INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana health officials reported 106 additional COVID-19 deaths and 6,407 new coronavirus infections Friday as the state’s coronavirus-related hospitalizations continued to decline following a series of spikes during December.
The newly confirmed deaths, which occurred over several days, raised Indiana’s pandemic toll to 8,371, including both confirmed and presumed infections, the Indiana State Department of Health said.
The new COVID-19 infections boosted the number of Indiana residents known to have had the coronavirus to 517,773.
As of Thursday, 2,786 Hoosiers were hospitalized with COVID-19 at Indiana’s hospitals — 56 fewer patients than were hospitalized as of Wednesday. Thursday’s tally is a 19% decrease from the state’s hospitalization peak in early December, according to the state health department’s online dashboard.
Nearly 76,000 Hoosiers had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday morning, but more than 110,000 additional Indiana residents had appointments scheduled through Monday to get their shots.
Gov. Eric Holcomb and top health officials have called for patienceas the early doses of vaccine against COVID-19 are administered to health care workers and residents inside long-term care facilities.
