Staunton Star - Times - Published in the Interest of the Staunton Community for Over 143 Years

–Capitol News Illinois As the omicron variant surges across the state, last week Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned that hos- pitalizations are about as high as they were last winter before vaccines were widely available. About 85 percent of those hos- pitalized with COVID-19 across

the state are unvaccinated.

“It is frustrating and tragic that two years into the pan- demic, with multiple widely available and free, life-saving vaccines, that we are once again in this horrible position,” Pritz- ker said during a news confer-

ence in Chicago.

The Illinois Public Health

Department reported 6,294...