Reports: Gov. Pritzker expected to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to age 16 and open up capacity limits for events by April

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to announce Thursday that eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine in Illinois will expand to all Illinois residents 16 and older except Chicago residents, beginning April 12, according to multiple media reports.

The governor is also expected to detail a revised plan for reopening capacity limits for retail shops, theaters and outdoor venues.

The news was first reported by the Chicago Tribune and NBC 5 Chicago.

This news comes after Chicago announced it will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility this month to include people with underlying health conditions and more categories of workers, including in food service and construction, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Wednesday. The expansion to so-called Phase 1c is expected March 29 in Chicago. It’s the last category before vaccines are available to the wider public.

State health officials on Wednesday announced 1,655 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 17 more deaths. Overall, Illinois has logged more than 1.2 million cases and nearly 21,000 deaths. Nearly 4.3 million vaccine doses have been administered.