INDIANAPOLIS — The counties across Indiana’s northern tier are showing moderate risk of coronavirus spread as Michigan remains the national hotspot for COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.
The ongoing risk comes as Indiana’s COVID-19 hospitalizations are at their highest since mid-February and the state’s rate of people receiving vaccine shots has dropped by about one-third over the past couple weeks.
The State Department of Health’s weekly tracking map updated Wednesday showed four of the five Indiana counties that border Michigan with orange risk — the second highest of the four ratings. Two other nearby counties also have orange ratings, while 10 more northern Indiana counties have the next-highest yellow rating.
Indiana officials have been watching those northern counties because Michigan has posted more new COVID-19 cases than any other state in the country over the past two weeks.
One-third of Indiana residents ages 16 and older have now been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to state health officials. But the average number of people receiving shots has declined from almost 56,000 a day in mid-April to 38,000.
Top Indiana health officials were to hold a Wednesday afternoon news briefing to discuss the state’s response.
