Kane County officials say they are ready to support Illinois governor JB Pritzker’s new COVID-19 vaccine requirement for those residents working in high risk settings, including health-care workers, nursing home employees, all pre-K–12 teachers and staff members as well as higher education personnel and students.
“As we continue to battle against the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant, Kane County is ready to support the additional demand for vaccinations as a result of governor Pritzker’s new COVID-19 vaccine requirement,” said Kane County Board chair Corinne Pierog. “Kane County continues to be an area of high transmission for COVID-19 so we hope that our unvaccinated residents will be good neighbors and help us slow the spread of the Delta variant.”
August 26, governor Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health director (IDPH) Dr. Ngozi Ezike announced vaccination requirements for individuals in high-risk settings. Employees in these settings or higher education students who are unable or choose not to be vaccinated will be required to get tested weekly for COVID-19. The IDPH and Illinois State Board of Education also may require increased testing in certain situations.
“Kane County’s Kane Vax Hub continues to remain open for COVID-19 vaccinations. We are monitoring demand and are ready to expand as needed,” said Kane County Health Department (KCHD) interim executive director Kathy Fosser. “We encourage our residents to visit their preferred medical providers or KaneVax.org as soon as possible to make an appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome during KCHD clinic times.”
For a list of Kane County vaccination sites visit: www.kanehealth.com/Pages/Vaccination-Sites.aspx.
For a complete list of Kane County COVID-19 testing sites visit: kanehealth.com/Pages/COVID-Info.aspx.
According to IDPH, only 53.61% of Kane County’s population has been fully vaccinated as of August 30. “We have a lot of work still to do to encourage more of our residents to become protected against COVID-19 and to prevent its further spread,” Pierog said.
The KCHD will continue to be host to community COVID-19 vaccination clinics, including Saturday, Sept. 4 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Elgin Fringe Festival, Elgin Civic Center Plaza, 150 Dexter Court, Elgin; and Wednesday, Sept. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Two Rivers Head Start, 1661 Landmark Road, Aurora.
The KCHD website is at KaneHealth.com or call 630-208-3801 for additional information on upcoming community clinics and current updates about COVID-19.
— Kane County government