Saturday live coronavirus updates: Task force formed as ‘surge’ of patients expected
Here is a roundup of coronavirus news you need to know on Saturday:
St. Louis area hospitals form coronavirus task force, prepare for ‘surge’ in cases
To face a predicted surge in coronavirus cases in the next 10-14 days, St. Louis area hospital systems have banded together with the creation of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, officials announced Saturday.
The hospitals are following the path of police departments across the region that participate in the Major Case Squad to solve homicides as well as nonprofit groups like BackStoppers, which helps families of first-responders killed on the job.
Dr. Alex Garza, chief medical officer at SSM Health, will serve as the incident commander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force in the effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“The next 10 days to two weeks are critical. A surge is coming,” Garza said in a news release. “Our hospitals are already working to save lives and doing heroic work. But what we do as individuals — whether we stay at home, practice social distancing, wash our hands — will directly reduce the number of patients into our health-care systems and impact whether our health-care providers are able to manage the curve. What we do as individuals will affect how many people get sick, and how many people are able to recover.”
Along with SSM Health, BJC HealthCare, Mercy and St. Luke’s Hospital have joined the task force.
The task force will coordinate the supplies, hospital beds and other critical assets needed to treat COVID-19 patients. The group also will host daily news conferences.
St. Louis County has announced five COVID-19 related deaths and three have been reported in the city of St. Louis.
There have been three deaths reported in St. Clair County.
“We will get through this if we all do our part,” Garza said. “But the single most important priority for our community must be to slow the spread of this virus.”
In southwestern Illinois, SSM Health has St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia and Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon. BJC HealthCare has Alton Memorial Hospital, Memorial Hospital in Belleville and Memorial Hospital East in Shiloh.
St. Clair County reports for first time a child has coronavirus; Calhoun County gets its first case
Coronavirus cases have now been reported in 10 southwestern Illinois counties as Calhoun County reported its first case Saturday.
The person with COVID-19 is in the 20-29 age range and is self-quarantining at home, the Calhoun County Health Department said. This case is not travel-related.
St. Clair County, which reported its first two cases March 14, announced Saturday the county now has 78 cases, which is an increase of nine from Friday.
The county also said it received confirmation of the first child to have tested positive. This youth is a boy under 10. The other new cases include a man in his 50s, a man in his 70s, two women in their 30s, two women in their 50s, one in her 60s and one in her 70s.
St. Clair County previously has announced three COVID-19 related deaths.
The county said 560 people have been tested, with 78 positive results, 343 negative one and 139 pending.
Madison County also had nine new cases and Clinton County had two new ones Saturday.
The total number of cases in southwestern Illinois now stands at 171.
Here’s a breakdown of the cases:
▪ St. Clair County: 78, three deaths
▪ Madison County: 47
▪ Clinton County: 11
▪ Monroe County: 8
▪ Washington County: 1
▪ Randolph County: 17
▪ Bond County: 3
▪ Jersey County: 1
▪ Macoupin County: 4
▪ Calhoun County: 1
St. Louis County coronavirus death toll rises to 11
The number of COVID-19-related deaths has risen to 11 in St. Louis County, according to county statistics released Saturday.
The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services had previously reported five deaths in the county.
City of St. Louis officials have reported five COVID-19-related deaths as of Friday but did not release any information on Saturday.
St. Louis County on Saturday reported 62 new cases, which was the lowest daily total of new cases since March 29.
Overall, the county now has 862 coronavirus cases.
Here is information of the last seven COVID-19 patients who died in St. Louis County:
Female, 50-59, with underlying medical conditions
Female, 80-89, with underlying medical conditions
Female, 60-69, with underlying medical conditions
Male, 80-89, with underlying medical conditions
Male, 50-59, unknown whether there were underlying medical conditions.
Male, 80-89, unknown whether there were underlying medical conditions.
Female, 80-89, with underlying medical conditions
Illinois cases surpass 10,000, death toll hits 243
The number of coronavirus cases in Illinois has surpassed 10,000 and 33 additional deaths have been recorded, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced Saturday.
