The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 492 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. That brings to 28,255 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.

Intensive care unit and ventilator capacity remain steady. Nearly 40 percent of ICU beds and nearly 81 percent of ventilators were available as of Sunday.

A total of 1,621 Hoosiers have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19, an increase of 14 over the previous day. Another 144 probable deaths have been reported based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record, following a correction to the previous day’s total. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days.

                                                       To date, 183,912 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 177,243 on Sunday.

                        Marion County had the most new cases, at 107. Other counties with more than 10 new cases were Allen (38), Bartholomew (12), Clark (18), Delaware (20), Dubois (46), Elkhart (19), Hamilton (14), Howard (10), Johnson (10), Lake (43), Porter (11), Shelby (10), St. Joseph (14) and Vanderburgh (13). A complete list of cases by county is posted at www.coronavirus.in.gov, which is updated daily at noon. Cases are listed by county of residence.

Hoosiers who have symptoms of COVID-19 and those who have been exposed and need a test to return to work are encouraged to visit a state-sponsored testing site for free testing. Individuals without symptoms who are at high risk because they are over age 65, have diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure or another underlying condition, as well as those who are pregnant, live with a high-risk individual or are a member of a minority population that’s at greater risk for severe illness, also are encouraged to get tested.

Overdose Lifeline, Inc. will distribute 25,000 doses of naloxone in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic

Governor Eric J. Holcomb and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration today announced the state will fund a nearly $1 million distribution of the opioid reversal agent naloxone to ensure the medication reaches Hoosiers who are at-risk of overdose.

“In the face of COVID-19, it’s even more imperative that we provide resources and support for people with substance use disorders,” Gov. Holcomb said. “Making potentially lifesaving treatments more readily available is one of the top ways we can address this crisis.”

Funds were made available by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s state opioid response grant.

Naloxone, or Narcan, is a medication approved to prevent overdose by opioids. Naloxone is given when a person is showing signs of opioid overdose. It blocks the toxic effects of the overdose and is often the difference between a patient living and dying.

Overdose Lifeline, Inc., an Indiana nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals, families and communities affected by substance use disorder through advocacy, education, harm reduction, prevention, resources and support, will distribute 25,000 doses of naloxone to first responders, families, friends and others who are likely to be the first on the scene if someone overdoses. The organization has been on the front lines of the opioid epidemic since 2014.

Naloxone is a critical tool for individuals, families, first responders and communities to help reduce opioid overdose deaths. Access to naloxone, however, continues to be limited in some communities.

Local health departments registered with the Indiana State Department of Health as entities to dispense naloxone may be experiencing limited access to resources due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state’s partnership with Overdose Lifeline, Inc. allows local health departments to devote their resources to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

“The beauty of Overdose Lifeline, Inc. is our ability to get naloxone into the hands of people across the state without any barriers,” said Justin Phillips, founder of Overdose Lifeline, Inc. “We understand this overdose reversal drug can be costly for people. This distribution of naloxone will lift that burden off Hoosiers across the state.”

First responders, families, caregivers and other individuals who would like to receive a supply of naloxone can register online at www.overdoselifeline.org/2020-indiana-naloxone-request.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and Indiana Department of Homeland Security also announced today that Indiana’s emergency medical responders will be reimbursed in full through the state’s Medicaid program when they administer naloxone. The change in payment policy will be effective July 1, and was made in consultation the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Indiana will become one of the first states to pay EMS providers for both the administration of the drug and the medication itself.

Previously, EMS personnel were able to administer naloxone under an expiring federal grant. Including naloxone as a covered Medicaid benefit will help ensure funding is available for EMS first responders to continue to administer naloxone.

Effective July 1, Indiana Health Coverage Programs, which includes the Healthy Indiana Plan, Hoosier Healthwise, Hoosier Care Connect and Traditional Medicaid, will reimburse specialty providers who bill the state after a naloxone administration. This was initially communicated to IHCP providers through this bulletin (when) and further guidance will be published soon. Indiana Health Coverage Programs and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security are also planning training sessions to provide guidance and to answer any questions.

A list of resources around naloxone may be found at the ISDH website at optin.in.gov.