Vaccinations continue to increase in southwestern Illinois while cases hold steady

COVID summary for Wednesday, Feb. 17

The metro-east Wednesday recorded a seven-day average positivity rate of 4.5%, down slightly from 4.7% on Tuesday. Additionally, Region 4’s ICU bed availability remained at 27%. The region has now administered more than 90,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (90,444) and fully vaccinated 16,624 residents. Meanwhile, St. Clair County reported a seven-day average positivity rate of 4.1% on Wednesday. The only other time it’s been that low since the Illinois Department of Public Health started tracking COVID data June 11 was June 24, when it also was 4.1%

Wednesday’s breakdown for Region 4

This information is provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health and county health departments. The number in parentheses shows the difference from the previous day’s increase or total.

New cases (includes Washington County’s data from Feb. 16 and Clinton County’s data from Feb. 14-16): 123 (+63)

New deaths: 15 (+14) (St. Clair County reported 11 new deaths; Madison County reported 3 new deaths; and Randolph County reported 1 new death.)

Total vaccine doses administered: 90,444 (+1,899)

Daily positivity rate (as of Sunday): 2.9% (-2.5)

7-day average positivity rate (as of Sunday): 4.5% (-0.2)

Regional hospitalizations: 117 (+6)

Regional patients on ventilators: 11 (+6)

ICU bed availability (as of Tuesday): 27% (no change)

New cases from nearby counties outside Region 4: 7 (-2)

New deaths from nearby counties outside Region 4: 1 (+1) (Macoupin County reported 1 new death.)

ST. CLAIR COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 69 new positives, 11 new deaths, 672 new tests administered, 3 additional patients hospitalized, 2 additional patients on ventilators; (Note: St. Clair County health officials noted during Wednesday’s daily briefing the 11 deaths include delayed reporting from long term care facilities from the past 2 weeks.)

Total overall: 27,390 positives, 438 deaths, 275,111 tests administered, 26,207 recoveries, 71 patients hospitalized with 4 individuals on ventilators

Vaccines administered: 1,363 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 35,910

% of population fully vaccinated: 2.21%

Additional data: Individuals who tested positive ranged from under the age of 10 to their 70s. Of the 69 new positives, 35 were individuals under the age of 40.

Congregate living facilities: Cedar Ridge Health and Rehab Center in Lebanon reported 2 new deaths; Cedar Trails-Freeburg reported 1 new death; The Colonnade Senior Living in O’Fallon reported 1 new death; The Don Bosco Home if Belleville reported 2 new cases; Freeburg Care Center reported 1 new death; and Integrity Healthcare of Smithton reported 1 new case.

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 2.2% (-3.0); 7-day average — 4.1% (-0.1)

MADISON COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 31 new positives, 3 new deaths, 504 new tests administered, 198 new recoveries, 10 additional patients hospitalized, 3 additional patients on ventilators

Total overall: 26,994 positives, 457 deaths, 252,531 tests administered, 22,616 recoveries, 37 patients hospitalized with 6 individuals on ventilators

Vaccines administered: 332 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 31,656

% of population fully vaccinated: 2.35%

Additional data: Individuals who tested positive ranged from under the age of 20 to their 80s. Of the 31 new positives, 12 were individuals under the age of 40.

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 6.8% (-0.7); 7-day average — 7.3% (-0.3)

CLINTON COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data (includes data from Feb. 14-16): 12 new positives, 47 new recoveries, 1 fewer patient hospitalized

Total overall: 5,515 positives, 88 deaths, 5,275 recoveries, 9 patients hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 37 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 7,531

% of population fully vaccinated: 4.61%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 2.5% (+1.7); 7-day average — 3.1% (-0.1)

RANDOLPH COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 1 new positive, 1 new death, 3 new recoveries, 1 fewer patient hospitalized

Total overall: 3,952 positives, 82 deaths, 3,854 recoveries, 1 patient hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 91 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 5,279

% of population fully vaccinated: 3.73%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 0.0% (-3.3); 7-day average — 1.6% (-0.1)

MONROE COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 9 new positives, 1 fewer patient hospitalized

Total overall: 4,022 positives, 88 deaths, 20 patients hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 67 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 5,131

% of population fully vaccinated: 2.49%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 7.5% (+2.4); 7-day average — 4.6% (+0.1)

BOND COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: No new data

Total overall: 1,994 positives, 21 deaths, 38,137 tests administered

Vaccines administered: 2 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 2,619

% of population fully vaccinated: 2.63%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 0.0% (-1.7); 7-day average — 1.7% (no change)

WASHINGTON COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data (includes data from Feb. 16): 1 new positive, 5 new recoveries, 1 additional patient hospitalized

