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ST. LOUIS — St. Louis-area hospitals on Tuesday tallied a record number of COVID-19 daily hospital admissions, a continued rise that has prompted one health system to begin postponing some elective procedures.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force reported 74 new admissions for COVID-19, the highest number since the group began tracking the data in April. Task force data lags two days and includes Mercy, SSM Health, St. Luke’s Hospital and BJC HealthCare facilities in the region.

BJC HealthCare said in a statement Tuesday that, anticipating a surge in hospitalizations, four of the system’s local hospitals on Monday will start rescheduling some elective surgeries that require inpatient or overnight beds and that can be delayed safely. Those facilities — Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Christian Hospital, Memorial Hospital Belleville and Missouri Baptist Medical Center — will continue to do so until at least Nov. 20.

Meanwhile, both Illinois and Missouri reported statewide hospitalization peaks : In Missouri, the seven-day average of total hospitalized patients hit 1,575, a record, up from 1,546 the day before. And Illinois reported 3,594 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the highest level since May 28.

“We are in the middle of a COVID storm that appears to be sweeping the entire nation, and our trajectory is only getting worse,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a news conference Tuesday. “This is far from over. So please take extra caution. Wear your mask today, and every day going forward until we get through this.”

Missouri hospitalization data lags three days, and not every hospital reports every day.

Hospitals across the region postponed elective procedures in the spring to protect patients and caregivers from the virus and conserve hospital beds, equipment and staff.

But other hospitals haven’t started again this fall: Mercy’s local hospitals are not postponing elective procedures, according to a spokesman. SSM Health also isn’t scaling back elective procedures, but is assessing that option daily, a spokeswoman said in an email.

Lisa Morrison, an administrative supervisor and nursing manager of a COVID-19 unit at SSM Health DePaul Hospital, said the facility is seeing an increase in virus-related admissions.

Two units in the hospital now are dedicated to COVID-19 patients, and another could be converted if the numbers increase.

Some employees, Morrison said, are disheartened by the public sentiment that the virus is not real. ������Ƶ want residents to know that it is important to take precautions to limit the spread.

“If you have symptoms, stay home,” Morrison said. “Wash your hands frequently. Disinfect your contact surfaces.”

Missouri reported 2,238 new cases of the virus, and 33 more deaths. The state’s virus toll rose to 190,424 total cases, and 3,064 total deaths.

Illinois reported 6,516 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, the fourth-highest number the state has seen throughout the pandemic. The state reported 68 more deaths, the highest one-day increase since mid-June.

The state’s virus toll rose to 430,018 total cases, and 9,878 deaths.