COVID-19 cases increase again in St. Clair County, officials say. Here are details

St. Clair County continued to see a rise in COVID-19 cases, while hospitalizations also increased but deaths fell for the week of Nov. 11-17.

Overall, health officials announced 472 new COVID-19 cases the past week during Wednesday’s briefing. That number is up sharply from 331 the previous week and the 267 reported the period of Oct. 28-Nov. 3. The county announced no deaths after reporting five the previous week.

Hospitalization numbers in St. Clair County increased as well, from 18 last week to 26 this week, health officials reported during the weekly briefing. The number of patients on ventilators also rose slightly from zero last week to one this week.

With cases rising, St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Assistant Director Bryan Whitaker encouraged people to get vaccinated.

“The positive news is no new deaths for an entire week,” Whitaker said Wednesday. “That’s the first time we can remember being able to report that long of a period with no new COVID-related deaths. So that is definitely a positive step in the right direction. However, our case numbers are going up. We are seeing lots of cases in younger ages.

“So make sure you’re making those decisions, reviewing any questions that you have ... if you have not yet gotten vaccinated, take advantage of those vaccination opportunities that are available, because that is really what’s helping lower those death numbers and helping move us in an appropriate direction.”

Overall, the county now has 41,493 cases — including 1,070 the past three weeks — and 567 deaths since the pandemic began.

“Our case rate is high by CDC’s transmission rate,” St. Clair County Health Department Director Myla Blandford said. “So, again, we encourage everybody to get out and get a vaccine. If you have any questions, feel free to call the health department at 825-4447 for additional locations or check our website or social media.”

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

• 59% of current positive cases are under 40 and under, up from 50% last week.
• 21% of current positive cases are under 10, up from 12% last week.
  
  

“We continue to see those larger numbers in the younger age groups,” Blandford said.

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.

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: 26 people total hospitalized, with 20 of them unvaccinated. Last week, 18 people were hospitalized, with all of them unvaccinated.
• ICU: Seven individuals total in the ICU, with six of them unvaccinated. Last week, two people were in the ICU, with one of them unvaccinated.
• Ventilators: One individual total on a ventilator, and that person is unvaccinated. Last week, no patients were on ventilators.

Where to get vaccinated in St. Clair County

The St. Clair County Health Department’s location at 330 W. Main St. remains open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays for vaccinations.

All three vaccines — Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna — are offered every day there for anyone 12 and older. Appointments are recommended but not required. People can schedule an appointment at www.co.st-clair.il.us/departments/health-department or by phone at 618-233-7703.

Additionally, the health department is now offering Pfizer vaccine clinics for children age 5-11 at the department headquarters, 19 Public Square, Belleville.

The clinics take place from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. People should call 618-825-4447 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday to make an appointment or visit https://www.co.st-clair.il.us/departments/health-department to register. Appointments are required.

Various pediatric physician offices, Walgreens and CVS are offering the shots for young people, health officials said recently.

Madison County, Region 4 hospital figures

On Monday, nearby Madison County reported 423 new cases but no new deaths since Nov. 8 Overall, as of Wednesday, Madison County had reported 40,823 cases and 608 deaths since the pandemic began.

Also, the Madison County Health Department reported 24 patients hospitalized Monday, up from 16 patients as reported Nov. 8. Additionally, the number of people on ventilators remained at four.

Of note, the health department recently announced on its Facebook page that it will provide data updates Mondays and Thursdays only 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 increased sharply from 44 last week to 61 this week, county officials reported Wednesday, with the number of people on a ventilator rising from four to five.