INDIANAPOLIS — Here are 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 Hoosiers 12 and older through the Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
State reports 2,062 more COVID-19 cases, 20 additional deaths
The Indiana State Department of Health reported Thursday that 2,062 more Hoosiers have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 1,016,722 through midnight.
The state also reported 20 additional deaths from COVID-19 that occurred between Sept. 23 and Wednesday. Indiana has lost 16,117 residents since the pandemic began.
Indiana expects 200,000 COVID-19 vaccines for kids next week
Indiana officials said the state should be able to immediately inoculate a third of children ages 5 to 11 as preparations are made to expand Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for the age group pending approval from the federal government.
Indiana’s chief medical officer Dr. Lindsay Weaver said Wednesday the state expects to receive 200,000 additional COVID-19 vaccines intended for the state’s roughly 600,000 5- to 11-year-olds on Monday and Tuesday. Smaller shipments of the vaccine are expected in the following weeks.
The announcement came one day after an advisory committee with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration endorsed the kid-size doses.
Next week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will have to decide whether to recommend the shots and which youngsters should get them.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 45.70 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 4 a.m. Thursday according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 741,200 deaths recorded in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 245.05 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 6.88 billion vaccine doses administered worldwide.
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.
Health department extending clinic at IMS
The Indiana Department of Health will extend the COVID-19 vaccination and testing clinic outside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through Nov. 20.
The extension is to allow for booster shots for those eligible and in anticipation of vaccinating children ages 5 to 11.
The clinics are being held in the IndyCar parking lot at 4551 W. 16th St., Indianapolis, across from Gate 2 of the Speedway.
Vaccinations and testing are being offered from noon to 8 p.m. today through Friday and from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Beginning Nov. 2, the clinics will operate from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through Nov. 20.
Report: At least 59,000 meat workers caught COVID-19, 269 died
At least 59,000 meatpacking workers became ill with COVID-19 and 269 workers died when the virus tore through the industry last year, which is significantly more than previously thought, according to a new U.S. House report released Wednesday.
With workers standing shoulder-to-shoulder along production lines, the meatpacking industry was one of the early epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, which used internal documents from five of the biggest meatpacking companies for its report, said companies could have done more to protect their workers.
The new estimate of infections in the industry is nearly three times higher than the 22,400 that the United Food and Commercial Workers Union has said were infected. And the true number of infections could be even higher because the company documents generally don't account for coronavirus cases confirmed by outside testing or self-reported by employees.