INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Sunday'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 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.
State reports an additional 15K fully vaccinated, 11 deaths
The Indiana State Department of Health on Sunday reported 15,175 more people have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. The state now has 1,933,367 fully vaccinated individuals. As of today, a total of 4,297,368 vaccine shots have been administered in Indiana. This includes 2,364,001 first doses and the 1.9 million who are fully vaccinated. The fully vaccinated number represents people who have received a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and those who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The state reported 11 additional deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday. Those deaths occurred between April 9 and Saturday. To date,12,937 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, with another 412 probable deaths reported in patients who died with COVID-19 symptoms but had positive tests on record.
A total of 3,392,361 unique individuals have been tested in Indiana, up from 3,387,503 on Saturday. A total of 9,846,031 tests, including repeat tests for the same people, have been reported to ISDH since the start of the pandemic.
Face masks still required at Indiana casinos
Gamblers will have to keep wearing face masks inside Indiana’s casinos at least through the end of May. Updated health guidelines issued by the Indiana Gaming Commission said operators of the 13 state-licensed casinos decided to keep the mask rule in place to stem COVID-19 spread even though Gov. Eric Holcomb lifted the statewide mask mandate as of April 6.
The casino rules require customers to wear masks except when eating, drinking or smoking while seated at a slot machine, bar or restaurant table.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 32.39 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 7 a.m. ET Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 576,700 deaths in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 152.2 million confirmed cases with more than 3.19 million deaths and 89.9 million recoveries.
The actual 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.
India launches effort to inoculate all adults against COVID
India has opened vaccinations to all adults in hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections. The move on Saturday launches a huge inoculation effort that is sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country’s vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people.
The world’s largest maker of vaccines is still short of critical supplies — the result of lagging manufacturing and raw material shortages. Those factors delayed the rollout in several states.
Only a fraction of India’s population will likely to be able to afford the prices charged by private hospitals for the shot. That means states and the federal government will be saddled with immunizing 900 million Indian adults.