Missouri COVID-19 Hospitalizations have reached another record high this week.

Of seven Missouri regions, three did not report record numbers: the St. Louis area, Southwestern, and Southeastern Missouri. Southwestern and southeastern Missouri. The St. Louis area has reported the lowest numbers of all three, with southwest and southeast Missouri nearing their record highs. Four regions did break records Thursday: the Kansas City area, northwestern, northeastern, and central Missouri.

1,443 people were in the hospital as of Wednesday, corresponding to the overall increase in caseload here in Missouri. The number of hospitalized patients has dramatically increased from the 375 recorded in early July.

Missouri added 1,875 cases and 22 deaths today, in line with the trend.

Missouri is ranked fourth nationally in coronavirus deaths over the past week, and eighth in the number of cases. The 7-day positivity rate was 17.9%. Johns Hopkins University pegs the national positivity rate at 5.1%, just over the WHO 5% benchmark.

The surge of cases in Missouri appears to be happening in conjunction with a spike in the larger Midwestern area.