Indiana Coronavirus Deaths Rise To 49, Including Five In Lake County

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The number of Hoosiers who have died of COVID-19 spiked to 49 on Tuesday, including five deaths in Lake County, state health officials said.

As of Monday, there was one death reported in Lake County and 35 across the state. Lake County also now has the second-highest number of infections in Indiana with 146. The five deaths also is the second-highest in the state. The worst outbreak in in the Indianapolis area, which has 964 cases, and 17 deaths. There have been no reported deaths in two other Northwest Indiana counties--Porter and LaPorte.

State health officials say a total of 2,159 Hoosiers have been infected with the novel coronavirus, and a total of 13,373 have been tested. That's an infection rate of 16 percent. The mortality rate is 2.2 percent.

While the number of COVID-19 cases are slightly higher among women than men, the data shows, so far, the men are overwhelmingly more likely to die of the disease.  Most of the deaths are elderly, above the age of 80. But the virus is hitting all age groups and is highest among Hoosiers between 50 and 59.