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Dear friend,

January is almost over, and I wanted to give you an update on what I’ve been up to in these first few weeks of 2022.

Read on to learn about the series of vaccine clinics we’ve put on, my priorities for the spring legislative session and various upcoming events, both virtual and in the district.

I also wanted to remind you that you are now able to order four at-home COVID-19 rapid tests for your household free of charge. Visit https://www.covidtests.gov/ to order yours today!

Sincerely,

State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas | 20^th District

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This month, we’re spotlighting ASI Healthcare Services.

Their mission is to provide quality, supportive, home care services to post-acute patients, senior citizens and persons with disabilities throughout metropolitan Chicago with an emphasis and commitment to Chicago’s Hispanic and African American communities.

In the last year, ASI has dedicated a lot of their efforts to providing our community with COVID-19 vaccines. In fact, in December and January alone, ASI teamed up with our office to host five vaccine clinics with even more to come.

Thank you ASI, for all the hard work you do to keep us safe!

We also want to shout out Sussie González, who works at ASI and acts as our Vaccine Navigator. Learn more about her and all she's done for our community here. Thank you, Sussie! 

CHICAGO – With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) has been proactive in ensuring residents of the district she represents have access to vaccines, booster shots and flu shots right before and after the holidays.

“My goal has always been to spread awareness about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is more important than ever amidst this recent spike in cases,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Throughout December and the first couple weeks of January, my office has sponsored, hosted or promoted five vaccine clinics with even more to come.”

Sen. Pacione-Zayas has also been active in promoting educational materials regarding the vaccines to help combat vaccine hesitancy, as well as providing residents with resources to access vaccines in Chicago in between the various vaccination events.

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View a PDF of the statement here.

CHICAGO, January 7, 2022 – Some members of the Chicago delegation of the Illinois General Assembly, some of which are parents and former CPS students, support a safe return to school. Our constituents have expressed concerns and anxiety regarding the return to in-person learning following the large uptick in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

We have consistently engaged in conversations with Chicago Public Schools throughout the pandemic and continue to offer the following recommendations as Chicago Public Schools cancel classes this week following a vote from the Chicago Teachers Union to opt for remote work amid the surge:

• Expand capacity to stand-up vaccine clinics with extended hours in more schools beyond the four static sites;
• Adopt an adaptive pause to launch remote learning and develop mutually agreed upon safety metrics;
• Leverage community partners to increase participation of CPS families who opt-in to regular COVID-19 testing; or make weekly COVID-19 testing required like 34 other school districts across the state; and
• Ensure sufficient distribution of N95 or KN95 masks for students, staff and educators.

We recognize that the issues go beyond classrooms because students live in the context of their communities and families. Many students come from households who may have intergenerational members, family members with chronic health conditions or who are vaccine-hesitant, and family members who are frontline workers.

We come together to try to leverage state help and resources in the hope of speeding up the safe return to in-person learning in Chicago Public Schools. We have reached out to the governor’s office, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois State Board of Education and other state agencies to clarify return to school policies in Illinois and bring additional testing, faster results and increased supplies for students and their families.

Many of us have been distributing masks and educational materials throughout our communities since the beginning of the pandemic. When the vaccine became widely available, we have been hosting vaccine and booster clinics regularly. We are determined to work together to find solutions as the state works toward recovery.

We support a safe return to in-person learning that protects everyone’s health so we can give our students the education they deserve and ensure educators and staff are in safe work conditions. We are committed to work in creative ways through State government to leverage resources and services to minimize adverse impact with our students and school communities.

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