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Indiana reports 84 COVID-19 deaths and 6,088 new positive cases

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Posted at 11:57 AM, Dec 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-18 22:35:06-05

Editor's Note: Due to an error, a previous version of the stated the incorrect number of COVID-19 cases reported Friday. It has since been corrected.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Department of Health reported Friday that 84 more Hoosiers have died with COVID-19 and 6,088 others tested positive for the virus.

The majority the newly reported deaths happened in the past two days with 57 occurring Wednesday and Thursday. Deaths are reported based on when the state receives data and occurred over multiple days.

A total of 3,065 people are in the hospital with COVID-19, a decrease of 82 since Thursday.

There have been 453,139 positive cases and 6,944 deaths in Indiana since the pandemic began. An additional 321 probable COVID-19 deaths have also been reported.

Over the previous five days, the state reported 6,458 new cases on Thursday, 6,283 on Wednesday, 4,347 on Tuesday, 5,050 on Monday and 6,025 on Sunday.

Marion County continues to lead the state with 62,368 cases and 1,025 deaths reported. Other counties that have seen the largest number of deaths from COVID-19 include Lake County with 545, Allen County with 421, St. Joseph County with 299, Elkhart County with 291, Hamilton County with 231, Johnson County with 204 and Hendricks County with 189.

There have been more than 5.15 million COVID-19 tests administered to more than 2.49 million individuals with an 18.2% cumulative positivity rate among unique individuals. Indiana's seven-day positivity rate among unique individuals through Dec. 11 is 24.4%. Among all tests, the cumulative positivity rate is 8%, while the seven-day positivity rate is 12.4%.

The state health department said 20.6% of ICU beds and 71.2% 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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