Indiana’s number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, grew by 290 to 1,514, the Indiana State Department of Health announced Sunday. Indianapolis had the most new cases at 119, while northwestern Indiana’s Lake County had 17 and Johnson County in suburban Indianapolis had 15.
The number of confirmed cases in Monroe Co. is 22. Monroe Co. had just eight confirmed cases on Friday.
All but 13 counties have at least one case of the virus. The counties that have no confirmed cases are all rural areas.
The state’s number of confirmed cases has jumped nearly 10 times what was reported a week earlier, even as testing remains largely limited to those seriously ill and medical workers.
IU Health will open a new drive-thru testing site at its Landmark Avenue location sometime next week for people with coronavirus-like symptoms.
“As we see more and more people coming forward, we think this new site will help us provide screenings for more people,” IU Health President Brian Shockney says.
Shockney says the process for testing will stay the same for the most part. People experiencing symptoms will go through an online evaluation on IU Health’s Virtual Visit app, and then if it’s determined they need testing, the new drive-thru site will be available.
Dr. Kristina Box, the state health commissioner, said Friday Indiana’s peak of coronavirus illnesses is expected in mid- to late-April.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
Leaders Separate
Indiana’s two top state officials have started working apart due to the pandemic. Gov. Eric Holcomb and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch “mutually agreed to be in different locations to socially distance themselves,” Holcomb spokeswoman Rachel Hoffmeyer said Saturday.
Neither has been tested for the COVID-19 illness so far and both have been feeling healthy, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press.
Holcomb and Crouch both attended a Statehouse news conference on Wednesday. Hoffmeyer didn’t immediately provide information about when the two officials were last together and whether Crouch remained in Indianapolis or had gone to her home in Evansville.
Order Impact
A statewide stay-at-home order issued by the governor took effect Wednesday, with exemptions for essential businesses to remain open and for necessary trips for food and medicine.
While questions remain about enforcement and whether some businesses are properly remaining open, state figures highlight big declines in traffic.
READ MORE: Can I Go For A Walk? Here’s What A ‘Stay-At-Home’ Order Really Does
State highway traffic counts showed that, as of Thursday, overall traffic was down 41% since the first week of March.
“That includes a 45% reduction in light vehicles on our state highways,” state highway Commissioner Joe McGuinness said Friday. “Those are the sedans, minivans and passenger vehicles.”
The South Shore commuter railroad, meanwhile, has seen ridership drop to about 8% of normal for its routes through northwestern Indiana between South Bend and downtown Chicago.
“We’re still maintaining our service,” South Shore Line President Michael Noland said. “We have riders who are dependent on our service.”
