INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Department of Health reported Tuesday that 129 more Hoosiers have died with COVID-19 and 4,347 others tested positive for the virus.
The majority of deaths happened in the past week with 118 occurring since Thursday. Deaths are reported based on when the state receives data and occurred over multiple days.
A total of 3,229 people are in the hospital with COVID-19, an increase of 157 since Monday that came after six days of decreasing hospitalizations.
There have been 434,642 positive cases and 6,657 deaths in Indiana since the pandemic began. An additional 311 probable COVID-19 deaths have also been reported.
Over the previous five days, the state reported 5,050 new cases on Monday, 6,025 on Sunday, 7,542 on Saturday, 7,360 on Friday and 6,604 on Thursday.
Marion County continues to lead the state with 59,531 cases and 988 deaths reported. Other counties that have seen the largest number of deaths from COVID-19 include Lake County with 533, Allen County with 401, St. Joseph County with 288, Elkhart County with 282, Hamilton County with 216, Johnson County with 197 and Hendricks County with 185.
There have been more than 5 million COVID-19 tests administered to more than 2.44 million individuals with a 17.8% cumulative positivity rate among unique individuals. Indiana's seven-day positivity rate among unique individuals through Dec. 8 is 24.5%. Among all tests, the cumulative positivity rate is 7.9%, while the seven-day positivity rate is 12.5%.
The state health department said 23.9% of ICU beds and 69.9% of ventilators are available.
→ FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE FROM WRTV
Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through: Respiratory droplets released into the air by coughing and sneezing; close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands; rarely, fecal contamination.
The best way to protect yourself from any respiratory illness, including the flu, is to: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap & water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Avoid close contact (within six feet) with people who are sick. Stay home when you are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
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