The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 963 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 15,961 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.
A total of 844 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died of COVID-19. Another 88 probable deaths have been reported. Probable deaths are those for which a physician listed COVID-19 as a contributing cause based on X-rays, scans and other clinical symptoms but for which no positive test is on record. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days.
To date, 84,476 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 81,708 on Sunday.
Cass County had the most new cases, at 439. Other counties with more than 10 new cases were Allen (49), Bartholomew (26), Clark (50), Fulton (10), Hamilton (16), Howard (35), Lake (53), Marion (133), Miami (28), St. Joseph (11) and Tippecanoe (15). The Lake County totals include results from East Chicago and Gary, which have their own health departments.
The complete listof counties with cases is included in the ISDH COVID-19 dashboard at coronavirus.in.gov. Cases are listed by county of residence. Private lab reporting may be delayed and will be reflected in the map and count when results are received at ISDH. The dashboard will be updated at noon each day.
Gov. Eric J. Holcomb, the Indiana State Department of Health and other state leaders will host a virtual media briefing in the Governor’s Office to provide updates on COVID-19 and its impact on Indiana.
WHO:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gov. Holcomb
State Health Commissioner Kristina Box, M.D., FACOG
WHEN:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2:30 p.m. ET, Monday, April 27
Media RSVP
Please register HERE by 1 p.m. ET Monday, April 27. Late requests will not be accepted. One confirmation will be sent per media outlet. If you are confirmed to attend the event, you will receive additional logistics in a separate email.
We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUEâ€Â will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?
IS IT TRUE that the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 963 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 15,961 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total? …that a total of 844 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died of COVID-19 and another 88 probable deaths have been reported.  …to date, 84,476 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 81,708 on Sunday?
IS IT TRUE that graphs teach us what to expect to a certain extent and can even predict when the COVID -19 virus curve may really be flattened?…transparency is what is calming the nation and the few states where governors are doing daily updates?…this is something that should be happening in every significant city in the United States, including Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that the Coronavirus pandemic is creating large amounts of anxiety in the minds of Americans all over the nation?…when times of anxiousness are not ended by time people will often drift from anxiety and into desperation and the paralysis of fear?…the common thing that causes anxiety, desperation and fear among people is uncertainty?…uncertainty can be blunted by leaders being transparent about the reality of what is expected when it is expected and what the plans are to do about it?…there are daily updates on the number of cases of coronavirus, the deaths and the number of new cases in a given day?…right now, the most valuable metric is to look at and study the new cases per day? ... that a few our mensa society friends tell us that we should only rely on members of the scientific community to tell us when its safe to go back to work and socialize?”
IS IT TRUEÂ that many people feel that the decisions on how we should attack the deadly COVID-19 virus should be determined by scientific testing and research and not by politicians?
IS IT TRUEÂ one of our readers asks us “how can politicians make an informed decision to allow people to go back to work and begin to socialize when a little over one (1) percent of the 328 million people living in America have been tested so far for the COVID -19 virus? Â …we wonder if any of our readers can respond to this question?
IS IT TRUE that it’s a medical guesstimated that around 2.5 million people living in New York may have survived a COVID -19 virus exposure?
IS IT TRUE that a Vaccine is likely the solution to stop the COVID -19 virus dead in its tracks? Â …that testing for the COVID -19 virus on the masses would also be a big help in slowing this deadly disease?
IS IT TRUE that Mayors should finally realize that the day of telling their constituents to wash their hands and don’t panic is over? …that Mayors should now tell their constituents to wash their hands, social distancing, self-quarantine yourself, Â if you feel sick immediately seek medical help, honor the current “Stay At Home” order, and don’t panic?
IS IT TRUE that information is power but rumors aren’t?  …it’s obvious when it comes to having complete knowledge about the Coronavius -19 virus that some people don’t know that they don’t know?
IS IT TRUE its time that relatives and parents of millenniums demand that they begin to quarantine themselves for the sake of the older members of the family
IS IT TRUEÂ that many people feel it might be time that we get down on our knees and pray for divine intervention?
