Indiana is reporting its highest number of COVID-19 deaths since the outbreak began. Numbers the Indiana State Department of Health released today at noon show an increase of 61 COVID-19 deaths since yesterday. The total number of deaths in the state is now 630.
Tuesday's numbers note an increase of 431 positive cases bringing the state total to 12,097. The total number tested is up by 2,641 from Monday to bring the state's total testing to 67,264.
The State Department of Health said yesterday that death numbers would start going up because the department is now including presumptive positive deaths in its daily totals.
The number of reported cases and deaths in Monroe County is up to 115 and five respectively. The total number tested in the county is 909.
Tuesday's ISDH numbers show that 22.5% of the state's 3,008 existing intensive care unit (ICU) beds are currently being used by patients with COVID-19-related illnesses, while 47.4% are still available.
And as of noon Tuesday, 11.6% of the state's 3,173 total ventilators are being used by COVID-19 patients, while 77.1% are still available.
About 89% of Indiana’s deaths have been among people ages 60 and older, but demographic information on the agency’s website shows that at least one person in their 20s has died with a coronavirus infection.
Dr. Kristina Box, the state health commissioner, has said she expected the coronavirus illness peak to arrive in late April for the Indianapolis area and the first weeks of May for rest of the state, which is the time period Governor Eric Holcomb has said he might start lifting some business and travel restrictions.
Box said Monday she wasn’t “100% convinced” Indiana has reached its illness peak and will continue reviewing the state’s caseload.
“It has shown consistently we are running much lower than the original projections and that we are very much running along the lowest-expected line as we model this,” Box said.
How Tuesday’s COVID-19 numbers compare to Indiana cities and towns.
12,097 people have tested positive for COVID-19, which equates to more Hoosiers than live in Washington, Indiana (pop. 12,069).
630 deaths have been reported, which is like removing the town of Utica, Indiana in Clark County (pop. 628).
67,264 Hoosiers have been tested, which is like testing almost everyone who lives in Muncie (pop. 69,164) but no other Hoosiers. That amounts to slightly less than 1 percent of Indiana’s population of 6.732 million
The Associated Press and Bob Zaltsberg contributed to this story.
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