INDIANAPOLIS — Friday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.
Aria Diagnostics guarantees same-day COVID test results
Aria Diagnostics announced it now has new technology that allows them to process PCR COVID-19 tests and have results by 8 p.m. the same day.
According to Aria, it's now the only private lab able to provide full PCR test results that quickly outside a hospital in Indiana.
The test will be available beginning Monday, Jan. 11 at the lab's Fishers location at Cornerstone Lutheran Church, 13450 E 116th St. The testing site is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Testing is by appointment only and costs $165. Book appointments online at ariadxs.com.
ISDH update
The state is reporting 6,199 new cases of COVID-19 and 69 more deaths.
Hoosiers 80 and older can now register for vaccine
Coronavirus vaccinations are now available to Indiana residents 80 and older.
Follow these steps to register:
- Go to ourshot.in.gov.
- Click on the link in the red box near the top of the page that says "Click here to find a vaccination site."
- Select the county you live in.
- Select a vaccine clinic available in your county.
- Select the blue link that says "Click here to register."
- Select the group you belong to (People 80 years or older), and enter your date of birth.
- Certify that you are 80 years or older.
- Click "Schedule an appointment."
Due to the high demand, you may have to wait to access the scheduling app.
More than 53,000 Hoosiers age 80 or older have scheduled appointments to receive free COVID-19 vaccines as of 4 p.m. Friday. Among those registering, 21,000 people scheduled appointments in the first 90 minutes after registration opened.
The next vaccination steps come after vaccinations of Indiana health care workers and nursing home residents and staffers last month.
State health officials said that they plan to start offering vaccinations in the coming weeks next to those 70 and older and then 60 and older.
Appointments can also be made by calling the state’s 2-1-1 telephone assistance service.
Pacers announce limited ticket sales, COVID-19 protocols for home games
The Indiana Pacers announced Friday that a limited number of tickets for upcoming home games will be available for sale to the general public in limited pods.
Tickets for games from Jan. 24 through March 4 will go on sale Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Pacers.com, at BankersLifeFieldhouse.com, and in-person at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Box Office on weekdays between noon to 5 p.m.
The Pacers said they will limit sales to approximately 1,000 tickets per game through Jan. 25 and consider gradual increases for games after that.
The Marion County Health Department will currently allow 25 percent capacity at the Fieldhouse, or roughly 4,500 attendees, for 2020-2021 Pacers home contests.
All attendees will need to wear masks and practice social distancing.
Working in concert with the health department and the NBA, the Pacers developed a set of COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines to keep fans as safe as possible at games.
FANS
- Health Screenings: To ensure the screening process is quick and seamless, fans must complete the Ascension St. Vincent “Screen & Go” online health screening prior to arrival and show confirmation before entering the Fieldhouse. Adults accompanying young children will be asked to answer screening questions on the children’s behalf.
- Face Masks: Fans must wear face masks at all times when not actively eating or drinking. Neck gaiters, bandanas, and masks with valves or vents are not permitted.
- Physical Distancing: 6-foot physical distancing is required while in the seating bowl, in lines for concessions and security, and at all other times in the Fieldhouse. Guest services staff and signage will remind guests of protocols.
- Pod Seating: Fans will be seated in groups away from others not in their parties, and all fans must sit only in their assigned seats.
- Mobile Ticketing: Ticketing will be completely mobile so entering the Fieldhouse will be low-contact and easy.
- Security: Lower-contact security screening includes x-raying of bags and “express” lines for guests without bags.
- A Cashless Experience: Bankers Life Fieldhouse is now a cashless facility, with cash-to-card machines conveniently located around the arena.
- Concessions: Food items will be individually packaged, and staff will use appropriate PPE and be separated from guests by plexiglass dividers.
FACILITY
- Cleaning & Disinfection: The CLEAN Team will continually clean high-trafficked areas throughout the Fieldhouse.
- Hand Sanitizing Stations: More than 300 hand sanitizer dispensers are located throughout the Fieldhouse so fans never have to go far to find one.
- Restrooms: Restrooms have been equipped with automated faucets, soap dispensers, and other touch-free fixtures.
