149 new coronavirus cases reported in southwestern Illinois counties but no new deaths
Local health officials reported 149 new coronavirus cases in the southwestern Illinois region Wednesday, with St. Clair County accounting for 66 of them and Madison County 47.
These numbers were announced the same day Gov. J.B. Pritzker said it’s up to metro-east county elected officials to halt the spread of the coronavirus by reimposing restrictions on businesses and activities so that regional closures and other constraints are not necessary.
The state’s public health agency defines the metro-east as St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, Clinton, Bond and Washington counties. To avoid the entire region having to impose restrictions, the governor said leaders of counties where numbers are rising need to act.
If the metro-east sees a collective 8% positivity rate for three consecutive days, the state will impose restrictions for the entire region.
The metro-east reported a 7.6% positivity rate as of July 26, according to the most recent data available on the state’s regional metrics website. The region has seen six days of rate increases.
“Should that region continue in this direction, I’ll be making additional announcements related to the specifics of the reversal,” Pritzker said.
St. Clair County’s latest rundown
St. Clair County now has 3,659 coronavirus cases and 151 deaths related to the virus, leading the metro-east in both categories. The daily positivity rate is 9.7%. The positivity rate is the number of coronavirus tests that are positive.
The county only had one double-digit increase in any one zip code, that being 62226 (Belleville, Swansea — +13 for a total of 376).
Cases reported Wednesday in St. Clair County ranged in age from under 10 to people in their 70s, including a total of 15 cases of young people under 10 and in their teens, 15 cases of people in their 20s, 12 cases of people in their 30s and 10 cases of people in their 40s. Currently, 40 people remain hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 1 person on a ventilator in St. Clair County.
During St. Clair County’s daily update on the county’s COVID-19 cases, St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern noted the mounting cases of people 40 or under.
“Almost 2/3 of cases are under 40. That age group is really starting show in these statistics,” he said. “We’re finding large gatherings and the bars, those places are pretty common ground where people are catching this virus.”
Later in the briefing, Herb Simmons, director of the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, expressed frustration over the region’s positivity rate of 7.6%.
“We’ve got to get that percentage down. I’m ready to pull my hair out,” he said.
O’Fallon mayor weighs in
O’Fallon Mayor Herb Roach urged residents of his St. Clair County city to wear masks and take all the necessary COVID-19 safety protocols in his weekly column to the O’Fallon community. As of Wednesday, O’Fallon had 238 confirmed cases.
“I know that some people object to wearing masks, but we need to ask you to take all precautions to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and help keep our citizens safe, and our businesses open,” he said. “Please wear a mask or face covering when in public and practice social distancing. Wash your hands.
“And if you feel sick, please stay at home. This is our fight and only with all of us working together are we going to win it. Having the state shut down our businesses again is not a good option and could be devastating to many. “
Madison County by the numbers
Madison County, meanwhile, reported 47 new cases Wednesday but no new deaths. Madison County now has 1,952 coronavirus cases and 72 virus-related deaths.
The county saw the biggest jump in the 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana — +15 for a total of 278).
Cases reported Wednesday in Madison County ranged in ages from under 20 to people in their 90s, including 11 cases of people under 20 and 15 cases of people in their 20s. The county reported a daily positivity rate of 7.13%.
Other counties throughout the metro-east reported new cases Wednesday as well. Monroe County reported 12 new cases, Clinton County reported 11 new cases, Randolph County reported 4 new cases, Perry County reported 4 new cases, Washington County reported 2 new cases and Bond County reported 3 new cases.
Numbers update from Illinois
Meanwhile, the state announced 1,393 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 18 additional virus-related deaths.
Illinois has seen a total of 7,462 deaths during the pandemic as of Wednesday, officials reported. A total of 175,124 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, while more than 2.6 million people have been tested for COVID-19, including 38,187 since Tuesday.
The age of cases ranges from younger than 1 to older than 100 years, the state reported. Additionally, state health officials reported Wednesday the preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests from July 22-28 is 3.8 percent.
