Health officials report improving COVID-19 trends in St. Clair County. Here’s the latest

St. Clair County officials expressed continued optimism over decreasing COVID-19 metrics during Wednesday’s weekly COVID-19 briefing.

Overall, health officials announced 780 new COVID-19 cases from Feb. 3-9 in St. Clair County, down from the 1,844 cases reported Jan. 27-Feb. 2; the 3,103 cases reported Jan. 18-24; the 4,697 cases reported Jan. 13-19; and the 5,334 cases reported Jan. 6-12.

County officials, meanwhile, reported a weekly and seven-day positivity rate of 9.5% during Wednesday’s briefing, down sharply from 20.9% last week, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health. That figure represents St. Clair’s lowest positivity rate since Dec. 23, according to the IDPH.

Hospitalization numbers in St. Clair County also decreased from 57 last week to 45 this week, while the number of patients on ventilators dropped from four last week to three this week.

“I’m happy to say that the trajectory is a little better than it has been in the past,” St. Clair County Health Department Director Myla Blandford said during the briefing. “We continue that downward trend, which is really good.”

Here is a comparative look at the numbers released Wednesday vs. from the reporting period of Jan. 6-12:

• 5,334 new cases Jan. 6-12 vs. 780 new cases Feb. 3-9.
• 28.9% positivity rate Jan. 6-12 vs. 9.5% positivity rate Feb. 3-9.
• 136 hospitalizations Jan. 6-12 vs. 45 hospitalizations Feb. 3-9.

Additionally, for the reporting period of Dec. 30-Jan. 5, the county reported 12 people on ventilators vs. the three reported Wednesday.

Blandford also noted the county’s case rate for the current reporting period was 273, down from 543 last week and from rates of more than 2,000 in recent weeks.

“We hope that continues,” Blandford said.

The county, however, did announce 11 new deaths from Feb. 3-9. They include a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions; and three women in their 60s, three men in their 70s, two women in their 80s, a man in his 80s and a women in her 90s, all with unknown health conditions. There were no new deaths reported from Jan. 27-Feb. 2.

Overall, the St. Clair County now has 67,320 cases — including 26,239 the past 11 weeks — and 661 deaths since the pandemic began.

St. Clair County health officials do continue to see high case numbers among the younger population, with fluctuations from last week noted:

• 62% of cumulative positive cases are under 40, down slightly from 63% last week.
• 16% of current positive cases are between 11-20, the same as last week.
• 15.7% of current positive cases are under 10, down from 17% last week.

Overall, even with most metrics trending in the right direction, St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons and Blandford still stressed caution.

“We still have community spread as Myla said, so we’re still going to be cautious and still do what we have to do and just keep pushing towards Feb. 28 (when the state’s indoor mask mandate is lifted),” Simmons said.

Added Blandford, “We still have all the tools in place to keep us safe. Be up to date on your vaccine as soon as you’re eligible. Make sure that if you’re sick, you’re tested. Wear a mask in crowded places and wash your hands. That works not only for COVID but lots of respiratory illnesses.”

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 again presented the weekly 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’s what it showed:

• Hospitalizations: 45 people total hospitalized, with 32 of them unvaccinated. Last week, 57 people were hospitalized, with 44 of them unvaccinated.
• ICU: Seven individuals total in the ICU, with six of them unvaccinated. Last week, nine people were in the ICU, with six of them unvaccinated.
• Ventilators: Three individuals total on a ventilator, with two of them unvaccinated. Last week, four patients were on a ventilator, with three of them unvaccinated.

According to the data the Illinois Department of Public Health reported Wednesday, 54.57% (142,467) of St. Clair County residents are fully vaccinated and 60.56% (158,087) have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Pritzker’s mask announcement

County officials also discussed Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s announcement Wednesday reducing the mask mandate for most indoor locations effective Feb. 28.

“As we watched the press conference this afternoon, there were comments being made on there, ‘well, why the 28th?’ The simple answer to that is the trajectory of where we’re going from where we were a couple weeks back it is showing the decrease and that’s why they’ve set the date of Feb. 28,” Simmons said. “They’re following the science and the statistics that they have. We are getting closer to what we’ve been telling you about for 698 days now.”

Madison County, Region 4 hospital figures

Since the BND last reported data for Madison County on Jan. 26, the latest figures show an increase of 2,796 cases and 36 new deaths from the past two weeks. The case total is down from the 3,596 cases reported Jan. 26 but up sharply from the 12 deaths reported Jan. 26.

Overall, as of Wednesday, Madison County had reported 68,556 cases and 732 deaths since the pandemic began.

Also, the Madison County Health Department on Wednesday reported 59 patients hospitalized and 11 people on ventilators. The hospitalization numbers dropped significantly from 113 since the BND last reported Madison County’s data Jan. 26, while the number of people on ventilators decreased from 13.

The health department recently announced that it will provide data updates Mondays-Fridays 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 dropped from 251 two weeks ago to 108 this week, county officials reported Wednesday. The number of people on a ventilator in Region 4 also dropped from 14 two weeks ago to 13 this week.

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. Flu vaccines also are now available at this location. 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 offering Pfizer vaccine clinics for children age 5-11 at the department headquarters, 19 Public Square, Belleville.

The clinics take place in the evenings Monday-Wednesday and some select Saturdays, Blandford noted. 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.

Additionally, people can get tested or vaccinated at the St. Clair Square site. Previously open four days a week, the site now will be open six days a week — from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

Blandford recently noted vaccines for people 12 and older are only offered Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and all three — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — are available. However, the site does not provide vaccines for the 5-11 age group.

This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 9:00 AM.