Indiana Reports 1,429 New COVID-19 Cases
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Reporting a slight dip compared to Friday, the Hoosier state announced 1,429 additional COVID-19 cases on Saturday.
It brings the number to 124,059 the total number of Indiana residents known to have had the coronavirus, according to the Indiana Department of Public Health.
As of this date, 3,442 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19. Another 227 probable deaths have been reported based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record.
On Friday, Indiana reported a record number of single day COVID-19 cases--at total of 1,495 infections and 13 deaths.
The previous daily record was 1,472. The state's seven-day average now stands at 1,040, which is also a record.
The case spike comes after Gov. Eric Holcomb ordered the state to fully open at Stage 5. The state still has a mask mandate and social distancing is still required at large events. Health experts also warned of an increase in cases in the weeks following the Labor Day holiday, similar to what happened on Memorial Day and July 4.
The transmission rate has also risen to 1.16--one of the highest in the country. A rate over 1.0 indicates that the virus is spreading more rapidly.
The number of Hoosiers admitted to the hospital has also risen over the past 10 days--from 759 patients to 963. Nearly 70% of ICU beds are currently occupied across the state, including 14% for COVID patients.
The biggest outbreaks are happening in the southwest portion of the state. In Northwest Indiana, cases also continue to rise. There were 191 reported cases in the five county region and the seven day average has risen to a record 122 cases. The 191 cases is the second-highest daily total since the pandemic began in March.
