NEW (March 16 at 10:20am):
INDIANAPOLIS —The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today reported five new presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, bringing to 24 the number of Hoosiers diagnosed through ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories.
The new cases involve residents of Bartholomew (1), Floyd (1), Hendricks (1), Howard (1) and Marion (1) counties.
THE LATEST:
INDIANAPOLIS —The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today reported four new presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, bringing to 19 the number of Hoosiers diagnosed through ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories.
The new cases involve residents of Hamilton and Marion counties.
EARLIER:
LaPorte County Board of Commissioners President, Sheila Matias, confirms that the city of LaPorte is where the county's first case of COVID-19 occurred. She says a 55-year-old man is hospitalized with the coronavirus. She says his family and contacts are in quarantine.
PREVIOUS POST;
The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today reported three new presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, bringing to 15 the number of Hoosiers diagnosed through ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. All but one are adults.
The new cases involve residents of Marion, LaPorte and Wells counties.
Meantime, the South Bend Community School Corporation has announced the following closure:
The South Bend Community School Corporation will close for at least two weeks, effective Tuesday, March 17, 2020, as state and local health officials work to limit the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
“We realize and acknowledge the significant impact this decision will have on our students and families,” said Superintendent Dr. Todd Cummings. “For our parents and caregivers who have to report to work, or for those who need assistance from our programs, these factors and many others were weighed heavily against our decision to close.”
We understand that closing our schools and asking our district to practice social distancing and avoidance of crowds is an important part of our obligation to our district and greater community.
While SBCSC does not currently have any confirmed cases within the district, we have decided to close our schools out of an abundance of caution.