IS IT TRUEÂ every day, the Trump administration holds a press conference to update the American people on what is going on with the coronavirus?…the inclusion of Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci in the mix has been an excellent learning opportunity?…these two people have presented significant information that has been instrumental in teaching the nation to shelter in place and showing the dramatic difference it makes?
IS IT TRUE we now have states that are doing the wrong thing and are allowing the COVID-19 virus to expand and by doing so we are paying the price in lives and commerce?
IS IT TRUE that Vanderburgh County Council members Tom Shetler and James Raben removed two members of the Vanderburgh County Redevelopment Commission last year and put themselves on that board? …we are told that this well-orchestrated political move was meant to slow down the spending of County future TIF funds? Â …we been told that Raben and Shelter are concerned if the current spending level of the Burkhardt TIF is maintained it would quickly go in the red? Â …this developing story?
IS IT TRUE right after County Councilman Shelter and Raben replaced David Abbott from the Vanderburgh County Redevelopment Commission County Commissioners  Cheryl Musgrave and Ben Shoulders reappointed him and themselves to this important board?
IS IT TRUE that Vanderburgh County Commissioner Ben Shoulders was recently nominated and voted as the 2020 CEO (Chief Elected Official) of Vanderburgh County for Region 11 Grow Southwest Indiana Workforce Board? Â …that Region 11 covers nine (9) counties in Southwest Indiana? Â …they are: Vanderburgh, Posey, Warrick, Gibson, Pike, Dubois, Knox, Spencer, and Perry? …Commissioner Shoulders told the CCO that “he’s excited, honored, and looking forward to serving as CEO of Vanderburgh County for WorkOne”?
IS IT TRUE when the people fear the Government we have Tyranny! Â When the Government fears the people we have Liberty?
IS IT TRUE our “READERS POLLS†are non-scientific but trendy?
Today’s “Readers Poll†question is: Which local television station do you feel that has provided the best coverage of the COVID -19 virus?
Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE FILES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, “READERS POLLâ€, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBSâ€, EDUCATION, OBITUARIES and “LOCAL SPORTSâ€.
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Gov. Beshear Urges Vigilance as Kentucky Takes First Reopening Step
FRANKFORT, Ky.(April 26, 2020) – On Sunday, Gov. Andy Beshear asked Kentuckians to remain vigilant in the fight against the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) as the state takes an initial step toward reopening certain health care operations Monday.
“Tomorrow is the first day since this virus hit that instead of adding restrictions, we are reopening some areas,†the Governor said. “We are starting with health care for some very simple reasons. First, people have not been able to go into some types of visits and important appointments to keep themselves healthy. And people can grow unhealthy or have other issues that are unrelated to COVID-19.
“Second, we need to get our health care industry moving again because as we want to test more people we will need our health care industry to be operating at a greater level to make that happen. And third, in thinking about how to do this gradually in a way that protects people, in a way that we can always take temperature as we move forward, health care is the place to start.â€
Gov. Beshear says the phased reopening of health care services is the first step under the Healthy at Work initiative he introduced to help businesses restart operations safely when the time is right.
On April 27, health care practitioners can resume non-urgent/emergent health care services, diagnostic radiology, and lab services in:
Hospital outpatient settings;
Health care clinics and medical offices;
Physical therapy settings, chiropractic offices, and optometrists;
Dental offices (but with enhanced aerosol protections)
“From a public health standpoint, from a medical standpoint, we would probably prefer to wait even longer before lifting any restrictions,†Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner for the Department for Public Health, said. “But we’re trying to balance competing societal needs: people’s need to get back to work, people’s need to perform other important functions in society, people’s need to pursue their lives, with the need to keep people safe.â€
This guidance does not apply to long-term care settings, prisons and other industries or other settings for which separate guidance has already or will be provided in the future. This guidance does not apply to elective surgeries or procedures, which will be addressed in a subsequent phase.
For full guidance on criteria for reopening and new best practices, click here.
Testing Sites And Eligibility
Gov. Beshear is urging Kentuckians to fill up all available testing slots at multiple sites throughout the commonwealth. Anyone can now sign up for the free COVID-19 testing. For more information on drive-through testing, visit kycovid19.ky.gov.
“This week we have more testing statewide than we have ever had before,†the Governor said.
