Southwest IL COVID metrics must improve before indoor dining ban ends, officials say
Bars and restaurant owners’ wait to reopen indoor service will most likely continue even as county officials prepare for a possible return to Tier 2 COVID-19 restrictions.
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said Thursday the region may re-enter Tier 2 in the coming weeks due to its dropping COVID-19 positivity rate. However, the region is still a ways away from the virus metrics that would allow bars and restaurants to reopen indoor dining,
“If we are allowed to go back — and that would be to phase 2 — that allows the reopening of indoor gaming, theaters, some indoor recreation,” Kern said. “We have to be below the 6.5% positivity rate to reopen the restaurant and bars.”
Kern added that three other metrics also need to improve before the state would relax restrictions on bars and restaurants. Those metrics include intensive care unit availability and hospital bed availability as well as the county experiencing seven of 10 days with decreasing hospitalizations due to the virus.
Currently, only 12.2% of the region’s hospital beds are available, while 15.3% of ICU beds are available. Both would need to be above 20% for restrictions to be lifted on the region.
“If we can turn those metrics around we can open up a little,” Kern said.
For Tier 3 mitigation metrics to be relaxed or to move to Tier 2, the region must experience a seven-day rolling average positivity rate of less than 12% for three consecutive days while also seeing at least 20% available intensive care unit and medical/surgical bed availability for three consecutive days.
Restrictions on Illinois businesses in some regions may be lifted as early as Friday, depending on the level of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in their communities, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced last week. Illinois officials had paused any removal of restrictions through the end of year holidays, even as statistics improved in some areas of the state.
Officials picked Friday as the earliest date for that to happen because it is outside of the time frame during which the state could see any potential surge in COVID-19 diagnoses from holiday gatherings.
“We need more days like today where all of our categories are down,” said County Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons said.
Vaccine update for southwestern Illinois, St. Clair County
Nearly 4,000 individuals have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the metro-east as of Thursday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Vaccinations of healthcare workers and other members of the 1A vaccinations group began in mid-December and have been ongoing since.
The state reported Thursday roughly 0.72% of its entire population has been vaccinated, or 91,947 individuals.
A total of 3,867 individuals have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in the metro-east’s seven counties, while a total of 17,201 vaccines have been administered, according to state health department data.
Madison County has administered the most vaccines, with a total of 5,993 as of Thursday, while St. Clair County has fully vaccinated the most individuals in the region with a total of 1,555.
Here is the breakdown of vaccinations per county:
- St. Clair County has administered 5,689 — 0.60% of its population
- Madison County has administered 5,993 — 0.49% of its population
- Monroe County has administered 918 — 0.39% of its population
- Washington County has administered 389 — 0.74% of its population
- Randolph County has administered 1,322 — 0.96% of its population
- Bond County has administered 460— 0.51% of its population
- Clinton County has administered 1,730 — 1.06% of its population
As of Thursday, Illinois had administered 414,296 vaccines.
Vaccine distribution is still in its earliest stage, known as 1A. Those who work in healthcare or work or are living in long-term care facilities are eligible to be vaccinated during the 1A phase.
The second phase of vaccinations, 1B, will include first responders and other healthcare workers. Officials expect the total vaccination of 1A to take at least another month.
COVID-19 positivity rate drops again in southwest Illinois
Meanwhile, Region 4’s COVID-19 seven-day positivity rate continued to drop Thursday, reporting its lowest rate since Nov. 1, when it was 10.3%.
The metro-east’s rolling seven-day average positivity rate was 10.3% on Thursday, down from 11.4% on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the region reported a daily positivity rate of 7.2% on Thursday, down from 10.3% on Wednesday and the lowest the rate has been since Oct. 15.
The number of available hospital and ICU beds in the seven-county metro-east, meanwhile, fell, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
As of Thursday, 12.2% of the metro-east’s staffed hospital beds were available for patient use, down from 12.4% on Wednesday, according to state health department data. Additionally, 15.3% of the region’s intensive care unit beds were available as of Thursday, down from 17.3% Wednesday.
Thursday also marked the 17th consecutive day the region’s hospital bed availability has been below the state-set threshold of at least 20% and the seventh-straight day the region’s ICU availability has been under the threshold, which plays a part in determining whether COVID-19 restrictions need to be tightened or relaxed. Currently, the entire state is in Tier 3 mitigations.
Overall, as of Thursday, Region 4 still had the highest positivity rate and the lowest hospital bed availability statewide.
The new testing positivity rate is based on data recorded as of Jan. 11, and the hospital and ICU bed availability is based on data recorded as of Jan. 13. A region’s positivity rate is its percentage of positive COVID-19 tests versus the number of tests taken over a seven-day period.
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.
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
Illinois reports new cases, deaths Thursday
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: 6,652 (+790)
New deaths: 88 (-9)
New tests: 118,036 (+41,929)
Total cases: 1,052,682
Total deaths: 17,928
Total vaccines administered: 414,296 (+29,638)
Total tests: 14,457,620
Hospitalizations: 3,511 (-131)
People in ICU: 742 (-7)
People on ventilators: 382 (-4)
Statewide positivity rate (from Jan. 7-13): 7.3% (-0.5%)
Thursday’s breakdown for Region 4
New cases (as of 7:30 p.m.): 339
New deaths (as of 7:30 p.m.): 6 (Madison County reported 3 deaths, St. Clair County reported 2 deaths and Randolph County reported one death)
Total vaccines administered: 17,201 (+1,715)
Daily positivity rate (as of Monday): 7.2% (-6.4)
Seven-day rolling average positivity rate (as of Monday): 10.3% (-1.1)
Regional hospitalizations: 181 (-25) (provided by St. Clair County)
Regional patients on ventilators: 17 (-1) (provided by St. Clair County)
Hospital bed availability: 12.2% (-0.2)
ICU bed availability: 15.3% (-2.0)
New cases from nearby counties outside Region 4: No new data as of 4:30 p.m.
