Southwest IL coronavirus cases increase again as Madison County has another record day
For the ninth time in 10 days, the southwestern Illinois region on Wednesday reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases.
Madison County reported a daily record 60 new cases, breaking Monday’s mark of 49 cases announced. The county, however, reported no new deaths and has not had a virus-related death since July 13. Madison County now has 1,604 coronavirus cases and 71 virus-related deaths.
St. Clair County, meanwhile, reported 72 new cases Wednesday, up from 42 on Monday and 43 on Tuesday, but no new deaths. St. Clair County now has 3,210 coronavirus cases and 149 deaths related to the virus, leading the metro-east in both categories.
Overall, the region saw 144 new cases Wednesday, but no new deaths.
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said Wednesday several ZIP codes in the county were reporting increases in positive coronavirus cases.
“A lot of them went up today,” Kern said of the ZIP code statistics. “We want to make sure that we’re wearing our masks, doing what we need to do so that we keep those numbers down.”
The zip codes that saw the biggest increases were 62208 (Fairview Heights — 14 new cases) and 62269 (O’Fallon — 12 new cases).
Kern added, “The state is looking at us. They’re looking at all of Southern Illinois and the numbers. Our county and a number of the surrounding counties all are seeing increases. So wear that mask, wash those hands, keep that social distance in mind and we can get through this. ...
“We’re living these numbers because if we have to start shutting things down, I’m afraid that it’s going to be far more difficult the second time around to get reopened.”
Cases reported Wednesday in St. Clair County range in age from under 10 to people in their 90s, including 12 cases of individuals in their teens, and a total of 32 cases of people age 20-40. Currently, 40 people remain hospitalized due to COVID-19 with one person on a ventilator in St. Clair County.
Cases reported Wednesday in Madison County ranged in ages from under 20 to people in their 90s, including 8 cases of individuals under 20, 15 of people in their 20s and a total of 22 cases of people in their 30s and 40s. As of Wednesday afternoon, the county had a daily positivity rate of 7.50 percent.
The zip codes in Madison County that saw the biggest jump Wednesday were 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey — 18 new cases) and 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana — 15 new cases).
Currently, St. Clair and Madison county’s seven-day rolling averages are 68 and 41 cases per day, respectively. The majority of cases in the metro-east are coming from those two counties.
Other counties throughout the metro-east reported new cases Friday as well. Monroe County reported 6 new cases and Clinton County reported 4 new cases, while Bond and Calhoun County each reported 1 new case.
Furthermore, the positivity rate for the metro-east as of July 19 was 6.9 percent, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The other 10 regions ranged from about 2.4 percent in eastern Illinois and 4.8 percent in Chicago.
Per metrics set by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and IDPH, if a rolling positivity rate surpasses 8 percent, or if the one-day positivity rate increases for seven of 10 days along with hospitalization increases or declines in surge capacity, the state would take actions to mitigate the spread. These include reverting to closures seen in previous phases of the state’s reopening plan.
He called the metro-east “dangerously close” to hitting those metrics, but said there will be no actions to limit the travel of Illinois residents to neighboring states where case counts are higher.
“I have spoken with local leaders, and I’ve asked them to clamp down on the outbreaks where they are occurring so that the state won’t have to step in,” he said, specifically noting a “party bus” company in the area, which buses bar-goers from one location to another, was linked to an outbreak.
The state announced 1,598 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday — its highest total in July — and 23 additional virus-related deaths.
Illinois has seen a total of 7,347 deaths during the pandemic as of Wednesday, officials reported. A total of 165,301 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, while more than 2.3 million people have been tested for COVID-19, including nearly 40,000 since Tuesday.
Additionally, health officials reported the preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from July 15-21 is 3.2 percent. As of last night, 1,456 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 337 patients were in the ICU and 132 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
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 total. Subtractions occur when a COVID-19 positive patient is misdiagnosed or moves away from the area.
