INDIANAPOLIS — Saturday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.
State reports 8,451 new cases, 25 additional deaths
The Indiana State Department of Health reported a new daily record of 8,451 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday. The total number of Hoosiers who have tested positive during the pandemic is now 244,887, according to the ISDH COVID-19 dashboard.
Indiana's seven-day positivity rate of tests for unique individuals climbed to 21.5 percent for the first week of November.
The 25 additional deaths reported between Sept. 28 and Nov. 13 bring the state's total to 4,638 since the pandemic began.
To date, 1,917,951 unique individuals have been tested in Indiana, up from 1,893,070 on Friday. A total of 3,482,745 tests, including repeat tests for unique individuals, have been reported to ISDH since Feb. 26.
Intensive care bed usage by COVID-19 patients stands at just above 32 percent of Indiana's total available ICU beds. Available ICU beds for all patients now stands at 23.5 percent.
Indiana's daily COVID-19 deaths near peak set in April surge
Indiana is averaging nearly as many coronavirus-related deaths now as it did during the spring's initial surge of cases, with heath officials adding 50 more deaths to the state’s toll Friday.
The new deaths have pushed the state's moving seven-day average to 40 per day, just short of highest average of 42 a day recorded in late April.
Indiana's COVID-19 deaths average has tripled since Gov. Eric Holcomb lifted nearly all coronavirus-related restrictions in late September. Holcomb signed a new executive order Friday reinstating limits on crowd sizes for nearly every county across the state, starting Sunday.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 10.74 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of 6 a.m. ET Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 244,300 deaths and 4.09 million people recovered.
Worldwide, there have been more than 53.45 million confirmed cases with more than 1.3 million deaths and 34.5 million recoveries.
The real number of people infected by the virus around the world is believed to be much higher — perhaps 10 times higher in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — given testing limitations and the many mild cases that have gone unreported or unrecognized.
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.
With COVID-19 surging, schools suspend in-person education
With COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations spiking to record numbers across the U.S. and abroad, many school districts are temporarily shutting down in-person classes as holidays loom.
Some experts call the upcoming holiday break season an "extremely high-risk period,'' and fear things will worsen as students and staff gather with extended family or travel to other hotspots.
School officials in Boston, Detroit, Indianapolis and Philadelphia are among those who've made the tough call, and New York City may be next.
Superintendent Scott Hanback in Tippecanoe County said he had no choice, with infections sidelining bus drivers and staff.