The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Thursday April 8, 2021

Brian Moline
 
Several people get the COVID-19 vaccine at a mass clinic at the Corinthian Baptist Church in Des Moines. The church was intentionally selected for the clinic as a safe space for many members of the Black community to get vaccinated.

Several people get the COVID-19 vaccine at a mass clinic at the Corinthian Baptist Church in Des Moines. The church was intentionally selected for the clinic as a safe space for many members of the Black community to get vaccinated. Natalie Krebs/Side Effects Public Media

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Thursday April 8, 2021

Today's headlines:

  • Gov. JB Pritzker says the state must get COVID hospitalizations under control before officials will further relax pandemic restrictions. The state reported its highest single-day case count since late January.

  • Election officials continue to count mail-in ballots that are arriving after Election Day. They can still be counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day and arrive within two weeks of the election.

  • The pandemic has caused a drop in school enrollment in Illinois, particularly among the state's youngest learners.

  • Champaign County health officials reported 51 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, and the number of active cases increased to 348.

In today's deep dive, we learn how public health officials in the Midwest are trying to reach people who are hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.