INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Tuesday'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.
135,000 people attended the Indy 500, 19 tested positive for COVID
It was the largest sporting event held since the pandemic began. On May 30, around 135,000 people poured through the gates of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Race organizers had agreed to safety procedures approved by the Marion County Public Health Department to reduce chances of COVID-19 spread.
Less than a month later, MCPHD Director Dr. Virginia Caine said they only traced 19 people being infected and attending the race.
The 19 people were all from Indiana and all lived outside of Marion County.
MCPHD did work with health departments in other counties and the Indiana State Department of Health to track the cases and look for other potential exposure.
Caine did not clearly say if there were any additional infections related to the 19 cases.
Biden pushes shots for young adults as variant concern grows
The U.S. government is stepping up efforts to get younger Americans vaccinated for COVID-19 as concerns grow about the spread of a new variant that threatens to set the country back in the months ahead.
The push is underway as the delta variant, first identified in India, has come to represent more than 20% of coronavirus infections in the U.S. in the last two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday. That's double what it was when the CDC last reported on the variant's prevalence.
"The delta variant is currently the greatest threat in the U.S. to our attempt to eliminate COVID-19," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said at a White House briefing on the virus. "Good news: Our vaccines are effective against the delta variant."
He added: "We have the tools. So let's use them, and crush the outbreak."
Almost 900 Secret Service employees were infected with COVID
Roughly 900 U.S. Secret Service employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to government records obtained by a government watchdog group.
Secret Service records show that 881 people on the agency payroll were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and March 9, 2021, according to documents obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
The records received through a Freedom of Information Act request did not include the names or assignments of those who tested positive. But more than half — 477 — worked in the special agent division, which is responsible for protecting the president and vice president, as well as the families of these leaders and other government officials.
CREW noted that the Trump administration took actions that risked exposure to Secret Service workers, but it could not verify a direct connection to possible infections because the identities of those infected remains private.
White House: 70% of Americans 30 or older get COVID-19 shot
More than 70% of Americans age 30 or older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the White House said, even as President Joe Biden is set to fall short of reaching his goal of giving a shot to the same percentage of all American adults by Independence Day.
The Biden administration is releasing the new data Tuesday showing it expects to reach 70% of Americans age 27 or older with at least one shot by the July 4 holiday. A White House official said it is now redoubling its focus on vaccinating younger Americans age 18-26, who have proved to be least likely to get a vaccine when it's available for them.
The White House said meeting Biden's vaccination goal is less important than the pace of the nation's reopening, which is exceeding even its own internal projections as the overwhelming majority of the nation's most vulnerable people are fully vaccinated and cases and deaths are at their lowest rates since the earliest days of the pandemic.
ISDH update
The Indiana State Department of Health reported 5,617 people are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as of Tuesday morning. That brings the total number of Hoosiers fully vaccinated to 2,750,666.
ISDH also reported 198 new positive tests for the virus, along with eight additional deaths that occurred June 11-21. Indiana has lost 13,387 people to COVID-19.
The new cases bring Indiana's total to 751,826 residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus.
Marion County leaders provide update on COVID-19
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Marion County Health Department Director Dr. Virginia Caine are providing an update Tuesday morning on Marion County's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hogsett said vaccinated residents make up less than 1 percent of positive tests in Indiana. He also said those who are vaccinated who do test positive are 100 times less likely to be hospitalized than unvaccinated people.
According to Hogsett, the delta variant is prevalent under the age of 50 and is predicted to become the dominant strain of coronavirus in America.
Dr. Caine said 39 percent of Marion County is fully vaccinated. Boone, Hamilton, Hancock and Hendricks counties are past the 50 percent mark of fully vaccinated residents.
Dr. Caine announced incentives for anyone who gets vaccinated between now and July 2 at select clinics in Marion County, including the following prizes:
- A package of two Indianapolis Colts season tickets with a signed Peyton Manning rookie jersey
- Two half-season Indiana Pacers ticket packages, each also including a signed Domantas Sabonis 2020 All Star jersey
- Indianapolis Indians clubhouse tickets and a jersey
- Tickets to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
- A gift basket from the Indianapolis Zoo that includes a free membership
- Fun cards for pool admission at Indy Parks
Daily drawings will be held for smaller items, and the winners of the larger items will be randomly selected following July 2.
Click here for more information.
The City-County Council voted to lift the mask mandate in Marion County on Monday, June 7.
The latest proposal also changed some of the capacity restrictions in Marion County, including:
- Religious services and funerals can operate at 100 percent capacity.
- Indoor service in bars, restaurants and other businesses can operate at 75 percent capacity.
- Personal service businesses no longer have to be by appointment only. Capacity should still allow for six feet of social distancing.
- Indoor sporting venues and other large events can operate at 50 percent capacity.
- Entertainment and cultural venues are able to hold up to 75 percent capacity.
- Large gatherings are able to have 500 people.
- Public pools can operate at 100 percent capacity.
- Golf courses can operate at 75 percent capacity.
- Dance studios and summer camps should take the following steps:
- Strongly encourage all eligible people to get vaccinated, including staff
- Continue using masks
- Continue social distancing
- Keep campers in assigned groups
- Meals and snacks should be eaten outdoors, if possible
Upcoming central Indiana vaccine clinics
Mobile vaccination clinics are planned this week on the following schedule:
June 23-24 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.):
Grant County:
Allen Temple AME Church
3440 S. Washington, Marion, IN 46953
June 23-25 (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 23-26 (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
- June 23, 2021: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- 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.
Nursing home deaths up 32% in 2020 amid pandemic
A government watchdog says that deaths among Medicare patients in nursing homes soared by 32% last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Department of Health and Human Services inspector general found two devastating spikes eight months apart in the most comprehensive look yet at COVID-19's toll among its most vulnerable victims. Investigators say there were more than 169,000 additional deaths last year among Medicare recipients in nursing homes.
Also, cases and deaths among Asian patients tracked the more severe impacts seen among Blacks and Latinos. Indeed, Asian Medicare enrollees in nursing homes saw the highest increase in death rates, with 27% dying in 2020.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 33.56 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 5 a.m. ET Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 602,400 deaths in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 179.1 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 3.87 million deaths. More than 2.6 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.