The latest report from the Indiana State Department of Health showed another increase of COVID-19 cases in our local counties.
Continue readingMore COVID-19 Cases Reported Locally
IDOE Submits Reentry Guidelines for Schools
The Indiana Department of Education released information Friday morning concerning health guidelines given to schools in order to reopen safely.
Continue readingState Health Commissioner: Not Wearing Masks in Stores Is ‘A Selfish Way of Behaving’
State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box is voicing her frustration with those who choose not to wear face masks in businesses.
Continue readingTraffic Volumes Heading Back Up As Indiana Gradually Reopens
Hoosiers are gradually getting back on the roads after the coronavirus shutdown. INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness gave an update on traffic volumes during state officials’ COVID-19 press conference Wednesday.
Continue readingState Health Commissioner Says Testing of All Nursing Home Residents Won’t Happen by End of Month
Indiana will not be able to test every resident of a long-term care facility for COVID-19 by the end of the month. “That would be over 100,000 individuals by the end of the month, and I can assure you, unfortunately, that is not going to happen,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said during Wednesday’s press conference. “But we are working to make sure that we are testing all of our employees of long-term care facilities.”
Continue readingIndiana to Begin Next Stage of Back on Track Plan Friday
Most of Indiana will move to the next stage of Governor Holcomb’s Back on Track plan a couple days earlier than originally scheduled. Holcomb announced that Stage 3 will begin this Friday.
Continue readingIndiana Reports First Case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
A syndrome believed to cause severe illness in children exposed to COVID-19 has now been reported in Indiana. State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box announced the state’s first confirmed case of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children Monday.
Continue readingState Health Commissioner Reviews COVID-19 Hospitalization Numbers
State Health Commissioner Dr Kris Box is hopeful about some of the state’s COVID-19 statistics. During Friday’s COVID-19 press conference, Box noted that the number of patients admitted to the hospital appears to be on a downward trend, going from 170 on April 1 to 71 this past Tuesday.
Continue readingCOVID-19 Study Providing Insight on Recovery Rate
A recent study of the prevalence of COVID-19 in Indiana is helping health officials better understand its recovery rate. During state officials’ COVID-19 briefing Wednesday, State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said there are typically two ways to determine whether someone’s recovered.
Continue readingHospitals, Health Departments to Get PPE Shipments this Week
Medical professionals who’ve had a hard time getting personal protective equipment are getting some help from the Indiana State Department of Health. State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box says 128 hospitals and 90 health departments will get a shipment of supplies this week.
Continue readingStudy Suggests 186,000 Hoosiers Have Had COVID-19
The number of Hoosiers who’ve been infected with COVID-19 could be almost 11 times greater than the official case count. The Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health recently tested more than 4,600 residents, representing the state’s population as a whole.
Continue readingState Health Commissioner Urges Hoosiers to Resume Routine Medical Care, Vaccinations
Those who’ve been putting off routine medical care due to COVID-19 concerns are urged to have it done. During state officials’ press conference Monday, State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said she doesn’t want people to delay seeing the doctor and ending up with a more serious problem.
Continue readingIndiana Launches Centralized COVID-19 Contact Tracing
Indiana’s centralized COVID-19 contact tracing effort officially began Monday. While it’s mainly been up to local health departments until now, the state has contracted with a company called Maximus to operate a statewide call center and notification system.
Continue readingState Health Commissioner Gives Testing Update
Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box gave a testing update during Friday’s press conference with Governor Eric Holcomb.
Continue readingState Health Commissioner Offers Tips to Prevent Spreading COVID-19
Businesses may be reopening and Hoosiers may be returning to their workplaces, but State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box says residents need to keep working to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Continue readingState Health Commissioner Satisfied with Safety Measures at Logansport Meatpacking Plant
State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box appears to be satisfied with the safety measures in place at the Tyson meat processing plant in Logansport.
Continue readingIndiana Department of Correction to Test All Offenders at Intake Facility for COVID-19
The Indiana Department of Correction says it’ll screen all offenders passing through its intake facility for COVID-19. IDOC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kristen Dauss announced the expanded testing effort during Wednesday’s COVID-19 press conference.
Continue readingState Health Commissioner Recommends That High-Risk Individuals Get Tested for COVID-19
Indiana is once again expanding its COVID-19 testing guidelines. The first 20 testing sites set up through an agreement with OptumServe Health Services opened Wednesday.
Continue readingIndiana to Centralize COVID-19 Tracing
Indiana is centralizing the COVID-19 contact tracing process. Up until now, it’s often been up to county health departments to contact those who test positive, ask them about potential close contacts, and then reach out to those people. State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box announced Wednesday that the state is contracting with a company called Maximus to launch a statewide call center and notification system.
Continue readingState Working to Maintain Nation’s Food Supply, While Protecting Meatpacking Plant Workers’ Health
Protecting the health of meat processing plant workers without jeopardizing the nation’s food supply chain is a challenge being faced by state officials. President Trump this week ordered meatpacking plants to stay open. At the same time, the Indiana State Department of Health is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak at the Tyson plant in Logansport.
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