COVID cases and hospitalization numbers are climbing in St. Louis County and city, with both being added to the Centers for Disease Control high category for transmission.

During the week of June 6, the county saw an infection rate of 241 per 100,000 people — anything over 200 is in the high-risk category. The trend has also led to an increase in COVID hospitalizations. The county reported 201 COVID patients in the area June 6, the highest number in three months.

“The most recent data has reminded us COVID is far from over. It ebbs and flows in our community,” County Executive Sam Page said in a media briefing June 8. 

The county has issued a “strong recommendation” that citizens wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor settings to fight the spread. Page said if citizens do voluntarily mask up when needed, the area will see the transmission rate drop off. He said there are no plans at this time to turn the recommendation into a requirement. 

Page said outside of masks, the best way to fight COVID is by keeping up to date with vaccines and boosters.

“We are seeing more of the cases in our country and community being attributed to the newer sub-variants of Omicron,” Page said. “What is happening is that Omicron is meeting the immunity in our country from vaccines and from previous infections, and the immunity is slowing down the spread of Omicron.”

As of June 10, the county had a testing postivity rate of 23.1 percent, and is averaging 426 new cases a day. 

The county and hospitals are currently better supplied with masks, medicine and vaccines than they were early in the pandemic. For more information on testing, vaccines and COVID visit https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/public-health/covid-19/.