Update On Voting In The Primary Election
Gov. Beshear and Secretary of State Michael Adams have announced new voting guidelines for the June primary. Click here for more information.
Case information As of 5 p.m. April 26, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 4,074 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 202 of which were newly confirmed.
Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear also reported three new deaths Sunday, raising the state’s toll to 208 deaths related to the virus.
The deaths include two women, both age 88, from Adair County, and an 88-year-old woman from Jackson County.
“They are people that are truly missed by their friends and by their family,†the Governor said. “Let’s make sure we give them just as much effort tonight, lighting our homes up green and our places of business. Let’s make sure that we ring bells tomorrow at 10 a.m. These are three Kentuckians we’ve lost, and we need to show that color of compassion.â€
At least 1,511 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race, and ethnicity, click here.
More information Read about other key updates, actions, and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov , and the Governor’s official social media accounts Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Apr 25, 2020, 7:40 AMThe coronavirus pandemic has swiftly precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in US history.
For economists tracking indicators of what’s happening in the US economy, forecasting an unprecedented situation has been difficult.
“My outlook right now is that I don’t even have an outlook,” Martha Gimbel, an economist at Schmidt Futures, told Business Insider. “This is so bad and so unprecedented that any attempt to forecast what’s going to happen here is just a fool’s game.”
The number of economic indicators that have hit records in the last month is staggering. Retail sales, consumer sentiment, industrial production, and home sales have all slumped as most of the US remains under lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19.
But perhaps the most telling sign of the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic is the weekly jobless rate, which has ballooned to 26 million unemployed Americans in just over a month.
The rapid loss of jobs has been so severe that in just four weeks, unemployment due to the coronavirus crisis roughly equaled all of the jobs created in the period since the Great Recession — the longest-ever economic expansion on record. Since March, each weekly unemployment insurance report released reflected figures far above the worst week of the Great Recession, when Americans filed 665,000 claims.
Overwhelmed Models
In addition, the onset of millions of claims being filed per week was rapid. In the week ending March 14, unemployment-insurance claims jumped to 281,000, then a two-year high. The next week, claims jumped to 3.3 million, and just one more week later, they hit an all-time of 6.9 million.
“We have to acknowledge that our models really aren’t built for this,” Michael Gapen, chief economist at Barclays, told Business Insider. “Most of our models are linear, so they’re good for small deviations within the normal space,” he explained.
For the last 50 years or so, the normal space for weekly jobless claims has been between 200,000 and 700,000, he said. But when the weekly number suddenly jumps to 6 million, “I’m not sure you have a model that tells you anything about the state of the world that you’re in,” said Gapen.
To attempt to forecast where jobless claims will be in the next week, economists have resorted to different methods, which sometimes feel like “finger to the wind” or “back of the envelope” calculations, Gapen said.
New Ways Of Forecasting
Some economists have started relying more heavily on Google trends, for example, to gauge claim filings by seeing how many people searched for terms such as “how to apply for unemployment” or “unemployment benefits” in each state.
US gross domestic product estimates have also been used to project what may happen with job losses, Heidi Shierholz, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, told Business Insider.
In early April, Goldman Sachs estimated that US GDP would contract 34% in the second quarter. That would roughly translate to 19.8 million jobs lost by July, and an unemployment rate of about 14%, according to the EPI.
But other major firms have pushed US GDP estimates even further — JPMorgan expects a 40% contraction in the second quarter, which could put the jobless number closer to 30 million.
“As their forecasts have deteriorated, our jobs numbers have deteriorated,” said Shierholz. “I wonder if it makes us look weird,” she said. “But that’s what we’re doing, and that’s where it is now.”
Working From HomeÂ
Economists are also dealing with the same shift facing the majority of Americans — working from home, away from the usual office spaces and closer to family.
That means there are may be small children around during the day. And for some, like Gapen, it means not being in close proximity to a trading floor, where he could hear and see what was happening in markets very easily.
“Being in proximity to markets made me a better economist,” Gapen said, adding that “it’s impossible to be as dialed-in as we were when we were sitting on the trading floor.”
Still, he’s thinking about the big picture. “I’m not unemployed and I’m not complaining,” he said.
They’re also grappling with the medical side of the coronavirus crisis, and the constant stream of information coming out about it.
