St. Clair County reports its lowest COVID positivity rate since IL began tracking data

COVID summary for Thursday, Feb. 18

On Thursday, St. Clair County reported its lowest seven-day average positivity rate — 3.9% — since the Illinois Department of Public Health started tracking data June 11. Meanwhile, the metro-east region Thursday recorded a seven-day average positivity rate of 4.3%, down from 4.5% on Wednesday. This marked the region’s lowest positivity rate since June 25, when it stood at 3.9%. Additionally, Region 4’s ICU bed availability increased to 28% on Thursday from 27% on Wednesday. The region has now administered more than 94,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (94,352) and fully vaccinated 17,676 residents. Also as of Thursday, St. Clair County and Madison County had combined to fully vaccinate 12,755 people, according to IDPH data.

Thursday’s breakdown for Region 4

New cases: 159 (+36)

New deaths: 4 (-11) (St. Clair County reported 4 new deaths.)

Total vaccine doses administered: 94,352 (+3,908)

Daily positivity rate (as of Monday): 3.7% (+0.8)

7-day average positivity rate (as of Monday): 4.3% (-0.2)

Regional hospitalizations: 121 (+4)

Regional patients on ventilators: 13 (+2)

ICU bed availability (as of Wednesday): 28% (+1.0)

New cases from nearby counties outside Region 4 (includes Perry County’s data from Feb. 17; Calhoun County’s data from Feb. 10-17; and Jersey County’s data from Feb. 12-17): 139 (+132)

New deaths from nearby counties outside Region 4: 0 (-1)

ST. CLAIR COUNTY

Thursday’s new data: 64 new positives, 4 new deaths, 769 new tests administered, 86 new recoveries, 1 fewer patient hospitalized, 1 additional patients on a ventilator

Total overall: 27,454 positives, 442 deaths, 275,880 tests administered, 26,293 recoveries, 70 patients hospitalized with 5 individuals on ventilators

Vaccines administered: 2,208 doses Wednesday, bringing the total to 38,118

% of population fully vaccinated: 2.37%

Additional data: Individuals who tested positive ranged from under the age of 10 to their 80s. Of the 64 new positives, 27 were individuals under the age of 40.

Congregate living facilities: Cambridge House of O’Fallon reported 1 new case and St. Paul’s Home in Belleville reported 1 new case and 1 new death.

Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 2.6% (+0.4); 7-day average — 3.9% (-0.2)

MADISON COUNTY

Thursday’s new data: 71 new positives, 0 new deaths, 706 new tests administered, 209 new recoveries, 2 fewer patients hospitalized, 1 additional patient on a ventilator

Total overall: 27,065 positives, 457 deaths, 253,237 tests administered, 22,825 recoveries, 35 patients hospitalized with 7 individuals on ventilators

Vaccines administered: 1,322 doses Wednesday, bringing the total to 32,978

% of population fully vaccinated: 2.48%

Additional data: Individuals who tested positive ranged from under the age of 10 to their 80s. Of the 71 new positives, 42 individuals were under the age of 40.

Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 6.3% (-0.5); 7-day average — 7.0% (-0.3)

CLINTON COUNTY

Thursday’s new data: 13 new positives, 63 new recoveries

Total overall: 5,528 positives, 88 deaths, 5,338 recoveries, 9 patients hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 73 doses Wednesday, bringing the total to 7,604

% of population fully vaccinated: 4.72%

Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 1.4% (-1.1); 7-day average — 2.7% (-0.4)

RANDOLPH COUNTY

Thursday’s new data: 3 new positives, 6 new recoveries

Total overall: 3,955 positives, 82 deaths, 3,860 recoveries, 1 patient hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 194 doses Wednesday, bringing the total to 5,473

% of population fully vaccinated: 4.29%

Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 0.0% (no change); 7-day average — 1.2% (-0.4)

MONROE COUNTY

Thursday’s new data: 8 new positives

Total overall: 4,030 positives, 88 deaths, 20 patients hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 59 doses Wednesday, bringing the total to 5,190

% of population fully vaccinated: 2.55%

Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 15.0% (+7.5); 7-day average — 4.6% (-0.1)

BOND COUNTY

Thursday’s new data: No new data

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

Vaccines administered: 30 doses Wednesday, bringing the total to 2,649

% of population fully vaccinated: 2.77%

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

WASHINGTON COUNTY

Thursday’s new data: No new data

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

Vaccines administered: 22 doses Wednesday, bringing the total to 2,340

% of population fully vaccinated: 3.09%

Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 7.4% (+7.4); 7-day average — 5.7% (-0.1)

MACOUPIN COUNTY

Thursday’s new data: No new data

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

Vaccines administered: 97 doses Wednesday, bringing the total to 8,020

% of population fully vaccinated: 5.23%

Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 2.5% (+0.1); 7-day average — 3.4% (no change)

JERSEY COUNTY

Thursday’s new data (includes data from Feb. 12-17): 130 new positives, 571 new tests administered, 56 new recoveries

Total overall: 2,466 positives, 44 deaths, 25,755 tests administered, 2,392 recoveries

Vaccines administered: 33 doses Wednesday, bringing the total to 4,910

% of population fully vaccinated: 4.80%

Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 10.0% (+5.7); 7-day average — 6.1% (+0.4)

PERRY COUNTY

Thursday’s new data (includes data from Feb. 17): 7 new positives, 69 new recoveries

Total overall: 3,116 positives, 59 deaths, 3,008 recoveries

Vaccines administered: 43 doses Wednesday, bringing the total to 2,988

% of population fully vaccinated: 3.28%

Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 0.0% (-0.6); 7-day average — 1.7% (-0.1)

CALHOUN COUNTY

Thursday’s new data (includes data from Feb. 10-17): 2 new positives, 16 new recoveries

Total overall: 485 positives, 5 deaths, 482 recoveries

Vaccines administered: 3 doses Wednesday, bringing the total at 1,029

% of population fully vaccinated: 4.69%

Positivity rates (as of Monday): Daily — 50.0% (+50.0); 7-day average — 2.7% (+0.9)

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 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 of COVID-19: 1,966 (+171)

New deaths: 72 (+48)

New COVID-19 tests: 67,542 (+17,605)

Total cases: 1,168,683

Total deaths: 20,129

Total tests: 17,388,356

Total Illinoisans fully vaccinated against COVID-19: 472,755 (+26,740) — or 3.71% of the population

Total vaccine doses administered: 1,977,033 (+73,091)

Hospitalizations: 1,655 (-64)

People in ICU: 386 (+11)

People on ventilators: 184 (+8)

Statewide positivity rate (from Feb. 11-17): 2.7% (-0.1)

Nation, world COVID-19 statistics

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

• U.S.: 28,453,526 cases, 502,544 deaths, 18,596,497 recoveries
  
  
• World: 110,456,415 cases, 2,441,464 deaths, 85,355,430 recoveries
  
  

Testing sites in southwestern Illinois

Here are some upcoming coronavirus testing options:

• 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 18, 2021 at 4:54 PM.