During Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb's regularly scheduled COVID-19 news conference Wednesday, one of the first topics addressed was the surge of COVID-19 cases being experienced in Elkhart and LaGrange Counties.
Dr. Lindsay Weaver, Indiana State Dept. of Health's Chief Medical Officer gave details regarding her visit Tuesday to Elkhart and LaGrange counties. She says she met with county, government and health leaders.
She says Elkhart County has a positivity rate of 11.4% when it comes to COVID-19 testing.
She says in the past week there has been an increase in Elkhart County's local hospital census due to COVID-19.
Weaver says LaGrange County has seen a lot of new daily cases and has a positivity rate at 30% currently when it comes to COVID-19 testing.
There are 19 test sites in Elkhart County. The county has one of the highest numbers of testing sites per capita in the state.
The state also provided medical equipment to both counties.
Weaver met w/personnel from both Elkhart General Hospital and Goshen Health.
She says the state will provide both hospitals with equipment to do in-house testing and she says they should have that equipment by the end of the week.
Weaver met with the Latino pandemic response team in Elkhart County yesterday and with the assistance of that team she says pop-up testing is happening from12 to 7pm today in Goshen.
Weaver says they are also working with partners in the Amish community, so the Amish can receive information from a trusted source. She says reaching the Amish is critical to ISDH's effort.