“I have spent a lot more time hearing about and thinking about the medical side of this,” Jason Thomas, chief economist at AssetMark, told Business Insider. “I’ve been more frustrated with the medical side, the guidance,” he said.
Still, he added that there is “justified optimism” about the situation. “I have no doubt we’re going to get this figured out, and that we’re going to get a vaccine that’s probably going to come earlier than anybody expects,” he said.
Unique And Unprecedented
The coronavirus pandemic and ensuing economic fallout have been a sharp surprise for Americans, economists included. While the possibility of a pandemic is not new — the US went through SARS, swine flu, and Ebola — the reality of the coronavirus outbreak has been unique because of the economic shutdown it’s caused.
That makes it difficult to forecast what might happen — there’s nothing to compare it with that’s a helpful guideline.
“I come at this with a huge amount of humility as anyone should,” said Shierholz. “These numbers have been a moving target.”
It’s now more than a month since the first big jump in unemployment claims showed just how bad the economic situation due to the coronavirus was, and it’s continued to deteriorate since. Now, everyone wants to know just how long the economic pain might last, and what kind of eventual recovery could happen in the US.
But even that is hard to predict, as seen in the litany of letters and other shapes being used to describe what a recovery might look like.
“Everyone wants the answer,” said Gimbel. “Everyone wants to know exactly how bad it is and exactly how bad it’s going to get. And that’s just almost impossible to tell right now.”
Public Notice of Reconvening Emergency Meeting Public Notice of Reconvening Emergency Meeting
The Vanderburgh County Commissioners will reconvene its emergency meeting on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. in the Locust Meeting Rooms “BC†of the Old National Events Plaza at 715 Locust Street in Evansville, Indiana to receive information, deliberate, and act on emergency matters concerning public health.
  The meeting will be held in compliance with the guidelines of the CDC, ISDH, and Governor Holcomb’s Executive Orders regarding the COVID-19 emergency declaration:
No members must be physically present for a public meeting for the duration of the COVID-19 emergencyÂ
Governing bodies may hold a public meeting by videoconference or by telephone conference if: (1) a quorum of members participate; and (2) any meeting is made available to members of the public and mediaÂ
Attendance will be limited to the first ten (10) persons, including participants, with a preference given to members of the media.
All persons desiring to attend will be subject to health screening for symptoms of COVID-19
U.S. EPA And CBP Act To Protect The Public from Unregistered “Virus Shut Out†Product
“EPA takes our responsibility to protect Americans from fraudulent products seriously,â€Â said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “EPA is increasing the number of approved disinfectants on the market while taking action to prevent dishonest actors from selling fraudulent and illegal items that do nothing to protect American’s from the coronavirus.â€
“It is critical that people only use EPA-registered disinfectants and follow label directions for proper use,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator John Busterud. “EPA will not tolerate companies selling illegal disinfectants and making false or misleading public health claims during this pandemic crisis.”
“As America’s frontline CBP is committed to work collaboratively with our EPA partners to detect, intercept and prevent the introduction of unsafe products that could potentially harm the U.S. consumer,â€Â said CBP’s Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles Carlos C. Martel. “By combining their expertise, training and risk-assessment skills, CBP officers remain vigilant facilitating lawful trade and preventing illicit products to enter the commerce of the U.S.â€
“In the midst of this worldwide emergency, there are still those that would seek to take advantage by making false claims, scamming, and selling inferior products,â€Â said CBP’s San Francisco Director of Field Operations Brian J. Humphrey. “CBP’s primary goal is to protect the American public, and we will not allow unauthorized products such as these to enter the country.â€
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, products that claim to kill or repel bacteria or germs are considered pesticides and must be registered with the EPA prior to distribution or sale. Public health claims can only be made regarding products that have been properly tested and are registered with the EPA. The agency will not register a pesticide until it has been determined that it will not pose an unreasonable risk when used according to the label directions. Products not registered by EPA can be harmful to human health, cause adverse effects, and may not be effective against the spread of germs.
                 Â
Caption: Packaging showing the front and back of the Virus Shut Out product.
