185 new COVID cases in southwestern IL counties sets a one-day record for the region
The metro-east region on Friday reported 185 new COVID-19 cases, its highest one-day total since the pandemic began.
The previous highest one-day case total was 163 on July 18.
St. Clair County reported 84 new coronavirus cases Friday, while Madison County had 77, accounting for the majority of the region’s new cases.
The state’s public health agency defines the metro-east as St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, Clinton, Bond and Washington counties.
The metro-east reported a 7.7% positivity rate as of July 31, according to the most recent data available on the state’s regional metrics website. If the metro-east reaches an 8% positivity rate and stays there for three days, restrictions could be imposed by the state to help slow the spread of the virus.
Other increases were reported in Monroe, Jersey, Clinton, Perry and Washington counties.
During a daily update on St. Clair County’s COVID-19 cases Friday, County Board Chairman Mark Kern said a meeting between regional leaders and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike Friday afternoon gave him hope the area will see cases start to decrease soon. He said with the state agency’s direction and additional testing, things could turn around.
“Hopefully, IDPH can enter the picture and help us with the numbers and figuring out how to get the numbers to go in the direction we’re seeking,” Kern said.
He said the call gave regional leaders a chance to get on the same page about how to fight the deadly virus.
Herb Simmons, director of the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, said business owners and others need to continue to be responsible when it comes to social distancing, wearing masks and washing their hands.
“Nobody wants businesses to shut down again. We all want to see businesses open. Those businesses have to take responsibility,” Simmons said. ”Let’s be proactive, not reactive.”
The state on Friday listed 13 counties that reached warning level due to their ongoing increase in cases. St. Clair and Randolph were issued warning for the second week in a row. The others are Cass, Champaign, Gallatin, Jackson, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Perry, Saline, Sangamon, White and Whiteside.
Warnings can be triggered if there are more than 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the county, if the number of deaths in a week increases by more than 20 percent for two consecutive weeks, or if the seven-day positivity rate rises above 8 percent.
Warnings are also triggered when fewer than 20 percent of the region’s intensive care units are available, when weekly emergency department visits rise by more than 20 percent for two consecutive weeks, or when hospital admissions for COVID-19-like illness grows by more than 20 percent for two straight weeks.
St. Clair County’s latest rundown
St. Clair County now has 3,792 coronavirus cases and 152 deaths related to the virus, leading the metro-east in both categories. Officials announced the daily positivity rate for the county is 8.8%, down from 10.2% on Thursday. The positivity rate is the number of coronavirus tests that are positive.
Two ZIP codes in the county had double-digit increases Friday, those being 62220 (Belleville and Smithton — +10 for a total of 302) and 62221 (Belleville — +13 for a total of 334).
Cases reported Friday in St. Clair County ranged in age from under 10 to people in their 70s. Fifty percent of the new cases are people under the age of 40. Thirty-six people remain hospitalized due to COVID-19, no patients are on ventilators in St. Clair County.
Madison County by the numbers
Madison County, meanwhile, now has 2,084 coronavirus cases and 72 deaths.
The county saw the biggest jump in the 62025 ZIP code (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana), which reported 14, bringing the total to 307 for that ZIP code. In addition, 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey) was the other ZIP code in Madison County to report a double digit increase Friday, with 13 new cases for a total of 278.
Cases reported Friday in Madison County ranged in ages from under 10 to people in their 80s, including 14 cases of people under 20 and 10 cases of people in their 20s. The county reported a daily positivity rate of 8.31%, up from 8.26% on Thursday.
Other counties throughout southwestern Illinois also reported new cases Friday. Monroe County reported 10 new cases, Clinton County reported 4 new cases, Perry County reported 2 new cases, Washington County reported 2 new case and Jersey and Randolph counties both reported 1 new case.
Numbers update from Illinois
Meanwhile, the state announced 1,941 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday and 21 additional virus-related deaths.
Illinois has seen a total of 7,495 deaths during the pandemic as of Friday, officials reported. A total of 178,837 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, while more than 2.6 million people have been tested for COVID-19, including more than 49,782 since Thursday.
The age of cases ranges from younger than 1 to older than 100 years, the state reported. Additionally, state health officials reported the seven-day statewide positivity from July 24-30 is 3.9%.
