St. Clair County reports record spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations, two new deaths
St. Clair County officials announced on Saturday two new deaths stemming from COVID-19 and the largest spike in hospitalizations the county has seen yet.
The deaths and new hospitalizations come on the tail of the highest daily total of new coronavirus cases recorded in the metro-east on Friday, when 185 new cases were reported. On Saturday, 122 new cases were reported throughout the area.
The two new deaths reported in the county were a man in his 70s with unknown underlying health conditions and a woman in her 40s with underlying health conditions.
St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons said the hospitalizations and new cases are troubling and stressed that people need to follow guidelines put in place to prevent spreading the deadly disease.
“People out there gotta start listening to what we’re telling you. Fourteen hospitalizations overnight, that could double or triple,” Simmons said. “If everybody does just a little bit more for a little while longer we’ll get through this, but it’s going to take everybody.”
St. Clair County reported 70 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, while Madison County had 36, 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 Aug. 1, 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.
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said currently the numbers aren’t going in the right direction for the county and region. He said the region’s fate is in its own hands right now and stressed that people need to practice social distancing, wash their hands and wear a mask.
Other increases were reported in Monroe, Jersey, Clinton, Perry and Washington counties.
The state on Friday listed 13 counties that reached warning level due to their ongoing increase in cases. St. Clair and Randolph were issued warnings 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% for two consecutive weeks, or if the seven-day positivity rate rises above 8%.
Warnings are also triggered when fewer than 20% of the region’s intensive care units are available, when weekly emergency department visits rise by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks, or when hospital admissions for COVID-19-like illness grows by more than 20% for two straight weeks.
St. Clair County’s latest rundown
St. Clair County now has 3,792 coronavirus cases and 154 deaths related to the virus, leading the metro-east in both categories. Officials announced the daily positivity rate for the county is 10.6%, up from 8.8% on Friday. The positivity rate is the percentage of coronavirus tests that are positive among those tests taken.
Two ZIP codes in the county had double-digit increases Saturday, those being 62220 (Belleville, Swansea — +17 for a total of 319) and 62269 (Belleville — +12 for a total of 271).
Cases reported Saturday in St. Clair County ranged in age from under 1 to people in their 80s. On Friday, fifty percent of the county’s new cases were people under the age of 40. Fifty 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 2,120 coronavirus cases and 72 deaths.
The county saw the biggest jump in the 62234 ZIP code (Collinsville, Pontoon Beach, State Park Place), which reported nine, bringing the total to 246 for that ZIP code.
The county reported a daily positivity rate of 4.99%, down from 8.33% on Friday.
Other counties throughout southwestern Illinois also reported new cases on Saturday. Monroe County reported seven new cases, Clinton County reported three new cases, Macoupin County reported one new case, Jersey County reported three new cases and Calhoun County reported one new case.
Numbers update from Illinois
Meanwhile, the state announced 1,639 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and eight additional virus-related deaths.
Illinois has seen a total of 7,503 deaths during the pandemic as of Saturday, officials reported. A total of 180,476 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, while more than 2.7 million people have been tested for COVID-19, including more than 39,809 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 rate from July 25-31 is 3.9%.
Here are the latest available statistics for southwestern Illinois counties. The number in parentheses 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
Saturday’s new data: 70 new positives and 661 new tests administered, 14 new hospitalizations
Total overall: 3,792 positives, 154 deaths, 35,551 tests administered with 0 pending results, 2,824 recoveries, 50 hospitalizations, 0 patients on ventilators
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62059 (Brooklyn): 11 (+1)
- 62201 (East St. Louis): 184 (+3)
- 62203 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Washington Park, Caseyville): 151
- 62204 (East St. Louis): 115
- 62205 (East St. Louis, Alorton, Centreville): 147 (+1)
- 62206 (East St. Louis, Cahokia): 337 (+3)
- 62207 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Alorton): 201 (+2)
- 62208 (Fairview Heights): 245 (+7)
- 62220 (Belleville, Smithton): 319 (+17)
- 62221 (Belleville): 339 (+5)
- 62223 (Belleville, Swansea): 168 (+3)
- 62225 (Scott Air Force Base): 16
- 62226 (Belleville, Swansea): 404 (+9)
- 62232 (Fairview Heights, Caseyville): 83
- 62239 (Dupo): 46 (+2)
- 62240 (Dupo): 14
- 62243 (Freeburg): 26
- 62254 (Lebanon): 119 (+1)
- 62255 (Lenzburg): 13
- 62257 (Marissa): 122 (+2)
- 62258 (Mascoutah, Fayetteville): 59 (+1)
- 62260 (Millstadt): 45 (+1)
- 62264 (New Athens): 68 (+2)
- 62269 (O’Fallon): 271 (+12)
- 62285 (Smithton): 37 (+3)
MADISON COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: 36 new positives, 721 new tests administered
Total overall: 2,120 positives, 72 deaths, 37,056 tests administered, 1,046 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey): 282 (+4)
- 62010 (Bethalto): 82 (+1)
- 62018 (Alton, Bethalto, East Alton): 20
- 62024 (East Alton): 34
- 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana): 313 (+6)
- 62034 (Glen Carbon): 154
- 62035 (Godfrey): 113 (+2)
- 62040 (Granite City, Pontoon Beach): 377 (+4)
- 62048 (Edwardsville, Granite City, Roxana, Hartford): 6
- 62060 (Granite City, Madison, Venice): 77 (+1)
- 62061 (Marine): 12
- 62062 (Maryville): 56 (+1)
- 62067 (Moro): 14
- 62084 (Edwardsville, Wood River, Pontoon Beach, Roxana, South Roxana): 6
- 62090 (Madison, Venice): 22
- 62095 (Wood River): 61
- 62097 (Worden): 9
- 62234 (Collinsville, Pontoon Beach, State Park Place): 246 (+9)
- 62249 (Highland): 70 (+2)
- 62294 (Troy): 111 (+4)
- 62281 (St. Jacob): 19
622087 (Edwardsville, Roxana, South Roxana, Hartford): 7 (+1)
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 425 positives, seven 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
Saturday’s new Data: three new positives
Total overall: 333 positives, 17 deaths, 275 recoveries, two hospitalizations
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62215 (Albers, Damiansville): 8
- 62216 (Aviston): 16 (+1)
- 62230 (Breese): 39
- 62231 (Carlyle): 97
- 62245 (Germantown): 11
- 62265 (New Baden): 67
- 62293 (Trenton): 30 (+1)
- 62801 (Centralia): 99
MONROE COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: seven new positives
Total overall: 270 positives, 12 deaths
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62236 (Columbia): 112
- 62295 (Valmeyer): 14
- 62298 (Waterloo): 123
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: one new positive
Total overall: 131 positives, four 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
Saturday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
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
Saturday’s New Data: three new positives
Total overall: 65 positives, one death, 55 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62052 (Jerseyville): 33
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 56 positives, 42 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62263 (Nashville, New Minden): 17
- 62808 (Ashley): 9
- 62848 (Irvington): 7
BOND COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: one new positive
Total overall: 49 positives, two deaths, 24 recoveries, two hospitalizations, 2,508 tests administered
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62246 (Greenville): 29
CALHOUN COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: one new positive
Total overall: Seven 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 Saturday afternoon:
- Illinois: 180,476 cases, 7,503 deaths
- U.S.: 4,542,579 cases, 156,042 deaths, 2,286,117 recoveries
- World: 17,594,541 cases, 679,439 deaths, 10,333,166 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 August 1, 2020 at 4:58 PM.