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 72 new positives, no new deaths, 454 new tests administered, 39 new recoveries, 12 new tests pending results
Total overall: 3,210 positives, 149 deaths, 28,474 tests administered with 33 pending results, 2,182 recoveries, 37 hospitalizations, 1 patient on a ventilator
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62059 (Brooklyn): 8
- 62201 (East St. Louis): 164 (+9)
- 62203 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Washington Park, Caseyville): 119 (+2)
- 62204 (East St. Louis): 96 (+2)
- 62205 (East St. Louis, Alorton, Centreville): 124 (+2)
- 62206 (East St. Louis, Cahokia): 282 (+1)
- 62207 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Alorton): 176 (+11)
- 62208 (Fairview Heights): 187 (+14)
- 62220 (Belleville, Smithton): 260 (+6)
- 62221 (Belleville): 278 (+4)
- 62223 (Belleville, Swansea): 129 (+4)
- 62225 (Scott Air Force Base): 12
- 62226 (Belleville, Swansea): 327 (+9)
- 62232 (Fairview Heights, Caseyville): 69 (+3)
- 62239 (Dupo): 26 (+1)
- 62240 (Dupo): 7 (+1)
- 62243 (Freeburg): 19 (+2)
- 62254 (Lebanon): 106
- 62255 (Lenzburg): 8
- 62257 (Marissa): 19 (+1)
- 62258 (Mascoutah, Fayetteville): 39 (+1)
- 62260 (Millstadt): 31 (+2)
- 62264 (New Athens): 63
- 62269 (O’Fallon): 195 (+12)
- 62285 (Smithton): 27
MADISON COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 60 new positives, no new deaths, 800 new tests administered, 18 new recoveries
Total overall: 1,604 positives, 71 deaths, 29,757 tests administered, 735 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62201 (Alhambra): 6
- 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey): 228 (+18)
- 62010 (Bethalto): 60 (+2)
- 62018 (Alton, Bethalto, East Alton): 14
- 62024 (East Alton): 24 (+2)
- 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana): 223 (+15)
- 62034 (Glen Carbon): 118 (+9)
- 62035 (Godfrey): 85 (-4)
- 62040 (Granite City, Pontoon Beach): 306
- 62048 (Edwardsville, Granite City, Roxana, Hartford): 6
- 62060 (Granite City, Madison, Venice): 60 (-4)
- 62062 (Maryville): 31 (+2)
- 62067 (Moro): 9
- 62084 (Edwardsville, Wood River, Pontoon Beach, Roxana, South Roxana): 6
- 62090 (Madison, Venice): 20
- 62095 (Wood River): 41 (+8)
- 62097 (Worden): 6
- 62234 (Collinsville, Pontoon Beach, State Park Place): 209
- 62249 (Highland): 36 (+2)
- 62294 (Troy): 72 (+2)
- 62281 (St. Jacob): 14 (+5)
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 375 positives, 7 deaths, 4,889 tests administered, 306 recoveries, 1 hospitalization
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62217 (Baldwin): 10
- 62233 (Chester): 131
- 62237 (Coulterville): 7
- 62241 (Ellis Grove): 9
- 62242 (Evansville): 8
- 62272 (Willisville, Percy): 54 (-1)
- 62278 (Red Bud): 49
- 62286 (Sparta): 67
- 62288 (Steeleville): 36
CLINTON COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 4 new positives, 2 new recoveries
Total overall: 286 positives, 17 deaths, 245 recoveries, 1 hospitalization
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62215 (Albers, Damiansville): 7
- 62216 (Aviston): 12
- 62230 (Breese): 31 (+1)
- 62231 (Carlyle): 93 (+1)
- 62245 (Germantown): 8
- 62265 (New Baden): 54
- 62293 (Trenton): 16
- 62801 (Centralia): 86 (+1)
MONROE COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 6 new positives
Total overall: 204 positives, 12 deaths
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62236 (Columbia): 87 (+5)
- 62295 (Valmeyer): 14
- 62298 (Waterloo): 89 (+1)
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 97 positives, 4 deaths, 8,093 tests administered with 71 pending results, 54 recoveries, 0 hospitalizations
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62012 (Brighton): 20
62014 (Bunker Hill): 7
62033 (Gillespie): 11 (+3)
62069 (Mount Olive): 12
- 62088 (Staunton): 15 (+1)
- 62626 (Carlinville): 18 (+2)
PERRY COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 70 positives, 1 death, 61 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62238 (Cutler): 8
- 62274 (Pinckneyville): 18 (+2)
- 62832 (Du Quoin): 26
JERSEY COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 54 positives, 1 death, 46 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62052 (Jerseyville): 28
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 35 positives, 0 deaths, 27 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62263 (Nashville, New Minden): 12
- 62808 (Ashley): 7
- 62848 (Irvington): 7
BOND COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 1 new positive
Total overall: 29 positives, 1 death, 19 recoveries, 2 hospitalizations, 1,845 tests administered
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62246 (Greenville): 20 (+1)
CALHOUN COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 1 new positive
Total overall: 4 positives, 0 deaths, 2 recoveries
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 Wednesday afternoon:
- Illinois: 165,301 cases, 7,347 deaths
- U.S.: 4,051,681 cases, 145,329 deaths, 1,899,310 recoveries
- World: 15,219,309 cases, 622,464 deaths, 9,194,757 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 22, 2020 at 5:02 PM.