Southwest IL health officials urge residents to get COVID tests, even if vaccinated

With St. Clair, Madison and Monroe counties now on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s COVID warning list, health officials are stressing the importance of testing.

Counties make the IDPH list on the basis of several risk indicators, including not testing residents in proportion to the rate of new infections. According to IDPH data as of Thursday, Madison and Monroe counties aren’t testing enough.

“We are still in a pandemic of a new virus. Testing helps us identify and catch the virus sooner and slow the spread,” said Amy Yeager, director of community health public information officer for the Madison County Health Department. “It’s important to get tested for the larger good of the community to try to slow the spread of the virus. ...

“We still need to be able to find the virus and we still need to be able to isolate and quarantine people to slow the spread of the virus. Testing is how we’re going to find the virus.”

Monroe County Health Department Administrator John Wagner also encouraged continued testing among those who are showing symptoms of the virus, though he says he was unaware that testing rates was included by IDHP as a risk factor.

And since those who have been vaccinated aren’t typically symptomatic and, therefore, not likely to submit to a coronavirus test, Wagner questions the accuracy of testing statistics.

“Obviously the positivity rate now does not mean the same thing as the positivity rate when we were mass testing everyone in the public,” he said Thursday. “Now, the only people getting testing are sick people. You wipe out half the population who’s been vaccinated for testing.

“By using this orange warning level based on positivity rate on numbers that were used last year is just ridiculous. It makes no sense whatsoever.”

St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons said Thursday he wasn’t familiar with the new testing metric, either, but has maintained since the pandemic began that testing is an important part of prevention.

“I’m not sure the metric the Illinois Department of Public Health uses for that, but getting tested is extremely important,” he said. “There could be people out there walking around asymptomatic. People who think it might be a summer cold should go get tested. It’s free. It’s painless. That’s the only way to rule it out — to get that test. I can’t stress that enough. It’s as important to get tested as it is to get vaccinated.”

Simmons noted the alarming spike in cases in neighboring Missouri and said Illinois residents, especially those in the metro-east, may be more vulnerable. In response to rising COVID-19 hospitalizations and the spread of the delta variant, the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County announced Friday that they will impose a mask mandate at indoor public places and on public transportation beginning Monday.

“Our problem is as hot as Missouri is ... a lot of our people work in Missouri and travel over there for shopping needs,” he said. “Unfortunately, the virus is making its way back across the river.”

Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties are part of what the IDPH classifies as Region 4 , which also consists of Bond, Clinton, Randolph and Washington counties.

According to IDPH data released Friday, Region 4’s seven-day positivity rate stood at 8.0%, the highest since Jan. 21. Madison’s seven-day rate was at 9.2% on Friday, Monroe’s at 7.4% and St. Clair’s at 8.3%, the highest since Jan. 13.

During the earlier outbreaks of the virus, an 8% positivity rate was the threshold that triggered state-issued mitigations such as mask mandates and capacity limits at public places.

Meanwhile, ICU bed availability for Region 4 dipped to 28%, according to data the IDPH released Friday, the lowest figure since March 29.

“I have not talked to the IDPH,” Wagner said Thursday. “There’s nobody to test. We could set up all the testing we want, but nobody is going to get tested unless they are sick and then they’re going to their doctor. Now you’re using positivity rates based on only sick people being tested.

“You’ve got to let this thing go and keep an eye on hospitalizations so we don’t overwhelm our hospitals. But there’s nothing more government should do or can do.”

Get tested even if fully vaccinated?

Wagner, Simmons and Yeager agreed, however, even people who have been fully vaccinated should get tested if they are not feeling well. Vaccines have been effective in preventing serious illnesses from COVID-19, but do not necessarily make the inoculated immune to carrying the virus, experiencing minor symptoms, or spreading it to others.

So-called “breakthrough cases” have been increasing in frequency, but are still relatively rare, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“I know people who became ill and thought it was a sinus infection and had been vaccinated and went ahead and got tested just to be sure it wasn’t COVID,” Simmons said. “There are a low percentage of the breakthrough cases.

“(Getting tested) is peace of mind. If they’re offering the testing and vaccine for free, there’s no reasonable explanation for why people aren’t taking advantage of it.”

Wagner, meanwhile, said being extra cautious is crucial, especially since people may not know who around them has been vaccinated and since the delta variant has proven to be so contagious.

“If they suspect they’ve had some type of exposure or been in some high-risk areas or large group settings, they definitely should get tested,” Wagner said. “They’re seeing enough breakthrough cases ... if you’re not feeling well, go get tested whether you’ve been vaccinated or not.”

Yeager said continued testing is “the responsible thing,” even for those who have been vaccinated because they may still spread the virus to others.

“Just because you’re vaccinated, someone in your household may not be. You should get tested regardless if you have symptoms,” she said. “You can still get the virus if you’re vaccinated. You just have a much smaller chance of getting it and you’re more likely to have milder symptoms.”

Other IDHP risk indicators include a surge of 50 new cases per 100,000 people, weekly testing positivity rates, intensive care unit capacity, and others.

Latest vaccination data for Illinois, Region 4

Overall, according to data the IDPH released Friday, 6,407,664 Illinois residents have been fully vaccinated, or 50.29% of the population. Here is additional Region 4 data:

• Madison County: 114,547 individuals have been fully vaccinated — 43.31% of the population.
• Monroe County: 16,164 individuals have been fully vaccinated — 47.08% of the population.
• St. Clair County: 108,732 individuals have been fully vaccinated — 41.64% of the population.

Overall, Region 4 has now fully vaccinated 278,954 people out of the estimated 660,225 who live in the region.

Testing options

The Illinois Department of Public Health has mobile testing teams at 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. It is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Saturday. Several area pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens offer free testing, as do Memorial and St. Elizabeth’s hospitals.

In Madison County, CVS and Walgreens locations offer free testing. Touchette Regional Hospital and Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation also offer daily testing in Wood River. Call 618-646-2596 for an appointment.

Where to find the COVID vaccine in the metro-east

Local health departments and pharmacies continue to offer the shot.

In St. Clair County, the location at 330 W. Main St. in Belleville is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. People can use the drive-up option for the Pfizer vaccine, but need an appointment for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

Additional options include chain stores such as Walgreens and CVS or local pharmacies like the Freeburg Pharmacy and the Smithton Pharmacy. There is walk-in availability, but appointments are recommended.

Also, New Life in Christ Church, 689 Troy-Scott Road, O’Fallon, will host the following vaccine clinic:

• Friday, July 30, and Saturday, Aug. 1: 5-8 p.m. Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson
• Friday, Aug. 20, and Saturday, Aug. 21: 5-8 p.m. Pfizer second dose.

For more information on this clinic, call 618-632-6542 or email nlreceptionist@nlicic.org.

Here are some upcoming vaccination opportunities in Madison County:

• Thursday, July 29: 3:30-7:30 p.m. Madison County Health Department, 101 E. Edwardsville Road in Wood River. Visit madisonchd.org to make an appointment.
  
  

Yeager said recently all the pharmacies in the county, specifically all the Walgreens and CVS locations, are giving the vaccine as well.

She also recommended calling local pediatrician offices.

“A lot of the pediatrician offices in our county have the vaccine,” Yeager said. “A lot of them are giving the vaccine to people who aren’t even their patients.”