LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As Indiana grapples with a "second surge" of COVID-19, Gov. Eric Holcomb will introduce targeted restrictions for counties struggling to contain the coronavirus and will implement stricter enforcement of current guidelines for Hoosiers.
Indiana reported 5,156 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. Dr. Kristina Box, the state's health commissioner, said that marked the highest single-day total since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We've doubled our cases every week for four weeks now," she said. "... If we turn this around now and decrease those cases, we still have that 10 days to two weeks of individuals that are still going to hit our hospital system."
Holcomb will sign an executive order implementing new COVID-19 restrictions for a month starting Sunday, he said. Public gatherings in "orange" counties will be limited to 50 people while those in "red" counties will be cut to 25, he said.
"Beginning this weekend, there will be no more stage five," Holcomb said, referencing the final phase of the state's reopening plan that some have taken "as a reason to return to the days before we ever heard of the words COVID-19 or pandemic in a modern-day sense."
All but five Indiana counties are either in orange or red categories based on their COVID-19 testing positivity rates and weekly incidence rates, state data show.
Map courtesy Indiana State Department of Health
"I think a lot of people were, like, 'Hey, Stage Five, we're done,'" Clark County Health Director Dr. Eric Yazel said. "And you really saw compliance and things like that decrease. We have seen the result of it with this increase in cases."
Indoor special events for more than 50 people in orange counties and 25 people in red counties must get approval from their local health departments in advance, Box said. Outdoor events that expect to draw more than 25 people must also be approved by health departments, including college and professional sports, she said.
High school sports can continue with limited capacities in consultation with their local health departments, with anyone not competing required to wear masks, she said. Local health departments can also limit operating hours for restaurants, bars and night clubs, Box said.
The new measures are meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 and provide relief for hospitals as they admit more and more patients who have contracted the coronavirus, he said.
"We must do all we can to protect our hospital capacity so they can protect patients and care for them, not only for those who have COVID, but for the cancer patient and the heart patient and the others who are patients who need care in our urban, rural, suburban hospitals all across the state," Holcomb said Wednesday.
He also urged Hoosiers to consider scaling back holiday celebrations and limiting them to their immediate households.
Hospitals have been "inundated" with COVID-19 patients in recent days, with hospitalizations and deaths expected to grow in the near future, Box said.
"A number of our hospitals have gone on diversion recently, which means they are sending patients elsewhere," she said. "Many other hospitals around the state report delaying scheduled procedures or repurposing spaces like ambulance bays to hold patients until a bed becomes available."
"Pandemic fatigue" is another factor in Indiana's surging COVID-19 cases, Box said.
The state is aware of instances in which people refuse to wear masks, businesses expect employees to report to work even when they're supposed to be in quarantine and parents decline to have their children tested to avoid possible quarantines, she said.
"This entire year has been hard, but it's going to get even harder if we don't recommit to these very basic mitigation procedures that we've been discussing all year: wearing a mask, socially distancing, staying home if you're sick and getting tested, and washing your hands," Box said.
Indiana will also step up enforcement of health guidance meant to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing masks or face coverings while in public and maintaining social distance, Holcomb said.
The state will provide $20 million in grants to help local governments ensure people are following public health guidance, with details expected in the coming days, Holcomb and Box said.
"I want to encourage county commissioners and other local leaders to expedite the process of applying for and receiving these funds so that you get the help you need quickly," Box said.
While there are promising leads on a COVID-19 vaccine, Box said development and distribution will take time and states will receive doses based "strictly" on their populations.
She noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently authorized use of a monoclonal antibody developed by Eli Lilly to treat COVID-19 patients through a single intravenous dose.
Indiana will initially receive 2,700 doses of the drug, she said. Clark Memorial Hospital, located near the distribution center, became the first in the U.S. to treat patients with the drug on Tuesday, Box said.
The two patients "did well" and "had no adverse reactions" to the monoclonal antibody treatment, she said.
Dr. Lindsay Weaver, Indiana's chief medical officer, will work with her team to determine which hospitals have patients who are good candidates for the treatment, Box said.
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