INDIANAPOLIS — Monday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic, including the latest news on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in Indiana. Registrations for the vaccine are now open for select groups through Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Martindale-Brightwood pop-up clinic
A pop-up vaccination clinic will be held for Martindale-Brightwood residents on Saturday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Up to 350 people in the area can get their coronavirus vaccination during the one-day one-shot vaccination clinic, but they have only until Tuesday, April 6 at 5 p.m. to register for the clinic. Walk-in requests cannot be accommodated.
The clinic will be held at KIPP Legacy High School, located at 2255 Ralston Ave.
The clinic is being offered by the Edna Martin Christian Center, Community Health East, and KIPP Indy Public Schools.
Register for the clinic online.
Pop-up vaccine clinic in Carmel
The Hamilton County Health Department, in partnership with the City of Carmel and Trinity Free Clinic, will host a pop-up vaccination clinic at the Jill Perelman Pavilion at West Park, 2700 West 116th Street, Carmel, on Sunday, April 11 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
It will be administering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the first 1,000 people to register.
“We’re doing everything we can to get more shots into more arms in Hamilton County,” said Christian Walker, the health department’s Emergency Preparedness Director. “We chose the west side of Carmel because there aren’t currently any vaccination sites in that part of the county.”
The Hamilton County Health Department hopes to host more pop-up vaccination clinics like these in the coming weeks. To register, log on to www.ourshot.in.gov.
St. Elmo Steak House reopens with limited capacity
St. Elmo Steak House reopened with limited capacity Monday after the popular downtown Indianapolis steak house closed early Saturday.
The steak house, located at 127 Illinois St., closed to be professionally deep cleaned after nine employees tested positive for COVID-19.
Craig Huse, CEO of Huse Culinary, released a statement on Monday regarding St. Elmo Steak House.
Huse said they are working closely with the Marion County Public Health Department and county health director Dr. Virginia Caine on how and when it will be safe to reopen the downtown Indianapolis steak house, located at 127 Illinois Street.
The restaurant has undergone a professional deep cleaning and sanitization and "provided employees with the highest and most accurate level of testing," according to Huse.
Huse doesn't believe there was a risk of exposure to customers.
"It is our understanding the Marion County Public Health Department has not identified any potential exposure risk to customers based on their contact tracing," Huse said.
Norwegian Cruise Line to require COVID-19 vaccine for passengers, crew
The Norwegian Cruise Line is seeking permission to resume trips from U.S. ports on July 4, requiring passengers and crew members to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at least two weeks before the trip.
The Miami company said its precautions go well beyond steps taken by others in the travel and leisure industry that have already reopened, including airlines, hotel, restaurants and sporting events.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd plans to begin U.S. sailings at 60% of capacity and raise that to 80% in August and 100% in September. Norwegian also operates Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
CEO Frank Del Rio detailed the request in a letter to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has blocked cruise ships from U.S. ports with a no-sail order since March 2020, after outbreaks on several ships around the world.
Indy rental assistance program reopens
Indianapolis reopened applications for the Rental Assistance Program on Monday, April 5.
If approved, a household could get up to three months of assistance, including a combination of back rent dating to April 1, 2020 (including late fees) or future rent.
So far, the program distributed $33.8 million in rental assistance to nearly 16,000 households. This new round will include $30 million from the second federal COVID relief package and an appropriation by the City of Indianapolis. The city also expects more money for the program from the American Rescue Plan passed earlier this month.
Eligible households are those where at least one individual meets the following criteria: qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19; demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and has a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median.
For information on the Rental Assistance Program, click here.
Purdue vaccine clinic opening April 6
Purdue University announced it will open its vaccine clinic to students April 6. The university previously announced it would prioritize vaccinating students before they leave campus when the spring semester ends May 8.
All students, regardless of residency, will be able to utilize the campus site at the Cordova Recreational Sports Center.
Students who have fully completed their COVID-19 vaccination can upload an image of their vaccine verification card and communicate any related details to Purdue in a survey.
ISDH update
The state is reporting 2,949 more Hoosiers are fully vaccinated. That brings the total of fully vaccinated people in Indiana to 1,244,458.
There were also 762 new cases reported and one more death. The state's death toll from the pandemic is 12,668.
US hits new vaccination record
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday officials are watching rising COVID-19 case counts with concern, but are encouraged by the number of Americans who are getting vaccinated.
The CDC reported Saturday that more than 4 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine were administered in the previous 24 hours, setting a new daily record. The Biden administration noted the U.S. is now averaging more than 3 million vaccines administered per day.
During Monday's briefing, the White House announced it was opening three new mass vaccinations sites. These sites will be located at the Minnesota State Fair grounds, the Colorado State Fair grounds and at the Columbia Place Mall in Columbia, South Carolina.
White House senior advisor for COVID-19 response Andy Slavitt noted the 25 mass vaccination sites already in place around the country have the ability to administer 95,000 shots per day combined.
As of Sunday, CDC data showed around 18.5% of Americans have been fully vaccinated so far.
Community Heath Network transitions to drive-thru vaccinations
Community Health Network is moving to a drive-thru service for its COVID-19 vaccinations beginning Monday. Vaccinations will no longer be available at Community hospitals and will instead be at the following locations:
- North: Community Family Medicine - Castleton, 7525 E. 82nd St.
- East: Community Health Pavilion East - 10122 E. 10th St.
- South: Community Health Annex South - 1346 E. County Line Road
The vaccine clinic at Community Hospital Anderson will remain at its current location at the Education Center, 1923 N. Madison Ave.
IPS returning to full in-person learning Monday
Indianapolis Public Schools is returning to full in-person learning on Monday, April 5.
The district alerted parents to the change on March 5.
The district said, after getting updated guidance from the Marion County Public Health Department, middle and high school students on the hybrid model will be able to return to a full-time schedule at their schools.
Students doing remote learning will be able to opt back in to in-person learning and wound have needed to notify the school directly by March 12. Parents who choose in-person learning can switch their child to remote learning at any time during the remainder of the school year.
Families who remain in remote learning or that opt-in for remote learning by March 12 will be required to remain there for the remainder of the school year.
In January, students in Pre-K through sixth grade, except for sixth graders on a middle school schedule, returned to a full in-person schedule at school. Sixth graders on a middle school schedule, along with students in grades 7-12, were on a hybrid in-person learning schedule.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 30.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 1:30 a.m. ET Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 555,000 deaths in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 131.21 million confirmed cases with more than 2.85 million deaths and 74.42 million recoveries.
The actual 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.