COVID-19 case rate stays at record low in metro-east, nearly 31% of state vaccinated

COVID-19 summary for Wednesday, April 28

The seven metro-east counties the Illinois Public Health Department has classified as Region 7 saw its COVID-19 case rate remain at a record low Wednesday.

The state health department listed metro-east Region 4 as having a seven-day average positivity rate of 2.5% for a second consecutive day. That rate is the lowest the average has been since the state health department began tracking COVID-19 throughout the region.

The state also reported a daily positivity rate of 4.0% on Wednesday, up from 2.9% on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, intensive care unit bed availability dropped slightly, from 36% on Tuesday to 35% on Wednesday.

According to data released by the state health department Wednesday, the metro-east region has now fully vaccinated 207,348 out of the estimated 660,225 who live here. In addition, 434,071 doses of the vaccine have been administered throughout the seven counties.

Meanwhile, Madison and St. Clair counties have combined to vaccinate 346,505 people and fully vaccinated 165,020 against the coronavirus.

Overall, Madison County has administered 176,725 COVID-19 vaccines and fully vaccinated 84,497 residents, while St. Clair County has administered 169,780 vaccines and fully vaccinated 80,523 individuals.

In total, nearly 3.9 million Illinoisans have been fully vaccinated, or 30.61% of the state’s population, according to IDPH data.

Wednesday’s breakdown for Region 4

New cases: 64 (+18)

New deaths: 2 (+2) (St. Clair County reported 1 new death and Monroe County reported 1 new death.)

Total vaccine doses administered (as of Tuesday): 434,071 (+3,652)

Daily positivity rate (as of Sunday): 4.0 (+1.1)

7-day average positivity rate (as of Sunday): 2.5% (no change)

Regional hospitalizations: 43 (+3) (provided by St. Clair County)

Regional patients on ventilators: 3 (no change) (provided by St. Clair County)

ICU bed availability (as of Tuesday): 35% (-0.1)

ST. CLAIR COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 25 new positives, 1 new death, 944 new tests administered, 17 new recoveries, 5 fewer patients hospitalized

Total overall: 30,354 positives, 476 deaths, 337,830 tests administered, 29,539 recoveries, 22 patients hospitalized with 2 patients on a ventilator

Vaccines administered: 1,495 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 169,780

% of population fully vaccinated: 30.84%

Additional data: People who tested positive ranged from under the age of 10 to their 80s. Of the 25 new positives, 22 were under the age of 40.

Congregate living facilities: Mar-Ka Nursing & Rehabilitation in Mascoutah reported 1 new case.

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 5.5% (+1.5); 7-day average — 2.8% (+0.1)

MADISON COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 25 new positives, 0 new deaths, 808 new tests administered, 25 new recoveries, 1 fewer patient hospitalized, 1 fewer patient on a ventilator

Total overall: 29,607 positives, 494 deaths, 307,531 tests administered, 29,281 recoveries, 15 patients hospitalized with 1 patient on a ventilator

Vaccines administered: 1,495 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 176,725

% of population fully vaccinated: 31.95%

Additional data: People who tested positive ranged from under the age of 10 to their 60s. Of the 25 new positives, 13 were under the age of 40.

Positivity rate (as of Sunday): Daily — 3.4 (+0.5); 7-day average — 2.0% (-0.1)

CLINTON COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 6 new positives, 0 new deaths, 4 new recoveries, 1 new patient hospitalized

Total overall: 5,732 positives, 90 deaths, 5,619 recoveries, 5 patients hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 83 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 25,352

% of population fully vaccinated: 32.96%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 8.5% (+7.9); 7-day average — 2.9% (+0.4)

RANDOLPH COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: No new data

Total overall: 4,130 positives, 85 deaths, 4,032 recoveries, 2 patients hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 187 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 17,428

% of population fully vaccinated: 26.06%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 0.0% (-1.0); 7-day average — 0.9% (-0.2)

MONROE COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 4 new positives, 1 new death, 1 fewer patient hospitalized

Total overall: 4,365 positives, 91 deaths, 3 patients hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 233 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 26,451

% of population fully vaccinated: 36.72%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 3.4% (+0.4); 7-day average — 1.5% (+0.2)

BOND COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 4 new positives, 437 new tests administered

Total overall: 2,170 positives, 24 deaths, 65,756 tests administered (Note: Bond County reported 3 new deaths Tuesday.)

