COVID-19 cases remain low in the local area, but state health officials are keeping an eye on slight upticks in Indiana’s positivity rate and hospitalizations. Marshall County had two new cases in Friday’s report from the Indiana Department of Health, while Pulaski County had one.
However, State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box is preparing for a surge in the Delta variant. “The B.1.1.7 variant or the Alpha variant that originated in the United Kingdom remains the top variant detected to date,” Box said during a press conference Friday. “However, we have seen a significant increase in the Delta variant that originated in India. . . . Proportionally, the Delta variant is now the one that we are seeing most frequently.”
Box said she doesn’t expect the state to reinstate any restrictions, but local schools and communities may eventually decide to add their own. “I can tell you from having done this now for 15 or 16, however many months it’s been, that people come down about half and half,” she added. “If you mandate masks, 50 percent of people are angry. If you don’t mandate masks, 50 percent of people are angry.”
The state as a whole reported 400 new cases and five new deaths Friday.
