Three southwest Illinois counties put on COVID-19 warning list by IDPH
Three metro-east counties have been put on a warning list by the Illinois Department of Public Health because they meet risk indicators that track the spread of COVID-19.
St. Clair, Madison and Monroe counties were added to the list, along with 11 others across the state this week. Region 4, which is comprised of the seven-county metro-east region, has a seven-day average of new cases of 7.7%.
During early breakouts of the virus, an 8% positivity rate triggered mitigations such as mask mandates and capacity limits at public places.
On Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker told Fox 32 Chicago that he hasn’t ruled out another shutdown due to the rise of COVID-19. He said he is watching closely the counties that border Missouri, which currently has the highest growth of new COVID-19 infections in the country.
“Missouri is … the worst state in the nation right now and it’s right on our border,” Pritzker told the news station. “And (COVID-19) is pouring over, unfortunately, across the border into metro east and southern Illinois.”
IDPH puts counties on the warning list by tracking several indicators, including when case rates rise above 50 new cases per 100,000 people, weekly testing positivity, intensive care unit capacity, and several other indicators.
Madison County currently meets four of those warning indicators.
IDPH reported the there were 96 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, emergency room visits due to COVID-19 were at 2.1%, its weekly test positivity average stood at 8.2% as of last week and not enough testing is being done compared to the rate of infections.
The county’s seven-day average COVID-19 positivity rate stood at 1.7 on June 5 and has steadily climbed throughout the last month.
In St. Clair County, two of the warning indicators have been met.
IDPH reported as of last week that there were 115 new cases COVID-19 per 100,000 people and, currently, 3% of emergency room visits are due to the virus.
During a weekly briefing in St. Clair County on Wednesday, ICU Medical Director Dr. Jiggar Hindia told county officials the local hospitals are currently seeing another surge of hospitalizations due to COVID-19. He said 98% of COVID-19 patients who come to Memorial Hospital have not been vaccinated.
Monroe County has met three warning indicators, according to IDPH.
As of last week, the county had 52 new cases per 100,000 people, had a 11.4% seven-day average and isn’t testing enough people for the virus compared to the rate of infections.
Several other counties in southern Illinois also are on the warning list, including Jefferson, Franklin, White, Edwards and Massac counties.
This story was originally published July 22, 2021 at 10:30 AM.