The state’s death toll was put at 243 due to the pandemic as of Saturday.
COVID-19 cases have been reported in 68 counties and the total stands at 10,357, with 1,453 new cases reported.
The new deaths were recorded in Cook, DuPage, Jackson, Kane, Kankakee, Lake and Will counties.
St. Clair County officials have previously said three patients have died in the county, with none in Madison County or elsewhere in southwestern Illinois.
The state has tested 53,581 persons for the coronavirus.
Some Randolph County coronavirus cases can be traced back to the same public gathering
At least the first nine of Randolph County’s coronavirus cases can be traced back to the same gathering the weekend before the governor shut down bars and restaurants in Illinois, a health official said.
Randolph County Health Department Administrator Angela Oathout said Wednesday that officials had identified the common thread through interviews with the nine patients at the time: They all either visited the same public place or had contact with someone who did.
Oathout declined to identify the location of the gathering.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order to close bars and restaurants, except for take-out orders, took effect Monday, March 16. The first people in Randolph County to test positive for the COVID-19 respiratory disease, caused by a new coronavirus, were at the public place the weekend of March 13, when those businesses were still open.
Even though the gathering took place before the governor’s order to shutter those businesses and before his stay-at-home order on March 20, Oathout said health officials were warning people to avoid crowded places at the time.
O’Fallon Fire Department issues yard waste burning warning
As part of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the O’Fallon Fire Department announced Friday they are requesting all residents serviced by the department to cease the open burning of yard waste. Over the last two weeks, over half the department’s responses were to controlled burns that got out of control or controlled burns that produced enough smoke other residents called to report suspected brush fires or house fires.
Residents living within O’Fallon city limits are reminded of the city’s existing ordinance which precludes the open burning of yard waste year round. Residents in Shiloh are currently under a village-imposed temporary ban on open burning of yard waste. Although not currently banned from burning, residents who live within St. Clair County jurisdiction are asked to also refrain from burning.
Barbecue grills and recreational burn pits are still approved, but people must keep these items 15 feet from the home.
Postponed and canceled events
The News-Democrat has compiled a list of events in Illinois and St. Louis that have been canceled due to concerns about coronavirus.
You can find the list at BND.com.
Want to help? Here’s what you need to know
The BND has compiled a list of ways you can help during the coronavirus pandemic.
Go to BND. com to learn about the opportunities to volunteer your time or donate to help communities in the metro-east without putting yourself or others at risk.
You can sew face masks, read stories for people with vision loss and deliver meals to seniors.
If you know of a recognized charitable organization looking for help that isn’t listed, please tell us about it; send an email to newsroom@bnd.com or fill out the BND’s Southwest Illinois coronavirus service and assistance guide online at BND.com.
Get the latest news on coronavirus
BND.com will keep you updated through the day with information about the spread of coronavirus through southwestern Illinois.
You can also find the most complete and up-to-date information from government sites including:
▪ State of Illinois’ coronavirus page: coronavirus.illinois.gov
▪ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html
▪ Federal government’s coronavirus page: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
How to contact the BND with tips, concerns
If you have suggestions about something for the BND to cover regarding the coronavirus pandemic or if you see a report that sounds suspicious on social media or anywhere else, please drop us a note at newsroom@bnd.com and include a link. We’ll check it out.
If you’re a health care worker, we’d like to hear from you
The BND would like to speak with nurses, doctors and other health care professionals who are on the front lines caring for patients in doctor’s offices, clinics and hospitals during this difficult time. We’re interested in hearing about your challenges and rewards, frustrations and accomplishments. How is this affecting you? Send us an email at newsroom@bnd.com.
Recovering from COVID-19? The BND would like to talk to you
Have you recovered from coronavirus or are you in the process of recovering from COVID-19? We would like to hear from you on how you dealt with the respiratory disease. Send us an email at newsroom@bnd.com.
This story was originally published April 4, 2020 at 12:00 AM.
