St. Clair County officials plead with Region 4 counterparts to help in COVID-19 fight
St. Clair County officials on Wednesday again pleaded with neighboring counties in Metro-East Region 4 to shore up their COVID-19 protocols and efforts.
“We’re trying to pull the whole region together,” St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons during the county’s daily briefing Wednesday. “All we need is some help from the other counties and we can get this thing behind us and everybody will be on the same playing field.
“Our people leaving St. Clair County, especially that’s bordering those other counties, they may go over there and get a drink or get dinner, but they’re still coming back here. That creates the problem and it’s unfair to our businesses.”
The comments from Simmons came a day after state officials rejected St. Clair County’s request to consider easing restrictions in the county because it is making progress in controlling the spread of COVID-19, compared with the rest of the region.
Region 4 is in the first tier of restrictions in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois plan. The restrictions limit indoor service at bars and restaurants as well as the size of social gatherings.
State officials say they would ease those restrictions if the seven-county region that includes St. Clair County has three consecutive days with a seven-day rolling positivity rate average of 6.5% or less.
Region 4 also consists of Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph and Washington counties.
Simmons and St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said they are fighting for the county to reopen and getting businesses back open. Kern praised the COVID-19 protocols St. Clair County businesses, restaurants and bars have been adhering to.
“What we’re saying is, to send people out of St. Clair County to go to places that are not abiding by the restrictions ... they’re not wearing masks. They’re not watching their social distance. And in a lot of restaurants and bars, who knows, they might not even be washing their hands,” Kern said. “What we’ve got to do is make sure our places are allowed to open. That’s what we’re fighting for.
“Because we know the restaurants and bars here — certainly the ones that the sheriff’s department has worked with and the health department has worked with for a long time — they are complying. They want to comply. They understand the fact we need to get our numbers below 6.5%.’’
Simmons also said he was pleased Pritzker mentioned the county during his daily briefing Wednesday.
“I listened to the governor’s briefing today and I’ve got to say that I was really pleased that he acknowledged the job Team St. Clair is doing — not just us, but the entire county. He knows that we’ve been spreading the word,” Simmons said. “The business people are trying to do the best they can. He even commented and said that IDPH (Illinois Department of Public Health) is trying to work with the surrounding counties to get them to get on board with what we’re trying to do.”
Additionally, Pritzker was asked about the possibility of removing St. Clair County from added restrictions at his daily press briefing. According to a story from Capitol News Illinois, he said the 11 regions in the plan were increased from four in a previous version based on the state’s IDPH medical regions.
“People travel in that region. They travel between counties. It is not a good idea, in my view, for us to break this down into 102 counties across the state of Illinois, but instead if we can work with the counties and particularly their county public health officials to bring down their positivity rates, that is the right solution,” Pritzker said in the Capitol News story.
Wednesday’s overall tone was less contentious than Tuesday’s briefing, when Kern lashed out at the Illinois Department of Public Health after the department said it wouldn’t consider exempting the county from region-wide restrictions.
Simmons, meanwhile, said Tuesday “Sometimes I feel like we’re in a war with them (the IDPH) and it shouldn’t be that way.”
Simmons cautions businesses about reopening
In addition, on Wednesday, Simmons said his department has received calls from local businesses inquiring about what happens if they open back up against the governor’s executive order. He said he’s explained to these individuals the insurance-related consequences of such an action.
“One of the first things we’ve been telling them is the first you better do, if you’re going to try to violate the executive order, you better check with your insurance carrier,” he said. “Because when this first started, there were insurance companies out there saying if you violate the executive order, your insurance might not be covered.
“I would just keep that in mind if there’s anybody out there that thinks that because these other counties are getting by with something ... I’d be very skeptical if their insurance company is going to cover them if something happens there.”
Region 4 positivity rates
As for Region 4, the state reported the rolling seven-day average positivity rate rose slightly from 7.2% on Tuesday to 7.4% on Wednesday, marking the 10-straight day the region’s rate has been below 8%
The daily positivity rate for Region 4 dropped from 7.7% on Tuesday to 7.4% on Wednesday. Illinois provides the rate for each region at dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics. Information on the website is delayed by three days, so Sunday, Sept. 27, was the latest data available Wednesday.
Wednesday’s COVID-19 case breakdown for Region 4
Overall, 111 new cases of COVID-19 and one new death were reported in the region Wednesday.
