Indiana reporting variant strains in state as COVID-19 positivity rate ticks up slightly

With a slight increase in the state’s positivity rate, Indiana leaders are encouraging all those eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible.

Indiana expanded vaccine eligibility Wednesday to anyone 16-years-old and up.

“Just today, we saw 21,000 appointments scheduled in the first 30 minutes of expanded eligibility, and 96,000 people had made appointments as of noon,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said.

Box said Indiana’s positivity rate rose this week from 3.3% to 3.9%. She also said hospitalizations are slightly up and discussed changes on the state’s color-coded county maps.

“These metrics tell us that cases are increasing in parts of the state,” Box said. “We cannot throw caution to the wind and behave as the pandemic is over.”

She said several variants have now been reported in Indiana. With that in mind, she’s hoping Hoosiers will sign up to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

“We are in a race between the vaccine and the variants,” she said. “Unfortunately, right now, the variants are picking up steam.”

Box said Indiana has reported 137 cases of the UK B117 variant, two cases of the B1351 (South Africa) variant one case of the P1 (Brazil) variant and 27 cases of the California variant.

Clark County Health Department Administrator Doug Bentfield said he’s not aware of any variant cases within Clark County, but he is still asking people to continue to take the virus seriously.

“It’s really important we get as many people vaccinated as quick as we can, because that’s how we beat the variants,” Bentfield said.

The Clark County Health Department runs two COVID-19 test sites. Bentfield said with vaccine appointments increasing, testing appointments are decreasing, but he expects testing to continue to be widely available for quite some time.

“I think it’s probably going to be — I would suggest — two to three months before we even start to consider starting to take those things (testing sites) down,” he said.

Bentfield said the sites will continue operating “just in case we do see a surge in the variants and potential spring break returns and see where things go from there.”

As far as vaccinations, Bentfield said the health department is administering about 3,500-4,000 doses each week.

Indiana’s state-wide mask mandate is expiring next week, but Bentfield said those inside the Clark County Health Department will still be required to wear a mask. Gov. Eric Holcomb said earlier this month that the state’s mask mandate will become an advisory on April 6 and the state will defer mask requirements to local governments and businesses. This means people won’t have to wear a mask in public unless a business or local officials require it. The exceptions are that masks must still be worn inside public schools, state buildings and COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites.

Floyd County Health Officer Dr. Tom Harris said Wednesday that Floyd County’s local mask mandate expires March 31 at midnight. He said it will not be extended for now, but he did say people will need to follow the state mandate until it expires April 6.

Holcomb said Wednesday he’s “not looking to change his mind” about this state-wide mask mandate turning into a state-wide advisory.

“It’s not just one number that I focus on — the positivity rate — it’s many numbers,” he said. “I understand the folks that live in Kentucky and work in Indiana or the folks that live in Indiana and work in Kentucky. I completely respect that. But I’m paying attention to the numbers in Indiana and what’s in the best interest for Hoosiers.”

Masks will still be required in state buildings and at COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites.