Here’s how a quick end to coronavirus rules in Missouri could hurt southwest Illinois
The metro-east portion of St. Louis will be on its own to prevent community spread from Missouri, whose Republican governor refused to join a Midwest coronavirus pact, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday.
St. Louis City and County have taken a regional approach in extending stay-at-home orders through mid-May, but other eastern Missouri areas, including Franklin County, have announced intentions to begin rolling back restrictions.
Metro-east leaders have expressed concern about community spread of COVID-19 from Missouri, where Gov. Mike Parson has responded to the coronavirus pandemic slower than the Illinois governor.
After Missouri’s stay-at-home order ends May 4, “almost every business in the state of Missouri will be able to open their doors,” Parson said , the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday.
A “piecemeal” approach to restrictions during the pandemic could result in a resurgence of the virus, St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern said at a news conference in late March.
“Unfortunately, when you have a piecemeal effort going on in some states, that’s a problem,” Kern said. “What we don’t want to happen is to have an area that all of a sudden becomes a hotspot and reinfects the region.”
Pritzker said there’s nothing he can do about how neighboring governors decide to reopen businesses. Last week, Illinois joined a pact with the governors of Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky to develop a plan for reopening.
When asked if he has had “any luck” working with Parson, Pritzker said, “No.”
“We reached out to Missouri and they are not interested in joining that pact,” the governor added. “Because we have no national strategy that everybody is following that works for everybody, the individual governors are making their own decisions.”
Parson’s stay-at-home order left it up to local governments to decide how they wanted to implement restrictions, The Kansas City Star reported earlier this month.
Illinois’ stay-at-home order ends April 30, but Pritzker has indicated he might extend his order.
Coronavirus cases still increasing
The governor reminded southern Illinois residents that though there are fewer cases in downstate areas that the virus can still spread there.
Illinois will need to do thousands more tests per week before Pritzker considers lifting stay-at-home orders, the governor said at a press briefing in Chicago Wednesday.
“I think I’ve foreshadowed for everybody and it’s widely understood that what we need in order to open up economy are things we don’t have in place,” Pritzker said.
The state has fallen short of the 10,000 tests Pritzker has said are needed daily to track how widespread COVID-19 is in Illinois. It could be another week before the state meets that goal.
The governor also called for better tracing of the virus’ community spread and more personal protective equipment is needed. He said states that have lifted their stay-at-home orders could see a resurgence of cases.
“I think people might get sick. Many people might get sick as a result of that,” Pritzker said.
Masks or face coverings and social distances will be necessary after the stay-at-home orders are lifted, Pritzker added.
“Until we can literally rid our state, our country, our planet of this scourge of COVID-19, things are going to be a little different
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported another increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the state Wednesday.
During the state’s daily COVID-19 news conference, officials announced 2,049 new cases of the virus and 97 additional deaths. The announcement brings the statewide total of positive coronavirus cases to 35,108 and the total number of deaths to 1,565.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases by county
Here’s a breakdown of area coronavirus cases as of Wednesday afternoon:
St. Clair County
327 positives, 19 deaths, 61 hospitalized, five on ventilators, 1,360 tests administered, 61 tests pending
ZIP codes with positive cases (ZIP codes with five or fewer cases are not reported):
- 62201 (East St. Louis, Sauget): 8
- 62203 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Washington Park, Caseyville): 10
- 62204 (East St. Louis, Washington Park, Caseyville): 9
- 62205 (East St. Louis, Alorton, Centreville): 9
- 62206 (Cahokia, Centreville, Sauget): 22
- 62207 (East St. Louis, Centreville, Alorton): 14
- 62208 (Fairview Heights, O’Fallon): 19
- 62220 (Belleville, Smithton): 21
- 62221 (Belleville, Shiloh): 28
- 62223 (Belleville, Swansea): 20
- 62226 (Belleville, Swansea, Shiloh): 43
- 62258 (Mascoutah, Fayetteville): 11
- 62269 (O’Fallon, Shiloh): 24
Madison County
231 positives, 13 deaths, 67 hospitalized, 72 recovered
ZIP codes with positive cases:
- 62002 (Alton, East Alton, Godfrey): 31
- 62024 (East Alton): 7
- 62025 (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana): 30
- 62095 (Wood River): 8
- 62034 (Glen Carbon): 9
- 62035 (Godfrey): 8
- 62040 (Granite City, Pontoon Beach, Madison): 33
- 62060 (Granite City, Madison, Venice): 7
- 62234 (Collinsville, Pontoon Beach, State Park Place): 19
- 62249 (Highland): 8
- 62294 (Troy): 10
Clinton County
51 positives, 246 tests administered, four hospitalized, 15 recovered
ZIP codes with positive cases:
- 62265 (New Baden): 11
- 62801 (Centralia): 35
Monroe County
61 positives, eight deaths, seven recovered
ZIP codes with positive cases:
- 62236 (Columbia): 28
- 62298 (Waterloo): 23
Washington County
Seven positive cases
Randolph County
63 positives, one death, three hospitalized, 40 recovered
ZIP code with positive cases:
- 62233 (Chester): 33
- 62278 (Red Bud): 13
Bond County
Four positives, 51 tests administered, four tests pending, two recovered
Jersey County
Ten positive cases, 80 tested, five recovered
ZIP code with positive cases:
- 62052 (Jerseyville): 6
Macoupin County
22 positives, 258 tests administered, 18 tests pending, 15 recovered
ZIP code with positive cases:
- 62069 (Mt. Olive): 6
Calhoun County
One positive, one recovered
Perry County
One positive
Reporter Hana Muslic contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 4:08 PM.
