St. Clair County health care officials say next round of vaccinations to arrive soon
St. Clair County officials say they are ready to administer vaccines to the second round of eligible recipients as soon as they are made available.
Three weeks have passed since the first vaccines were administered to many health care workers in the county designated to the “1A” round of recipients. Those at long-term care facilities are also included in that group and are next in line for vaccines.
The “1B” group of vaccine recipients includes first responders, more health care workers and individuals over 75. Barb Hohlt, the county health department’s executive director, said those doses of the vaccine should be arriving soon.
St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern said the news of long-term facilities getting vaccinations is welcome.
“Half the deaths are in congregate living facilities,” “The next round of vaccines are going to be concentrated toward those living facilities.”
Hohlt said it’s still important to wash hands, socially distance and wear a mask as the vaccine begins to be administered widespread. She said the vaccine cannot help individuals who already have the virus.
“The vaccine is not meant to be a treatment so folks who are in the hospital, this is not a treatment for the COVID virus,” she said. “It’s a vaccine that helps you not get it.”
Hospital bed, ICU availability improves in metro-east
Hospital bed and intensive care unit availability improved Monday in the metro-east as the region’s positivity rate dipped below 12%.
As of Monday, 21.5% of the metro-east’s staffed hospital beds were available for patient use, up from 21.4% Sunday. The metro-east’s hospital bed availability has been over the state-set threshold for two consecutive days after weeks of being under 20%.
Additionally, the region’s intensive care unit availability was at 23.6% on Monday, up from 21.5% Sunday.
For Tier 3 mitigation metrics to be relaxed or to move to Tier 2, the region must experience a less than 12% seven-day rolling average positivity rate for three consecutive days while also seeing 20% available intensive care unit and medical/surgical bed availability for three consecutive days.
However, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said he isn’t ready to lift mitigations on the state, even as some regions see caseloads and hospitalizations and ICU usage decrease.
Tier 3 restrictions went into place statewide on Friday, Nov. 20. The third tier tightens restrictions on indoor dining, bars and social gatherings while adding restrictions to casinos, retailers, video gaming and museums.
Over the past weeks, officials have warned about the possibility of the region running low on hospital and ICU beds, prompting some area hospitals to temporarily cease elective surgeries. Officials also worry a spike of new COVID-19 cases could be on the way due to Christmas celebrations.
Region 4’s rolling seven-day average positivity rate was 11.7% Monday, down 12% from Sunday. The new rate is based on tests recorded as of Dec. 25. A region’s positivity rate is its percentage of positive COVID-19 tests versus the number of tests taken over a seven-day period.
The state classifies the metro-east as Region 4, which covers seven counties: St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, Bond, Washington, Clinton and Randolph. County-by-county data is available on the state health department’s website.
Additionally, the region reported a daily positivity rate of 10.7% on Monday, down from 12.4% on Sunday.
Illinois reports new cases, deaths Tuesday
This information is provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The number in parentheses shows the difference from the previous day’s increase or total.
New cases: 5,644 (+1,191 from previous day)
New deaths: 106 (+1 from previous day)
New tests: 66,786 (+15,740 from previous day)
Total cases: 948,006
Total deaths: 16,179
Total tests: 13,103,444
Hospitalizations: 4,313 (+70)
People in ICU: 904 (+20)
People on ventilators: 506 (-9)
Statewide positivity rate (from Dec. 22-28): 7.4% (+0.2)
Tuesday’s breakdown for Region 4
New cases: 281
New deaths: 9 (Randolph County reported seven deaths, St. Clair County reported two deaths and Madison County reported one)
Daily positivity rate (as of Saturday): 14.5% (+3.8)
Seven-day rolling average positivity rate (as of Saturday): 12.1% (+0.4)
Regional hospitalizations: 207 195(+18) (provided by St. Clair County)
Regional patients on ventilators: 22 (+2) (provided by St. Clair County)
Hospital bed availability: 17.7% (-3.8)
ICU bed availability: 25.1% (+1.5)
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: 99 new positives, 834 tests administered, 2 new deaths
Total overall: 20,449 positives, 323 deaths, 204,387 tests administered, 18,725 recoveries, 107 patients hospitalized with 16 patients on ventilators
Additional data: Individuals who tested positives ranged from under the age of 10 to their 90s. Of the 46 new positives, 99 individuals were under the age of 40.