Vaccines administered: 44 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 9,190

% of population fully vaccinated: 26.14%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 0.0% (no change); 7-day average — 2.0% (no change)

WASHINGTON COUNTY

Wednesday’s new data: 2 new positives, 2 new recoveries

Total overall: 1,643 positives, 29 deaths, 1,620 recoveries, 0 patients hospitalized

Vaccines administered: 61 doses Tuesday, bringing the total to 9,145

% of population fully vaccinated: 32.86%

Positivity rates (as of Sunday): Daily — 0.0% (-8.8); 7-day average — 2.3% (-0.4)

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: 2,728 (+172)

New deaths: 33 (+10)

New COVID-19 tests: 87,698 (+24,974)

Total cases: 1,328,454

Total deaths: 21,891

Total tests: 22,469,213

Total Illinoisans fully vaccinated against COVID-19: 3,835,491 (+64,162)— or 30.61% of the population

Total vaccine doses administered: 9,048,300 (+106,173)

Hospitalizations: 2,154 (-26)

People in ICU: 502 (no change)

People on ventilators: 238 (-13)

Statewide positivity rate (from April 21-27): 3.4% (-0.1)

Nation, world COVID-19 statistics

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

• U.S.: 32,927,091 cases, 587,384 deaths, 25,521,913 recoveries
  
  
• World: 149,359,111 cases, 3,149,381 deaths, 127,040,429 recoveries
  
  

Testing in southwestern Illinois, change at St. Clair Square site

Here is an upcoming coronavirus testing option:

• Thursday, April 29: 9-11 a.m. COVID-19 rapid testing at the Clinton County Fairgrounds, 1899 Methodist St., Carlyle.

Additionally, 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 Dillard’s. The facility previously was open daily. Now, per county health officials, it will be open Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Touchette Regional Hospital and Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation also offer daily testing in Wood River. Call 618-646-2596 for an appointment.

Vaccination sites

The following locations are COVID-19 vaccination sites:

• Every Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Sunday (closed Wednesday): 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the St. Clair County Fairgrounds, 200 South Belt East #2650, Belleville. https://www.facebook.com/SCC.HealthDepartment/

• Every Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 330 W. Main St., Belleville. As vaccine supply allows.

• Friday, April 30: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 4264 Piggott Ave., East St. Louis. This is through Touchette Regional Hospital and SIHF Healthcare. No appointment required. The Moderna vaccine will be distributed, so a second dose will be necessary in four weeks. The vaccine will be available to any Illinois resident age 18 and older, and 500 doses will be available each day. Please bring some form of identification as well as insurance information. However, insurance is not required, and there is no out-of-pocket cost to receive the vaccine.
  
  

Additionally, people can now call 1-844-216-4707 to make an appointment for a COVID vaccine at any HSHS vaccine clinic. Locally, HSHS vaccine clinics are located in O’Fallon, Edwardsville and Highland. For more information, visit www.hshs.org/vaccine.

• O’Fallon and Edwardsville: Vaccine appointments are required. COVID vaccine appointments are available to Illinois residents who are 18 years and older. Call 1-844-216-4707 to schedule, or people can schedule online. HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is administering a limited number of second dose vaccines through the end of April and then will pause their vaccine clinic and direct patients to HSHS Medical Group locations. HSHS Medical Group will continue to offer first and second doses at HSHS Medical Group Multispecialty Care, located at 1188 Illinois 157, Suite 100, in Edwardsville; and HSHS Medical Group Family Medicine, located at 1512 N. Green Mount Road, in O’Fallon.

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 during the same period. It is one measure Illinois uses to determine whether restrictions should be strengthened or loosened because it gives an indication of the infection rate 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 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
• % of population vaccinated: The number of county residents who have 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 April 28, 2021 at 4:08 PM.