Scott County reports virus death, dozens of new cases

After several weeks with no COVID-19-related deaths reported in the region, the last few updates from county health officials have each included at least one fatality attributed to the virus.

Scott County Health Department officials reported 92 new virus cases and one virus-related since Monday. The new cases pushed the county's confirmed pandemic total to 4,958 (706 probable cases). Ninety-three county residents have died because of the virus. As of Wednesday, there were 359 active cases and 94 active probable cases in the county.

According to officials with Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, active cases in the county grew by 64 from Monday. As of Wednesday, there were 348 active cases in the county. Officials recorded 121 new cases from Monday to Wednesday, pushing the pandemic total to 11,290. Though no new virus-related deaths were reported, 141 county residents have died because of the virus. Officials noted the county's seven-day testing positivity rate was 14.9%, about five times what it was two months ago.

Virus cases and quarantine numbers at Southeast Missouri State University continued their upward trend Wednesday, with officials adding 11 new active cases for a total of 52 (51 students and one employee). Twelve people were in on-campus quarantine, up from eight the previous day.

Officials in Stoddard County, Missouri, reported 53 new cases since their last update Friday. There were 201 active cases in the county, and 82 county residents have died because of the virus. The county has recorded 4,299 total virus cases throughout the pandemic.

In Illinois, Southern Seven Health Department reported 78 new cases in the seven counties of Southern Illinois. In the region, there were 491 active cases as of Wednesday. Union County officials reported 10 new cases since the health department's last update. Of those, the age groups of those infected were: 10 and younger, 3; 11-19, 1; 20-29, 1; 40-49, 3; 50-59, 1; and 60-69, 1. Alexander County official reported nine new cases. Age groups involved were: 10 and younger, 1; 11-19, 2; 20-29, 1; 30-39, 1; 40-49, 1; 60-69, 1; and 70-79, 2. Throughout the pandemic, Union County has tallied 2,748 virus cases and 34 virus-related deaths, while Alexander County has recorded 601 virus cases and seven virus-related deaths.

Hospitalizations

Virus-related hospitalizations remain high in Southeast Missouri but have peaked in other areas, including Southwest Missouri, where the delta variant first appeared.

As of Wednesday, there were 2,189 people hospitalized with the virus across the state, leaving remaining inpatient bed capacity at 20%. Remaining intensive care unit bed capacity was 17%, with 648 total patients across the state (more than at any time during the pandemic). Four hundred-ten patients across the state were on ventilators, leaving about 66% of the state's ventilators available.

In Southeast Missouri, 142 people were hospitalized with the virus as of Wednesday, leaving 15% of the region's inpatient beds available. Forty-eight of those patients were in ICU, leaving 25% capacity available. Forty-five patients were on ventilators, leaving 57% capacity available.

Health officials in the Southwest Missouri region reported 19% inpatient beds available, 14% ICU beds available and 72% of ventilators available.