INDIANAPOLIS — Thursday'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.
Governor signs bill protecting businesses from COVID lawsuits
A bill that would provide protection for businesses, organizations and individuals against COVID-related lawsuits was signed into law on Thursday by Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Senate Bill 1 gives organizations and individuals immunity from civil liability for damages if someone is exposed to COVID-19 on their property or during an activity they organized.
Manufacturers of personal protective equipment would also be protected from civil lawsuits if someone gets COVID-19 while they had been wearing the equipment.
The liability protection would not cover gross negligence or purposely disregarding consequences by the organization or individual. The bill would also protect against harm relating to COVID-19, which includes circumstances in hospitals.
ISDH update
The Indiana State Department of Health reports 786 new cases for a total of 652,210.
There were also an additional 29 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the state death toll to 11,854.
Unemployment claims jump to 861,000 as US layoffs stay high
The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid rose last week to 861,000, evidence that layoffs remain painfully high despite a steady drop in the number of confirmed viral infections.
Applications from laid-off workers rose 13,000 from the previous week, which was revised sharply higher, the Labor Department said Thursday. Before the virus erupted in the United States last March, weekly applications for unemployment benefits had never topped 700,000, even during the Great Recession of 2008-2009.
The job market has stalled, with employers having added a mere 49,000 jobs in January after cutting workers in December. Nearly 10 million jobs remain lost to the pandemic. Though the unemployment rate fell last month from 6.7%, to 6.3%, it did so in part because some people stopped looking for jobs. People who aren't actively seeking work aren't counted as unemployed.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 27.82 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 3:30 a.m. ET Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 490,000 deaths in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 109.92 million confirmed cases with more than 2.43 million deaths and 61.89 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.
State hopes to expand vaccinations to 60 and older next week
Gov. Eric Holcomb and state leaders provided an update Wednesday afternoon on the response to COVID-19 and vaccination effort.
Due to the bad winter weather, 43,000 vaccine appointments had to be postponed this week. The state also reported delays in vaccine and said the Moderna vaccine shipment for the week has not yet been received.
Vaccination rate:
- Age 80 and older: 57 percent
- Age 70 to 79: 65 percent
- Age 65 to 69: 56 percent
- Health care workers and first responders: 68 percent
Indiana is not at a point yet where it will be able to expand vaccinations to those 60 and older. The hope is to make that change next week. The restrictions remain with vaccine available to those 65 and older.
Feds seize 10 million fake N95 masks in growing COVID-19 investigation
Federal agents have seized more than 10 million fake 3M brand N95 masks in recent weeks, the result of an ongoing investigation into counterfeits sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies.
The most recent seizures occurred Wednesday when Homeland Security agents intercepted hundreds of thousands of counterfeit 3M masks in an East Coast warehouse that were set to be distributed, officials said.
Investigators also notified about 6,000 potential victims in at least 12 states including hospitals, medical facilities and others who may have unknowingly purchased knockoffs, urging them to stop using the medical-grade masks. Officials encouraged medical workers and companies to go to 3M's website for tips on how to spot fakes.
Homeland Security officials would not say which states the phony masks were sent to, but said criminal charges would be forthcoming.
The phony masks are not tested to see whether they meet strict N95 standards and could put frontline medical workers at risk if they are used while treating patients with COVID-19.