Indiana is seeing more red on the color-coded county COVID-19 map than ever before as of the latest release from the State Dept. of Health Wednesday.
Elkhart County is back in the red. LaGrange County remains red and newly red for the first time is Pulaski County.
The number of Indiana counties with the highest risk level of coronavirus spread more than doubled. And average daily COVID-19 deaths have reached 60% higher than the peak during the April surge. The Indiana State Health Department’s weekly tracking map labels 36 of the state’s 92 counties as being in the most dangerous red category, up from 16 a week ago. All other counties are in the next-riskiest orange rating. Health officials on Wednesday reported 98 more confirmed COVID-19 deaths. The state’s seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths has reached 67 per day after an April peak of 42 a day.
Today Gov. Holcomb summed up the COVID-19 situation by saying, "The State of Indiana is on fire."
In an effort to preserve ICU capacity, hospitals in Indiana will be required to postpone or reschedule non-emergent procedures in the in-patient hospital setting. This state directive is from Dec. 16-Jan. 3.
Other state directives were announced including the following limits on gatherings:
