INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Department of Health reported Wednesday that 62 more people died with COVID-19, and 4,731 others tested positive for the virus.
The majority of newly reported deaths occurred in recent days with 41 people dying Monday and Tuesday. Deaths are reported based on when the state receives data and occurred over multiple days.
A total of 3,123 people are in the hospital with COVID-19, an increase of 59 since Tuesday.
There have been 476,538 positive cases and 7,306 deaths in Indiana since the pandemic began. An additional 339 probable COVID-19 deaths have also been reported.
Over the previous five days, the state reported 3,758 new cases on Tuesday, 3,978 on Monday, 6,558 on Sunday, 4,839 on Saturday and 6,088 on Friday.
Marion County continues to lead the state with 65,710 cases and 1,063 deaths reported. Other counties that have seen the largest number of deaths from COVID-19 include Lake County with 565, Allen County with 456, St. Joseph County with 321, Elkhart County with 299, Hamilton County with 251, Johnson County with 216 and Hendricks County with 200.
There have been more than 5.37 million COVID-19 tests administered to more than 2.55 million individuals with an 18.6% cumulative positivity rate among unique individuals. Indiana's seven-day positivity rate among unique individuals through Dec. 16 is 24%. Among all tests, the cumulative positivity rate is 8%, while the seven-day positivity rate is 12.1%.
The state health department said 21% of ICU beds and 70.4% of ventilators are available.
→ FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE FROM WRTV
Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through: Respiratory droplets released into the air by coughing and sneezing; close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands; rarely, fecal contamination.
The best way to protect yourself from any respiratory illness, including the flu, is to: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap & water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Avoid close contact (within six feet) with people who are sick. Stay home when you are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
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