Halloween caused COVID-19 rates to rise in southwest IL. Thanksgiving could be worse.
For the second day in a row, fears about what Thanksgiving will do to metro-east posivitivity rates on coronavirus tests was the main focus of discussion during Sunday’s St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Facebook briefing.
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern reported increases in the number of COVID-19 cases in every ZIP code in St. Clair County, except one.
“That really sends the message out that the spread is general and wide,” he said. “So during this Thanksgiving holiday week, when you’re looking at maybe having family and friends come over to your house for Thanksgiving, as is a normal tradition, you ought to rethink that.
“The spread is so great out there right now. It would be a good time to hunker down only with those who are in your household where you live and celebrate together and do the rest by telephone, by FaceTime, by Zoom and still get the spirit of Thanksgiving. But getting together (with others) only allows the spread to grow.”
Herb Simmons, director of St. Clair County EMA agreed with Kern, noting that the number of COVID-19 cases in the region surged after Halloween, which is a much less-celebrated holiday.
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Sunday reported that the seven-day rolling average positivity rate on coronavirus tests is 15.1% in Metro-East Region 4, slightly lower than 15.5% on Saturday. But it remains well above an 8% threshold that caused Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker this fall to impose tougher restrictions, also known as “resurgence mitigations.”
Under the Restore Illinois plan, Region 4 includes the seven counties of St. Clair, Madison, Clinton, Monroe, Randolph, Washington and Bond.
During Sunday’s briefing, St. Clair County Health Department Executive Director Barb Hohlt reported that 94 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19 and 10 are on ventilators in the county. Some 246 patients are hospitalized and 23 are on ventilators in Region 4.
“Our hospitals are getting just full to the max, and we all just really need to take this very, very seriously and protect ourselves and our family and friends from the virus that is just spreading everywhere,” Hohlt said.
The three-day rolling average rate for availability of regular hospital beds in Region 4 remained unchanged at 16% on Sunday, according to IDPH. The rate for availability of intensive-care unit beds dropped from 23% to 21% on Sunday. Twenty percent or below can prompt mitigations under the Restore Illinois plan.
Illinois reports new cases, deaths Sunday
This information is provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
New cases: 10,012 (-1,879)
New deaths: 76 (-51)
New tests: 92,437 (-27,847)
Total cases: 656,298
Total deaths: 11,506
Total tests: 9,801,419
Hospitalizations: 6,072 (-103)
People in ICU: 1,179 (-6)
People on ventilators: 589 (-6)
Statewide positivity rate (from Nov. 15-Nov. 21): 11.3% (-.2%)
Sunday’s COVID-19 breakdown for Region 4
New cases: 505 (St. Clair, Madison and Monroe counties reporting)
New deaths: None as of 4 p.m.
Daily positivity rate (as of Nov. 19): 13.2% (+1.5%)
Seven-day rolling average (as of Nov. 19): 15.1% (-0.4%)
Regional hospitalizations: 246 (+21)
Regional patients on ventilators: 23 (+2)
Hospital bed availability: 16% (no change)
ICU bed availability: 21% (-2%)
New cases from nearby counties outside Region 4: 0 (no new data)
New deaths from nearby counties outside Region 4: 0 (no new data)
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: 211 new positives, 1,652 new tests administered, no new deaths
Total overall: 13,077 positives, 244 deaths, 144,548 tests administered, 10,787 recoveries, 94 patients hospitalized with 10 on ventilators
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 19): Daily — 13.2% (-2.1%); seven-day average — 15.1% (+0.9%)
Additional data: New positives include both males and females from below age 10 to up into their 90s.
Congregate living facilities: A total of 17 cases, including one new case at Integrity Healthcare in Belleville.
MADISON COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: 251 new positives, 2,008 new tests administered, no new deaths
Total overall: 12,447 positives, 219 deaths, 134,339 tests administered, 5,947 recoveries, 99 hospitalizations with 12 patients on ventilators
Additional data: New positives include both males and females from below the age of 10 up into their 100s.
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 19): Daily — 12.7% (+0.5%); seven-day average — 14.9% (-0.7%)
CLINTON COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: No new data as of 4 p.m.
Total overall (as of Friday): 2,875 positives, 52 deaths, 2,171 recoveries, 16 patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 19): Daily — 16.7% (+1.3%); seven-day average — 19.3% (-0.7%)
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: No new data as of 4 p.m.
Total overall (as of Friday): 1,974 positives, 26 deaths, 20,615 tests performed, 1,707 recoveries, seven patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 19): Daily — 18.8% (+6.7%); seven-day average — 14.5% (+0.3%)
MONROE COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: 43 new positives
Total overall: 1,806 positives, 42 deaths, 16 patients hospitalized
Positivity rates as (of Nov. 19): Daily — 18.1% (-7.3%); seven-day average — 18.5% (+0.6%)
BOND COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: No new data as of 4 p.m. Saturday
Total overall (as of Friday): 879 positives, 11 deaths, 28,007 tests administered, two patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 19): Daily — 10.1% (+2.6%); seven-day average — 13.1% (+0.3%)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: No new data as of 4 p.m. Saturday
Total overall (as of Friday): 556 positives, two deaths, 494 recoveries, 3 hospitalizations
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 19): Daily — 8.1% (-5.2%); seven-day average — 18.8% (-2.1%)
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: No new data as of 4 p.m. Saturday
Total overall (as of Friday): 1,916 positives, 21 deaths, 673 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 19): Daily — 8.3% (-5.4%); seven-day average — 13.5% (-2.2%)
JERSEY COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: No new data as of 4 p.m.
Total overall (as of Friday): 1,061 positives, 22 deaths, 723 recoveries, 11,365 tests administered
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 19): Daily — 17.9% (+4.8%); seven-day average — 15.4% (-0.3%)
PERRY COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: No new data as of 4 p.m.
Total overall (as of Friday): 882 positives, 18 deaths, 625 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 19): Daily — 18.0% (-12.3%); seven-day average — 13.3% (+0.1%)
CALHOUN COUNTY
Sunday’s new data: No new data as of 4 p.m.
Total overall (as of Friday): 210 positives, 142 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Nov. 19): Daily — 22.7% (+5.6%); 7-day average — 16.6% (+0.6%)
Editor’s Note: The number of new COVID-19 cases for ZIP codes in each county are reported on Mondays. Information comes from county sources and the IDPH website.
State, nation, world COVID-19 statistics
Here are the latest available statistics from the Illinois Department of Public Health and Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus map as of Sunday afternoon:
- Illinois: 656,298 cases, 11,506 deaths, 9,801,419 tests
- U.S.: 12,219,209 cases, 256,723 deaths, 4,529,700 recoveries
- World: 58,533,531 cases, 1,386,204 deaths, 37,404,657 recoveries
Testing sites in southwestern Illinois
Here are free COVID-19 testing options:
Tuesday, Nov. 24: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Southwestern Illinois College, 2500 Carlyle Ave., Belleville (drive-thru only).
Wednesday, Nov. 25: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Southwestern Illinois College, 2500 Carlyle Ave., Belleville (drive-thru only).
Additionally, the Illinois Department of Public Health 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.
This story was originally published November 22, 2020 at 7:52 PM.