Madison County reported 48 new cases and one new death, bringing the county’s death total to 142 since the pandemic began. The individual who passed away was a man in his 90s. It is unknown if he had underlying health conditions.
St. Clair County reported 33 new cases and no new deaths. Elsewhere in Region 4, Clinton County reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, while Bond County reported four new cases, Washington County reported three new cases, Randolph County reported three new cases and Monroe County reported two new cases.
According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, regionally, 32% of the metro-east’s hospital beds were available Wednesday, while 38% of the ICU beds were available.
Regionally, as of Wednesday, 90 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 10 of those patients on ventilators.
Outside of Region 4 on Wednesday, nearby Macoupin County reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 and one new death, bringing the county’s death total to 10 since the pandemic began. No additional information on the individual who died was immediately available.
Jersey County reported three new cases and two new deaths, bringing the county’s death total to 17 since the pandemic began. No additional information on the individuals who died was immediately available. Calhoun County reported two new cases, while Perry County did not report any new data Wednesday.
St. Clair County’s latest rundown
St. Clair County has now reported a total of 7,523 positive cases and 191 deaths.
St. Clair County reported 56 hospitalizations Wednesday, up from 46 on Tuesday. Seven patients were on ventilators as of Wednesday, up from five Tuesday.
“Let’s pray for those people who are in the hospital and who are on ventilators,” Kern said. “Those are numbers we don’t like to see.
The county’s daily positivity rate dropped sharply from 10.06% on Tuesday to 4.4% on Wednesday. The county’s seven-day rolling average Wednesday was at 6.4%. On Tuesday, it was at 6.6%, breaking a 12-day record of the county being under 6.5%.
At congregate living centers in St. Clair County, Integrity Healthcare of Smithton had one new case.
The county’s new cases included young people under 10 to people in their 80s. Of the 33 new cases reported by the county, 20 of the individuals were in their 40s or younger. No county ZIP code reported a double digit increase Wednesday.
Madison County by the numbers
Madison County has now reported a total of 5,883 cases and 142 deaths as of Wednesday.
Eighteen COVID-19 patients were in Madison County hospitals, the same as Tuesday. Three of those patients were on ventilators, up from two on Tuesday.
The county’s daily positivity rate rose dropped sharply from 13.49% on Tuesday to 9.70% on Wednesday. The seven-day rolling positivity rate average rose slightly from 7.77% on Tuesday to 7.97% on Wednesday.
People diagnosed with the virus Wednesday ranged in age from 10-19 to their 80s, and of the 48 new cases, 33 were people in their 40s or younger.
One county ZIP code reported a double digit increase Wednesday — 62025, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana: +12 for a total of 775.
Illinois reports new cases, deaths
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 2,273 new COVID-19 cases and 35 additional deaths Wednesday.
A total of 293,274 state residents have tested positive, and 8,672 people have died since the pandemic began. More than 5.6 million coronavirus tests have been administered, including 58,546 since Tuesday.
As of Tuesday evening, when the latest data was available, 1,632 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19. According to IDPH, 378 of those patients were in intensive care units, including 152 on ventilators.
The statewide seven-day rolling positivity rate average from Sept. 23-29 was 3.6%, the same as reported Tuesday.
Southwestern Illinois COVID-19 statistics
ZIP code-level numbers are provided by the state each afternoon at dph.illinois.gov/covid19/covid19-statistics. Madison and Macoupin counties compile their own statistics by ZIP code later in the day, so the numbers may differ from what appears on the IDPH website.
The Belleville News-Democrat reports the information county health departments provide.
ZIP codes with fewer than five cases of the coronavirus are not reported by health officials. The number in parentheses after each ZIP code below reflects the change from the previous day’s cumulative total. A decrease reflects a correction.
All other information comes from local health departments. The “recoveries” figure refers to the number of people who completed the required isolation period in most counties.
