COVID-19 cases, positivity rates & hospitalizations remain high in southwestern Illinois

Here is the latest data from St. Clair and Madison counties, along with positivity rates and hospitalization figures from the metro-east, Region 4:

Update from St. Clair, Madison counties

According to health officials during Wednesday’s daily press conference, St. Clair County saw a decrease in new cases from last week and a slight drop in deaths.

Overall, the county officials announced 757 new COVID-19 cases for the week of Aug. 26-Sept. 1 — down slightly from 773 the previous week — and six new deaths — down from seven the previous week. Overall, the county now has 37,142 cases and 514 deaths since the pandemic began.

Hospitalization numbers in St. Clair County increased slightly from the previous week, rising from 77 to 78, health officials reported Wednesday. The number of patients on ventilators also rose — from five last week to seven this week.

St. Clair County is part of what the Illinois Department of Public Health classifies as Region 4, which also includes Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, and Washington counties.

And, regionally, the number of patients hospitalized rose slightly from 152 last week to 153 this week, county officials reported, with the number of people on a ventilator rising from 16 last week to 18 this week.

Additionally, St. Clair County health officials continue to see high case numbers among the younger population:

• 59.7% of current positive cases are under 40, up from 56% last week.
• 28% of current positive cases are under 21, up from 25% last week.
• 16% of current positive cases are under 10, up from 11% last week.

Meanwhile, nearby Madison County reported 167 new cases Wednesday, bringing the total to 35,562 since the pandemic began. The county also announced one new death Wednesday for a total of 558. Overall, that represents an increase of 724 cases from Aug. 26-Sept. 1 — up from 717 the period of Aug. 19-25 — and seven new deaths the past week, the same as the week prior.

The Madison County Health Department on Wednesday also reported 57 patients hospitalized due to COVID, down from 60 last week. Additionally, the county reported 11 individuals on ventilators, up from 10 a week ago.

Region 4 positivity rates

Every county in the metro-east has been placed on the state health department’s COVID-19 warning list, which tracks the spread and impact of COVID-19.

Positivity rate is one key metric the agency measures to determine whether to reinstate restrictions.

Below are some trends for Region 4 from Aug. 26-Sept. 1, according to data released by the state health department Wednesday.

• The positivity rate for Region 4 rose slightly but remained under 9% for the ninth time in 10 days.
• Two counties reported double digit positivity rates.
• Four counties reported decreases from last week.
• Five counties reported single-digit positivity rates.

Here is a more detailed look at the seven-day rate fluctuations for Region 4 counties from one week ago and one month ago, according to the most recent data released by the state health department Wednesday:

• Region 4: 8.6% on Aug. 29; 8.5% on Aug. 22; and 10.1% on July 30.
• Bond County: 16.4% on Aug. 29; 8.6% on Aug. 22; and 2.8% on July 30.
• Clinton County: 7.9% on Aug. 29; 4.6% on Aug. 22; and 12.4% on July 30.
• Madison County: 8.8% on Aug. 29; 8.7% on Aug. 22; and 10.2% on July 30.
• Monroe County: 10.4% on Aug. 29; 11.1% on Aug. 22; and 10.4% on July 30.
• Randolph County: 8.0% on Aug. 29; 10.2% on Aug. 22; and 8.1% on July 30.
• St. Clair County: 8.2% on Aug. 29; 8.7% on Aug. 22; and 10.2% on July 30.
• Washington County: 8.9% on Aug. 29; 9.3% on Aug. 22; and 17.1% on July 30.

Region 4’s ICU bed availability remains a concern, standing at 21% on Wednesday. That figure also was at 21% one week ago and at 28% a month ago.

This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 8:00 AM.