COVID-19 In Indiana: ICU Bed Availability Dwindles Across Region Hospitals

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The record number of hospitalizations for COVD-19 in Northwest Indiana has begun to plateau for the time being, but the number of available ICU beds has dwindled to just 41 for the five county region of about 800,000 people.

Just one month ago, the region had about 84 ICU beds to treat the sickest patients. The region's overall hospitalizations for COVID-19 is 474, which is a decline from the record highs above 560 a few days ago.  A month ago there were about 440 people in the hospital with COVID.

On a per capita basis, Indiana has one of the highest hospitalization rates in the country, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

There are more than 3,200 Hoosiers in the hospital getting treatment for COVID.

The state reported an alarming 124 new deaths from COVID-19, one of the worst reported days of the pandemic.  The number is slightly more than three times the daily death toll from heart disease, which is the No. 1 killer of Hoosiers.  For the year, cancer deaths rank second and COVID is third.

In Lake County, by far the biggest county in Northwest Indiana, there were 376 new cases and six deaths. The test positivity rate continues to rise and is now at 18.1%.

In all, 6,410 Hoosiers have died of COVID-19 since March. The state reported another 5,457 new cases on Tuesday, with a statewide positivity rate of 14%. The total number of COVID-19 cases since March is approaching 400,000.

A total of 16 counties are at the highest alert level for COVID (red), meaning they have per capita cases above 200 per 100,000 residents and a test positivity rate above 15%.  All but one of the remaining counties are at the next alert level, orange.