Indiana Tops 2,000 Daily COVID-19 Cases For First Time Ever
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Indiana, for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, reported more than 2,000 cases in a single day on Friday.
The total of 2,328 does include about 300 cases that had not been reported on earlier daily counts due to a technical error, the state's health department said.
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The surge in Indiana mirrors other Midwest states that have also set daily records in recent days, including Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. The five worst daily case numbers in Indiana have all been reported in the past week. The seven day daily case moving average now stands at 1,720 which is nearly double from the end of September.
Hospitalizations, which is a key metric for state health officials monitoring the stress on the health care system, are also spiking, with more than 1,300 patients statewide admitted for COVID-19 treatment. Some regions in the state are below 20% availability for ICU beds. There have been reports of some hospitals needed to create extra space to treat COVID patients who are not being treated in intensive care.
In Northwest Indiana, the trend is similar, reporting a record 316 cases in a single day. The five county region also reported 5 of the 22 deaths across the state. The average daily case number of 223 has doubled since the end of September. The number of people in the hospital is the highest since late May. In Lake County, there were a record 203 cases. Three deaths were reported and the seven-day positivity rate has risen to 7.5%.
The state's transmission rate is the ninth worst in the United States at 1.5--any number above 1.0 indicates the virus is spreading. Neighboring states of Illinois, Michigan and Ohio have even higher rates. Ohio's (1.25) is currently the worst in the country.
