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 5 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.
Ball State drops mask mandate
Ball State University will no longer require face masks inside campus buildings and vehicles beginning Friday, March 4. BSU President Geoffrey Mearns announced the transition to mask optional in a statement on Wednesday.
Face masks will still be required in some locations, such as health care and laboratory settings, according to the university's COVID-19 response plans for students and employees. The university will also require people who have had COVID-19 to wear a mask for at least five days after their isolation period ends.
Mearns said the university made the decision based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a team of local health experts, as well as on-campus data that shows new infections are on the decline. He also noted the "relatively high vaccination rates" among full-time employees and on-campus students.
"This adjustment is justified by the sustained and substantial decline in the number of new infections among the members of our campus community. For example, last week, there were 17 new positive cases. That is the lowest number of new cases in a week since classes resumed in August 2021," Mearns said.
Mearns asked that everyone on campus "respect anyone who chooses to wear a mask, irrespective of that person’s reason for doing so."
The university will resume offering free COVID-19 vaccines, boosters and testing after spring break on Tuesday, March 15, and Wednesday, March 16.
IDOH update
The Indiana Department of Health reported 1,238 more Hoosiers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Wednesday. The total number of people vaccinated in Indiana is now at 3,685,465.
There were 1,480 booster doses administered Tuesday, bringing the total number to 1,716,563.
Biden outlines COVID plans, says it's time to return to work
President Joe Biden declared Tuesday that “it's time for Americans to get back to work” as he announced new efforts to allow people to return to normal activities safely after two years of pandemic disruptions.
Biden used his State of the Union address to announce that his administration was launching a “test-to-treat” initiative to provide free antiviral pills at pharmacies to those who test positive for the virus.
A White House official said the “test-to-treat” plan will initially roll out in hundreds of pharmacies across the country, including CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger locations. Those who test positive at the sites will be able to obtain the antiviral pills on the spot for immediate use.
He also highlighted the progress made on the pandemic since last year, with a dramatic reduction in cases, readily-available vaccines and tests, and new therapeutics soon becoming more accessible.
Biden said that starting next week, the administration would make available four more free tests to U.S. households through COVIDTests.gov, which has sent more than 270 million free tests to nearly 70 million households since it launched in mid-January.
FDA adds another COVID-19 test to 'do not use' list
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a "do not use" warning for another COVID-19 test, saying it has not been authorized for use in the U.S. and could provide false results. It's at least the third such warning issued for coronavirus tests this year.
The warning is for the “Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test (Self-Testing)” from ACON Laboratories. The test comes in a dark blue box with white lettering and symbols in the lower right corner of the box, including the letters “CE.”
The FDA said it should not be confused with the similarly-named "Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test," which comes in a white box. That test is authorized by the FDA and can continue to be used.
The concern is the “Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test (Self-Testing)” could provide false results. A false positive would mean the test says someone has COVID-19 when they don't. A false negative would indicate the person does not have COVID when they actually do.
ACON recalled the test in the U.S. on Jan. 9. It said the test is only authorized for sale in Europe and other markets.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 79.09 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 952,500 deaths recorded in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 438.54 million confirmed coronavirus cases with 5.96 million deaths and more than 10.54 billion vaccine doses administered.
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.
Indy Parks lifts mask mandate
Indy Parks lifted the mask requirement inside its facilities and family centers, beginning Tuesday, March 1.
Visitors are still encouraged to wear masks and social distance. Park staff will continue to sanitize common areas.
For more information on Indy Parks jobs, programs, and pool schedules, visit parks.indy.gov, contact the Customer Service Center at 317-327-PARK, or email IndyParksCS@indy.gov.