Indiana eclipses 6,000 new COVID-19 cases, reports 17,000 confirmed dead

The Indiana Department of Health reported more than 6,000 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. This is the first time cases have been this high since Jan. 5 and surpasses the peak from late summer.

COVID-19 cases had trended down for six straight weeks after the peak of the state’s late summer surge due to the more infectious delta strain. 

But for the last few weeks, cases started to pick back up, growing by 90 percent from the end of October to the week of Thanksgiving.

That culminated in Wednesday's update: 6,160 new cases. 

Hospitalizations have followed the climb in new COVID-19 cases. On Nov. 6, the state reported 1,209 COVID-19 hospitalizations. But as of Wednesday, the state’s census grew to more than 2,244 Hoosiers.

The state surpassed 1.1 million cases on Tuesday. It also eclipsed 17,000 confirmed dead on Wednesday.

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After peaking at an average of 98 deaths per day in December, Indiana’s average plummeted to less than 10 per day from April until July. September's average climbed to about 40 deaths per day. However, November so far is about 24. 

These deaths still trend younger than earlier in the pandemic. Before Aug. 1, fewer than 3 percent of deaths were Hoosiers younger than 50. But just since Aug. 1, that has grown to nearly 10 percent.

Because of the previous decrease in cases, deaths are still trending down. 

State health officials say there are an additional 588 suspected COVID-19 deaths – where a test wasn’t administered but health care professionals believe the person had the virus.

This story has been updated.

Contact Lauren at lchapman@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @laurenechapman_.