INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — State health officials have added 18 more coronavirus-related deaths to Indiana's pandemic total as the state also reported a sharp increase in the number of people hospitalized with the respiratory infection caused by the virus. Indiana hospitals had 907 patients with COVID-19 as of Monday, a jump of 72 from a day earlier and the most since early June. Those Indiana hospitalizations have grown by about 50% since late June. Gov. Eric Holcomb cited that trend when he announced a statewide face mask mandate that took effect Monday. Most of Indiana's new COVID-19 fatalities occurred since Thursday, pushing Indiana's total to 2,924.
