St. Clair County in southwest Illinois breaks previous record for daily COVID-19 cases
Illinois and St. Clair County on Saturday broke previous records for the number of COVID-19 cases reported in a single day.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 12,438 new cases of coronavirus and 76 deaths, continuing a three-day streak of breaking state records for new cases. In St. Clair County, health officials reported 192 new cases.
“We have all got to step up and do better,” said Bryan Whitaker, assistant director of the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency. “ ... If this doesn’t get going in the right direction, we’re going to see more businesses suffer because we’re going to end up experiencing, most likely, more closures.”
Regionally, the metro-east saw its COVID-19 seven-day rolling average positivity rate increase to 11.3%, up from 10.7%. One additional person died, a resident of Integrity Healthcare of Columbia.
Saturday marked the fifth straight day the metro-east’s seven-day rolling average was above 10% and 16th consecutive day it was above 8%.
In addition, the region reported a daily positivity rate of 12.2% on Saturday, up from 10.1% on Friday.
The reintroduction of tightened restrictions recently came as a result of the region reporting three consecutive days above 8%.
Region 4 includes St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, Bond, Washington, Clinton and Randolph counties.
If the positivity rate stays above 8% for the next four days, additional mitigations could be imposed in the metro-east that would further restrict dining, bars, social gatherings, retail and salon businesses and reduce elective surgeries and visitation at regional hospitals.
Additionally, the region’s hospital bed capacity remained at 29% on Friday and its intensive care unit capacity was at 37%, down from 39% on Thursday. If the availability of ICU beds in the region’s hospitals fall below 20%, new restrictions could also be enacted by the state.
Illinois reports new cases, deaths Saturday
This information is provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
New cases: 12,438 (+2,062)
New deaths: 76 (+49)
New tests: 98,418
Total cases: 477,978
Total deaths: 10,154
Total tests: 8,313,547
Hospitalizations: 4,250 (+160)
People in ICU: 813 (+27)
People on ventilators: 367 (+28)
Statewide positivity rate (from Oct. 31-Nov. 6): 10.3% (+0.8%)
Saturday’s COVID-19 case breakdown for Region 4
New cases: 372
New deaths: 0
Daily positivity rate (as of Nov. 4): 12.2% (+2.1%)
Seven-day rolling average (as of Nov. 4): 11.3% (+0.6%)
Regional hospitalizations: 121 (-1)
Regional patients on ventilators: 17 (no change)
Hospital bed availability: 29% (as of Friday, latest available data)
ICU bed availability: 47% (+10%)
New cases from nearby counties outside Region 4: no new data
New deaths from nearby counties outside Region 4: no new data
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: 192 new positives
Total overall: 10,134 positives, 229 deaths, 124,174 tests administered, 8,849 recoveries, 73 patients hospitalized with eight patients on ventilators
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 4): Daily — 14% (+4.2%); seven-day average — 10.7% (+1.9%)
Additional data: New positives include both males and females from under the age of 10 into their 90s. Of the 192 new positives, 90 were individuals under the age of 40.
Congregate living facilities: Cambridge House of O’Fallon reported two new cases and Lebanon Care Center reported one new case.
MADISON COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: 126 new cases, 1,436 new tests administered, 77 new recoveries
Total overall: 8,549 positives, 162 deaths, 110,338 tests administered, 3,962 recoveries, 35 hospitalizations with seven patients on ventilators
Additional data: No new data
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 4): Daily — 14.5% (+5.5%); seven-day average — 11.7% (+0.5%)
CLINTON COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: No new data as of 6:30 p.m.
Total overall: 2,117 positives, 35 deaths, 1,762 recoveries, seven patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 4): Daily — 22.8% (+1.7%); 7-day average — 16.7% (+2.8%)
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: 35 new cases
Total overall: 1,565 positives, 19 deaths, 17,430 tests performed, 1,403 recoveries, two patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 4): Daily — 8.3% (+1.6%); seven-day average — 13% (+0.1%)
MONROE COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: 77 new positives, one new death
Total overall: 1,233 positives, 38 deaths, eight patients hospitalized
Positivity rates as (of Nov. 4): Daily — 16.3% (+3%); seven-day average — 12% (+1.3%)
BOND COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: No new data as of 6:30 p.m.
Total overall: 641 positives, 10 deaths, 25,281 tests administered, one patient hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 4): Daily — 13% (+6.3%); seven-day average — 12.9% (-0.2%)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: 17 new cases, one patient hospitalized
Total overall: 396 positives, two deaths, 343 recoveries, 19 hospitalizations
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 4): Daily — 20 9.4% (+10.6%); seven-day average — 16.1% (+1.8%)
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: No new data as of 6:30 p.m.
Total overall: 1,057 positives, 15 deaths, 566 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 4): Daily — 14.7% (+1.6%); 7-day average — 10.5% (+1.7%)
JERSEY COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: No new data as of 6:30 p.m.
Total overall: 521 positives, 21 deaths, 501 recoveries, 9,040 tests
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 4): Daily — 19.5% (-0.1%); seven-day average — 15.2% (+1.2%)
PERRY COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: No new data as of 6:30 p.m.
Total overall: 574 positives, 16 deaths, 436 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 4): Daily — 26.7 (+0.4%); 7-day average — 20.4% (+1.5%)
CALHOUN COUNTY
Saturday’s new data: No new data as of 6:30 p.m.
Total overall: 126 positives, 93 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 4): Daily — 26.3% (+22.6%); 7-day average — 17.6% (-0.4%)
Editor’s Note: The zip codes for each county are reported every Monday and show how many new cases have been reported since the previous Monday. These numbers are according to some counties and IDPH’s website.
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: 477,978 cases, 10,154 deaths, 8,313,547 tests
- U.S.: 9,794,988 cases, 236,498 deaths, 3,810,791 recoveries
- World: 48,649,224 cases, 1,247,187 deaths, 32,618,026 recoveries
Testing sites in southwestern Illinois
Here are free COVID-19 testing options.
- Sunday, Nov. 8: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McKendree University, 701 College Road, Lebanon
- Tuesday, Nov. 10: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Illinois Department of Corrections Greene County Work Camp, U.S. 67, Roodhouse
No appointment is necessary. Masks are required.
The Illinois Department of Public Health 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 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 November 7, 2020 at 5:29 PM.
