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All WVPE listener counties now in most severe ‘red’ category on Indiana’s COVID-19 tracking map

Indiana Department of Health

All WVPE listener counties are now in the most severe “red” category, indicating unchecked community spread of the coronavirus, on Indiana’s COVID-19 tracking map.

Last week, Elkhart, Fulton and LaGrange counties were in the “red” category and all other WVPE listener counties were “orange,” indicating high spread of the virus.

But this week, St. Joseph, LaPorte, Starke, Pulaski, Marshall and Kosciusko counties headed into the “red.”

Things are also worse statewide. Forty-seven Indiana counties are now “red” — including almost all of the northern third of the state — and 44 are “orange,” indicating high spread of the virus.

Only one county in southern Indiana remains “yellow,” indicating moderate spread.

Hospitalizations continue to surge in Healthcare District Two, which covers most of the WVPE listening area.

As of Tuesday, there were 311 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and 11 more who are suspected to have the disease for a total of 322. That’s 54 more patients than last Tuesday, and almost as high as the winter 2020 surge.

And 17.8 percent of area ICU beds are available — a 5.4 percent increase from last week. But 43 percent of area ICU beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients.

Statewide COVID cases have also skyrocketed in the past week. On Dec. 7, the state reported 5,311 new cases and the seven-day moving average was 4,731.

Between Oct. 21 and Nov. 3, the seven-day moving average plateaued between 1,550 and 1,650.

But deaths have so far remained steady. As of Dec. 7, the state reported a seven-day moving average of 27. The seven-day moving average has ranged between 25 and 30 since Oct. 18.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are also surging in Michigan. As of Dec. 6, Berrien County reported a seven-day moving average of 650 new cases per 100,000 people, almost as high as the winter 2020 surge. 

According to Indiana’s vaccine dashboard, 58.6 percent of Hoosiers aged 12 and older and 53.5 percent of Hoosiers aged 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

In addition, about 28 percent of fully vaccinated Hoosiers have received COVID-19 booster shots. But vaccination rates still vary widely by zip code.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, all counties in Indiana and Michigan have “high” community spread of the virus. That means both vaccinated and unvaccinated Michiganders and Hoosiers should wear masks indoors.

Contact Jakob at jlazzaro@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @JakobLazzaro.

If you appreciate this kind of journalism on your local NPR station, please support it by donating here.

Jakob Lazzaro came to Indiana from Chicago, where he graduated from Northwestern University in 2020 with a degree in Journalism and a double major in History. Before joining WVPE, he wrote NPR's Source of the Week e-mail newsletter, and previously worked for CalMatters, Pittsburgh's 90.5 WESA and North by Northwestern.