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Indiana reports 84 more COVID-19 deaths and 5,541 new cases

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Posted at 12:07 PM, Nov 17, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-18 11:59:57-05

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Department of Health reported Tuesday that 84 more Hoosiers have died with COVID-19 and 5,541 others tested positive for the virus.

Over the previous five days, the state reported 5,218 new cases on Monday, 6,844 new cases on Sunday, a record 8,451 on Saturday, 5,708 on Friday and 6,654 on Thursday. On Tuesday, ISDH also reported 2,951 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of 183 since Monday.

There have been 262,207 positive cases and 4,770 deaths in Indiana since the pandemic began. An additional 250 probable COVID-19 deaths have also been reported. All but four of the 84 deaths reported Tuesday are from the past week. Fifty-six people died Sunday and Monday, according to ISDH.

The state health department said probable deaths are those a physician listed COVID-19 as a contributing cause based on X-rays, scans and other clinical symptoms but for which no positive test is on record.

Marion County continues to lead the state with 36,874 cases and 827 deaths reported. Other counties that have seen the largest number of deaths from COVID-19 include Lake County with 423, Allen County with 271, St. Joseph County with 199, Elkhart County with 194, Johnson County with 160, Hamilton County with 154 and Hendricks County with 153.

There have been more than 3.61 million COVID-19 tests administered to more than 1.96 million individuals with a 13.3% cumulative positivity rate among unique individuals. Indiana's seven-day positivity rate among unique individuals through Nov. 10 is 23.2%. Among all tests, the cumulative positivity rate is 6.7%, while the seven-day positivity rate is 12%.

The state health department said 25.2% of ICU beds and 74.8% of ventilators are available.

Any Hoosier seeking COVID-testing can obtain it through one of the state-sponsored OptumServe sites, regardless of whether they are at high risk or have symptoms. To find testing locations around the state, visit www.coronavirus.in.gov and click on the COVID-19 testing information link. More than 200 locations are available around the state.


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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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