St. Clair County’s has lowest COVID infection rate since early November. Here are details

St. Clair County health officials again reported declining COVID-19 metrics during Wednesday’s weekly briefing.

Overall, health officials announced 362 new COVID-19 cases in St. Clair County from Feb. 17-23, down from the 721 new cases reported Feb. 10-16; 780 new cases reported Feb. 3-9; 1,844 cases reported Jan. 27-Feb. 2; 3,103 cases reported Jan. 18-24; 4,697 cases reported Jan. 13-19; and 5,334 cases reported Jan. 6-12.

County officials, meanwhile, reported a weekly and seven-day positivity rate of 3.5% during Wednesday’s briefing, down from 5.8% last week, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health. That figure represents St. Clair’s lowest positivity rate since Nov. 12, according to the state health department.

Hospitalization numbers in St. Clair County remained at 22 this week, while the number of patients on ventilators also remained at one.

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. 362 new cases Feb. 17-23.
• 28.9% positivity rate Jan. 6-12 vs. 3.5% positivity rate Feb. 17-23.
• 136 hospitalizations Jan. 6-12 vs. 22 hospitalizations Feb. 17-23.

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

The county, however, did announce three new deaths from Feb. 17-23 — a woman in her 90s with underlying health conditions; and a man in his 60s and a man in his 80s with unknown health conditions — after reporting five new deaths from Feb. 10-16.

Overall, St. Clair County now has 68,403 cases and 669 deaths since the pandemic began.

St. Clair County health officials also reported decreases and increases in the case numbers among the younger population, with fluctuations from last week noted:

• 58.3% of cumulative positive cases are under 40, up slightly from 57% last week.
• 8.5% of current positive cases are between 11-20, down from 13.3% last week.
• 15.8% of current positive cases are under 10, up from 13.8% last week.

COVID hospitalization data

St. Clair County Health Department Director Myla Blandford 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 are the results:

• Hospitalizations: 22 people total hospitalized, with 14 of them unvaccinated. Last week, 22 people were hospitalized, with 15 of them unvaccinated.
• ICU: Four individuals total in the ICU, with three of them vaccinated. Last week, six people were in the ICU, with three of them unvaccinated.
• Ventilators: One individual total on a ventilator, with that person being vaccinated. Last week, one patient was on a ventilator, with that person also being vaccinated.

According to the data the Illinois Department of Public Health reported Wednesday, 55.25% (144,242) of St. Clair County residents are fully vaccinated.

Madison County, Region 4 hospital figures

Since the BND last reported data for Madison County on Feb. 16, the latest figures show an increase of 195 cases and six new deaths from the past week.

The case total is down sharply from the 561 cases reported last week, 2,796 cases reported the week prior and 3,596 cases reported the week prior to that. The death total, meanwhile, is down from the 20 deaths reported Feb. 16.

Overall, as of Wednesday, Madison County had reported 69,117 cases and 758 deaths since the pandemic began.

Also, the Madison County Health Department on Wednesday reported 30 patients hospitalized and three people on ventilators. The hospitalization numbers dropped from 33 since the BND last reported Madison County’s data Feb. 16, while the number of people on ventilators remained the same.

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 57 last week to 48 this week, county officials reported Wednesday. The number of people on a ventilator in Region 4 also dropped from four last week to three 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.