INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Thursday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic, including the latest news on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in Indiana.
Registrations for the vaccine are now open for Hoosiers 12 and older through the Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
State reports 8K more full vaccinations, 4 additional deaths
The Indiana State Department of Health reported 8,295 people are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as of Thursday morning. That brings the total number of Hoosiers fully vaccinated to 2,766,914.
ISDH also reported 230 new positive tests for the virus, along with four additional deaths that occurred between May 7 and Wednesday. Indiana has lost 13,396 people to COVID-19.
The new cases bring Indiana's total to 752,395 residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus.
CDC extends eviction moratorium through July 31
The Biden administration has extended the nationwide ban on evictions for 30 days to help tenants who are unable to make rent payments during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, extended the evictions moratorium until July 31. It had been scheduled to end June 30.
The White House had acknowledged Wednesday that the emergency pandemic protection will have to end at some point. The trick is devising the right sort of off-ramp to make the transition without massive social upheaval.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the separate bans on evictions for renters and mortgage holders were “always intended to be temporary.”
Purdue football announces 100% crowd capacity
Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium will open to full capacity this fall and the university and the Tippecanoe County Board of Health authorized Purdue Athletics to return to 100 percent capacity.
Purdue's Holloway Gymnasium is also included in the authorization.
Decisions about capacity in Mackey Arena and other athletics facilities will be made in the near future, according to release from Purdue Athletics.
Purdue officials also expect all traditional gameday activities at Ross-Ade Stadium will resume, including pregame tailgating, fan shuttles and band and cheer performances.
Digital ticketing and parking passes will be used to allow for contactless entry and payment, along with contactless admission pedestals at all entry gates and cashless transactions at concession stands and the Purdue Team Store.
US jobless claims tick down to 411,000 as economy heals
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week, a sign that layoffs declined and the job market is improving.
The Labor Department said Thursday that jobless claims declined just 7,000 from the previous week to 411,000. The number of weekly applications for unemployment aid has fallen steadily this year from about 900,000 in January. The level of unemployment claims generally reflects the pace of layoffs.
With many employers desperate to hire, some states are starting to cut off several pandemic-related unemployment aid programs in response to business complaints that the assistance is making it harder for them to find workers. Starting this month, 26 states will end an extra $300 weekly federal unemployment payment and 22 of those states will also cut off all jobless assistance to self-employed, gig workers, and those out of work more than six months. The extra $300 ends nationwide Sept. 6.
What should I know about the delta variant?
The delta variant of the coronavirus has been found in more than 80 countries since it was first detected in India and is now responsible for 20% of infections in the U.S. Most virus mutations aren’t concerning, but there is a worry that some variants might evolve to be more contagious, cause more severe illness or evade the protection of vaccines.
The delta variant spreads more easily, but it’s not clear yet whether it makes people sicker. Fully vaccinated people appear protected from it, though the effectiveness of AstraZeneca and Pfizer's two-dose shots seems to drop for those with only one dose.
Labor secretary visits IMS
U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where thousands have received their COVID-19 vaccine shot.
Secretary Walsh will take a ride today with healthcare workers and visit a pop-up vaccination site at the Speedway Museum. The visit is part of the Biden administration's nationwide tour to reach millions of Americans who still haven't rolled up their sleeves.
Earlier this week, at a White House pandemic briefing, we learned the U.S. will likely not reach the goal of vaccinating 70% of adults. Among the lowest rate of adults to get vaccinated are the 18-26 age range. That's why there's been such a push to get young people vaccinated, especially with the threat of the latest delta variant.
Center for Disease Control Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky addressed the problem, "The CDC continues to follow the prevelance of the delta variant of this virus. In the last 2 weeks the prevalance in the cases has doubled to just over 20%."
As of Saturday, there were 97 cases of the delta variant in Indiana, according to the state's website.
Marion County leaders hope to have 50 percent of the population fully vaccinated by July 4. Right now, about 39 percent of the total population is fully vaccinated.
British travel industry urges swifter reopening of sector
The U.K.’s travel industry has held a day of action to put pressure on the British government to accelerate the reopening of the sector and to provide cash-strapped businesses with much-needed financial support.
Hundreds of travel industry workers, including travel agents, pilots and cabin crew from airlines such as British Airways and easyJet, gathered Wednesday outside the parliament in London. There were other protests in Edinburgh and in Belfast. Derek Jones, boss of luxury travel firm Kuoni, said the outbound travel sector has been “decimated” by the coronavirus pandemic as well as the government’s “haphazard” response.
COVID-19 cluster worsens in Australian city
A state government minister has been infected with COVID-19 and another minister is in isolation as a cluster in the Australian city of Sydney worsens.
New South Wales Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said he was told on Thursday that he had tested positive after dining with three government colleagues on Monday at a Sydney restaurant after an infected diner.
All four lawmakers had been attending Parliament as recently as Tuesday.
Health Minister Brad Hazard said he was self-isolating after being exposed to a potential case at Parliament House.
Hazzard said while standing next to Premier Gladys Berejiklian at daily pandemic media briefings, that he thought she was “fairly safe.”
Pandemic restrictions tightened in Sydney on Thursday as a cluster of the Delta variant increased and states banned travel from either parts of Sydney or from anywhere in New South Wales.
The cluster began last week when a Sydney airport limousine driver tested positive. He was not vaccinated and is suspected to have been infected while transporting a foreign air crew. The cluster had grown to 31 cases by Wednesday.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 33.57 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 5 a.m. ET Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 602,800 deaths in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 179.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 3.89 million deaths. More than 2.7 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.
Upcoming central Indiana vaccine clinics
Mobile vaccination clinics are planned this week on the following schedule:
June 24 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.):
Grant County:
Allen Temple AME Church
3440 S. Washington, Marion, IN 46953
June 24-25 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.):
Monroe County:
Harrodsburg Community Center
1102 W. Popcorn Rd., Harrodsburg, IN 47403
Shelby County:
Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church
3718 E. Blue Ridge Rd., Shelbyville, IN 46176
June 24-26 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.):
Spencer County:
Spencer County Fair
1101 E. CR 800 N., Chrisney, IN 47611
Patients with an appointment at a state-hosted public vaccination site can get a free Uber or Lyft ride. Call 2-1-1 or (866) 211-9966 to receive a voucher to cover the cost of an Uber ride to and from your vaccination appointments. IU Health offers free Lyft rides to any vaccine site in the state. Call 1.888.IUHEALTH (888-484-3258) and choose option 9 if you need transportation to your vaccine appointment.
Johnson County library to host COVID-19 vaccine clinics
The Johnson County Public Library is hoping a series of clinics will help as the number of people getting vaccinated against COVID-19 begins to plateau.
The clinics will be held at the following locations, days and times:
Trafalgar Library Branch
- July 14, 2021: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
- Aug. 6, 2021: 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
White River Library Branch
- July 13, 2021: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
- Aug. 3, 2021: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Franklin Library Branch
- July 1, 2021: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
- July 22, 2021: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
The Pfizer vaccine will be given at all of the clinics, and Spanish translators will be available.
If a person does not have transportation, Access Johnson County’s Demand Response service offers curb-to-curb service between their home and the clinic and back. The cost is as little as $4 each way. If a person can’t afford the fare, Access will waive the fare. To schedule a ride, call 317-738-5523.