For the third day in a row, the St. Louis region broke its previous record for the seven-day average of total coronavirus hospitalizations, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force.
Sunday's average of 897 patients is 13 higher than the day before and 19 higher than Friday's average.
The seven-day average shows the trend of cases, minimizing daily fluctuations in reported numbers. The task force data includes patients from BJC HealthCare, Mercy, SSM Health and St. Luke's Hospital facilities.
Hospitals are operating at 77% of staffed bed capacity and 89% of staffed intensive care unit capacity, a slight increase in the last couple of days.
The number of patients with confirmed or suspected cases of the coronavirus was 994, up 11 from the day before. New hospital admissions reported Sunday were 116, up from 88 on Saturday.
The number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU increased to 202 from 195, and the number of patients on ventilators also increased, to 127 from 122.
Missouri reported an increase of 3,193 cases Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 295,933, an increase from Saturday's new cases, but less than the new cases reported late last week. The state reported six new deaths, bringing the total to 3,823.
Statewide, hospitalizations dropped as of Thursday, Nov. 26, the most recent numbers available. The state reported 2,654 hospitalizations, down from 2,813 the previous day.
In Illinois, the state reported 720,114 cases Sunday, an increase of 7,178. The state reported 5,858 hospitalizations, an increase of 83 from the previous day.
WashU saliva COVID test deployed at Special District school
New vials for COVID-19 saliva tests lay in a pile before being given out on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, as Brett Maricque, with the Washington University School of Medicine records information on a submitted sample at Neuwoehner High School in St. Louis County's Special School District. The Washington U. medical school, using a $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, has begun administering the saliva test it developed in search of asymptomatic carriers among teachers initially. The test, which is reportedly 99% accurate, is distributed weekly on a voluntary basis. Subjects testing positive are notified that evening with a phone call. Washington U. doctors hope to begin providing the rapid-result tests to students by mid December. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
WashU saliva COVID test deployed at Special District school
Morgan Henry, left, a para educator at Neuwoehner High School in St. Louis County's Special School District, drops off her saliva sample for COVID-19 testing on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, with Brett Maricque, with the Washington University School of Medicine in the cafeteria of the Town & Country high school. The Washington U. medical school, using a $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, has begun administering the saliva test it developed in search of asymptomatic carriers among teachers initially. The test, which is reportedly 99% accurate, is distributed weekly on a voluntary basis. Subjects testing positive are notified that evening with a phone call. Washington U. doctors hope to begin providing the rapid-result tests to students by mid December. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
WashU saliva COVID test deployed at Special District school
Tina Breeden, right, an educator at Neuwoehner High School in St. Louis County's Special School District, drops off her saliva sample for COVID-19 testing with David Bradford, a volunteer with the Washington University School of Medicine in the cafeteria of the Town & Country high school. The Washington U. medical school, using a $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, has begun administering the saliva test it developed in search of asymptomatic carriers among teachers initially. The test, which is reportedly 99% accurate, is distributed weekly on a voluntary basis. Subjects testing positive are notified that evening with a phone call. Washington U. doctors hope to begin providing the rapid-result tests to students by mid December. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
WashU saliva COVID test deployed at Special District school
Elizabeth Hutchcraft, center, an educator at Neuwoehner High School in St. Louis County's Special School District, drops off her saliva sample for COVID-19 testing with David Bradford, a volunteer with the Washington University School of Medicine in the cafeteria of the Town & Country high school. The Washington U. medical school, using a $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, has begun administering the saliva test it developed in search of asymptomatic carriers among teachers initially. The test, which is reportedly 99% accurate, is distributed weekly on a voluntary basis. Subjects testing positive are notified that evening with a phone call. Washington U. doctors hope to begin providing the rapid-result tests to students by mid December. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
Colleen Schrappen
Colleen Schrappen is a reporter at the Post-Dispatch.
