COVID-19 cases and testing shattered records this week as the coronavirus continued its path through the county and state.
Gov. Eric Holcomb and state health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box on Wednesday said the state would take a step back from Stage 5 of its Back on Track Indiana plan, where it has been for two months, after 5,156 new cases were reported Wednesday across the state, a new single-day high.
The state’s new approach to curbing COVID-19 puts emphasis on county-level metrics and the color-coded map that indicates how severe an outbreak is within each county.
Instead of stages of openness that applied to the whole state, the color levels indicate how "open" each county should be. Johnson County on Wednesday was in orange, the second-highest alert level.
Hospitalizations across the state are at an all-time high, and hospitals in hotspots expect patient counts to double in the next week, Holcomb said.
Local hospitalizations are not yet higher than they were at the beginning of the pandemic, but they are approaching that level, according to data from Regenstrief Institute.
The recent surge indicates Hoosiers have let their guard down, Holcomb said.
“Stage 5 has been a reason for some to return to the days before we had even heard about the pandemic,” Holcomb said during his weekly news conference.
Holcomb and Box empathized with Hoosiers, but urged everyone to get back to doing their part to slow the spread.
“I understand this is hard. This entire year has been hard. But it is going to be even harder if we don’t commit to these basic practices,” Box said.
Wash hands, keep six feet of distance from others and scale back social gatherings, she urged.
Leaning on color-coded metrics
Color-coded metrics, which are updated weekly, will indicate how businesses and schools should operate. When counties are in orange or red, state leaders are asking businesses and local governments to limit business operations and restrict gatherings.
Orange indicates indoor and outdoor social gatherings should be limited to 50 people, and all events that expect more than 50 people must be reviewed by county health departments; attendance at indoor school events should be limited to 25% capacity; workplace break rooms and common areas should be restricted; and recreational sports leagues should limit attendance to parents and required personnel only.
Red indicates indoor and outdoor social gatherings should be limited to 25 people, and all events that expect more than 25 people must be reviewed by local health departments; attendance at indoor school events should be limited to parents and essential personnel; local officials should consider limiting hours at bars, nightclubs and restaurants or going to a carry-out model only; recreational sports leagues should limit attendance to parents and required personnel only; activities at long-term care facilities should be suspended; hospitals and congregate living facilities should restrict visitors; and workplace break rooms and common areas should be closed.
Churches are exempt from the state’s social gathering recommendations, Holcomb said. However, he and Box encouraged church-goers to be careful if they do continue to attend large in-person services. COVID-19 numbers spike every Sunday due to church gatherings, Box said.
It was not clear Wednesday whether businesses and local governments would be required to follow these guidelines or what repercussions there would be for not doing so. More information on Holcomb’s new plan will be released Friday in an executive order, he said.
In response to the recent surge and new recommendations, the state will make $20 million available to local governments to support enforcement efforts, Holcomb said. Counties may request funds for COVID-19 awareness and education and event planning review, he said.
Johnson County’s seven-day moving average of new cases increased to 87 Wednesday, up from 75 last week. Among this week’s contributing factors are several days when the newly reported case count was close to 100.
On Wednesday, 98 positive cases were added, out of 762 tests reported that day. At the Johnson County Health Department’s testing site alone, 198 tests were given, according to health department data.
Johnson County remains in orange for the second week in a row, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
How to avoid going red
The 355 new cases per 100,000 residents added to the county’s total this week would put the county in red, but its the 9.96% positivity rate — a metric that would put it in yellow — averaged out to orange.
To be moved to red, the positivity rate would have to be at least 15%, which would mean 15% of all tests given in the county during a seven-day period would be positive.
As the county inches closer to red, Johnson County Health Department Director Betsy Swearingen asks residents to be more diligent and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations to slow the spread of the virus.
“If we don’t start doing our best to keep our population healthy, we are going to go into the red,” Swearingen said earlier this week. “Everyone is out in the large groups, not washing hands, not wearing masks, not conscientious of who they are around.”
