ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force said area hospitals are more than 80% full and ICUs are at 86% as coronavirus cases remain high in the area.
On Saturday, the task force reported slight decreases in the seven-day averages for both new admissions and total hospitalizations.
On Friday, task force commander Dr. Alex Garza said COVID-19 numbers seem to be leveling off at a high number.
"While we're hopeful about the vaccine, we have a dangerously high number of patients," Dr. Garza said. "Our numbers are plateauing, but they're plateauing at a dangerously high number."
The following data are the combined figures from the four major health systems (BJC HealthCare, Mercy, SSM Health, St. Luke’s Hospital) that are part of the task force, for December 19.
- New hospital admissions (data lagged two days) decreased from 115 yesterday to 114 today.
- The seven-day moving average of hospital admissions (data lagged two days) decreased – from 114 to 113 today.
- The seven-day moving average of hospitalizations decreased - from 893 yesterday to 887 today.
- Inpatient confirmed COVID positive hospitalizations decreased – from 854 yesterday to 835 today.
- Inpatient suspected COVID positive hospitalizations decreased – from 75 yesterday to 70 today.
- The number of confirmed COVID positive patients in the ICUs decreased – from 175 yesterday to 170 today.
- The number of confirmed COVID positive patients on ventilators remained the same at 111.
- The number of COVID deaths decreased – from 16 yesterday to 12 today.
- The seven-day moving average of COVID deaths decreased – from 21 yesterday to 20 today.
- Across the system hospitals, 149 COVID-19 patients were discharged to home yesterday, bringing the cumulative number of COVID-19 patients discharged to 13,241.
- Today, staffed bed hospital capacity is at 81%, an average across our task force hospitals. The ICU’s are at 86% of their total staffed bed capacity.
In Missouri, the health department reported 363,114 cases and 4,904 deaths as of Saturday, a single-day increase of 2,784 cases and 51 deaths.
The department also reported 19,439 new PCR tests, bringing the total number of PCR tests conducted in the state to 3,451,230.
The state reported a seven-day average positivity rate of 16.9%. It was the first time the state reported a seven-day average positivity rate below 17% since Nov. 3.
In Illinois, the state's health deparmtnet reported 894,367 cases and 15,123 deaths as of Saturday, a single-day increase of 7,562 cases and 108 deaths.
The state reported 96,851 new tests Saturday, bringing the total number of tests conducted in the state to 12,356,446.
The state's seven-day positivity rate increased from 8.0% Friday to 8.2% on Saturday.
The seven-day positivity rate in the Metro East remained at 12%.
