"Beyond Heartbreaking." IN Health Commissioner On COVID-19 Death Toll, The Worst May Be Yet To Come

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana health officials are doubling down on pleas for Hoosiers to stay at home for the holidays and cooperate with virus mitigation efforts as statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths continue to hit record highs. The Indiana State Department of Health added 63 more deaths to state’s pandemic toll Wednesday, making November Indiana’s deadliest COVID-19 month with 1,055 confirmed deaths. State health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box called the record-breaking death total and other increasing metrics “beyond heartbreaking" during a Wednesday news briefing with Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb. With many Hoosiers ignoring pleas to stay home for the holidays, Box said she's concerned that more Indiana counties will see spikes in COVID-19 spread in the coming weeks.