ST. LOUIS — Officials on Monday urged residents who gathered for Thanksgiving to self-quarantine and seek testing for COVID-19, in hopes of weakening an anticipated post-holiday surge in cases.
Though some COVID-19 metrics in Illinois and Missouri have shown signs of slowing in the past few days, St. Louis-area hospitals reported another record number of COVID-19 patients on Monday, and doctors warned that apparent plateaus in case numbers may be anomalies.
Dr. Alex Garza, who leads the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, said during a briefing Monday that hospitals here are still overwhelmed.
“I’m asking everyone in the area to recognize the hospitals they have come to know and depend on might not be able to help them in a couple of weeks,†Garza said. “Our hospital staff will continue to do our best, but the numbers are likely to be just too big to care for everybody.â€
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The total number of confirmed COVID-19 patients in the region hit a new record on Monday, 961, and there were also 96 patients with suspected cases of the virus. Task force data includes BJC HealthCare, SSM Health, Mercy and St. Luke’s Hospital facilities in the region.
Task force data shows the metro area’s daily new cases leveling, and even declining slightly, over the past week. Garza said task force members believe it may be due to issues with testing capacity, turnaround time, or reporting delays due to the holiday.
“It doesn’t reflect what we’re actually seeing in our hospitals,†Garza said.
Hospitals here reported that they are operating at 79% of staffed bed capacity, and 88% of staffed intensive care unit capacity, according to the task force.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during a briefing Monday that the state will remain under current restrictions for the next few weeks, and did not provide a timeline for when those restrictions will be lifted.
“If we are not especially careful right now, the surge will overwhelm our state’s health care system,†Pritzker said. “We are still very much in a precarious place.â€
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said residents should get tested if they spent Thanksgiving with people from outside their own household. They should get tested right away if they have symptoms, she said, and otherwise get tested six or seven days after their potential exposure.
While the state’s hospitalization numbers have leveled slightly over the past few days, Ezike said that may not entirely be due to decreased spread of the virus. Some people avoid going to the hospital over the holidays, she said, and health care professionals sometimes discharge patients so they can be home in time for Thanksgiving.
“Of course I’m hoping and praying that it’s a positive trend,†Ezike said.
Illinois reported on Monday 6,190 new cases of the virus, and 5,849 hospitalized virus patients. That is down from the record 6,175 patients reported on Nov. 20.
Missouri reported 3,829 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, and 2,498 patients hospitalized with the virus statewide.
The seven-day average of hospitalized patients was 2,694, down from 2,738 the day before, but still among the seven highest days reported throughout the pandemic. Missouri hospitalization data lags three days, and not every hospital reports every day.
Annika Merrilees • 314-340-8528 @annie3mer on Twitter amerrilees@post-dispatch.com
PHOTOS: PPE AND OTHER RESOURCES DISTRIBUTED TO THE HOMELESS AT CITY HALL
Photos: PPE and other resources distributed to the homeless at City Hall
Sandra Cohen inspects a piece of clothing as she separates the clothing into piles of what she can and cannot wear at City Hall in St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. "People think I shop at Macy's," Cohen said. "I tell them that I come here every Friday to see Rev. Larry Rice." Rev. Larry Rice and volunteers with New Life Evangelistic Center distribute PPE and hand sanitizer, bus passes, and offer clothing and food to the homeless every Friday outside of City Hall. Approximately 200 people came to receive resources and find clothing to keep warm in the cold weather. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Jay Jay Smith, right, reaches into a box to show Rev. Larry Rice, left, the washcloth he wants at City Hall in St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Rev. Larry Rice and volunteers with New Life Evangelistic Center distribute PPE and hand sanitizer, bus passes, and offer clothing and food to the homeless every Friday outside of City Hall. Approximately 200 people came to receive resources and find clothing to keep warm in the cold weather. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
People gather around a table at an event designed to help homeless people to receive free bus tickets at City Hall in St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Rev. Larry Rice and volunteers with New Life Evangelistic Center distribute PPE and hand sanitizer, bus passes, and offer clothing and food to the homeless every Friday outside of City Hall. Approximately 200 people came to receive resources and find clothing to keep warm in the cold weather. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Rev. Larry Rice, left, hands Ronald Richey, right, a bagged lunch at City Hall in St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. "There's a large need here in the city," Rice said. "We have 150 to 200 homeless people every Friday that come." Rev. Larry Rice and volunteers with New Life Evangelistic Center distribute PPE and hand sanitizer, bus passes, and offer clothing and food to the homeless every Friday outside of City Hall. Approximately 200 people came to receive resources and find clothing to keep warm in the cold weather. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
People gather around Rev. Larry Rice, center, to grab blankets and razors from a box he's carrying at an event designed to help homeless people outside of City Hall in St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Rev. Larry Rice and volunteers with New Life Evangelistic Center distribute PPE and hand sanitizer, bus passes, and offer clothing and food to the homeless every Friday outside of City Hall. Approximately 200 people came to receive resources and find clothing to keep warm in the cold weather. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
People wait in line for food and housing resources as others look through clothing in boxes at an event designed to help homeless people outside of City Hall in St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Rev. Larry Rice and volunteers with New Life Evangelistic Center distribute PPE and hand sanitizer, bus passes, and offer clothing and food to the homeless every Friday outside of City Hall. Approximately 200 people came to receive resources and find clothing to keep warm in the cold weather. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Mike Humphrys, center, and Thomas Moore, right, hand out free bus tickets to people at City Hall in St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Humphrys and Moore were once homeless and part of the residential living program, but now work full-time and help distribute resources with Rev. Larry Rice. Rev. Larry Rice and volunteers with New Life Evangelistic Center distribute PPE and hand sanitizer, bus passes, and offer clothing and food to the homeless every Friday outside of City Hall. Approximately 200 people came to receive resources and find clothing to keep warm in the cold weather. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Rev. Larry Rice, left, hands Michael Williams, right, a pair of gloves at City Hall in St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Rev. Larry Rice and volunteers with New Life Evangelistic Center distribute PPE and hand sanitizer, bus passes, and offer clothing and food to the homeless every Friday outside of City Hall. Approximately 200 people came to receive resources and find clothing to keep warm in the cold weather. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
People waiting in line for food and other resources close their eyes and pray as Rev. Larry Rice leads a prayer at an event designed to help homeless people outside of City Hall in St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Rev. Larry Rice and volunteers with New Life Evangelistic Center distribute PPE and hand sanitizer, bus passes, and offer clothing and food to the homeless every Friday outside of City Hall. Approximately 200 people came to receive resources and find clothing to keep warm in the cold weather. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