As of Thursday night, 1,369 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 346 patients were in the ICU and 148 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
Friday’s new data: 84 new positives and 957 new tests administered, 138 new recoveries
Total overall: 3,792 positives, 152 deaths, 34,890 tests administered with 0 pending results, 2,719 recoveries, 36 hospitalizations, 0 patients on ventilators
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62059 (Brooklyn): 10 (+1)
- 62201 (East St. Louis): 181 (+4)
- 62203 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Washington Park, Caseyville): 151
- 62204 (East St. Louis): 115 (+6)
- 62205 (East St. Louis, Alorton, Centreville): 146 (+1)
- 62206 (East St. Louis, Cahokia): 334 (+2)
- 62207 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Alorton): 199 (+1)
- 62208 (Fairview Heights): 238 (+3)
- 62220 (Belleville, Smithton): 302 (+10)
- 62221 (Belleville): 334 (+13)
- 62223 (Belleville, Swansea): 165 (+5)
- 62225 (Scott Air Force Base): 16
- 62226 (Belleville, Swansea): 395 (+5)
- 62232 (Fairview Heights, Caseyville): 83 (+3)
- 62239 (Dupo): 44 (+3)
- 62240 (Dupo): 14
- 62243 (Freeburg): 26
- 62254 (Lebanon): 118 (+2)
- 62255 (Lenzburg): 13 (+1)
- 62257 (Marissa): 120
- 62258 (Mascoutah, Fayetteville): 58 (+4)
- 62260 (Millstadt): 44 (+4)
- 62264 (New Athens): 66 (+1)
- 62269 (O’Fallon): 259 (+9)
- 62285 (Smithton): 34 (+2)
MADISON COUNTY
Friday’s new data: 77 new positives, 927 new tests administered, 46 new recoveries
Total overall: 2,084 positives, 72 deaths, 37,056 tests administered, 1,046 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey): 278 (+13)
- 62010 (Bethalto): 81 (+3)
- 62018 (Alton, Bethalto, East Alton): 20 (+1)
- 62024 (East Alton): 34 (+2)
- 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana): 307 (+14)
- 62034 (Glen Carbon): 154 (+2)
- 62035 (Godfrey): 111 (+2)
- 62040 (Granite City, Pontoon Beach): 373 (+13)
- 62048 (Edwardsville, Granite City, Roxana, Hartford): 6
- 62060 (Granite City, Madison, Venice): 76 (+1)
- 62061 (Marine): 12 (+1)
- 62062 (Maryville): 55 (+6)
- 62067 (Moro): 14
- 62084 (Edwardsville, Wood River, Pontoon Beach, Roxana, South Roxana): 6
- 62090 (Madison, Venice): 22
- 62095 (Wood River): 61 (+6)
- 62097 (Worden): 9
- 62234 (Collinsville, Pontoon Beach, State Park Place): 237 (+2)
- 62249 (Highland): 68 (+7)
- 62294 (Troy): 107 (+7)
- 62281 (St. Jacob): 19
622087 (Edwardsville, Roxana, South Roxana, Hartford): 6
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 425 positives, 7 deaths, 5,520 tests conducted, 368 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 *
Friday’s new Data: 4 new cases
Total overall: 330 positives, 17 deaths, 275 recoveries, two hospitalizations
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62215 (Albers, Damiansville): 8
- 62216 (Aviston): 15
- 62230 (Breese): 39
- 62231 (Carlyle): 97 (+1)
- 62245 (Germantown): 11
- 62265 (New Baden): 67
- 62293 (Trenton): 29
- 62801 (Centralia): 99 (+2)
MONROE COUNTY
Friday’s new data: 10 new cases
Total overall: 263 positives, 12 deaths
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62236 (Columbia): 112
- 62295 (Valmeyer): 14
- 62298 (Waterloo): 118
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 130 positives, 4 deaths, 9,642 tests administered with 59 pending results, 54 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62012 (Brighton): 23
62014 (Bunker Hill): 14
62033 (Gillespie): 12
62069 (Mount Olive): 13
- 62088 (Staunton): 17
- 62626 (Carlinville): 30
PERRY COUNTY
Friday’s new data: 2 new cases
Total overall: 101 positives, one death, 72 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62238 (Cutler): 10
- 62274 (Pinckneyville): 23
- 62832 (Du Quoin): 43 (+2)
JERSEY COUNTY
Friday’s New Data: One new case
Total overall: 62 positives, 1 death, 55 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62052 (Jerseyville): 33
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Friday’s new data: 2 new positives
Total overall: 56 positives, 42 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62263 (Nashville, New Minden): 17
- 62808 (Ashley): 9
- 62848 (Irvington): 7
BOND COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 48 positives, 2 deaths, 24 recoveries, 2 hospitalizations, 2,508 tests administered
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62246 (Greenville): 29
CALHOUN COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 5 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 Friday afternoon:
- Illinois: 178,837 cases, 7,495 deaths
- U.S.: 4,533,900 cases, 154,830 deaths, 2,241,632 recoveries
- World: 17,321,394 cases, 673,822 deaths, 10,155,026 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 31, 2020 at 5:26 PM.