The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021

Brian Moline and Farrah Anderson
 
The Vermilion County Health Department hosts a COVID-19 vaccine clinic outside the Danville Dans baseball game in Danville in summer of 2021. With a vaccination rate of almost 40 percent against COVID-19, the county has been struggling with climbing cases of the virus.

The Vermilion County Health Department hosts a COVID-19 vaccine clinic outside the Danville Dans baseball game in Danville in summer of 2021. With a vaccination rate of almost 40 percent against COVID-19, the county has been struggling with climbing cases of the virus. Farrah Anderson/Illinois Newsroom

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Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021

Today's headlines:

  • The Illinois Department of Public Health reported a new record number of COVID cases for 2021 Monday.

  • The University of Illinois announced Monday that it will delay the start of in-person spring classes on its Urbana campus by one week.

  • Public health officials are pleading with the community to take all necessary COVID precautions ahead of holiday gatherings to help ease the burden on hospitals.

In today's deep dive, we'll hear a conversation with the director of the Vermilion County Health Department about the county's struggles to keep up with contact tracing as cases rise over the holiday season. 

217 Today is produced by Farrah Anderson. Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel and Farrah Anderson.