Total overall: 1,575 positives, 27 deaths, 1,544 recoveries, 1 patient hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 8 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 2,318

% of population fully vaccinated: 3.02%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 0.0% (-17.4); 7-day average — 5.8% (-0.3)

MACOUPIN COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 7 new positives, 1 new death, 45 new positives

Total overall: 4,444 positives, 108 deaths, 3,565 recoveries

Vaccines administered: 27 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 7,923

% of population fully vaccinated: 5.12%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 2.4% (-3.3); 7-day average — 3.4% (-0.2)

JERSEY COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: No new data

Total overall: 2,336 positives, 44 deaths, 25,184 tests administered, 2,439 recoveries

Vaccines administered: 40 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 4,877

% of population fully vaccinated: 4.77%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 4.3% (-2.2); 7-day average — 5.7% (-0.6)

PERRY COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: No new data

Total overall: 3,109 positives, 59 deaths, 2,939 recoveries

Vaccines administered: 7 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 2,945

% of population fully vaccinated: 3.23%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 0.6% (-1.0); 7-day average — 1.8% (-0.2)

CALHOUN COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: No new data

Total overall: 483 positives, 5 deaths, 466 recoveries

Vaccines administered: 0 doses Tuesday, keeping the total at 1,026

% of population fully vaccinated: 4.69%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 0.0% (no change); 7-day average — 1.8% (-0.3)

Editor’s note: The number of new COVID-19 cases by ZIP code in each county is reported on Mondays and shows the increase for the past week. Information comes from county sources and the Illinois Department of Public Health website.

Illinois reports new COVID cases, deaths Wednesday

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 of COVID-19: 1,795 (+447)

New deaths: 24 (-8)

New COVID-19 tests: 49,937 (+3,307)

Total cases: 1,166,717

Total deaths: 20,057

Total tests: 17,320,814

Total Illinoisans fully vaccinated against COVID-19: 446,015 (+15,526) — or 3.50% of the population

Total vaccine doses administered: 1,903,942 (+40,380)

Hospitalizations: 1,719 (-7)

People in ICU: 375 (-10)

People on ventilators: 176 (-3)

Statewide positivity rate (from Feb. 10-16): 2.8% (no change)

Nation, world COVID-19 statistics

Here are the latest available statistics from the Worldometer and Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus map as of Wednesday afternoon.

• U.S.: 28,381,220 cases, 499,991 deaths, 18,479,418 recoveries
  
  
• World: 110,054,075 cases, 2,430,159 deaths, 84,880,985 recoveries
  
  

Testing sites in southwestern Illinois

Here are some upcoming coronavirus testing options:

• Thursday, Feb. 25: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at Quad City/Mt. Nebo Complex, 1634 Seventh St., Madison.
  
  
• Saturday, Feb. 27: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Madison County Health Department, 101 E. Edwardsville Road, Wood River.
  
  

• Every Tuesday and Thursday: 9-11 a.m. COVID-19 rapid testing at the Clinton County Fairgrounds, 1899 Methodist St., Carlyle.

The Illinois Department of Public Health will continue to deploy mobile testing teams to locations in East St. Louis, including 4601 State St., 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.

The testing site at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis has been moved to St. Clair Square mall, in the parking lot behind Dillards. It’s open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. It’s a drive-thru with four tents, allowing people to stay in their cars.

St. Clair County has a new service center at 330 W. Main St. in Belleville. Its regular hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays; and 7 a.m.-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.

COVID-19 definition key

• Region 4: The state-defined metro-east region includes St. Clair, Madison, Clinton, Monroe, Randolph, Bond and Washington counties.
• Daily positivity rate: The percentage of tests performed in a single day that were positive for COVID-19. Source: dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics
• 7-day average positivity rate: The number of positive tests in a week divided by the total number of tests performed in that time. It is one measure Illinois uses to determine whether business restrictions should be strengthened or loosened because it gives an indication of the rate of infection in a community. The state-defined target is 8% or less. Source: dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics
• Hospitalizations: The number of patients in the hospital who have COVID-19 or are suspected of having the disease.
• ICU bed availability: The number of staffed intensive-care unit beds that are empty over seven days divided by the total number of beds in the region. It is another measure the state uses to make decisions about business restrictions. The state-defined target is 20% or more. Source: dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics
• Vaccine doses administered: The number of shots provided to individuals. Authorized COVID-19 vaccines require two shots. Source: dph.illinois.gov/covid19/vaccinedata
• % population vaccinated: The number of county residents who received both shots of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine divided by the county’s total population. Source: dph.illinois.gov/covid19/vaccinedata

This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 4:21 PM.