C.W. Avery YMCA To Host Free COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

PLAINFIELD, IL — At a time when state health officials are remaining hopefully optimistic that Illinois has passed the peak of the COVID-19 omicron variant, Plainfield re sidents who are yet to be vaccinated from the virus can change that this weekend.

The Illinois Department of Public Health and the C.W. Avery Family YMCA have partnered to offer a free COVID-19 vaccine clinic from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday.

The YMCA, which is located at 15120 W. Wallin Dr. in Plainfield is welcoming walk-ins at the clinic, which will provide a COVID-19 vaccine shot to anyone ages 5 and older.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike both expressed cautious optimism Wednesday as they announced the state had recorded a full week of daily declines in the number of hospitalized people with COVID-19.

But the governor said Illinois health care systems remain under "immense strain." As of late Tuesday night, more than 6,500 people with COVID-19 occupied hospital beds statewide, down 873 from last week's peak.

"We have lost so many people in recent weeks. Since the beginning of January alone, over 1,500 of our state's residents died from the virus," Pritzker said at a news conference in Chicago. "Despite the recent indications of fewer new infections and fewer new hospital admissions ahead, it breaks my heart to know that in the coming weeks, hundreds more may die, among the thousands that are already seriously ill from COVID."