Full Notification

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MAYOR GRASSO ON COVID-19 & ELECTION
Monday, April 5, 2021
VACCINATIONS EXPAND – STILL MUST “MASK FOR US”
 

I participated today with many DuPage mayors in the weekly DuPage Board of Health call. Better news: hospitalizations and deaths are stabilizing even as new infections increase in recent weeks. Best news would be for those two metrics to go down - to zero. Bad news: infections have increased 72% in the 20-29 age group, 50% in the 40-50 group, and 38% overall in Illinois in the recent two weeks. Hospitalizations usually lag these increases – we’ll see shortly by how much. We learned too that ventilator availability is not a key metric any longer since medical care experience has found better methods to treat hospitalized virus patients. Generally, there is an adequate number of beds throughout Illinois to handle any surge.

Vaccines are also being delivered regularly to Illinois. Last week was the first time DuPage received Johnson and Johnson one-dose vaccine-but only about 2,700 doses. Effective April 12 – next Monday – all persons are eligible for vaccination if they want one. The problem remains supply; the exponential increase in available vaccine has not materialized as was promised. For example, last week, DuPage received 21,000 doses for the week. This week, DuPage received only 19,000 doses. There are 32 vaccine site providers now in DuPage (including our own MIDC facility) who could administer 46,000 doses weekly, but as noted, the average available amount of doses in DuPage is less than half. That said, DuPage and Cook counties lead the way for vaccinations in Illinois. In Cook County (outside of Chicago), over 1.25 million have received one shot (population is about 2.4 million). DuPage has a population of just over 900,000 and reports 318,000 with one shot received and over 182,000 fully vaccinated. Eighty percent of the DuPage population over age 65 have received at least on shot and over 58% of that age group in DuPage is fully vaccinated. If you are still hesitant about being vaccinated, you can find information on reliable web sites such as the CDC, IDPH, as well as the DuPage and Cook health boards.

I’m tired – exhausted mentally – from the daily fight against the virus. What gives me hope each day is how well all of Burr Rudge has responded to this fight. We have followed the masking, social distancing and limited gatherings – while not too drastically changing our daily lives. We have reached a balance in Burr Ridge that has not been reached elsewhere in Illinois. Stay the course with me. The pandemic continues to challenge our economic, physical, and mental resources. Hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 are still at serious levels and cannot be ignored. Keep your family close and your friends in your thoughts. Reach out to those still homebound too often, too long. Stay vigilant – stay healthy.

Tomorrow is Election Day for municipal, school board, township, park district, as well as other local offices and referenda. Please vote tomorrow. Do not let COVID-19 stop you from voting; measures are in place to ensure that you have a safe and healthy voting experience. These are important elections that can affect your lives well after we defeat the virus.