Indiana COVID-19 Hospitalizations, Infections Creeping Up

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and newly confirmed infections continue growing in trends that have continued for at least three weeks.

The state health department’s latest COVID-19 tracking update showed Indiana hospitals treating 909 people for coronavirus illnesses as of Sunday to reach the highest level since mid-February. Those hospitalizations have gone up about 65% since March 21.

Gov. Eric Holcomb cited Indiana’s steep drop in hospitalizations from more than 3,000 during most days in December as among the reasons for dropping the statewide mask mandate and other coronavirus-related restrictions as of April 6. Some health experts warned it was too early to take that step as not enough of the state’s population was vaccinated yet.

Concerns have also grown about a surge of coronavirus infections in Michigan.

Indiana’s new COVID-19 infections have reached a seven-day average of 1,145, which is up about 50% since mid-March.

The state’s daily average of coronavirus-related deaths has remained below 10 since mid-March after that average peaked at more than 100 a day in December. The state health department has recorded at least 23 such deaths for last week, pushing Indiana’s pandemic death toll to about 13,150.

The health department reported Monday that about 1.4 million Indiana residents — or about 26% of those ages 16 and older — have been fully vaccinated.