ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported fewer than 800 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday for the first time in more than a week.
The department reported a total of 69,417 cases and 1,402 deaths Tuesday, an increase of 794 cases and six deaths.
Tuesday's increase is 354 fewer than Monday and 187 fewer than last Tuesday.
Despite the below-average increase in new cases on Tuesday, the state's overall positivity rate increased again due to a below-average increase in new polymerase chain reaction — or PCR — tests conducted.
On Tuesday, the state reported a total of 867,481 PCR tests, a single-day increase of 8,864. On Tuesday, the state's overall positivity rate increased from 7.99% to 8.00%.
Statewide hospitalizations increased Tuesday. The department reported 891 hospitalizations Tuesday, up from 853 Monday. The data is lagged three days to ensure accuracy, so the number reported Tuesday reflects the number of hospitalizations on Aug. 15.
Single-day hospital numbers in the St. Louis area increased Tuesday, but the seven-day averages remained the same.
- New hospital admissions (data lagged two days) remains the same at 35* today.
- The seven-day moving average of hospital admissions (data lagged two days) remains the same at 40 today.
- The seven-day moving average of hospitalizations remains the same at 273 today.
- Inpatient confirmed COVID positive hospitalizations increased – from 273 yesterday to 278 today.
- Inpatient suspected COVID positive hospitalizations increased – from 112 yesterday to 114 today.
- The number of confirmed COVID positive patients in the ICUs increased – from 75 yesterday to 80 today.
- The number of confirmed COVID positive patients on ventilators increased – from 39 yesterday to 41 today.
- Across the system hospitals, 42 COVID-19 patients were discharged yesterday, bringing the cumulative number of COVID-19 patients discharged to 4,592.
*Due to a delay in test results, some data has changed from our previous report, the August 17 hospital admission number increases from 32 to 35 but left the seven-day moving average unchanged.
In St. Louis County, there were 204 new COVID-19 cases and two new deaths Tuesday, bringing the totals in the county to 16,968 cases and 705 deaths.
According to the county's dashboard, the average positivity rate over the last seven days is 7.8%, which is up slightly from Monday.
In St. Louis, there were 32 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths Tuesday, bringing the totals in the city 5,596 cases and 108 deaths.
In St. Charles County, there were 117 new cases and no new deaths Tuesday, bringing the totals in the county to 4,877 cases and 105 deaths.
The overall positivity rate in the county decreased significantly, from 6.09% to 5.67%, despite the above-average increase in new cases Tuesday because the county reported nearly 8,000 new tests. A note from the St. Charles County Health Department said the increase was due to a backlog resolved when the Missouri DHSS migrated data to a new system.
In Jefferson County, there were 30 new cases and no new deaths Tuesday, bringing the totals in the county to 2,028 cases and 30 deaths.
