Saturday live coronavirus updates: St. Elizabeth’s discharges husband, wife COVID patients
Here is a roundup of coronavirus news you need to know Saturday:
O’Fallon hospital discharges husband and wife coronavirus patients
On Friday, COVID-19 patient Clifford McIntyre, 49, was discharged from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital after an eight-day hospitalization, according to a spokeswoman for St. Elizabeth’s.
The Glen Carbon man was the first patient at St. Elizabeth’s to leave after needing to be intubated, so nurses and doctors celebrated with a cheering send-off.
McIntyre’s wife Casonda, 47, waved to him through a window from her hospital bed. She was still hospitalized with the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus when he went home. St. Elizabeth’s said she was discharged Saturday afternoon after a seven-day hospitalization.
Nurse Kim Presson was Casonda McIntyre’s main caregiver and her connection to Clifford McIntyre and how he was doing while they were both hospitalized, according to the spokeswoman.
“I know that as a nurse there will be time later in my career that I will need to dig deep again in service to my patients, and this will be the motivational experience that I will reflect on,” Presson said in a news release Saturday, when she saw Casonda McIntyre leave the hospital.
Clifford McIntyre was admitted April 9, according to St. Elizabeth’s. He spent five days in the intensive care unit, where he was intubated for two days. Casonda McIntyre was admitted April 11. She was never intubated.
As of April 17, when Clifford McIntyre was released, another 16 COVID-19 patients were still receiving care at the O’Fallon hospital, the spokeswoman said.
Belleville school bus driver dies
A Belleville school bus driver died from complications of the COVID-19 respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
Belleville High School District 201 announced Saturday that Frank Massey had died.
“It was extremely important to Mr. Massey that, during the school closure, we continue to provide meals for students,” the district stated. “During this difficult time, he was a helper. His dedication to our district and especially to the students was exemplary.”
Illinois reports another record death toll
Illinois officials said Saturday another 125 people have died from the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
It was the highest single-day death toll since Thursday, when 125 people also died.
There have now been a total of 1,259 deaths statewide, and 29,160 people diagnosed with the disease. That’s an increase of 1,585 new cases since Friday.
“Although our numbers continue to climb, it is with some guarded optimism that we say that the growth is slowing,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Monroe County reports 6th Garden Place resident dies
At least four more metro-east residents have died from the COVID-19 respiratory disease since Friday, according to health officials.
Monroe and St. Clair counties each reported one new death on Saturday, and in Madison County, two people have died.
Monroe County Health Administrator John Wagner announced the death of a sixth resident of the Garden Place Columbia assisted-living facility that is experiencing an outbreak.
The St. Clair County resident who died was a man in his 60s with an unknown health history, the health department stated in a live stream by the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency.
Additional information about the people who died in Madison County was not available.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases by county
Here’s a breakdown of the number of people to test positive for COVID-19 in southwestern Illinois as of Saturday:
- St. Clair: 276 positives, 18 deaths, 1,186 tests administered, 92 tests pending
- Madison: 169 positives, seven deaths, 58 hospitalized, 67 recovered
- Monroe: 54 positives, seven deaths
- Randolph: 55 positives, one death, three hospitalized, 35 recovered
- Clinton: 44 positives, 204 tests administered, six hospitalized, 11 recovered
Macoupin: 21 positives, 223 tests administered, two tests pending, 11 recovered
- Jersey: Eight positives, five recovered
- Washington: Six positives
- Bond: Four positives, 51 tests administered, four tests pending, two recovered
- Calhoun: One positive, one recovered
- Perry: One positive
Schools to stay closed through academic year
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that he’s ordering schools across the state to stay closed through the end of the academic year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Pritzker praised school districts in Illinois for their creativity and skill in developing remote-learning systems since March 17, when he closed public and private schools to help slow the coronavirus spread. He mentioned a few by name, including Red Bud and Staunton in the metro-east.
Red Bud Community Unit School District 132 is one that distributed electronic devices to students who didn’t already have them at home, Pritzker said.
Group giving families food, supplies during pandemic
Families feeling the strain from the coronavirus pandemic began lining up outside East St. Louis High School early Friday morning hoping to be among the 1,500 to receive a care package of food and health care staples.
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. had its third, large food and supply giveaway for the St. Louis region Friday. Volunteers distributed care packages containing fresh produce, milk, dried and canned goods, toiletries and fruit to St. Clair County families.
The next event is planned for April 24 in Madison County. Logistics were still being planned as of Friday.
Local, state, nation, world cases totals
As of Saturday, the latest statistics available showed:
- Southwestern Illinois: 639 cases, 33 deaths
- St. Louis city: 810 cases, 30 deaths
- St. Louis County: 2,149 cases, 77 deaths
- Illinois: 29,160 cases, 1,259 deaths
- U.S.: 726,645 cases, 38,664 deaths
- World: 2,310,572 cases, 158,691 deaths
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 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
