INDIANAPOLIS — A day after Gov. Eric Holcomb said, "The state of Indiana is on fire," the Indiana State Department of Health reported another 96 Hoosiers have died with COVID-19.
An additional 6,604 people have tested positive for COVID-19, according to statistics released Thursday.
The majority of deaths happened in the past week with 77 occurring Tuesday and Wednesday. Deaths are reported based on when the state receives data and occurred over multiple days.
A total of 3,221 people are in the hospital with COVID-19, an decrease of 23 since Tuesday.
There have been 404,935 positive cases and 6,302 deaths in Indiana since the pandemic began. An additional 301 probable COVID-19 deaths have also been reported.
Over the previous five days, the state reported 5,835 new cases on Wednesday, 5,457 on Tuesday, 5,700 new cases on Monday, 6,678 on Sunday and 7,793 on Saturday.
Marion County continues to lead the state with 55,217 cases and 939 deaths reported. Other counties that have seen the largest number of deaths from COVID-19 include Lake County with 515, Allen County with 379, St. Joseph County with 276, Elkhart County with 272, Hamilton County with 205, Johnson County with 188 and Hendricks County with 175.
There have been more than 4.76 million COVID-19 tests administered to more than 2.36 million individuals with a 17.1% cumulative positivity rate among unique individuals. Indiana's seven-day positivity rate among unique individuals through Dec. 3 is 26.7%. Among all tests, the cumulative positivity rate is 7.7%, while the seven-day positivity rate is 13.9%.
The state health department said 20.5% of ICU beds and 68.8% 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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