As Indiana's COVID-19 vaccine rollout picks up speed, the number of Hoosiers hospitalized with the virus continues to decline.
Friday's numbers from the Indiana Dept. of Health show only 781 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, down from 889 Thursday. COVID-19 patients occupy 6.9% of the state’s ICU beds while 32.2% remain available. Fewer than 3% of Indiana’s ventilators are in use by patients with the virus.
Hospitalizations peaked at the end of November, with more than 3,400 Hoosiers enduring COVID-19 hospital stays, and have been trending down since. Data collected by NPR from the Department of Health and Human Services and University of Minnesota COVID-19 Hospitalization Tracking Project show only 1% of Indiana's hospitals are under extreme stress from COVID-19, as compared to 12% nationwide.
FROM NPR: Many Hospitals Are Still Overwhelmed By COVID-19 Patients. Is Yours?
The same data show a seven-day average of 18 COVID-19 hospital patients in Monroe County.
The IDOH Friday update includes an "historic load of negative labs," meaning that 663 tested individuals and 2,150 tests are included with Friday's data.
IDOH reports 963 new positive cases and 33 additional deaths, bringing the state's total recorded cases to 660,071 and confirmed deaths to 12,098.
The statewide seven-day all-test positivity rate dropped slightly to 4%.
In the last 24 hours, nearly 22,000 Hoosiers received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while more than 24,000 Hoosiers became fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 In Monroe County
Monroe County's case number increased by 15 Friday, but the county reported no new virus deaths. There have been 10,300 reported cases and 159 confirmed deaths among county residents since the beginning of the pandemic.
The local seven-day all-test positivity rate dropped to 0.7%.
And in Monroe County, 18,871 residents have received their first vaccine, while 11,402 are now fully vaccinated.
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