INDIANAPOLIS — Sunday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.
Long-term care facilities prepare for Phase 1 of vaccine rollout
In Indiana, health officials say the Moderna vaccine will be heading to long-term care facilities.
Walgreens and CVS will be handling the distribution. Each facility will be notified and given a date.
Genesis Health Care in Decatur Township tells us they have two on-site clinic dates set up for early-January. The two doses will be given 28 days apart. CVS will be administrating their vaccines. They will first focus on staff and then vaccinate residents.
There are about 39,000 Hoosiers living in long-term care facilities and about 400,000 health care workers.
These initial doses are part of the start’s “Phase 1-A” of its vaccine rollout plan.
The state says it can’t predict when it will move to the next phase. That will depend on the vaccine supply.
Biden to receive COVID-19 vaccine Monday, no word on Trump
The leader of the Trump administration's vaccination program says people who have been infected with the coronavirus — a group that includes President Trump — should receive the vaccine.
Trump is now one of the only senior-most U.S. officials who has not received the first of two vaccination shots, which began being administered last week as part of the largest vaccination campaign in the nation's history.
Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., all were given doses Friday.
President-elect Joe Biden will receive his Monday.
State reports 6,558 new cases, 53 additional deaths
The Indiana State Department of Health reported 6,558 new cases of COVID-19 among Hoosiers Sunday.
The 53 additional deaths recorded between Nov. 6 and Saturday raise the number of confirmed deaths from the virus in Indiana since the beginning of the pandemic to 7,070 More than half of those deaths were among Hoosiers aged 80 or older.
Indiana's virus deaths rate still up as hospitalizations dip
Indiana’s daily rate of COVID-19 deaths has continued growing even as the rate of coronavirus-related hospitalizations has dropped to its lowest level in a month.
The Indiana Health Department’s daily update on Saturday added 73 coronavirus deaths that occurred over the past several days to the state’s toll. Those boosted the state’s average COVID-19 deaths to 77 per day after that average was in the low 40s in mid-November.
Meanwhile, Indiana hospitals had 2,932 coronavirus patients as of Friday, the first day below the 3,000 patients mark since Nov. 16.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 17.65 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of 6 a.m. ET Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 316,200 deaths in the United States. Early Sunday morning, Johns Hopkins University did not have updated data for recoveries in the U.S. Last Monday, that number was approximately 6.3 million.
Worldwide, there have been more than 76.36 million confirmed cases with more than 1.67 million deaths and 43 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.
Hospitals try to keep pace, stores close during virus surge
An enormous crush of coronavirus cases in the last six weeks has California’s death toll spiraling ever higher. Another 272 fatalities were reported Saturday and in the last week nearly 1,600 people died.
Hospitals are battling to find beds to house patients amid fears the explosion of coronavirus cases will exhaust staffing resources.
All of Southern California and the 12-county San Joaquin Valley to the north have exhausted their regular intensive care unit capacity, and some hospitals have begun using “surge” space.
On Saturday night, Apple Inc. announced that it is temporarily closing all 53 of its stores in California because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Marion County holiday COVID-19 testing
The Marion County Public Health Department will still be testing for COVID-19 this week except on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Beginning Monday, Dec. 21 through Thursday, Dec. 31, all drive-thru COVID-19 testing offered by MCPHD will take place in the east parking lot of its main location at 3838 N. Rural Street.
Testing will be by appointment only.
Dates and hours are:
- Dec. 21-22 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Dec. 23 9 a.m.-Noon
- Dec. 24-25 CLOSED
- Dec. 28-30 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Dec. 31 9 a.m.-Noon
- Jan. 1 CLOSED
To receive an appointment for testing, click here. Anyone who does not have access to the Internet or needs help completing the online registration should call 317-221-5515 for assistance.