As COVID cases increase in St. Clair County, officials plead with public to wear masks
St. Clair County officials are calling on the public to continue to wear masks and to socially distance as COVID-19 cases surge in the area.
The county reported 42 new cases Thursday during its weekly live stream.
“We are trending higher than most other areas, and certainly that’s not a good thing,” County Board Chairman Mark Kern said. “Our message really is we’ve gotta be vigilant, we’ve gotta wear these masks.”
In total, St. Clair County has reported 2,412 cases and 144 deaths from the virus, leading the metro-east in both statistics. Madison County is the second-highest county with 1,111 cases and 70 deaths.
Kern said 8.1% of tests are coming back positive in St. Clair County. He said that could continue to rise if things don’t change.
“It’s that percent increase that’s alarming for us,” he said. “We have to be more vigilant because our increase is continuing to be above what is normal.”
A total of 85 new COVID-19 cases were announced in the southwestern Illinois region Thursday.
Madison County announced 21 new cases. St. Clair and Madison counties’ seven-day rolling averages are 35 and 20 cases per day, respectively. The majority of cases in the metro-east are coming from those two counties.
Outside of St. Clair and Madison counties, 22 additional cases were reported across southwestern Illinois, including in Randolph, Monroe, Clinton, Jersey, Washington, Perry and Bond counties
Thursday marked the highest day of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Illinois since June 2.
Statewide, the Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 1,018 new cases of the virus had been confirmed with 20 additional deaths.
In Illinois, 7,119 people have died during the pandemic, officials reported. A total of 150,450 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, while more than 1.6 million people have been tested.
In Missouri, officials reported 795 new cases, surpassing its previous record set on Monday of 773 in a single day.
Here are the latest available statistics for southwestern Illinois counties. The number in parenthesis reflects how the new daily total compares to the prior day’s total. Subtractions occur when a COVID-19 positive patient is misdiagnosed or moves away from the area.
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: 42 new positives, 361 new tests administered, 27 new recoveries
Total overall: 2,412 positives, 144 deaths, 21,446 tests administered, 74 pending results, 1,752 recoveries, 23 hospitalizations
ZIP codes with positives (ZIP codes with five or fewer cases are not reported):
- 62059 (Brooklyn): 7
- 62201 (East St. Louis): 136 (+2)
- 62203 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Washington Park, Caseyville): 77 (+1)
- 62204 (East St. Louis): 75
- 62205 (East St. Louis, Alorton, Centreville): 91 (+3)
- 62206 (East St. Louis, Cahokia): 213 (+3)
- 62207 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Alorton): 119 (+2)
- 62208 (Fairview Heights): 120 (+3)
- 62220 (Belleville, Smithton): 210 (+6)
- 62221 (Belleville): 198 (+2)
- 62223 (Belleville, Swansea): 80 (+1)
- 62226 (Belleville, Swansea): 242 (+2)
- 62232 (Fairview Heights, Caseyville): 50 (+3)
- 62239 (Dupo): 22
- 62243 (Freeburg): 11
- 62254 (Lebanon): 101
- 62255 (Lenzburg): 7
- 62257 (Marissa): 13
- 62258 (Mascoutah, Fayetteville): 25
- 62260 (Millstadt): 16
- 62264 (New Athens): 59 (+2)
- 62269 (O’Fallon): 127 (+4)
- 62285 (Smithton): 22 (+1)
MADISON COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: 21 new positives, 764 new tests administered, 12 new recoveries
Total overall: 1,111 positives, 70 deaths, 20,093 tests administered, 638 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey): 182 (+1)
- 62010 (Bethalto): 45
- 62018 (Alton, Bethalto, East Alton): 11
- 62024 (East Alton): 19 (+1)
- 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana): 150
- 62034 (Glen Carbon): 92
- 62035 (Godfrey): 57 (+2)
- 62040 (Granite City, Pontoon Beach): 196 (+12)
- 62060 (Granite City, Madison, Venice): 51 (+1)
- 62062 (Maryville): 19
- 62090 (Madison, Venice): 14
- 62095 (Wood River): 30
- 62234 (Collinsville, Pontoon Beach, State Park Place): 145 (+4)
- 62249 (Highland): 24
- 62294 (Troy): 41
- 62067 (Moro) 8
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: Six new positives
Total overall: 299 positives, 7 deaths, 3,920 tests administered
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62233 (Chester): 101
- 62237 (Coulterville): 6
- 62241 (Ellis Grove): 6
- 62242 (Evansville): 6
- 62272 (Willisville, Percy): 50
- 62278 (Red Bud): 16
- 62286 (Sparta): 51
- 62288 (Steeleville): 33
CLINTON COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: One new positive
Total overall: 246 positives, 17 deaths, no hospitalizations, 225 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62230 (Breese): 28
- 62231 (Carlyle): 88
- 62265 (New Baden): 45
- 62293 (Trenton): 11
- 62801 (Centralia): 70
MONROE COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: Eight new positives
Total overall: 145 positives, 12 deaths
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62236 (Columbia): 59
- 62295 (Valmeyer): 14
- 62298 (Waterloo): 76
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: No new data
Total overall: 63 positives, four deaths, 45 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62012 (Brighton): 17
- 62069 (Mount Olive): 11
- 62088 (Staunton): 9
PERRY COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: One new positive
Total overall: 61 positives, 54 recoveries, one death
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62238 (Cutler): 6
- 62274 (Pinckneyville): 14
- 62832 (Du Quoin): 18
JERSEY COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: Two new positives
Total overall: 40 positives, 1 death, 34 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62052 (Jerseyville): 20 (+1)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: One new positive
Total overall: 25 positives, 19 recoveries
BOND COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: Three new positives
Total overall: 20 positives, one death, 11 recoveries, 844 tests administered
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62246 (Greenville): 10
CALHOUN COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: No new data
Total overall: One positive, one recovery
State, nation, world statistics
Here are the latest available statistics from the Illinois Department of Public Health and Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus map as of Thursday afternoon:
- Illinois: 151,005 cases, 5,315 deaths
- U.S.: 3,088,913 cases, 132,934 deaths, 953,420 recoveries
- World: 12,128,406 cases, 551,522 deaths, 6,650,675 recoveries
Want to help? Here are some ideas
The BND has compiled a list of ways you can help during the COVID-19 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 throughout the day with information about the spread of the coronavirus in southwestern Illinois.
You can also find the most complete and up-to-date information from government sites including:
State of Illinois’ COVID-19 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
Who to call about mental health
Here are some resources from mental health professionals for anyone struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Touchette Regional Hospital’s Mental Health Support and Resource Line: Call 618-482-7158 to talk to trained therapy staff.
- Illinois Human Services Mental Health Division’s Call4Calm: Text the word “talk” to 552020 to text with a mental health care professional for free.
- Centerstone of Illinois, Inc.: Call 618-462-2331 for virtual mental health services.
- Chestnut Health Systems: Call 618-877-4420 for virtual mental health services.
- Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous: Call 618-398-9409 or email metroeastnapr@gmail.com to learn about virtual meetings.
- Regional Disaster Mental Health Volunteer Response Team: Call a support line for health care professionals at 618-381-5173.
Contact BND with tips, concerns, suggestions
If you have suggestions about something for the BND to cover regarding the COVID-19 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.
We’d like to hear from health-care workers
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.
Willing to share your COVID-19 story?
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 July 9, 2020 at 4:28 PM.