St. Clair County announces largest single-day increase in coronavirus deaths
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in southwestern Illinois reached 536 on Wednesday, while the number of deaths increased to 22.
St. Clair County officials announced four more deaths of coronavirus-positive patients in a live stream with the county emergency management agency on Wednesday, bringing the county death total to 15.
It is the biggest daily increase in deaths in St. Clair County since the pandemic was declared.
The new deaths included a man in his 80s with underlying conditions, a woman in her 90s with underlying conditions, a man in his 80s with underlying conditions and a man in his 70s with no known underlying conditions.
Starting Wednesday, the county also said it would begin announcing coronavirus hospitalization rates in its daily live stream. According to St. Clair County Health Department spokesperson Samantha Bierman, as of Wednesday afternoon, the county had 39 people hospitalized that were not in the intensive care unit, 20 people in the intensive care unit and 12 people that were on ventilators in St. Clair County hospitals.
“This virus is impacting our community in a horrific way,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern during the live stream.
In Monroe County, two of its three new cases were related to an outbreak of COVID-19 at Garden Place assisted living facility for seniors in Columbia. On Tuesday, Monroe County Health Administrator John Wagner said four COVID-19-positive patients that died were connected to the outbreak. The total number of deaths in the county was five as of Wednesday afternoon.
The previous reported deaths in the region have occurred in St. Clair County, which now has 15; Madison County, two; and Monroe County, five.
Also Wednesday, Madison County Health Department debuted its online COVID-19 dashboard, which provides the public with the latest information on its local cases.
Statewide, 948 people with COVID-19 have died. A total of 24,593 cases had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Here’s a breakdown of the coronavirus cases in the area as of Wednesday afternoon:
St. Clair County
228 positives, 15 deaths, 90 tests pending
ZIP codes with positive cases (ZIP codes with five or fewer cases are not reported):
- 62201 (East St. Louis, Sauget): 8
- 62203 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Washington Park, Caseyville): 8
- 62204 (East St. Louis, Washington Park, Caseyville): 7
- 62205 (East St. Louis, Alorton, Centreville): 6
- 62206 (Cahokia, Centreville, Sauget): 18
- 62207 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Alorton): 13
- 62208 (Fairview Heights, O’Fallon): 18
- 62220 (Belleville, Smithton): 12
- 62221 (Belleville, Shiloh): 23
- 62223 (Belleville, Swansea): 19
- 62226 (Belleville, Swansea, Shiloh): 32
- 62258 (Mascoutah, Fayetteville): 10
- 62269 (O’Fallon, Shiloh): 19
Madison County
137 positives, two deaths, 50 recovered
ZIP codes with positive cases:
- 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey): 20
- 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana): 18
- 62095 (Wood River): 8
- 62034 (Glen Carbon): 8
- 62035 (Godfrey): 6
- 62040 (Granite City, Pontoon Beach, Madison): 27
- 62060 (Granite City, Madison, Venice): 7
- 62234 (Collinsville, Pontoon Beach, State Park Place): 13
- 62294 (Troy): 8
Clinton County
41 positives, 196 tests administered, nine recovered
ZIP codes with positive cases:
- 62265 (New Baden): 7
- 62801 (Centralia): 31
Monroe County
50 positives, five deaths
ZIP codes with positive cases:
- 62236 (Columbia): 26
- 62298 (Waterloo): 21
Washington County
Three positive cases
Randolph County
47 positives, 29 recovered
ZIP code with positive cases:
- 62233 (Chester): 25
- 62278 (Red Bud): 11
Bond County
Four positives, two recovered, five pending
Jersey County
Eight positive cases, five recovered
- 62052 (Jerseyville): 6
Macoupin County
16 positives, 159 tests administered, nine recovered, two pending
Calhoun County
One positive
Perry County
One positive
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 4:03 PM.
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