INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Monday'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.
Workers with 'long COVID' protected under Americans with Disabilities Act
Due to the increasing number of COVID-19 long-haulers, "long COVID" was added as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act in July.
Not every case of long COVID-19 is considered a disability, and it is looked at on an individual basis.
If you have long COVID, the first step is to talk to your employer about accommodations. But now that long COVID has been added as a disability, it does help protect workers and also gives some guidelines to help employers navigate what to do.
MCPHD, Indy Public Library hosting vaccine sites
The Marion County Public Health Department and the Indianapolis Public Library are partnering to host two COVID-19 vaccination sites.
The vaccines will be available at the Martindale-Brightwood library branch, located at 2435 N. Sherman Drive, and the College Avenue branch, located at 4180 N. College Ave.
Here are the hours for the sites:
- Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Closed on Sunday and Monday
Both sites will have the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines available. No appointment is necessary. Masks are required for all library visitors.
State reports 9,560 more Hoosiers totally vaccinated, 1 additional death
The Indiana State Department of Health reported another 9,560 Indiana residents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Monday morning. The total number of Hoosiers now considered fully vaccinated is 3,313,593.
ISDH also reported Monday that 1,114 more Hoosiers have tested positive for COVID-19.
The state also reported one additional death from COVID-19 that occurred on Oct. 2 Indiana has lost 15,542 residents since the pandemic began.
Fauci: Fine to trick-or-treat this year
The government's top infectious diseases expert says families can feel safe trick-or-treating outdoors this year for Halloween as COVID-19 cases in the U.S. decline, especially for those who are vaccinated.
Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that it's an important time of year for children, so "go out there" and "enjoy it."
He added that people wanting to enjoy Halloween on Oct. 31 should consider getting the shots for that "extra degree of protection" if they are not yet vaccinated.
Merck asks US FDA to authorize promising anti-COVID pill
Drugmaker Merck asked U.S. regulators Monday to authorize its pill against COVID-19 in what would add an entirely new and easy-to-use weapon to the world's arsenal against the pandemic.
If cleared by the Food and Drug Administration — a decision that could come in a matter of weeks — it would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19. All other FDA-backed treatments against the disease require an IV or injection.
The FDA will scrutinize company data on the safety and effectiveness of the drug, molnupiravir, before rendering a decision.
Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutic said they specifically asked the agency to grant emergency use for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at risk for severe disease or hospitalization. That is roughly the way COVID-19 infusion drugs are used.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 44.45 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 3:30 a.m. Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 714,000 deaths recorded in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 237.87 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 4.85 million deaths. More than 6.49 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.
COVID-19 shots for ages 5-11 won't have CDC authorization by Halloween
A panel of vaccine experts will meet in early November to consider whether to recommend the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 12.
The Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices scheduled a two-day meeting for Nov. 2-3, health officials said Friday. The Pfizer topic is expected to take up part of the agenda.
The experts are anticipating the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will have decided by then whether to authorize use of the Pfizer vaccine for children between ages 5 to 11. The committee’s job is to help the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention develop recommendations for doctors and the public about which vaccines should be used and how they should given.
Currently, Pfizer vaccines are authorized only for people 12 and older.
Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said their research shows younger children should get one-third of the dose now given to everyone else. After their second dose, the 5- to 11-year-olds developed virus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as those that teens and young adults get from regular-strength shots.
New Zealand's doctors and teachers must soon be vaccinated
Most of New Zealand’s health care workers and teachers will soon be legally required to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
A new government mandate compels doctors, pharmacists, community nurses and many other health care workers to be fully vaccinated by December. Teachers and other education workers must be vaccinated by January.
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said many in those professions are already vaccinated but the country can’t leave anything to chance.
The announcement comes as New Zealand battles an outbreak of the highly transmissible delta variant in its largest city, Auckland.