INDIANAPOLIS — Thursday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.
ISDH updates coronavirus case count
ISDH has updated its coronavirus case count for the state. The agency reported a total of 41,438 cases in the state after 584 additional diagnoses.
The health department said the updated number corrects the total number of cases that was reported Wednesday.
A total of 2,304 patients have died due to the virus, a 15 percent increase from Wednesday.
Another 187 cases are considered probable deaths — those suspected of being caused by COVID-19 but without a positive test recorded.
Nearly 385,000 Hoosiers have been tested for the virus. ISDH continues to get testing data from labs across the state. One lab that was recently connected to ISDH's reporting system reported 2,396 negative results. All the positive results from that lab had already been reported.
1.5 million more laid-off workers seek US unemployment benefits
About 1.5 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, a historically high number, even as the economy increasingly reopens and employers bring some people back to work.
The latest figure from the Labor Department marked the 11th straight weekly decline in applications since they peaked at nearly 7 million in March as the coronavirus shut down much of the economy and caused tens of millions of layoffs. The decline was much smaller, though, than in recent weeks, falling just 58,000.
The total number of people receiving unemployment aid also fell slightly, reflecting the return of many to their old jobs.
The job market appears to have begun a slow recovery. In May, employers added 2.5 million jobs, an increase that suggested that the job market has bottomed out. The unemployment rate declined from 14.7% to a still-high 13.3%.
Even with the May hiring gain, nearly 21 million people are officially classified as unemployed. And including people the government said had been erroneously categorized as employed in May and those who lost jobs but didn’t look for new ones, 32.5 million people are out of work, economists estimate.
Vincennes University announces fall semester plan
Vincennes University announced Thursday that face-to-face instruction for the fall semester will end before Thanksgiving and the start of the spring semester will be delayed to safeguard students, faculty, staff, and the community from COVID-19.
In-person and online classes for the fall semester will start on Monday, Aug. 17. The last day of face-to-face instruction is Tuesday, Nov. 24. After Thanksgiving, remaining instruction and exams will be delivered online or remotely through the last day of the semester on Friday, Dec. 11.
The start of the 2021 Spring Semester is postponed one week until Tuesday, Jan. 19 and the first two weeks of instruction will be delivered in an online/remote environment. Face-to-face instruction begins on Monday, Feb. 1. Final exams will be delivered through the traditional format with the final day of the semester on Friday, May 7.
Fall break is postponed from Oct. 12-13 to Nov. 30-Dec. 1. There will be no mid-semester spring break, but the mid-year break between semesters will be extended by a week.
A plan to reopen residence halls with reduced capacity will be shared in July, according to the school's website.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been 2.16 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of 3:30 a.m. ET Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 117,000 deaths and 592,000 people recovered.
Worldwide, there have been 8.35 million confirmed cases with more than 449,000 deaths and 4 million recovered.
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, including pneumonia and death.
Poll: Most Americans say US coronavirus response is 'fair' or 'poor'
Vice President Mike Pence says the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic is “a cause for celebration,” but a new poll finds more than half of Americans calling it fair or poor.
The Gallup and West Health survey out Thursday found that 57% of U.S. adults rated the national response to COVID-19 as fair or poor, particularly in light of the fact that America has the world's most expensive health care system.
The numbers amount to a flashing warning for President Donald Trump and his White House team, eager to change the narrative from projections that show a growing number of U.S. pandemic deaths to a story of American resilience and economic revitalization that reinforces his reelection bid
The poll found that only 23% of adults rated the national response as excellent or very good, while an additional 20% rated it as good.
Click here to read more on the poll.
United Airlines begins facemask crackdown Thursday, may deny future travel
United Airlines will place any passenger who does not comply with its face mask requirement on an internal travel restriction list starting Thursday. It is one of the U.S. airlines making it clear: if you don't wear the mask, you don't get to fly.
Airlines for America, a trade association that represents several U.S. airlines, said this week that passengers will be reminded, before boarding and while on board, about the policy requiring face masks and the consequences for violating it. It said Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest and United would be implementing similar policies.
The group also said airlines will determine for themselves the appropriate consequences, including the suspension of flying privileges
American, Delta and United state on their websites that customers who don't comply may be suspended from future flights. United said that part of its policy goes into effect Thursday.
Hong Kong Disneyland to reopen June 18 with limited visitor capacity
Hong Kong Disneyland will reopen June 18, as the city looks to gradually restart its economy amid a dwindling of coronavirus infections.
Hong Kong Disneyland, which has been closed since January due to the coronavirus pandemic, will reopen with limited visitor capacity. It will also introduce social distancing measures in restaurants, rides and other facilities, while suspending activities that require close interaction such as photo sessions with Disney characters, the park said in a press release Monday.
Visitors to the park will also be asked to wear masks, as well as fill out health declaration forms and have their temperature taken upon arrival.
It is the second Disney-branded theme park to re-open globally, following Shanghai Disneyland which opened its doors to guests last month.
Hong Kong’s social distancing measures, which prohibits gatherings of more than eight individuals and limits the capacity of restaurants and eateries, are currently in place until June 18. The city has reported 1,110 cases of coronavirus infections so far, with four deaths.