Staff Reports
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) said 481 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 28,705 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.
A total of 1,678 Hoosiers have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19, an increase of 57 over the previous day. Another 146 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.
Bartholomew County is reporting 438 positive cases with 31 deaths, an increase of one death from Monday.
The Bartholomew County Health Department said 3,947 tests have been administered with the 438 positive tests and 2,912 negative tests. There are 665 tests pending in Bartholomew County.
The number of positives of Bartholomew County residents may include testing that was conducted out of county. Conversely, the number of total tests may also include submissions for non-Bartholomew County residents. The counts listed for positives and deaths is only for Bartholomew County residents only.
Surrounding counties reported:
Jackson County: 336 positive cases, one death.
Jennings County: 117 positive cases, four deaths.
Decatur County: 220 positive cases, 31 deaths.
Shelby County: 298 positive cases, 20 deaths.
Brown County: 31 positive cases, one death.
Johnson County: 1,016 positive cases, 97 deaths.
To date, 189,330 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 183,912 on Monday.
Marion County had the most new cases, at 145. Other counties with more than 10 new cases were Allen (22), Elkhart (48), Hamilton (11), Hancock (11), Hendricks (14), Johnson (13), Lake (61), Montgomery (12) and St. Joseph (32). A complete list of cases by county is posted at www.coronavirus.in.gov.
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, including one in Columbus, 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 is at greater risk for severe illness, also are encouraged to get tested.
To facilitate testing, ISDH will host four drive-thru clinics Thursday through Saturday in Shelbyville, Wheatfield, Brazil and Hammond. Each clinic will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the addresses below:
The testing site in Shelbyville will be at Shelbyville High School, 2003 S. Miller St.
To find other testing locations around the state, visit www.coronavirus.in.gov and click on the COVID-19 testing information link.
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The state has opened a new testing initiative at 20 sites around Indiana, including a site in Columbus, to test community residents who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or those who have been exposed. That includes individuals who live with an individual who has tested positive.
Those who wish to be tested must register in advance online or by calling a hotline. To register, visit https://lhi.care/covidtesting or call (888) 634-1123. Those who apply will be screened before being assigned a time and location for testing.
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People with symptoms such as shortness of breath or risk factors such as being older than 60 and/or having a compromised immune system should seek medical care and let their physician decide if a COVID-19 test will help direct their care.
Anyone with concerns are urged to call the health system’s Triage Resource Call Center, a phone resource line launched by CRH to handle calls from residents with questions and concerns about exposure or symptoms associated with COVID-19. The phone line is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is staffed by registered nurses who will offer screening questions and potentially recommend a course of action for patients.
The phone resource line can be contacted at 812-379-4449.
Visit crh.org/news/2020/03/16/coronavirus-update-what-you-need-to-know for more information.
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For more information about COVID-19, including a list of frequently asked questions, visit in.gov/coronavirus.
Visit the Indiana State Department of Health in.gov/isdh/ or follow us on Twitter at @StateHealthIN and on Facebook at facebook.com/StateHealthIN.
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For closings and cancellations, visit therepublic.com or The Republic’s Facebook page.
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