INDIANAPOLIS — Saturday'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 select groups through Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
State reports 935,381 fully vaccinated, 6 additional deaths
The Indiana State Department of Health reported 19,721 new individuals are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 Saturday, bringing the total number of people in the state to 935,381.
As of Saturday, a total of 2,353,675 doses have been administered in Indiana. This includes 1,418,294 first doses and the 935,381 individuals who are fully vaccinated — a number that represents individuals who have received a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and those who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Six additional deaths that occurred between Dec. 2, 2020 and Friday were also reported. A total of 12,515 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, with another 411 probable deaths reported among patients who died with no positive test on record.
The state reported 925 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday. That brings the total number of Indiana residents known to have had the novel coronavirus to 677,135.
Indiana opens vaccinations to 40-year-olds
Hoosiers ages 40 and older will be eligible to register to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine in Indiana starting Monday, the Indiana Department of Health announced Saturday.
This expansion of eligibility to include those ages 40 to 44 will make the vaccine available to more than 400,000 additional Hoosiers.
Vaccine appointments for this newly eligible population will be available starting Monday and will extend over the next several weeks to align with expected vaccine deliveries to the state.
Individuals seeking an earlier appointment are encouraged to look at openings in surrounding counties from where they live.
To schedule a vaccine, visit https://ourshot.in.gov and select a location from one of more than 450 clinics around the state. Hoosiers who do not have a computer or cell phone or those who need assistance scheduling an appointment can call 211 or contact one of Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging or AARP.
Spectators from abroad to be barred from Tokyo Olympics
Spectators from abroad will be barred from the Tokyo Olympics when they open in four months. The decision was announced after a meeting of the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government, the Tokyo government, the International Paralympic Committee, and local organizers.
The move was expected and rumored for several months. Officials said the risk was too great to admit fans from overseas during a pandemic.
The Japanese public has opposed the idea. Japan has attributed about 8,800 deaths to COVID-19 and has controlled the virus better than most countries.
About 1 million tickets are reported to have been sold to fans from outside Japan.
MCPHD issues reminder to March Madness fans
The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship is fully underway, and that's why the Marion County Public Health Department put out a pandemic reminder to residents and visitors.
The health department is asking people to continue wearing a mask, washing hands and social distancing.
The CDC recommends everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask over their nose and mouth in public settings and when around people who don't live in their household.
The health department also recommends that when in public, try to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from people from a different household.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 29.73 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 541,100 deaths in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 122.4 million confirmed cases with more than 2.7 million deaths and 69.35 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.
US hits 100 million vaccination goal early
The U.S. on Friday cleared President Joe Biden's goal of injecting 100 million coronavirus shots, more than a month before his target date of his 100th day in office, as the president prepared to set his sights higher in the nationwide vaccination effort.
With the nation now administering about 2.5 million shots per day, Biden, who promised to set a new goal for vaccinations next week, teased the possibility of setting a 200 million dose goal by his 100th day in office.
Ball State hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinic
Eligible Hoosiers can now sign up to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at Ball State University.
The College of Health Interprofessional Community Clinics is hosting the vaccine clinic, under the authorization of the Delaware County Health Department.
People must register at ourshot.in.gov and meet the state's eligibility criteria to schedule an appointment at the college campus. Hoosiers can also call 211 to schedule an appointment.