ST. LOUIS — COVID-19 cases in the St. Louis area have remained consistent over the last few weeks, even as Missouri and Illinois are heading in different directions regarding the pandemic.
From June 17 to June 23, there were 988 new cases reported in the greater St. Louis area, marking the fourth consecutive week with fewer than 1,000 new cases. It's the first time since June of 2020 that the region reported fewer than 1,000 cases four weeks in a row.
There were 20 COVID-19 deaths reported in the last week in the St. Louis area, the lowest since April of 2020.
Those consistently low numbers are also reflected in the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force numbers, where COVID-19 hospitalizations have remained around 100 for the last few weeks.
The task force data for June 24, 2021 is as follows:
- New hospital admissions (data lagged two days) increased – from 18 yesterday to 27 today.
- The seven-day moving average of hospital admissions (data lagged two days) increased – from 19 yesterday to 20 today.
- The seven-day moving average of hospitalizations decreased – from 104 yesterday to 103 today.
- Inpatient confirmed COVID positive hospitalizations increased – from 103 yesterday to 109 today.
- Inpatient suspected COVID positive hospitalizations decreased – from 19 yesterday to 11 today.
- The number of confirmed COVID-positive patients in the ICUs decreased – from 28 yesterday to 26 today.
- The number of confirmed COVID-positive patients on ventilators decreased – from 13 yesterday to 12 today.
- The number of COVID deaths increased– from 0 yesterday to 2 today.
- The seven-day moving average of COVID deaths remained the same at 2 today.
- Across the system hospitals, 16 patients have been discharged, bringing the cumulative number of COVID-19 patients discharged to 22,983.
- Today, staffed bed hospital capacity is at 85%, an average across our task force hospitals. The ICUs are at 80% of their total staffed bed capacity.
Missouri COVID-19 cases
While Illinois reports the lowest number of new COVID-19 cases since the early days of the pandemic, Missouri is one of a few states seeing increases in new cases.
From June 17 to June 23, Missouri reported 3,323 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-week total since early May, but with significantly fewer PCR tests. As a result, the 7-day positivity reported by the state on June 23 was 6.8%, the highest since early February. While cases have increased, deaths have remained low, although health officials have often said deaths would be a lagging indicator in the pandemic, which spikes lagging about two weeks behind case increases.
Missouri vaccines
According to the state's data, the largest number of new cases per capita have come in the southwest portion of the state. Some of those counties have fewer than 20% of residents with at least one dose of the vaccine, and the increase in cases is starting to weigh on the healthcare system.
According to health department data, the hospital systems in the region have more than 300 COVID-19 patients for the first time since Jan. 28.
Locally, the vaccination rates in most counties are trailing the statewide averages. Missouri provides county-by-county data for both first and second dose rates. Only St. Louis County and St. Charles County are ahead of the statewide rates of 44.3% with at least one dose and 38.3% fully vaccinated. None of the counties in our area are at the national average of 53.7% with at least one dose and 45.6% fully vaccinated.
The state ranks 39th in the country in percent of the population with at least one dose with 44.3% and percent of the population fully vaccinated with 38.3%, according to CDC data.
Illinois COVID-19 cases
In Illinois, cases, deaths and positivity rates are all at their lowest points since the earliest days of the pandemic.
From June 17 to 23, the state reported 1,554 cases and 69 deaths — the lowest single-week totals since March of 2020 — and a seven-day positivity rate of 0.6% is the lowest on record.
Illinois vaccines
The state ranks 15th in the country in percent of the population with at least one dose with 58.6%. The state ranks 26th in the percentage of the population fully vaccinated with 44.7%, according to CDC data.
In Illinois, the health department provides county-by-county data for the percentage of the population that is fully vaccinated. Only Madison County is about the statewide rate of 44.7% fully vaccinated.
Top COVID-19 coverage of the week:
- What should I know about the delta variant?
- Unvaccinated Missourians fuel COVID: 'We will be the canary'
- St. Louis County aims to increase vaccination with new event featuring local celebrities
- St. Louis mayor meets with Dr. Fauci as Delta variant spreads
- Missouri leads US in rate of new COVID cases
- CDC: Delta variant expected to be dominant in US