INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Wednesday'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.
AP Source: Biden to require vaccines for nursing home staff
The Biden administration will require nursing home staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding.
The Biden administration is expected to announce the move Wednesday afternoon in a White House address, according to the Associated Press.
A senior administration official confirmed the announcement on condition of anonymity to preview the news before Biden’s remarks.
The new mandate, in the form of a forthcoming regulation to be issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, could take effect as soon as next month.
Hundreds of thousands of nursing home workers are not vaccinated, according to federal data, despite those facilities bearing the brunt of the early COVID-19 outbreak and their workers being among the first in the country to be eligible for shots.
Hamilton County coronavirus advisory upgraded to orange as delta variant spreads
Hamilton County's COVID-19 advisory level has been upgraded from yellow to orange. This means community spread is medium to high and the county has a point score of 2 or more on the Indiana Department of Health's monitoring scale.
In order to reach a score of 2.0, a county must have 100-199 weekly cases per 100,000 residents and a seven-day all test positivity rate of 10-14.9%.
“Unfortunately, the new designation doesn’t come as a huge surprise,” says Christian Walker, emergency preparedness coordinator for the Hamilton County Health Department. “The delta variant is far more contagious. In fact, the last time we saw daily cases this high was back in February.”
Hamilton County must meet the metrics of yellow for two consecutive weeks before it will be allowed to move to back to that designation.
Indians add extra layer of protection for fans at Victory Field
The Indianapolis Indians are adding an extra layer of netting around Victory Field to keep fans safe. The new netting system will stand 40 feet high and stretch down the first and third baselines. The team said the netting will provide a safer viewing experience.
The new netting will also have openings so fans can access the field and get autographs with the players when coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
The Indians had intentions of extending the netting at Victory Field prior to the 2020 season, but the pandemic delayed those plans.
ISDH update
The Indiana State Department of Health reports 25 more deaths and 3,558 new cases of COVID-19. Indiana's COVID-19 death toll is 13,768.
US health officials recommending booster shots for all Americans
U.S. health officials Wednesday recommended all Americans get COVID-19 booster shots to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines' effectiveness is falling.
The plan, as outlined by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top authorities, calls for an extra dose eight months after people get their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The doses could begin the week of Sept. 20.
Health officials said people who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also probably need extra shots, but they said they are awaiting more data and have yet to work out a plan.
The plan is still awaiting a Food and Drug Administration evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose, the officials said.
In a statement, health officials said it is “very clear” that the vaccines' protection against infection wanes over time, and now, with the highly contagious delta variant spreading rapidly, “we are starting to see evidence of reduced protection against mild and moderate disease.”
“Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death could diminish in the months ahead,” they said.
Brownsburg, Greenwood schools mask mandates return Wednesday
Students in Brownsburg and Greenwood schools will again be required to wear a mask indoors starting Wednesday, Aug. 18.
Brownsburg announced the decision Monday evening. All students, staff and guests will be required to wear a mask while inside a school facility.
Greenwood made the announcement Tuesday. All students and staff members will be required to wear masks while in a Greenwood school. The school district said it will reevaluate the mask requirement at the Labor Day break to determine if the need for masks continues.
Meanwhile, Mt. Vernon Community Schools will move to a tiered system for individual schools. When a school reaches the orange tier, masks will be required. That's the case for Mt. Vernon Middle School, which will go to the orange tier Wednesday for at least five days.
Westfield Washington Schools announced Monday its mask mandate would be reinstated Wednesday, then later delayed the start. On Tuesday evening, Superintendent Dr. Paul A. Kaiser announced face coverings will be required beginning Monday, Aug. 23.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 37.01 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 623,300 deaths recorded in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 208.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 4.38 million deaths. More than 4.75 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 mobile vaccination clinics
Wednesday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon:
Colts Training Camp
19000 Grand Park Blvd., Westfield, IN
Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
Excel Center
1635 W. Michigan St., Indianapolis, IN 46222
Excel Center-Noblesville
300 N. 17th St., Noblesville, IN 46060
Excel Center-Muncie
1023 W. Jackson St., Muncie, IN 47305
Excel Center-Shelbyville
117 N. Harrison St., Shelbyville, IN 46176
Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
Excel Center-Shadeland
2525 N. Shadeland Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46219
Excel Center-Lafayette
615 N. 18th St., Lafayette, IN 47904
Excel Center-University Heights
4200 S. East St., Suite 7, Indianapolis, IN 46227
Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
Statehouse Market
430 Robert D. Orr Plaza, Indianapolis, 46204
Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.:
Carrier
7310 W. Morris St., Indianapolis, IN 46231
Friday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.:
Mooresville High School
550 N. Indiana St., Mooresville, IN 46158
In addition, free COVID-19 testing and vaccinations will be offered at the following locations from noon to 8 p.m. today through Wednesday at the following locations:
Hendricks Regional Hospital
5492 N. Ronald Reagan Parkway, Brownsburg, IN 46112
4H Fairgrounds Extension
1200 S. Main St., Tipton, IN 46072
Muncie Fieldhouse
252 N. Walnut St., Muncie, IN 47305
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.
TSA extends mask rule for airline passengers until January
Federal officials are extending into January a requirement that people on airline flights and public transportation wear face masks to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The Transportation Security Administration's current order was scheduled to expire Sept. 13. An agency spokesman said Tuesday that the mandate will be extended until Jan. 18.
The rule also applies to travelers on public transportation including trains, subways and buses.