Indiana Reports Third-Worst Number Of COVID-19 Deaths Since Start Of Pandemic

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Indiana reported its highest number of COVID-19 deaths since April, according to data released Tuesday by the state's heath department.

The 48 deaths, which occurred over the past 12 days but were just reported on Tuesday, ranks has the third worst since the start of the pandemic. The highest number of deaths (50) was reported on April 22. The state has now exceeded a total of 4,000 confirmed or probable COVID-19 deaths since March. That figure includes 233 probable deaths reported based on clinical diagnoses in patients who were not tested for the virus.

The state also reported 1,551 new COVID cases, with a seven day daily moving average of 1,801.  The statewide positivity rate is also rising--the seven day rate of all tests stands at 6.7%. It's 12.4% by taking out people who have been tested multiple times.

The statewide number of hospitalizations is also rising sharply, now at the highest levels since May.  The number of patients who need hospital care is a key metric watched by state health officials because as hospitals near capacity it begins to stress the care of all patients and could potentially lead to more deaths.

In Northwest Indiana, there were two deaths reports and 242 new cases.  The five-county region's positivity rate of 8.8% in the past seven days exceeds the state's average. The number of people in the hospital for COVID-19 is also spiking here, and is at the highest level since early May.