Here are the latest available statistics for southwestern Illinois counties:
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 33 new positives, 750 new tests administered, 22 new recoveries, 10 additional hospitalizations, two additional people on ventilators
Total overall: 7,523 positives, 191 deaths, 88,932 tests administered, 6,798 recoveries, 56 patients hospitalized, including seven on ventilators
Positivity rate as of Sept. 27: Daily, 8.6%; seven-day rolling average, 6.5%
ZIP codes with positives:
62059 (Brooklyn): 17 (+1)
62201 (East St. Louis): 248 (-1)
62203 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Washington Park, Caseyville): 219 (+2)
62204 (East St. Louis): 145
62205 (East St. Louis, Alorton, Centreville): 214
62206 (East St. Louis, Cahokia): 458 (+2)
62207 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Alorton): 255
62208 (Fairview Heights): 447
62220 (Belleville, Smithton): 586 (-1)
62221 (Belleville): 704 (+1)
62223 (Belleville, Swansea): 448 (+4)
62225 (Scott Air Force Base): 31
62226 (Belleville, Swansea): 774 (+3)
62232 (Fairview Heights, Caseyville): 196
62239 (Dupo): 124 (+1)
62240 (Dupo): 35
62243 (Freeburg): 111 (-1)
62254 (Lebanon): 274
62255 (Lenzburg): 16
62257 (Marissa): 35
62258 (Mascoutah, Fayetteville): 192
62260 (Millstadt): 151 (+1)
62264 (New Athens): 107
62269 (O’Fallon): 583 (+8)
62282 (St. Libory): 13
62285 (Smithton): 128
62289 (Summerfield): 6
MADISON COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 48 new positives, one new death, 495 new tests administered, 15 new recoveries, one additional patient on a ventilator
Total overall: 5,883 positives, 142 deaths, 77,630 tests administered, 3,053 recoveries, 18 hospitalizations, with three of those patients on ventilators
Positivity rates as of Sept. 27: Daily, 7.9%; seven-day rolling average, 7.5%
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62001 (Kaufman, Alhambra): 27
- 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey): 869 (+2)
- 62010 (Bethalto): 258 (+4)
- 62012 (Godfrey): 15
- 62018 (Alton, Bethalto, East Alton): 68 (-1)
- 62021 (Dorsey): 14
- 62024 (East Alton): 148 (+3)
- 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana): 775 (+12)
- 62034 (Glen Carbon): 303 (+1)
- 62035 (Godfrey): 455
- 62040 (Granite City, Pontoon Beach): 867 (+6)
- 62046 (Hamel): 17
- 62048 (Edwardsville, Granite City, Roxana, Hartford): 19 (+2)
- 62060 (Granite City, Madison, Venice): 130 (+3)
- 62061 (Marine): 35
- 62062 (Maryville): 125 (+3)
- 62067 (Moro): 57
62074 (New Douglas): 12
- 62084 (Edwardsville, Wood River, Pontoon Beach, Roxana, South Roxana): 30
- 62087 (Edwardsville, Roxana, South Roxana, Hartford): 29 (+2)
- 62088 (Staunton, Livingston, Williamson): 8
- 62090 (Madison, Venice): 32
- 62095 (Wood River): 200 (+2)
- 62097 (Prairietown, Worden): 51
- 62201: (East St. Louis, Sauget, Fairmont City, Madison, National City): 6
- 62234 (Collinsville, Pontoon Beach, State Park Place): 595 (-2)
- 62249 (Highland): 352 (+3)
62275 (Pocahontas, Old Ripley, Jamestown): 23 (+1)
62281 (St. Jacob): 58
62293: (St. Morgan): 9 (+1)
- 62294 (Troy): 264 (+5)
CLINTON COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 18 new positives, 12 new recoveries
Total overall: 1,233 positives, 21 deaths, 1,039 recoveries, seven hospitalizations
Positivity rate as of Sept. 27: Daily, 11.6%; seven-day rolling average, 12.8%
ZIP codes with positives:
62215 (Albers, Damiansville): 54
62216 (Aviston): 122
62218 (Bartelso): 82
62230 (Breese): 228
62231 (Carlyle): 253
62245 (Germantown): 60
62265 (New Baden): 133
62293 (Trenton): 116
62801 (Centralia): 346
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: Three new positives, 78 new tests administered, seven new recoveries
Total overall: 968 positives, 12 deaths, 12,720 tests administered, 906 recoveries
Positivity rate as of Sept. 27: Daily, 8.5%; seven-day rolling average, 2.5%
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62217 (Baldwin): 17
- 62233 (Chester): 361
- 62237 (Coulterville): 63
- 62241 (Ellis Grove): 25
- 62242 (Evansville): 23
- 62272 (Percy): 66
- 62277 (Prairie Du Rocher): 12
- 62278 (Red Bud): 149
- 62286 (Sparta): 161
- 62288 (Steeleville): 107
- 62292 (Tilden): 7
- 62297 (Walsh): 6
- 62916 (Campbell Hill): 15
MONROE COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: Two new positives