She asked for patience and that residents keep their guard up as the pandemic wears on.
“They want things to go back to normal, but they aren’t going to go back to normal until we get a vaccine and there’s no telling when that will be,” Swearingen said.
In recent weeks, there have been fewer mask complaints at local businesses, so compliance may be going up. However, a new problem of individuals going to work sick is emerging, she said.
Since COVID-19 affects individuals differently and the symptoms range from a mild to severe, individuals should be wary of anything outside normal health, Swearingen said. Mild symptoms can look and feel a lot like the seasonal flu or allergies, she said.
COVID-19 symptoms include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.
County increases testing capacity
The Johnson County Health Department on Monday hit its testing capacity for the first time and had to turn away about 30 people who were waiting in line at the department’s drive-up test site at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, Swearingen said.
The site did not run out of tests, but the online platform that records the tests hit its ceiling of 196 tests on a single day, she said. With three hours to go, the site had to close its doors.
By Tuesday, testing capacity was raised, and the health department gave 198 new tests, surpassing Monday’s record. Swearingen hopes the increased capacity will avoid any more disruptions, she said.
The site has administered more than 3,000 tests since it opened Sept. 1, Swearingen said. The daily demand for tests was lower when it opened, but increased significantly in the past 10 days, she said.
When the site opened, Swearingen expected to give out up to 100 tests a day, but demand has since outpaced those expectations — 394 tests have been given this week so far.
Senior facilities add new cases
New cases at local long-term care facilities slowed down this week, but cases are still rising at two. The Indiana National Guard is providing extra help with infection control and testing at at least three local long-term care facilities — Franklin Meadows, Greenwood Village South and Homeview Health and Rehabilitation Center in Franklin.
Franklin Meadows reported six new cases this week.
At least one additional case was reported at Homeview since state health department data was last updated.
Homeview administrator Mark Gavorski said most cases have been mild so far, though one resident passed away after contracting the virus. The facility stopped indoor visitations and is taking every precaution necessary to prevent further spread, he said this week.
In addition to battling the virus, Gavorski said Homeview is also trying to keep up morale among residents and staff with giveaways, pizza parties and cookouts.
At Greenwood Village South, which is seeing the largest local outbreak, no new positive cases were found among residents since last Wednesday, executive director Jordan Morrow said.
Since April, 103 residents and 64 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at Greenwood Village South, and nearly all of those cases were reported since mid-October. The outbreak seems to be under control, and 83 residents and 51 employees have recovered, Morrow said.
“We continue to work closely with the Indiana State Department of Health and Johnson County Health Department to protect our residents and staff," Morrow said. "We appreciate the support they have provided us.”
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Johnson County
7-day positivity rate: 11.2%
Weekly cases per 100,000: 355
New cases: 98
New deaths: 4
Indiana
7-day positivity rate: 10.3%
New cases: 5,156
New deaths: 31
Long-term care facilities
Franklin Meadows
Resident cases: 50
New resident cases: 6
Resident deaths: 5
Staff cases: 30
Latest case reported: Wednesday
Homeview Center
Resident cases: 11
New Resident cases: 1
Resident deaths: 1
Staff cases: 6
Latest case reported: Nov. 5
Greenwood Village South
Resident cases: 103
New resident cases: 0
Resident deaths: 14
Staff cases: 53
Latest case reported: Nov. 4
Country Charm
Resident cases: 8
New resident cases: 0
Resident deaths: Less than 5
Staff cases: Less than 5
Latest case reported: Oct. 27
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
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What: Johnson County Health Department COVID-19 testing
When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; closed Friday and Sunday.
Where: 250 Fairground St., Franklin; use the Morton Street entrance to the fairgrounds between Dairy Queen and Wendy’s.
Requirements: Indiana resident; all ages welcome with child-size swabs available; no prescription needed; not required to have symptoms or potential exposure to COVID-19.
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