INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Department of Health reported Friday that 40 more people died with COVID-19, and 5,563 others tested positive for the virus.
The majority of newly reported deaths occurred over the past two days with 36 people dying between Wednesday and Thursday. Deaths are reported based on when the state receives data and occurred over multiple days.
A total of 2,918 people are in the hospital with COVID-19, a decrease of 95 since Thursday.
There have been 488,180 positive cases and 7,431 deaths in Indiana since the pandemic began. An additional 339 probable COVID-19 deaths have also been reported.
Over the previous five days, the state reported 6,288 new cases on Thursday, 4,731 on Wednesday, 3,758 on Tuesday, 3,978 on Monday and 6,558 on Sunday.
Marion County continues to lead the state with 67,300 cases and 1,084 deaths reported. Other counties that have seen the largest number of deaths from COVID-19 include Lake County with 570, Allen County with 461, St. Joseph County with 326, Elkhart County with 305, Hamilton County with 261, Johnson County with 217 and Hendricks County with 201.
There have been more than 5.48 million COVID-19 tests administered to more than 2.58 million individuals with an 18.9% cumulative positivity rate among unique individuals. Indiana's seven-day positivity rate among unique individuals through Dec. 18 is 23.9%. Among all tests, the cumulative positivity rate is 8.1%, while the seven-day positivity rate is 11.9%.
The state health department said 22.8% of ICU beds and 70% 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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