Indiana Coronavirus Numbers: Five-County Region In Northwest Indiana Accounts For 77 Deaths, 1,759 Cases Of COVID-19

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The five-county region of Northwest Indiana now accounts for 11% of COVID-19 deaths and 13.5% of the novel coronavirus cases in the state, according to data released by the Indiana State Department Of Health.

Lake County, by far, is the hardest hit, with 61 of the region's 77 deaths and 1,346 of 1,759 cases. The numbers in the four other counties: Porter, 198 cases/5 deaths; LaPorte ,148/5; Newton, 40/5; and Jasper, 27/1.

State health officials have also provided proportional data for each county. Here are the numbers of cases and deaths per 10,000 residents of each county:

Lake: 27.1 cases/1.2 deaths

Porter: 12/0.3

LaPorte: 13.3/0.4

Newton: 28.1/3.5

Jasper: 8.1/0.3

Statewide, 706 Hoosiers have died of COVID-19 out of nearly 13,500 cases so far reported. Those numbers are likely higher as it takes time for deaths to be reported to the state. A lack of testing means many sick patients have not been offcially diagnosed or may not show symptoms.

Indianapolis (Marion County) is at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, with 228 deaths (32% of state's total) and 4,408 cases (34% of state's total). On a proportional bases, that comes out to 48 cases per 10,000 residents and 2.5 deaths.

Compared to the seasonal flu, COVID-19 is far more deadly.  On average, over a six or seven-month flu season about 150 Hoosiers have died a year, health officials say. In just about five weeks, nearly five times that number have died from COVID-19. The first death was reported on March. 15.