Indiana COVID-19 hospitalizations near 2,200, new state high

INDIANPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s hospitals were treating the largest number of COVID-19 patients on Sunday since the state began releasing public reports on coronavirus hospitalizations last spring, early in the pandemic, state health officials said.

On the seventh straight day of record-setting coronavirus hospitalizations, Indiana hospitals were treating 2,174 patients with COVID-19, the Indiana State Department of Health said Monday in its daily statistics update.

The new hospitalization numbers marked an 84% jump in Indiana’s COVID-19 patients during the past month, the data show.

The state agency also reported another 4,213 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing Indiana’s seven-day rolling average for newly confirmed coronavirus cases to 4,212. That is up more than 214% from a month ago and has continued rising to new highs that the state has seen during the pandemic.

The health department also added 34 more coronavirus-related deaths to Indiana’s pandemic toll, raising it to 4,644, including confirmed and presumed coronavirus infections.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said Wednesday that hospitals and healthcare workers in Indiana are swamped, “needing support now more than ever.” Staffing issues continue to be the greatest challenge, Box said. State officials are now renewing their call for retired health care workers to help relieve staff in Indiana’s hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Gov. Eric Holcomb, who won a second term as governor last week by defeating Democrat Woody Myers said Wednesday he’s not making any changes to COVID-19 policy, including no statewide closure of schools.

The Republican governor has continued to resist calls for reinstating coronavirus restrictions since lifting nearly all limits in late September, just as the state started recording sharp increases in hospitalizations, deaths and new infections.