- HVAC & Air Filtration: The Bankers Life Fieldhouse HVAC system is currently being equipped with UV-C technology to enhance ventilation and safe air flow, and MERV-13 air filters have been installed to more effectively capture and filter airborne viruses.
- Training: All Bankers Life Fieldhouse staff have been trained on health and safety protocols and are prepared to make the Fieldhouse as exciting and enjoyable as it has always been.
- Communications: Signage will be visible throughout the building, and public announcements and video boards before, during, and after the game will communicate to fans all they need to know to remain safe while in the Fieldhouse.
Detailed information of the COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines is available here.
Daily COVID-19 deaths reach new record, US tops 4,000 for first time
The United States recorded more than 4,000 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, the most coronavirus deaths in a single day since the pandemic began.
The top three highest days of coronavirus deaths in the U.S. have all taken place this week, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
On Thursday, there were a record-setting 4,085 people who died, followed by 3,854 deaths on Wednesday and 3,768 lives lost on Tuesday.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 21.57 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States. as of 3:30 a.m. ET Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 365,000 deaths in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 88 million confirmed cases with more than 1.89 million deaths and 49.1 million recoveries.
The real number of people infected by the virus around the world is believed to be much higher — perhaps 10 times higher in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — given testing limitations and the many mild cases that have gone unreported or unrecognized.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.
MCPHD launching COVID vaccine clinics in Indianapolis
The Marion County Public Health Department will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines.
Individuals 80 and older, health care workers and first-responders will be eligible to receive the vaccine. Appointments can be scheduled beginning Friday, Jan. 8 at 9 a.m. at ourshot.in.gov
Vaccine clinic hours will be as follows:
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Thursday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Hamilton Co. begins vaccines for those 80 and older on Monday
The Hamilton County Health Department will begin vaccinating people older than 80 years of age starting Monday, Jan. 11. Those who fall into this age group can register for an appointment starting at 9:00 a.m. Friday at www.ourshot.in.gov or by calling 2-1-1.
"We know that in Indiana age is the biggest contributor to severe disease and death from COVID-19. This age group alone accounts for 52 percent of the state's virus-related deaths, said Dr. Lindsay Weaver, Chief Medical Officer for the State Department of Health, during a news conference Wednesday.
The Hamilton County Health Department is expected to receive 800 doses of the vaccine next week. It will administer the shots at the Annex Building at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Caregivers with a loved one who is 80 or older can register on their behalf. Individuals can also call 2-1-1 for help with transportation. Vaccines are free but if you have insurance, you should provide that information upon registration.
All recipients must prove they live or work in Indiana.
Once those older than 80 years of age are vaccinated, the State Department of Health will open vaccination registration to folks between the ages of 70-79, followed closely behind by people ages 60-69.
Bank closing lobby in Hamilton Co. Friday
The Farmers Bank will be temporarily suspending lobby access in all Hamilton County branches starting Friday, Jan. 8.
In a statement, the bank said the measure was "for the protection of our customers, staff, their families, as well as the citizens of the communities we serve."
Customers can still access in-person banking but will need to make an appointment. The drive-thru, ATM, online and remote banking services will be available at all locations.
Pfizer study suggests coronavirus vaccine works on variants from Britain, South Africa
New research suggests that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can protect against a mutation found in two contagious variants of the coronavirus that erupted in Britain and South Africa.
Those variants are causing global concern. They both share a common mutation called N501Y, a slight alteration on one spot of the spike protein that coats the virus. That change is believed to be the reason they can spread so easily.
Most of the vaccines being rolled out around the world train the body to recognize that spike protein and fight it. Pfizer teamed with researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for laboratory tests to see if the mutation affected its vaccine's ability to do so.
They used blood samples from 20 people who received the vaccine, made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, during a large study of the shots. Antibodies from those vaccine recipients successfully fended off the virus in lab dishes, according to the study posted late Thursday on an online site for researchers.
The study is preliminary and has not yet been reviewed by experts, a key step for medical research.
However, the variant first discovered in South Africa has an additional mutation that has scientists on edge, one named E484K. The Pfizer study found that the vaccine appeared to work against 15 additional possible virus mutations, but E484K wasn’t among those tested. Dormitzer said it is next on the list.