<p>INDIANAPOLIS — The counties across Indiana’s northern tier are showing moderate risk of coronavirus spread as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-michigan-coronavirus-a9cdf0590d94786b198c22b7b4e4b9d7">Michigan remains the national hotspot</a> for COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. </p>
<p>The ongoing risk comes as Indiana’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indianapolis-coronavirus-indiana-health-e8d2e57b0bf1e15d408bdc213756d4b9">COVID-19 hospitalizations are at their highest</a> since mid-February and the state’s rate of people receiving vaccine shots has dropped by about one-third over the past couple weeks.</p>
<p>The State Department of Health’s <a href="https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/2393.htm">weekly tracking map updated Wednesday</a> showed four of the five Indiana counties that border Michigan with orange risk — the second highest of the four ratings. Two other nearby counties also have orange ratings, while 10 more northern Indiana counties have the next-highest yellow rating.</p>
<p>Indiana officials have been watching those northern counties because Michigan has posted more new COVID-19 cases than any other state in the country over the past two weeks.</p>
<p>One-third of Indiana residents ages 16 and older have now been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to state health officials. But the average number of people receiving shots has declined from almost 56,000 a day in mid-April to 38,000.</p>
<p>Top Indiana health officials were to hold a Wednesday afternoon news briefing to discuss the state’s response.</p>
