ST. LOUIS — Area hospitals reported another drop in coronavirus hospitalizations Saturday, but the numbers remained far from where leaders want them.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Task Force said a census across the region’s five largest health systems included 1,327 hospitalizations. That was about 8% less than the all-time record set Monday — but still well above the peak of the surge in December 2020, 962 hospitalizations.
The task force, representing BJC HealthCare, SSM Health, Mercy and St. Luke’s plus the Veterans Affairs hospital system, told the same story with new hospital admissions, reporting 197 Saturday.
That marked a decrease from highs earlier in the month. But the average for the past week remained about 27% higher than the record set last winter and 50% higher than it was in the last week of 2021.
Deaths were also down from highs earlier this month. But at roughly 18 per day over the past week, they were still coming at double the rate they were three weeks ago.
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Locally and in some parts of the country, health officials have reported a slight decline in COVID-19 cases and admissions since hitting all-time highs earlier this month.
But task force leaders say it’s way too early to celebrate. This past week, 11 area hospitals requested emergency staffing help from the federal government to manage the surge — with one getting it.
The state as a whole is also struggling. Its data show it’s adding new cases at a weekly rate near double last winter’s record, and hospitalizations are about a third higher.
Meanwhile, Missouri continues to lag behind the country as a whole in vaccinating residents. About 54% of people here have been fully vaccinated; nationwide, the number is 63%. About a fifth of Missourians have received a booster dose.
The state offers free, at-home test kits for COVID-19 that can be ordered online. A set quantity is made available each morning. The limit is normally reached by afternoon.
Information about state-sponsored COVID-19 testing sites and free, at-home test kits are available on the state health department website: .
Things are not much more encouraging across the river. Illinois notched its new monthly case record on Jan. 12, and COVID hospitalizations remain close to all-time highs.
Illinois is doing better than Missouri with vaccinations. Approximately 65% of the state is fully vaccinated.
Information about state-sponsored COVID-19 testing sites in Illinois is available at .
