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 select groups 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.
Kroger, Walgreens vaccine appointments available
Kroger is now allowing walk-in appointments to receive any of the three authorized COVID-19 vaccines at many Indiana stores.
While the grocery chain is offering the Pfizer, Moderna and single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines at no cost, availability of doses varies by store. Customers can also schedule appointments and choose their vaccine on the company's website.
Meanwhile, Walgreens stores in Indianapolis are now offering the Pfizer vaccine to children ages 12-15 following guidance from the FDA and CDC.
Patients can schedule a vaccination appointment for their child through the Walgreens website, by calling 1-800-Walgreens. There are also same-day and walk-in appointments, provided a time slot is available.
Parents are required to book an appointment for 12-year-old children, but those 13 years old and older can make an appointment for themselves, Walgreens said.
Marion County keeping mask mandate despite CDC decision
Despite the CDC's new guidelines allowing fully vaccinated Americans to not wear a face covering in most situations, Marion County is sticking with its mask mandate.
Marion County Public Health Department Director Dr. Virginia Caine said Thursday her department will review data for Marion County and make a recommendation to the City-County Council before easing or removing the mandate.
Caine released the following statement:
“Today's announcement from the CDC emphasizes the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine in preventing serious illness and death, and underscores the importance of the vaccine as our community's road map to more freedom and safety. In Marion County, the outlook is good – but efforts to get more people vaccinated and reduce the impact of COVID-19 continue. A mask mandate remains in effect at this time in Marion County as part of the current public health order ratified by the Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday. The Marion County Public Health Department will review this new CDC guidance along with an assessment of current local COVID-19 data and vaccination rates and make a recommendation to the City-County Council on the continued path toward opening our community safely.”
Mobile vaccination clinic coming to Kokomo
FEMA, ISDH and Second Missionary Baptist Church in Kokomo are partnering to bring a mobile vaccination clinic to the city for three days.
The clinic will be at the church, located at 819 N. Apperson Way, May 20-22 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
The clinic will have the Pfizer vaccine for individuals ages 12-17. An appointment for the second Pfizer shot will be scheduled at the time of receiving the first.
Adults visiting the clinic will receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Proof of age will be required for all patients. The vaccine is free for everyone.
CDC to ease guidance allowing fully vaccinated people to ditch masks indoors in many instances
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday will ease indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places, according to a person briefed on the announcement.
The new guidance will still call for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but could ease restrictions for reopening workplaces and schools.
It will also no longer recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks outdoors in crowds. The announcement comes as the CDC and the Biden administration have faced pressure to ease restrictions on fully vaccinated people — people who are two weeks past their last required COVID-19 vaccine dose — in part to highlight the benefits of getting the shot.
The eased guidance comes two weeks after the CDC recommended that fully vaccinated people continue to wear masks indoors in all settings and outdoors in large crowds.
State reports 30K more fully vaccinated, 5 additional deaths
The Indiana State Department of Health reported 30,464 more people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Thursday morning. In total, 2,226,615 individuals have been vaccinated with either the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot (165,743 people) or both doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine (2,060,872 people).
ISHD reported 900 new cases and five additional deaths attributed to COVID-19.
Indiana has now recorded 13,033 deaths from the virus.
Vaccine appointments now open to kids ages 12-15
The Indiana State Department of Health has expanded its vaccine appointments to include kids between the ages of 12 to 15.
People between the ages of 12 and 17 are only eligible for the Pfizer two-dose vaccine.
About 361,000 teens are now eligible in Indiana with the latest age group expansion.
To schedule an appointment, you can sign up at ourshot.in.gov or call 211.
Walk-in appointments are also accepted at any clinic that is offering the Pfizer vaccine.
Minors must be accompanied by an adult and have parent consent, whether that is in written form or in-person. Proof of age must be shown with an ID, passport or birth certificate.
Follow these steps to register online:
- 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 and enter your date of birth.
- Certify that you are within the group selected.
- Click "Schedule an appointment."
US jobless claims drop to 473,000, a new pandemic low
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 473,000, a new pandemic low and the latest evidence that fewer employers are cutting jobs as consumers ramp up spending and more businesses reopen.
Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that applications declined 34,000 from a revised 507,000 a week earlier. The number of weekly jobless claims — a rough measure of the pace of layoffs — has fallen significantly from a peak of 900,000 in January. Instead of cutting jobs, many employers are struggling to attract enough applicants for open positions.
In Thursday’s report, the government said nearly 16.9 million people were receiving unemployment aid during the week of April 24, the latest period for which data is available. That is up from 16.2 million in the previous week.
CVS begins offering COVID-19 vaccines to kids ages 12-15
CVS will begin administering Pfizer's two-shot COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of 12 and 15 on Thursday, when state health officials said the age group will officially be eligible for the vaccine.
The news comes after the Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 12 on Monday. This was followed by U.S. health advisors endorsing the use of the vaccine on kids Wednesday.
CVS is saying 5,600 of its pharmacies nationwide will begin administering the vaccine to kids in this age group on Thursday. Parental or legal guardian consent is required, and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Pfizer's vaccine is the only vaccine available that has been approved for this age group. For this reason, CVS is encouraging people to schedule an appointment to ensure a vaccine is available. However, walk-ins will also be accepted.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 32.81 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 4 a.m. ET Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 583,600 deaths in the U.S.
Worldwide there have been more than 160.4 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 3.3 million deaths.
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.