U.S. reopening continues

WHEATON, Ill.—The state of Illinois, including Chicago, lifted almost all coronavirus-related capacity restrictions on Friday amid still-falling daily infection rates. State and local health officials continue to recommend unvaccinated people wear a mask indoors. Social distancing requirements remain in certain settings, including healthcare facilities, jails, and on public transportation.

How’s the vaccination campaign going? By Thursday, half of the U.S. population over 12 years old had been fully vaccinated, as had just over three-quarters of those older than 65. But there have been hiccups: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is planning to meet next week to discuss an unusually high number of cases of myocarditis and pericarditis, or heart inflammation, among young people who received Pfizer or Moderna’s mRNA shots, The New York Times reported. The European Medicines Agency has been looking into similar reports. In the meantime, the CDC still recommends the two vaccines for those 12 years or older.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Muncy’s report in The Stew about the debate over vaccine passports.