Total overall: 694 positives, 16 deaths
Positivity rate as of Sept. 27: Daily, 7.8%; seven-day rolling average, 8.6%
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62236 (Columbia): 275
- 62244 (Fults): 7
- 62295 (Valmeyer): 29
- 62298 (Waterloo): 354
BOND COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: Four new positives, 46 new tests administered, one new hospitalization
Total overall: 334 positives, seven deaths, 16,042 tests administered, two hospitalizations
Positivity rate as of Sept. 27: Daily, 11.1%; seven-day rolling average, 10.4%
ZIP codes with positives:
62086 (Sorento): 15
62246 (Greenville): 222
62262 (Mulberry Grove): 26
62275 (Pocahontas, Old Ripley): 86
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: Three new positives, seven new recoveries
Total overall: 219 positives, one death, 200 recoveries, 10 hospitalizations
Positivity rate as of Sept. 27: Daily, 6.5%; seven-day rolling average, 11.3%
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62214 (Venedy, Addieville): 15
- 62263 (Nashville, New Minden): 98 (+4)
- 62268 (Oakdale): 12
- 62271 (Okawville): 30
- 62808 (Ashley): 18
- 62848 (Irvington): 17
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: 11 new positives, one new death, 11 new recoveries
Total overall: 607 positives, 10 deaths, 289 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62009 (Benld, Sawyerville, Mount Clare): 16
- 62012 (Brighton): 121
- 62014 (Bunker Hill): 43
62033 (Gillespie): 112
62063 (Medora, Summerville, Kemper, Rockbridge): 8
62069 (Mount Olive): 34
- 62088 (Staunton): 112
- 62626 (Carlinville): 67
- 62640 (Girard): 17
- 62674 (Palmyra, Barr): 16
- 62685 (Royal Lakes, Plainview, Shipman): 16
- 62690 (Virden): 31
JERSEY COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: Three new positives, two new deaths
Total overall: 399 positives, 17 deaths, 354 recoveries, 6,304 tests administered
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62022 (Newbern): 23
- 62028 (Elsah): 8
- 62031 (Fieldon): 10
- 62037 (Grafton): 33
- 62052 (Jerseyville): 258
PERRY COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: No new data as of 8 p.m.
Total overall: 359 positives, 16 deaths, 312 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62238 (Cutler): 15
- 62274 (Pinckneyville): 165
- 62832 (Du Quoin): 108
- 62888 (Tamaroa): 31
- 62997 (Willisville): 8
CALHOUN COUNTY
Wednesday’s new data: Two new positives, four new recoveries
Total overall: 65 positives, 43 recoveries
ZIP codes with positives:
- 62036 (Golden Eagle): 9
- 62047 (Hardin): 18
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: 293,274 cases, 8,672 deaths, 5,624,822 tests
U.S.: 7,420,300 cases, 211,188 deaths, 4,664,503 recoveries
World: 33,999,269 cases, 1,015,113 deaths, 25,251,696 recoveries
Testing sites in southwestern Illinois
These are free COVID-19 testing options in the following locations this week:
- Thursday, Oct. 1: 9 a.m. to noon at America’s Central Port, 1635 W. First St. in Granite City.
Friday, Oct. 2: 8 a.m. to noon and 1-4:30 p.m. at St. Elizabeth’s Urgicare, 1512 N. Greenmount Road in O’Fallon (need appointment)
Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Korte Stadium, 3345 Stadium Road at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
No appointment is necessary unless indicated. Masks are required unless indicated. It may take up to a week to receive results. Do not call for results. The St. Clair County Health Department will call when results are available.
The IDPH also offers free walk-up and drive-thru COVID-19 testing seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or until capacity limits are met each day) at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, Argonne Drive in East St. Louis (Interstate 64 west, exit 4A).
Capacity is limited. Hours of operation are subject to change based on available equipment. For more information, visit http://dph.illinois.gov/testing.
Additionally, Touchette Regional Hospital and Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation offer daily testing in Belleville and Wood River. Call 618-646-2596 for an appointment.
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:
- 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 healthcare 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 September 30, 2020 at 5:15 PM.