INDIANAPOLIS — Wednesday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.
State update on response
ISDH reports that 16 percent of patients testing positive for COVID-19 were admitted to the hospital.
Looking at the patients admitted, 21 percent went into the intensive care unit.
When it comes to recovery:
- 73 percent were discharged
- 8 percent still likely hospitalized
- 19 percent died
Rental assistance program
The state has announced a rental assistance program that could provide up to $500 per month for up to four months per household.
It will require the landlord's agreement to participate.
The money comes from the CARES Act and will cover 91 counties and about 12,000 households.
NOTE: Marion County received its own funds and is administering its own program.
Eligibility for assistance:
- Loss of income due to a layoff, reduced hours or reduced pay connected to the pandemic.
- Current household income, including unemployment, must be less than household income on March 6, 2020.
- Household must not have already received emergency rental assistance as part of COVID-19 response.
- Must not receive rental assistance, such as through Section 8 vouchers or USDA assistance
Landlords agreeing to take part in the program will need to agree to not evict for nonpayment until the renter is more than 45 days delinquent on rent.
The assistance includes a maximum of $2,000 that will be paid directly to the landlord. Any combination of past-due rent from April 1 or later or ongoing payments will be covered at up to $500 per month.
Applications will open on July 13 and you can get more information and apply here.
New York, Connecticut and New Jersey announce quarantine
New York, Connecticut and New Jersey will require visitors from states with high infection rates to quarantine for 14 days, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
Visitors from states over a set infection rate of 10% will have to quarantine, Cuomo said. As of Wednesday, states over the threshold were Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, Utah and Texas.
ISDH updates daily case count
Indiana reported 281 more COVID-19 cases and nine more deaths due to the virus. That brings the total to 43,140 cases and 2,386 deaths. Another 192 people have likely died from the virus but did not have a positive test on record.
A total of 431,883 Hoosiers have been tested for the virus.
NYC Marathon canceled
The New York City Marathon scheduled for Nov. 1 has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
New York Road Runners announced the cancellation of the world’s largest marathon Wednesday after coordinating with the mayor’s office and deciding the race posed too many health and safety concerns for runners, volunteers, spectators and others.
Last year’s marathon included a world record 53,640 finishers. Entrants for the 2020 race will be offered a full refund of their entry fee or a guaranteed entry to either the 2021, 2022 or 2023 marathon.
Arts Council announces $10 million grant program
The Arts Council of Indianapolis has announced a $10 million grant program that will help arts organizations in Marion County to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. The Indy Arts and Culture Restart & Resilience Fund will give recipients a one-time grant to help offset some of the costs of functioning during COVID-19.
The grant was made possible by a $10.2 million donation from Lilly Endowment Inc.
The grants will range from $5,000 to $500,000. The grant amount is dependent upon annual operating budgets. Applications open July 13.
Eligible organizations must be nonprofits headquartered in Marion County. The grant funds can be used for capital and operating expenses, including new equipment, changes to physical environments, and staffing.
Indiana Latino Expo canceled
The Indiana Latino Expo (ILE) has canceled its annual event due to the coronavirus outbreak. The expo was set to take place Oct. 9-10 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
ILE will instead offer a virtual experience, bringing the expo to TV screens. From September to November, ILE will broadcast shows on Telemundo Indy that will highlight important issues in health and wellness, education, workforce issues and entertainment. The shows will also be available on the group's social media pages.
Marion County schools release plan for returning to school
School districts in Marion County have laid out a plan to return to school for the 2020-2021 academic year. All Marion County public schools will start the year on time — as previously scheduled — and will offer both in-person and virtual learning options.
Districts said they would offer further details to students and parents in early July, pending finalized guidelines from the Marion County Public Health Department. Those guidelines will cover policies for:
- Symptom screening
- Cleaning and disinfection
- Cloth face coverings, masks or face shields
- Social distancing
- Student health and safety
- Bus transportation
- Identifying, reporting, and tracing COVID-19 cases
The school districts included in this plan include:
- Beech Grove City Schools
- Decatur Township
- Franklin Township
- Indianapolis Public Schools
- Lawrence Township
- Perry Township
- Pike Township
- School Town of Speedway
- Warren Township
- Washington Township
- Wayne Township
Kroger to offer free COVID-19 testing on Indy's west side
Kroger Health will resume its free COVID-19 testing program in Indianapolis.
The drive-thru service will take place at Chapel Hill Junior High School on the city's west side, courtesy of the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township and the Marion County Health Department.
Kroger Health is expected to administer 250 tests per day on June 25, 26, 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Click here to register.
Eligibility will be established by a virtual screening tool based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and recommendations from state and local government. Those eligible will then select the appropriate testing location and appointment time and receive an email confirmation with pre-appointment paperwork.
When patients arrive for their tests, they should have a photo ID ready and leave their windows rolled up for check-in. A Kroger pharmacist or other health care practitioner will approach the car and alert the patient when to roll down the window.
The drive-thru testing location has a self-administered nasal swab that must be ordered and observed by a provider.
Test results are expected within approximately 48 hours.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been 2.34 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of 3:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 121,000 deaths and 647,000 people recovered.
Worldwide, there have been 9.26 million confirmed cases with more than 477,000 deaths and 4.63 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.
New daily US coronavirus cases surge to highest in 2 months
New cases of the coronavirus in the United States have surged to the highest level in two months.
According to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. on Tuesday reported 34,700 new cases of the virus. That’s more than on any single day since the outbreak began with the exception of April 9, when 34,800 cases were reported, and April 24, when a record 36,400 cases were reported.
New cases in the U.S. have been surging for more than a week after they had been trending down for more than six weeks.
While early hot spots like New York and New Jersey have seen cases steadily decrease, the virus has been hitting the south and west. Several states on Tuesday set single-day records, including Arizona, California, Mississippi, Nevada and Texas.
In the United States, experts say the resurgence in infections there is not a so-called “second wave" but a continuation of the first wave of outbreaks as the number of cases plateaus.
Children's Museum of Indianapolis reopening for donor families Wednesday
As part of its reopening plan, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis will begin welcoming donor families Wednesday, June 24.
Member families may go starting on June 29. The public reopening date will be announced later this month.
The biggest change is you must make an online-reservation before you go, and all tickets must be purchased online in advance as well.
During your visit, all guests over the age of 2 must wear a mask and practice social distancing.
To learn more about the reopening plans and to get tickets, click here.
16-Bit Bar & Arcade reopening Wednesday
16-Bit Bar & Arcade is reopening its Indianapolis location Wednesday, June 24 with new safety measures in place.
The arcade bar has formed a "Clean Team," specifically staffed to monitor cleanliness and to enforce the new safety standards, which include:
- Handheld UV lights will be used by staff to sterilize game cabinets and pinball machines.
- The “Clean Team” will be circulating the space at all times, wiping down and sanitizing surfaces.
- Guests will be seated at tables 6 feet apart and will be provided table-service to prevent gathering at the bars.
- Employees will wear masks at all times, and guests are encouraged to wear masks in common areas as well.
16-Bit Bar & Arcade is located at 110 E. New York St. near North Pennsylvania Street.
MLB sets 60-game schedule, opens July 23 or 24
The Major League Baseball Players Association and the owners have made it past the final hurdle, and players will report to camps by July 1.
Major League Baseball had held off on formally imposing a 60-game schedule, but later Tuesday its feuding players negotiated an operations manual, and are now on track to start the season from July 23-26 in empty ballparks.
In a tweet Tuesday night, the MLBPA said, "All remaining issues have been resolved and Players are reporting to training camps."
Owners and players spent more than three months discussing how to play amid the coronavirus pandemic.