EPA has released an expanded list of EPA-registered disinfectant products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The list contains over 370 additional products—including products that went through the expedited review process for emerging viral pathogens.
INDIANAPOLIS—The pot of federal money helping individuals, businesses, hospitals, and governments weather the COVID-19 pandemic may be running dry.
U.S. Sen. Mike Braun delivered that message Friday from his wife’s store in Jasper as he joined Gov. Eric Holcomb’s virtual press briefing to discuss the latest rescue package signed and passed by Congress.
“When we get back, I think there will be very little done in terms of additional federal dollars, other than truly aimed at errors and omissions and some particularly hard-hit sectors,†he said from where he has been in lockdown through the outbreak of COVID-19. Congress is expected to return to Washington on May 4.
U.S. Sen. Mike Braun joined Gov. Eric Holcomb’s virtual press briefing Friday to discuss federal money being provided to aid in the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Janet Williams, TheStatehouseFile.com
This week, Congress passed the CARES 3.5 Act which will allocate $321 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses keep their workers on the payroll. This money will supplement the $349 billion previously approved in the CARES Act.
The act will also provide $60 billion in economic disaster assistance, with $50 billion going to the Disaster Loans Program.
Braun shared the economic data after Dr. Kristina Box, the state health commissioner, provided her daily updated on COVID-19—656 new cases for a statewide total of 13,680 and 35 deaths, with 741 across Indiana.
Updated hospitalization and discharge data showed that 27% of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 ended up in the hospital. Of the individuals who were hospitalized, 25% were admitted to the intensive care unit.
As the daily numbers show slight decreases and the state begins to prepare to reopen the economy, the number of Hoosiers seeking unemployment is still on the rise.
Thursday, Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development, Fred Payne, reported that while the weekly number of unemployment requests have declined, they are still triple the previous record. Overall, 515,000 Hoosiers have filed for unemployment over the past several weeks as the pandemic took hold.
Congress has acted swiftly to hold those hurt by the pandemic, which has resulted in schools, businesses, and other activities being shut down to slow the spread of the virus. So far about $3 trillion has been allocated to help reduce the damage to the economy, including funds for an additional $600 weekly payment for individuals who collect unemployment.
The federal budget is beginning to see the impact of the expenditures.
Braun said that just in the past few weeks, the national debt has ballooned by $3 trillion, from the already $23 trillion debt. He said the next steps taken by Holcomb will be critical since the relief from the federal government will be minimal.
“That’s why the next step from the feds is going to be meted out pretty carefully,†he said. “We have to be careful to that we don’t go over the tipping point when it comes to the economic damage.â€
Holcomb has said the state’s economy will be restarted slowly as businesses put procedures in place to be sure employees and customers will be safe and there won’t be a resurgence of COVID-19. The first step in that process comes Monday—Holcomb signed an executive order Friday to allow health care providers and facilities to resume elective medical procedures.
Gov. Eric Holcomb at his virtual COVID-19 press briefing Friday. Photo by Janet Williams, TheStatehouseFile.com
Facilities, including hospitals, veterinarians, and dentists, will only be allowed to resume provided they have appropriate amounts of personal protective equipment and consult recommendations developed by their medical associations or industries.
Later Friday, Holcomb announced that the Indiana Economic Development Corporation has secured commitments for more than 6.3 million pieces of personal protective equipment – up from 2.6 million last reported on April 13 – for hospitals, first responders, long-term care facilities and health care providers treating COVID-19 patients. To date, more than 1.17 million items have been delivered to the health department for distribution.
Meanwhile, state health officials will continue to provide guidance to hospitals, businesses, and individuals as they navigate the changes brought about by the pandemic.
Some of that guidance included telling Hoosiers not to follow President Donald Trump’s suggestions that ingesting disinfectants could kill the virus in people.
Box said she has responded to questions about that “remedy†saying, “We have assured them that that’s not something we recommend.â€
Holcomb referred to the president’s comment when asked whether he was serious about the disinfectant and he replied that he was just being sarcastic.
Braun, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters, said, “Sometimes when you’re not clear with how you say things and especially when you’re at a high level where people watch, it’s probably best not to venture into areas that you may not know a lot about.â€
FOOTNOTE: Victoria Ratliff is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
                  