Congregate living facilities: Mercy Rehab in Swansea reported one new case, Morningside of Shiloh reported two new cases, St. Paul’s Home reported one new death and Willowcreek Rehab and Nursing reported one new case.
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 15.8% (+5.7); 7-day average — 11.0% (+0.6)
MADISON COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: 118 new confirmed positives, 15 new probably positives, 1,117 new tests administered, 1 new death
Total overall: 20,151 positives, 359 deaths, 188,291 tests administered, 11,000 recoveries, 59 patients hospitalized with 6 patients on ventilators
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 11.5% (+1.4); 7-day average — 12.1% (+0.1)
CLINTON COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: 29 new positives
Total overall: 4,381 positives, 75 deaths, 3,927 recoveries, 11 patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 12.8% (-1.1); 7-day average — 11.2% (-0.2)
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: 20 new positives, 7 new deaths
Total overall: 3,265 positives, 53 deaths, 3,020 recoveries, 5 patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 21.8% (+14,6); 7-day average — 13.5% (+0.3)
MONROE COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: 30 new positives
Total overall: 3,056 positives, 58 deaths, 25 patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 15.5% (+4.5); 7-day average — 13.8% (+0.1)
BOND COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 1,642 positives, 16 deaths, 35,055 tests administered
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 9.1% (-4.4); 7-day average — 16.0% (+1.4)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 1,173 positives, 20 deaths, 1,041 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 34.4% (-10.8); 7-day average — 18.3% (+0.9)
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 3,333 positives, 83 deaths, 1,590 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 16.2% (+6.1); 7-day average — 7.3% (+0.1)
JERSEY COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 1,935 positives, 29 deaths, 18,295 tests administered, 1,783 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 11.5% (+6.2); 7-day average — 8.7% (-0.4)
PERRY COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: 20 new positives
Total overall: 2,145 positives, 47 deaths, 1,492 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 13.4% (-4.2); 7-day average — 16.8% (-1.0)
CALHOUN COUNTY
Tuesday’s new data: No new data as of 5 p.m.
Total overall: 381 positives, 3 deaths, 355 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Saturday): Daily — 7.1% (+7.1); 7-day average — 9.9% (-2.9)
Editor’s note: The number of new COVID-19 cases for ZIP codes in each county is 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 Tuesday afternoon:
- Illinois: 948,006 cases, 16,179 deaths, 13,103,444 tests
- U.S.: 19,093,241 cases, 332,866 deaths, 11,101,866 recoveries
- World: 80,671,407 cases, 1,762,630 deaths, 45,612,622 recoveries
Testing sites in southwestern Illinois
Here are some upcoming coronavirus testing options:
- Wednesday, Dec. 30: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Monroe County Annex, 901 Illinois Ave., Waterloo
- Thursday, Dec. 31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds & Expo Center, 200 S. Belt E. #2650
- Saturday, Jan. 2: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds & Expo Center, 200 S. Belt East, #2650
- Every Tuesday and Thursday: 9-11 a.m. COVID-19 rapid testing at the Clinton County Fairgrounds, 1899 Methodist St., Carlyle
The testing site at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis has been moved to St. Clair Square mall, behind Dillards. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. It’s a drive-thru with four tents, allowing people to stay in their cars.
The Illinois Department of Public Health will continue to deploy mobile testing teams to locations in East St. Louis, including to 4601 State St., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Sunday and Monday. Capacity is limited, and hours of operation are subject to change based on available equipment.
St. Clair County hosted a “soft opening” of its new service center on Tuesday at 330 W. Main St. in Belleville. Here are the available testing dates and times:
- Monday, Dec. 28; Tuesday, Dec. 29; and Wednesday, Dec. 30 (holiday hours): 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The regular hours for the location starting Monday, Jan. 4, will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays; and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays.
“To get the new location at the old bank building up and going within about a five- or six-week time, it’s remarkable the job everyone has done,” said Herb Simmons, director of the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency. “It’s going to be great to have a central location that is being used for a testing site and once the vaccine gets in place, it’s going to really be great.
“I think it’s really going to be a smooth operation that we can all be happy it came together so quickly.”
Touchette Regional Hospital and Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation also offer daily testing in Belleville and Wood River. Call 618-646-2596 for an appointment.
This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 4:17 PM.