St. Clair County sets daily record for positive COVID cases
One week after Christmas, St. Clair County set a new record for positive COVID-19 cases on a single day with 306 reported on New Year’s Day.
The county has had several days of over 200 coronavirus cases in the past month, including 286 on Dec. 4 and 274 on Dec. 10.
“Three-hundred and six is the worst day we’ve ever seen since we’ve been here for a one-day number, and if you count back those seven days, we’re about at Christmas,” St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said during the county’s daily briefing on Friday.
Kern noted that county officials and health care workers urged people to take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus during the holidays.
“Obviously, with the highest positivity day since we started this 294 days ago, we’ve got work to do to try to educate” residents, Kern said.
The county, which recorded its first coronavirus case in March, did not have any new coronavirus-related deaths to announce on Friday. St. Clair County has had 329 virus-related deaths during the pandemic.
The positivity rate in coronavirus tests in the metro-east has continued to increase in recent days, according to statistics released Friday.
The latest rate is 12.7%, which was recorded on Tuesday. This rate was up from 12.2% recorded on Monday. On Christmas Day, the rate was 11.7%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus patients hospitalized in the region dropped to 191 on Thursday, down from 193 on Wednesday. The number of patients has decreased for nine consecutive days.
The percentage of the metro-east’s staffed hospital beds available for patients remained at 13.4%, while the percentage of staffed ICU beds available was listed at 21.3%, down from 21.6%
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 testing positivity rate for three consecutive days while also seeing 20% available intensive care unit and medical/surgical bed availability for three consecutive days.
Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions went into place statewide on Nov. 20. The third tier tightens restrictions on indoor dining, bars and social gatherings while adding restrictions to casinos, retailers, video gaming and museums.
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 had a daily positivity rate of 13.3%, down from 15.1%.
State of Illinois announces new cases, deaths
The state of Illinois announced 7,201 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total to 970,590. The state health department also announced 157 additional deaths to bring the total to 16,647 since the pandemic began.
Also within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 97,222 new tests have been administered for a total of 13,374,665.
As of Thursday, when the latest data was available, 4,093 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 837 patients were in the ICU and 496 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests from Dec. 25-31 is 8.1%.
Friday’s breakdown for Region 4
New cases (as of 6:30 p.m.): 486 (-59) in St. Clair, Madison and Monroe counties
New deaths (as of 6:30 p.m.): Zero
Daily positivity rate (as of Tuesday): 13.3% (-1.8)
Seven-day rolling average positivity rate (as of Tuesday): 12.7% (+0.5)
Regional hospitalizations: 168 (-17) (provided by St. Clair County)
Regional patients on ventilators: 16 (-4) (provided by St. Clair County)
Hospital bed availability: 13.4% (same as previous day)
ICU bed availability: 21.3% (-0.3)
New cases from nearby counties outside Region 4 (as of 6:30 p.m.): 37 in Jersey County
New deaths from nearby counties outside Region 4 (as of 6:30 p.m.): one in Jersey County
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Friday’s new data: 306 new positives, no new deaths, 1,712 new tests administered, 159 new recoveries, 16 fewer patients hospitalized, two fewer patients on a ventilator
Total overall: 21,160 positives, 329 deaths, 209,560 tests administered, 19,134 recoveries, 104 patients hospitalized with 12 patients on ventilators
Additional data: Individuals who tested positives ranged from under the age of 1 to their 90s. Of the 306 new positives, 103 individuals were under the age of 40.
Congregate living facilities: Mercy Rehab and Care Center in Swansea reported three new cases; Morningside of Shiloh reported two new cases; St. Paul’s Home in Belleville reported 11 new cases; Cedar Trails of Freeburg reported 12 new cases; and Freeburg Care Center reported four new cases.
Positivity rates: Daily — 17.9 (-0.3); 7-day average — 13.3% (+2.6%)
MADISON COUNTY
Friday’s new data: 142 new positives; 10 probable cases; no new deaths; number of new tests was not available; 119 new recoveries; three fewer patients hospitalized
Total overall: 20,781 positives, 365 deaths, 191,959 tests administered, 11,713 recoveries, 44 patients hospitalized with four patients on ventilators
Additional data: Individuals who tested positive ranged from under the age of 1 to their 80s. Of the 152 new positives, 73 individuals were under the age of 40.
Positivity rates (as of Tuesday): Daily — 18% (+5.9); 7-day average — 13.2% (+1.3)
CLINTON COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 6 p.m.
Total overall: 4,485 positives, 75 deaths, 4,014 recoveries, nine patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Tuesday): Daily — 10.7% (+2.3); 7-day average — 9.6% (-0.7)
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 6 p.m.
Total overall: 3,326 positives, 53 deaths, 3,059 recoveries, four patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Tuesday): Daily — 9.8% (-16.1); 7-day average — 13% (+0.9%)
MONROE COUNTY
Friday’s new data: 38 new positives
Total overall: 3,176 positives, 58 deaths, 26 patients hospitalized
Positivity rates (as of Tuesday): Daily — 10.1% (-15); 7-day average — 14.1% (-0.1)
BOND COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 6 p.m.
Total overall: 1,642 positives, 16 deaths, 35,055 tests administered
Positivity rates (as of Tuesday): Daily — 13.2% (+3.8); 7-day average — 9.2% (-2)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 6 p.m.
Total overall: 1,205 positives, 21 deaths, 1,081 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Tuesday): Daily — 21.7% (+2.7); 7-day average — 22.4% (+4.4)
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 6 p.m.
Total overall: 3,428 positives, 85 deaths, 1,760 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Tuesday): Daily — 12.7% (+7); 7-day average — 7.9% (+0.6)
JERSEY COUNTY
Friday’s new data: 37 new cases; one new death
Total overall: 1,972 positives, 30 deaths, 18,750 tests administered, 1,972 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Tuesday): Daily — 9.4% (-5.8); 7-day average — 11.4% (+0.3)
PERRY COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 6:30 p.m.
Total overall: 2,249 positives, 48 deaths, 1,812 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Tuesday): Daily — 9% (-21.2); 7-day average — 13.5% (-1.5)
CALHOUN COUNTY
Friday’s new data: No new data as of 6:30 p.m.
Total overall: 404 positives, three deaths, 372 recoveries
Positivity rates (as of Tuesday): Daily — 6.1% (-29.2); 7-day average — 15% (-8.8)
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 Friday night:
- Illinois: 970,590 cases, 16,647 deaths, 13,374,665 tests
- U.S.: 20,104,003 cases, 347,542 deaths, 11,998,794 recoveries as of Thursday
- World: 83,917,606 cases, 1,826,055 deaths, 58,880,971 recoveries as of Thursday
Testing sites in southwestern Illinois
Here are some upcoming coronavirus testing options:
- Saturday, Jan. 2: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds & Expo Center, 200 S. Belt East, #2650
- Saturday, Jan. 2: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McKendree University, 701 College Road, Lebanon
- Sunday, Jan. 3: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McKendree University, 701 College Road, Lebanon
- 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 facility will be closed Friday for New Year’s Day.
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. Hohlt said that facility will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, and Sunday, Jan. 3 as well.
St. Clair County hosted a “soft opening” of its new service center Dec. 22 at 330 W. Main St. in Belleville. 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.
Additionally, the Monroe County Health Department will have a drive-through COVID vaccination clinic for Monroe County health care workers with direct patient contact from noon to 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 4, at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, 4177 Illinois 156, Waterloo.
Touchette Regional Hospital and Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation also offer daily testing in Belleville and Wood River. Call 618-646-2596 for an appointment.
