ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

ST. LOUIS — ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ on Saturday reported 1,357 new cases of COVID-19, the state’s third-highest daily increase since the pandemic began, trailing only Thursday and Friday, when back-to-back records were set.

St. Louis County added 368 new infections, the second-highest increase since the start of the pandemic. On July 10, the county reported 387 new cases.

St. Louis County has now tallied 10,687 confirmed cases, by far the largest single contributor to Missouri’s 40,709 total. And the last five days have seen the five highest daily increases on record for the state.

“It’s just not under control anywhere,� said Pam Walker, St. Louis’ former city health director, who is a consultant for local governments and other entities. “We have full-blown community spread now.�

Past surges of Missouri’s virus cases were often linked to hotspots, such as meat plants or nursing homes. But now there are no such narratives or explanations, as numbers rise across the state.

“There’s not something we can point to,� said Chris Prener, a St. Louis University sociologist who closely tracks statewide and regional data on the virus. “The thing that stands out the most for me is, geographically, how widespread this is.�

Prener noted that it’s also striking how quickly transmission has billowed to new heights.

“I’m old enough to remember when 500 new cases were a big deal,� he joked — a level that, only a month ago, marked troubling new territory for the state. “I’m not really sure where this is going.�

Health experts like Walker think that, without sweeping change, Missouri can expect to see even more record or near-record case totals unfold.

“What we’re doing is not working,� she said.

Walker is particularly concerned about what may happen if, or when, kids return to schools and colleges in the fall. She thinks officials need to keep schools, bars and public events shut down to get ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ off of a dangerous course. Arizona, for instance, limited the spread of the virus, after a period of extremely high transmission.

But Walker fears that it may take a lot more sickness — and heartbreak — to open people’s eyes, and guide public health actions accordingly.

To date, 1,182 Missourians have died of the virus, four more than Friday, the state reported.

St. Louis County reported one more death on Saturday, for 628 in total.

The city of St. Louis, meanwhile, reported a running total of 3,895 confirmed and probable cases — 89 more than a day before. The city’s total of associated deaths remained the same as Friday, at 164.

St. Louis area hospitals are now averaging 40 new hospitalizations per day, matching levels of daily admissions not seen since early May.

The Metro East, with 5,409 cumulative cases and 233 deaths, saw its known case total grow by 135 on Saturday.

Confirmed Illinois coronavirus cases, statewide, rose by 1,426, compared with Friday’s totals. The state has seen 169,883 known cases of the virus, resulting in 7,397 deaths. Twelve new fatalities were reflected in Saturday’s update.

Experts said that, in Missouri, the death rate from the virus has mostly held steady over time, but has crept upward in recent days.

“Where does the mortality trend go in the next couple weeks,� said Prener, “after all of these cases have been registered?