Staff Reports
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH)said 373 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 32,078 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.
This represents a 13.9% positive test rate in the state, according to state health officials.
A total of 1,850 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, an increase of 18 over the previous day. Another 154 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.
This has boosted Indiana’s confirmed or presumed deaths to 2,004 as of Tuesday, since the first one was recorded on March 15, according to data posted on the state agency’s coronavirus dashboard.
Bartholomew County is reporting 481 positive tests with 33 deaths.
Other surrounding counties reported:
Brown County: 33 positive cases, one death.
Jackson County: 367 positive cases, one death.
Jennings County: 127 positive cases, four deaths.
Decatur county: 224 positive cases, 31 deaths.
Shelby County: 315 positive cases, 21 deaths
Johnson County: 1,086 positive cases, 104 deaths.
To date, 230,749 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 226,251 on Monday.
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.
ISDH will host drive-thru testing clinics from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday of this week at the following locations:
Shelbyville High School, 2003 S. Miller St., Shelbyville, IN 46176
Miller School — Hammond, 6530 New Hampshire, Hammond, IN 46323
Ivy Tech Community College — Princeton, 2431 S. Crabtree Drive, Princeton, IN 47670
Franklin County 4-H Fairgrounds, 7178 Blue Creek, Brookville, IN
To find additional testing locations, visit www.coronavirus.in.gov and click on the COVID-19 testing information link. More than 200 locations are available around the state.
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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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Visit the Community COVID-19 Task Force’s website at covid19communitytaskforce.org for local information.
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