COVID-19 cases are increasing in southwestern Illinois. Here’s a county-by-county look

COVID-19 positivity rates again showed increases this week, and are starting to more resemble the figures of the spikes of late summer.

Here is a breakdown of recent positivity rate data and vaccine distribution in Region 4, which consists of Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair and Washington counties.

Region 4 positivity rates

Positivity rate is one key metric the Illinois Department of Public Health measures to determine what mitigations may be needed to stem spread.

Below are some recent trends for Region 4, according to data released by the state health department Wednesday.

• The positivity rate for Region 4 increased from 4.4% on Nov. 21 to 6.6% this week, marking the highest it’s been since 6.7% on Sept. 13. The 6.6% also represents the same positivity rate Region 4 reported in early September.
• Six of the seven counties reported increases from last week to this week.
  
  
• Five of the seven counties l reported positivity rates below the 8% threshold.
• Five of the seven counties reported lower positivity rates than from early September.
• The highest positivity rate reported in Region 4 was 9.0% in Washington County.
  
  

While the current infection metrics appear headed in the wrong direction, cases are apparently not severe. According to state data:

• The ICU bed availability has remained above the 20% threshold for 88-straight days.
• The Region 4 positivity rate has remained under the 8% threshold 90 consecutive days.
• While there have been hospital patient increases every day since Nov. 18, the state health department still reports 343 consecutive days of COVID-19 patient decreases or stable.

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

• Region 4: 6.6% on Nov. 28; 4.4% on Nov. 21; and 6.6% on Sept. 3.
  
  
• Bond County: 5.1% on Nov. 28; 5.3% on Nov. 21; and 6.4% on Sept. 3.
  
  
• Clinton County: 5.4% on Nov. 28; 3.1% on Nov. 21; and 5.5% on Sept. 3.
• Madison County: 6.2% on Nov. 28; 4.3% on Nov. 21; and 6.9% on Sept. 3.
• Monroe County: 8.7% on Nov. 28; 5.6% on Nov. 21; and 8.1% on Sept. 3.
• Randolph County: 4.3% on Nov. 28; 3.8% on Nov. 21; and 6.0% on Sept. 3.
• St. Clair County: 7.4% on Nov. 28; 6.7% on Nov. 21; and 6.4% on Sept. 3.
• Washington County: 9.0% on Nov. 28; 6.7% on Nov. 21; and 10.9% on Sept. 3.

Region 4’s ICU bed availability was at 29% on Wednesday, the same its been since Nov. 24, according to state data. It was at 31% on Nov. 23 and 21% in early September.

Region 4 vaccinations

According to data released by the state health department Wednesday, 339,854 people in Region 4 have been fully vaccinated out of the estimated 660,225 who live in the region, or about 51.4%.

Madison and St. Clair counties continue to vaccinate the most people in Region 4, combining to fully vaccinate 272,383 people.

Vaccine breakdown by county

Here is the latest vaccination data from Region 4:

• Bond County: 7,150 people have been fully vaccinated, or 42.99% of the population.
• Clinton County: 19,376 people have been fully vaccinated, or 51.48% of the population.
• Madison County: 139,281 people have been fully vaccinated, or 52.67% of the population.
• Monroe County: 18,976 people have been fully vaccinated, or 55.27% of the population.
• Randolph County: 14,713 people have been fully vaccinated, or 45.83% of the population.
• St. Clair County: 133,102 people have been fully vaccinated, or 50.99% of the population.
• Washington County: 7,256 people have been fully vaccinated, or 51.85% of the population.

For state totals, according to Wednesday’s data, 7,400,161 Illinois residents have been fully vaccinated, or 58.08%.