As of last night, 1,491 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 355 patients were in an intensive care unit and 152 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: 66 new positives, 681 new tests administered, 8 new tests pending results, 78 new recoveries, 1 fewer hospitalization, 1 new person on a ventilator
Total overall: 3,659 positives, 151 deaths, 33,451 tests administered with 12 pending results, 2,581 recoveries, 40 hospitalizations, 1 patient on a ventilator
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62059 (Brooklyn): 9
- 62201 (East St. Louis): 174
- 62203 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Washington Park, Caseyville): 148 (+2)
- 62204 (East St. Louis): 108 (-1)
- 62205 (East St. Louis, Alorton, Centreville): 141 (+2)
- 62206 (East St. Louis, Cahokia): 329 (+6)
- 62207 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Alorton): 196
- 62208 (Fairview Heights): 229 (+5)
- 62220 (Belleville, Smithton): 287 (+3)
- 62221 (Belleville): 315 (+7)
- 62223 (Belleville, Swansea): 153 (+6)
- 62225 (Scott Air Force Base): 16
- 62226 (Belleville, Swansea): 376 (+13)
- 62232 (Fairview Heights, Caseyville): 77 (+2)
- 62239 (Dupo): 37 (+2)
- 62240 (Dupo): 14 (+1)
- 62243 (Freeburg): 24 (+1)
- 62254 (Lebanon): 114
- 62255 (Lenzburg): 12 (+1)
- 62257 (Marissa): 19
- 62258 (Mascoutah, Fayetteville): 53 (+4)
- 62260 (Millstadt): 39
- 62264 (New Athens): 65
- 62269 (O’Fallon): 238 (+6)
- 62285 (Smithton): 31 (+1)
MADISON COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 47 new positives, 659 new tests administered, 11 new recoveries
Total overall: 1,952 positives, 72 deaths, 35,463 tests administered, 1,046 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey): 258 (+3)
- 62010 (Bethalto): 79 (+1)
- 62018 (Alton, Bethalto, East Alton): 19
- 62024 (East Alton): 32 (+1)
- 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana): 278 (+15)
- 62034 (Glen Carbon): 150 (+5)
- 62035 (Godfrey): 108 (+3)
- 62040 (Granite City, Pontoon Beach): 355
- 62048 (Edwardsville, Granite City, Roxana, Hartford): 6
- 62060 (Granite City, Madison, Venice): 75
- 62061 (Marine): 8
- 62062 (Maryville): 49 (+3)
- 62067 (Moro): 13
- 62084 (Edwardsville, Wood River, Pontoon Beach, Roxana, South Roxana): 6 (-2)
- 62090 (Madison, Venice): 22
- 62095 (Wood River): 55
- 62097 (Worden): 9
- 62234 (Collinsville, Pontoon Beach, State Park Place): 234 (+5)
- 62249 (Highland): 50 (+3)
- 62294 (Troy): 93 (+4)
- 62281 (St. Jacob): 19 (+1)
622087 (Edwardsville, Roxana, South Roxana, Hartford): 6
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Wednesday’s New Data: 4 new positives, 8 new recoveries
Total overall: 426 positives, 7 deaths, 5,488 tests administered, 362 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62217 (Baldwin): 11
- 62233 (Chester): 143 (+1)
- 62237 (Coulterville): 12
- 62241 (Ellis Grove): 9
- 62242 (Evansville): 9 (+1)
- 62272 (Willisville, Percy): 58
- 62278 (Red Bud): 56 (+1)
- 62286 (Sparta): 72
- 62288 (Steeleville): 47 (+3)
CLINTON COUNTY
Wednesday’s New Data: 11 new positives, 3 new recoveries
Total overall: 321 positives, 17 deaths, 274 recoveries, two hospitalizations
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62215 (Albers, Damiansville): 8
- 62216 (Aviston): 14
- 62230 (Breese): 36
- 62231 (Carlyle): 96
- 62245 (Germantown): 11
- 62265 (New Baden): 62
- 62293 (Trenton): 22
- 62801 (Centralia): 97
MONROE COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 12 new positives
Total overall: 244 positives, 12 deaths
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62236 (Columbia): 100
- 62295 (Valmeyer): 14
- 62298 (Waterloo): 100
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: No new data as of 6 p.m.
Total overall: 121 positives, 4 deaths, 9,084 tests administered with 113 pending results, 54 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62012 (Brighton): 23
62014 (Bunker Hill): 11
62033 (Gillespie): 11
62069 (Mount Olive): 13
- 62088 (Staunton): 16
- 62626 (Carlinville): 26
PERRY COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 4 new positives
Total overall: 96 positives, one death, 65 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62238 (Cutler): 9
- 62274 (Pinckneyville): 19
- 62832 (Du Quoin): 39
JERSEY COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: No new data as of 6 p.m.
Total overall: 59 positives, 1 death, 50 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62052 (Jerseyville): 30
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 2 new positives, 4 new recoveries
Total overall: 52 positives, 39 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62263 (Nashville, New Minden): 14
- 62808 (Ashley): 9
- 62848 (Irvington): 7
BOND COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 3 new positives, 4 new recoveries, 295 new tests administered
Total overall: 43 positives, 2 deaths, 24 recoveries, 2 hospitalizations, 1,893 tests administered
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62246 (Greenville): 29
CALHOUN COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: No new data as of 6 p.m.
Total overall: Six positives, two 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: 175,124 cases, 7,462 deaths
- U.S.: 4,520,026 cases, 152,771 deaths, 2,192,028 recoveries
- World: 17,024,674 cases, 665,907 deaths, 10,563,943 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 29, 2020 at 4:45 PM.