St. Clair County reports rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths, decrease in hospitalizations

St. Clair County reported decreases in hospitalizations and people on ventilators and increases in cases and deaths for the week of Oct. 28-Nov. 3, health officials said during Wednesday’s weekly COVID briefing.

Overall, health officials announced 267 COVID-19 cases, up from 218 the period of Oct. 21-27. They also reported four new deaths, up from two the previous week.

However, hospitalization numbers in St. Clair County decreased from 23 last week to 22 this week, health officials reported Wednesday. The number of patients on ventilators also dropped from three last week to two this week.

Overall, the county now has had 40,690 cases and 562 deaths since the pandemic began. The deaths this past week included a man in his 40s, a woman in her 70s, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 90s, all with unknown health conditions.

St. Clair County health officials also continue to see higher case numbers among the younger population, with increases from last week noted:

• 57% of current positive cases are under 40 and under, up from 51% last week.
• 27% of current positive cases are under 20 and under, up from 20% two weeks ago.
• 13% of current positive cases are under 10, up from 12% last week.

“Our numbers are going up, so that’s headed in the wrong direction,” St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said during the briefing. “We don’t want to see that. Let’s all be careful and see if we can get the numbers back down again.”

COVID still hitting unvaccinated people hardest

The latest data from local medical facilities continues to show unvaccinated people stand a higher chance of being hospitalized than vaccinated people, if they catch the COVID-19 virus.

As done weekly, St. Clair County Health Department Director Myla Blandford presented a graphic from Touchette Regional Hospital, Memorial Hospital and HSHS St. Elizabeth’s hospital breaking down overall hospitalizations, ICU patients and those on ventilators among vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

Here are the results:

• Hospitalizations: 22 people total hospitalized, with 15 of them unvaccinated. Last week, 23 people were hospitalized, with 16 of them unvaccinated.
• ICU: Eight individuals total in the ICU, with six of them unvaccinated. Last week, five people were in the ICU, with all of them unvaccinated.
• Ventilators: Two people on ventilators, with both of them unvaccinated. Last week, three people were on ventilators, with all of them unvaccinated.

Fairgrounds closing as mass vaccination site

The Belle Clair Fairgrounds & Expo Center in Belleville continues to serve as a drive-thru mass vaccination site for first, second, booster, or third doses. The location is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, with the last available drive up appointment at 7 p.m.

However, the last day for operation will be Wednesday, Nov. 10, officials announced during the press conference.

Here is the upcoming schedule:

• Thursday, Nov. 4: Pfizer
• Tuesday, Nov. 9: Pfizer
• Wednesday, Nov. 10: Moderna

“I saw the fairgrounds today had a big line of cars. People are taking advantage of the services,” Kern said. “We’re still encouraging people ... we want to make sure that if you haven’t been vaccinated, get vaccinated.”

Blandford noted the health department is still offering free flu vaccines at the fairgrounds as well.

Madison County, Region 4 hospital figures

For the week of Oct. 25-29, nearby Madison County on Monday reported 165 new cases and two new deaths. Overall, as of Wednesday, Madison County had reported 40,033 cases and 606 deaths since the pandemic began.

Also for the period of Oct. 25-29, the Madison County Health Department reported 19 patients hospitalized due to COVID and three people on ventilators.

Of note, the health department on Monday announced on their Facebook page they will provide data updates Mondays and Thursday moving forward.

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

Regionally, the number of patients hospitalized decreased from 50 last week to 43 this week, county officials reported Wednesday, with the number of people on a ventilator falling from five to three.

This story was originally published November 3, 2021 at 6:03 PM.