New deaths from nearby counties outside Region 4: No new data as of 4:30 p.m.
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: 161 new positives, 2 new deaths, 2,124 new tests administered, 158 new recoveries, 4 fewer patients hospitalized, 1 additional patient on a ventilator
Total overall: 23,809 positives, 369 deaths, 229,583 tests administered, 21,332 recoveries, 95 patients hospitalized with 12 patients on ventilators
Vaccines administrated: St. Clair County is reporting 460 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday bringing the total to 5,689.
Additional data: People who tested positive ranged from under the age of 1 to their 90s. Of the 161 new positives, 79 individuals were under the age of 40.
Congregate living facilities: Cambridge House of Swansea reported two new cases and Four Fountains of Belleville reported two new cases.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 4.4% (-9.8); 7-day average — 8.9% (-1.8)
MADISON COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: 119 confirmed positives, 16 probable positives, 1,957 new tests administered, 3 new deaths
Total overall: 23,176 positives, 399 deaths, 211,855 tests administered, 14,018 recoveries, 55 patients hospitalized with 5 patients on ventilators
Vaccines administrated: Madison County is reporting 297 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday bringing the total to 5,993.
Additional data: People who tested positive ranged from under the age of 1 to their 90s. Of the 135 new positives, 88 individuals were under the age of 40.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 10.8% (-2.6); 7-day average — 11.4% (-0.5)
CLINTON COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: No new data as of 7:30 p.m.
Total overall: 4,885 positives, 77 deaths, 4,425 recoveries, 6 patients hospitalized
Vaccines administrated: Clinton County is reporting 148 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday bringing the total to 1,695.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 13.1% (+3.3); 7-day average — 10.9% (-0.2)
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: 20 new positives, 1 new death
Total overall: 3,684 positives, 66 deaths, 3,406 recoveries
Vaccines administrated: Randolph County is reporting 74 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,322.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 12.1% (-2.5); 7-day average — 10.1% (-0.5)
MONROE COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: 23 new positives
Total overall: 3,512 positives, 65 deaths, 29 patients hospitalized
Vaccines administrated: Monroe County is reporting 74 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday, bringing the total to 918.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 14.9% (-1.8); seven-day average — 12.0% (-1.1)
BOND COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: No new data as of 7:30 p.m.
Total overall: 1,806 positives, 17 deaths, 35,667 tests administered
Vaccines administrated: Bond County is reporting 43 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday, bringing the total to 460.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 20.8% (+6.8); seven-day average — 11.6% (+0.5)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: No new data as of 7:30 p.m.
Total overall: 1,427 positives, 23 deaths, 1,327 recoveries, 4 patients hospitalized
Vaccines administrated: Washington County is reporting 27 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday, bringing the total to 389.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 29.6% (+20.3); 7-day average — 19.0% (-1.0)
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: No new data as of 7:30 p.m.
Total overall: 3,895 positives, 94 deaths, 2,437 recoveries
Vaccines administrated: Macoupin County is reporting 107 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,541.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 5.1% (-2.6); 7-day average — 9.1% (-0.3)
JERSEY COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: No new data as of 7:30 p.m.
Total overall: 2,137 positives, 37 deaths, 20,768 tests administered, 2,031 recoveries
Vaccines administrated: Jersey County is reporting 20 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday, bringing the total to 795.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 19.2% (+10.2); 7-day average — 7.2% (-0.1)
PERRY COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: 68 new positives
Total overall: 2,702 positives, 52 deaths, 2,319 recoveries
Vaccines administrated: Perry County is reporting 11 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday, bringing the total to 734.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 11.1% (+6.7); 7-day average — 5.7% (-0.2)
CALHOUN COUNTY
Thursday’s new data: No new data as of 7:30 p.m.
Total overall: 449 positives, 4 deaths, 415 recoveries
Vaccines administrated: Calhoun County is reporting 3 people have been vaccinated since Wednesday, bringing the total to 229.
Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 16.7% (+10.2); 7-day average — 12.8% (+1.3)
Editor’s note: The number of new COVID-19 cases for ZIP codes in each county is reported on Mondays and shows the cumulative increase for the past week. 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, Worldometer coronavirus map, and Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus map as of Thursday afternoon.
- Illinois: 1,052,682 cases, 17,928 deaths, 14,457,620 tests
- U.S.: 23,397,662 cases, 390,513 deaths, 13,822,761 recoveries
- World: 92,306,227 cases, 1,977,735 deaths, 66,035,726 recoveries
Testing sites in southwestern Illinois
Here are some upcoming coronavirus testing options:
- 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.
Additionally, St. Clair County has a new service center at 330 W. Main St. in Belleville. The regular hours for the location are 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.
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 January 14, 2021 at 4:51 PM.