INDIANAPOLIS —
Sunday, April 26
Noon
The Indiana State Department of Health reported 634 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 throughout the state. The total of cases statewide is 15,012.
The ISDH also reported 29 new coronavirus-related deaths in the state. The state has 813 total deaths statewide.
Local County COVID-19 statistics:
- Clark County: 227 positive cases, 13 deaths
- Floyd County: 164 positive cases, 12 deaths
- Harrison County: 118 positive cases, five deaths
- Jefferson County: 22 positive cases, zero deaths
- Scott: 37 positive cases, two deaths
- Washington: 40 positive cases, zero deaths
Saturday, April 25
Noon
The Indiana State Department of Health reported 718 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 throughout the state. This brings the total of cases statewide to 14,395.
The ISDH also reported 44 new coronavirus-related deaths in the state. The state has had 785 total deaths statewide.
Friday, April 24
2:30 p.m.
Beginning Monday, April 27, Riverview Health will reopen all physician offices.
- There will be new safety measures in place including all staff wearing masks at all times, and patients being asked to also bring their own mask to the appointment.
- Patients should call the office from their car upon arrival to be registered over the phone. Staff will then call the patient back when the provider is ready to see them. No patients will wait in waiting rooms.
Any interaction with staff to pay a copay, schedule another appointment, etc. will be done as quickly as possible. Patients with respiratory symptoms will have visits at different times of the day than patients without.
- Virtual visits will still be available for those patients who are unable or would prefer not to come into the office. Indiana Packers Corporation, a global pork supplier based in Delphi, Indiana, has decided to temporarily suspend operations at its Delphi facility, as part of its ongoing health-and-safety assessments. The move is said to be out of an abundance of caution. The company said it decided to suspend operations because of the increasing number of positive tests of COVID-19 in neighboring communities and reports that Indiana is closing in on the expected peak of infections.
Noon
Governor Eric Holcomb and state leaders are providing an update on the response to COVID-19.
ISDH reported they have 79 presumptive positive deaths caused by COVID-19. Presumptive positive cases are those where COVID-19 was listed as a contributing cause of death, but there was no COVID-19 positive test documented for the patient. A clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 can be done using the patient's x-ray, CT scan of their chest, and the full clinical picture.
Those numbers aren't being added to the current 741 COVID-19 deaths.
ISDH also updated recovery numbers saying that 80 percent of hospitalized patients have been discharged. Around 6 percent are still likely hospitalized and 14 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have died.
To date, Indiana has received and distributed more than 1,178,000 items of PPE. More than 2,400,000 PPE items have been ordered.
Starting Monday, elective procedures will be permitted as long as a facility will be able to protect patients and staff against COVID-19 and have adequate PPE.
Thursday, April 23
2:30 p.m.
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development reported 75,483 unemployment claims for last week.
That's actually down from the previous weeks:
- 118,184 - week ending April 11
- 133,639 - week ending April 4
- 139,174 - week ending March 28
From April 1 - 21 the DWD processed more than a million unemployment payments. Those payments totaled $470 million.
Beginning April 24, the unemployment system will be able to start taking claims from those with limited work history or are self-employed. Those claims will take 21 days to process as is usual for claims.
DWD will also start holding virtual job fairs to help Hoosiers find employment.
12 p.m.
The Indiana State Department of Health has reported 612 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, totaling 13,039. The report also says that 45 more people have died from the virus between April 6 and April 22.
Marion County had the newest cases with 160.
Other counties with more than 10 new cases were
- Allen (44)
- Bartholomew (17)
- Cass (61)
- Elkhart (11)
- Hamilton (23)
- Hendricks (34)
- Johnson (22)
- Lake (55)
- Shelby (20)
- St. Joseph (22)
There have been more than 700 deaths in Indiana from coronavirus and more than 72,000 people have been tested.
Wednesday, April 22
2:30 p.m.
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority has released a resource guide to help Hoosiers work with lenders and landlords as they face economic hardships.
It has reopened Indiana's Hardest Hit Fund which makes up to $30 million available for mortgage payment assistance. That can mean up to 6 months of payment assistance.
You can call 877-get-hope or go to 877gethope.org.
The Office of Community & Rural Affairs launched the "COVID-19 Response Program" on April 1.
It repurposes $4.5 million in Community Development Block Grants to help small and rural communities respond to the crisis.
So far 13 communities have received almost $2 million in grants for testing and diagnostic services, meal and supply delivery, and to provide capital to small businesses for job retention.
- Town of Lacrosse
- Cass County
- Tippecanoe County
- Logansport
- Town of Bargersville
- Town of North Manchester
- Noble County
- Fulton County
- City of Delphi
- City of Knox
- Town of Hebron
- Pike County
- City of Greensburg
Noon
The Indiana State Department of Health is reporting 394 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, totaling 12,438. Thirty-one more people died from the virus between April 2 to April 21, bringing Indiana's total deaths to 661.
According to ISDH, the new confirmed cases and new tests reported are lower than expected due to a technology issue and "should not be interpreted as a decline in new infections." Therefore, the number of cases in both those categories will be added to the updates in the coming days.
Marion County had the newest cases with 97.
Other counties with more than 10 new cases were:
- Cass (31)
- Hamilton (12)
- Lake (72)
- Porter (10)
- St. Joseph (21)
So far more than 69,000 Hoosiers have been tested for coronavirus.
Tuesday, April 21
2:30 p.m.
The Indiana Supreme Court issued a new order Monday designed to protect stimulus checks from debt collectors. The justices ruled that courts are not allowed to issue any new orders freezing bank accounts or garnishing money that is from a stimulus payment. One notable exception is that child support may still be collected.
12 p.m.
Indiana has now topped 12,000 COVID-19 cases and 600 deaths. ISDH reported 41 more deaths Tuesday, bringing the total to 630. The newest reports include deaths dating back to April 7.
With 431 more cases, Indiana is now at 12,097.
Monday, April 20
2:30 p.m.
Gov. Eric Holcomb said tomorrow, April 21, will start the first phase of resuming elective procedures across the state. The first stage allows hospitals to begin some elective procedures again. If PPE inventory holds up, other medical and clinical practices will be allowed to resume those services Monday, April 27.
Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box outlined some changes for end-of-life options for long-term care facilities. The new guidelines will allow facilities to loosen requirements so family members who are not at high risk having adverse effects from the virus to give loved ones a proper goodbye.
12 p.m.
The Indiana State Department of Health said there are now 505 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 totaling 11,686.
There are also 7 more deaths in the state. Those deaths occurred between April 15 and April 19. Indiana has seen 569 total deaths.
More than 64,000 Hoosiers have been tested for coronavirus.
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