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Indiana coronavirus updates for Sunday, November 29, 2020

Sunday's latest updates in the COVID-19 pandemic.

INDIANAPOLIS — Sunday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.

Southern Hancock County schools switching to virtual

CSC Southern Hancock School District announced that all six schools will switch to virtual learning for the week of Nov. 30 due to a lack of available staff in the schools and transportation department.

New Palestine High School currently has five positive COVID-19 cases.

State reports 4,335 new cases, 24 additional deaths

The Indiana State Department of Health reported 4,335 new cases of COVID-19 among Hoosiers, and 24 additional deaths that occurred between Nov. 20 and Saturday.

Indiana has now lost 5,418 residents to the virus.

Total positive cases among unique individuals has risen to 333,312. That's from a total of 2,188,928 unique individuals who have been tested in Indiana. A total of 4,222,028 tests, including repeat tests for unique individuals, have been reported to the state Department of Health since Feb. 26. 

Fauci: US may see 'surge upon surge' of virus in weeks ahead

The nation’s top infectious disease expert says that the U.S. may see a “surge upon a surge” of the coronavirus over the coming weeks, and he does not expect current recommendations around social distancing to be relaxed before Christmas. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared Sunday on ABC’s “This Week" and NBC's “Meet the Press." He said it's “not too late” for people traveling back home after the Thanksgiving holiday to help stop the spread of the virus by wearing masks, staying distant from other people and avoiding large groups.

No slowing of state COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths

Indiana’s hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients has remained at record levels during the Thanksgiving weekend as the statewide daily average of coronavirus-related deaths continues steep increases.

The Indiana State Department of Health’s daily update on Saturday reported 69 more coronavirus deaths occurring over the past several days. Those raised the state’s seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths to 56 per day, which represents more than five times the rate in late September. 

November has been Indiana’s deadliest COVID-19 month and health officials have repeatedly raised concerns about Thanksgiving gatherings leading to another surge in cases.

Mayor Hogsett tests negative after COVID-19 exposure

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and his wife both tested negative for COVID-19 but will continue quarantining after having close contact last weekend with an infected person. 

Hogsett's office said Saturday that neither the Democratic mayor nor his wife, Steph Hogsett, have symptoms of the respiratory illness. Hogsett announced Wednesday that the couple had started a 14-day quarantine period and would undergo testing. 

The 64-year-old Hogsett will remain in quarantine through Dec. 4.

Latest US, world numbers

There have been more than 13.24 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of 5:30 a.m. ET Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 266 thousand deaths and more than 5 million people recovered.

Worldwide, there have been more than 62.3 million confirmed cases with more than 1.45 million deaths and 39.86 million recoveries.

RELATED: See where confirmed Indiana coronavirus cases are with this interactive map

RELATED: VERIFY: Are Indiana’s new COVID-19 case numbers inflated with multiple positive tests for the same person?

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.

Butler postpones more basketball games

The Bulldogs Sunday game with Eastern Illinois will not be played due to a positive COVID-19 test. 

The school also announced Saturday they will postpone games against Northern Kentucky (Dec. 6) and Kansas State (Dec. 11).

The university did not specify if the positive test came from a student athlete or a member of the staff.

Butler’s next game will be its Big East opener Dec. 14 versus St. John’s at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

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