By Alexa Shrake
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—After reporting last week that Indiana’s number of COVID-19 cases and deaths was falling, Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday the number of cases and deaths is continuing to fall.
Last week’s positivity rate was 7.7% and has now decreased to 6.2%.
“A lot of our numbers are trending in the right direction,†Holcomb said in his weekly COVID-19 briefing. “I’d like to think it has something to do with how we’re responding to the virus itself and the actions and precautions we are taking.â€
The number of Hoosiers vaccinated against the disease also is heading in the right direction.
Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana State Health commissioner, said there has been an increase of 126,000 in those receiving the first dose of the vaccine from last week and there are more than 258,000 Hoosiers who have received both doses and are now fully vaccinated. About 81,000 doses of the vaccine have been given to residents and staff in long-term care facilities.
Box announced the Indiana State Department of Health will be moving forward with people ages 60 to 65 for the COVID-19 vaccine once they are sure everyone 65 and older has received both doses. Hoosiers can register to be vaccinated online or by calling 211.
The number of Hoosiers in hospitals is down. About 12.1% of hospital beds in the ICU are being used to treat COVID-19. A total of 1,300 Hoosiers were hospitalized with symptoms of COVID-19 as of Feb. 9, which is down from 1,600 the previous week. Hospital admissions continue to remain under 200 a day on average.
The map on which counties are rated by color based on their positivity rates revealed that only one county out of 92 is still in the red, indicating dangerous levels of 15% or higher. Starke County moved to blue, meaning a rate of less than 5%—the first county to be blue in months. There are 50 counties in yellow, indicating 5 to 9.9% positivity.
This week began the distribution of KN95 masks to critical infrastructures like hospitals, police departments and schools. Schools are also now receiving the binaxNOW cards, which are rapid COVID-19 tests that detect active infection in the first seven days of symptoms. All supplies are being provided at no cost to schools and businesses.
Box said the Indiana State Health Department is shipping supplies to schools that request masks. They have received requests from more than 250 school districts about the masks and binaxNOW cards. Eleven of those districts should be receiving shipments Feb. 11.
“We will continue shipping supplies to schools over the next few weeks,†Box said.
The state health department is looking to include early childhood centers in future phases and will be sending a survey to all non-public schools to see if they are interested in supplies.
Box wanted to remind Hoosiers that quarantine and contact tracing is not required for exposure in a classroom setting if everyone in the classroom remains three feet apart and wears a mask at all times.
The Indiana COVID-19 dashboard updated at noon Wednesday showed there have been 643,305 total positive cases and 11,578 total deaths.
FOOTNOTE: Alexa Shrake is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
