Health |

Secretary of State Jesse White tells employees to get vaccinated or undergo regular COVID-19 testing as daily cases top 3,000

Illinois secretary of state employees including those at driver services facilities must be vaccinated against the coronavirus by Sept. 1 or undergo regular testing, Secretary of State Jesse White said Thursday.

White’s new policy comes a day after Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered workers in state prisons, veterans homes and other congregate facilities to be vaccinated by Oct. 4. Pritzker called on the unions representing state workers to negotiate over the specifics.

State health officials Thursday reported 3,048 new confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus, the first time daily cases have topped 3,000 since May 7. As of Wednesday, the seven-day average of COVID-19 patients in hospitals across Illinois topped 1,000 for the first time since early June.

Like Pritzker, White cited the spread of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus as the reason for his order.

“As the pandemic continues to surge nationally, we must do all we can to maintain the safety of our customers and employees and this is an important step in doing that,” White said in a statement.

Employees who don’t show proof of vaccination by Sept. 1 will be required to undergo a COVID-19 test every other week, White said.

The secretary of state’s office employs about 3,600 people.

White last week announced that everyone entering driver services facilities, the Illinois Capitol or other buildings under his jurisdiction is required to wear masks. Pritzker followed suit with an order covering all state buildings.

Driver services facilities, which had been closed during previous surges of the pandemic, remain open, but the secretary of state’s office is encouraging people to conduct business online, over the phone or by mail whenever possible.

The secretary of state’s office on Friday laid out steps it’s taking to reduce the volume of customers seeking to renew driver’s licenses and conduct other business at its driver services facilities.

Beginning in September, people will be able to schedule appointments at most Chicago-area driver services facilities. The office also plans to expand remote renewals for driver’s licenses and state identification cards over the next six months, allowing an estimated 1 million additional people to renew remotely. Those eligible will receive notice by mail.

The expiration date for all driver’s licenses and state IDs has been extended until Jan. 1.

Over the past week, the state has averaged 2,293 new cases of COVID-19 per day, up from an average of 1,543 daily cases the previous week and 285 cases a month earlier.

There were 1,205 coronavirus patients in hospitals statewide as of Wednesday night, bringing the average number of hospitalizations over the past week to 1,029. That’s the highest level since the week ending June 3, when there were an average of 1,040 COVID-19 patients in the hospital each day.

The state was averaging 796 patients per day a week ago and 407 during the week ending July 5.

Coronavirus deaths were in double digits for the second straight day, with 14 fatalities recorded Thursday after 18 on Wednesday.

The state averaged eight deaths per day over the past week, up from an average of five per day a week earlier. The death toll now stands at 23,490 statewide since the pandemic began.

dpetrella@chicagotribune.com