TIMES UNION REPORTS – Indiana State Department of Health has moved Kosciusko County into an “Orange” COVID pandemic advisory level, based on an increase in cases per 100,000 population and an increase in test positivity, according to a news release from the Kosciusko County Health Department.
The county had been at “Yellow.”
“Unfortunately, Kosciusko County joins an increasing number of Indiana counties with a more threatening COVID designation,” said Dr. William L. Remington Jr., the Kosciusko County health officer. “This surge of cases and hospitalizations is secondary to the greatly increased communicability of the latest variant of concern (VOC) – the ‘delta’ variant. Despite some vaccine breakthrough cases, which are generally milder cases, COVID immunization is safe and effective and is a great opportunity to lessen the disease burden in our county. It reduces the pressure on our healthcare resources, reduces severity of individual cases and saves lives. The recent FDA full approval of the Pfizer vaccine is a tremendous vote of confidence in the science behind our vaccine products. It is a gift to have them.”
According to a graph provided by the KCHD, from Aug. 1 to 21, the county had 354 COVID cases, up from 180 in July and 79 in June. There were 248 in May, 456 in April, 304 in March, and 350 in February. The peak was 2,569 in November; followed by 1,968 in December; 1,334 in January; and 1,043 in October. In August 2020, there were 220 cases and 274 in September 2020.
Another graph provided by the County Health Department shows that of Kosciusko County hospitalizations in August 2021, 68.8% were not vaccinated; 12.5% received the Moderna shot; 12.5% received Jannsen; and 6.3%, Pfizer.
The CDC recommends a layering of protection as community cases rise. In addition to immunization, this includes limiting congregated gatherings – particularly indoor settings with poor ventilation – mask use, hand hygiene and staying home if ill.
“It has been a very bumpy, marathon-like, pandemic. Our modern society has not experienced this since a century ago. We don’t like it. It puts us on edge. Stay the course. We’ll get through this,” Remington said.
In a news release Tuesday, the Indiana Department of Health announced that 3,641 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at state and private laboratories. That brings to 829,010 the number of Indiana residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s dashboard.
To date, 13,885 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, an increase of 57 from Monday. Tuesday’s total includes deaths that occurred over the weekend. Another 435 probable deaths have been reported to date based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record.
A total of 3,836,684 unique individuals have been tested in Indiana, up from 3,826,745 on Monday. A total of 11,954,570 tests, including repeat tests for unique individuals, have been reported to the state Department of Health since Feb. 26, 2020, according to the ISDH.
To find testing sites around the state, visit www.coronavirus.in.gov and click on the COVID-19 testing information link. Clinics are being added regularly around the state.
Hoosiers age 12 and older can receive a COVID-19 vaccine; individuals younger than age 18 are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine only. To find a vaccination clinic near you, visit https://ourshot.in.gov or call 211 if you do not have access to a computer or require assistance. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are accepted at most sites.
As of Tuesday, a total of 6,135,656 doses have been administered in Indiana, according to the ISDH. This includes 3,077,486 first doses and 3,058,170 individuals who are fully vaccinated. The fully vaccinated number represents individuals who have received a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and those who received the single Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
