It allows for higher capacity limits at places like museums, zoos and spectator events as well as increased business operations.
To advance into the Bridge Phase, the entire state must reach a 70% first dose vaccination rate for residents 65 and over, maintain a 20% or lower ICU bed availability rate and hold steady on COVID-19 and COVID-like illness hospital admissions, mortality rate, and case rate over a 28-day monitoring period. To advance to Phase 5, the state must reach a 50% vaccination rate for residents age 16 and over and meet the same metrics and rates required to enter the transition phase, over an additional 28-day period.
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