Biden administration officially withdraws failed vaccination rule
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed the withdrawal Tuesday. But the agency said it still strongly encourages workers to get vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccine booster drive faltering in United States
Just 40% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the average number of booster shots dispensed per day in the U.S. has plummeted.
Indiana reports 134 more COVID deaths, uptick in hospitalizations
Statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19, which had fallen for four days in a row, rose to 3,204 on Monday, up from 3,137 the previous day.
Pfizer begins testing omicron-matched COVID shots in adults
The new U.S. study will include up to 1,420 volunteers ages 18 to 55 to test the updated omicron-based shots for use as a booster or for primary vaccinations.
Hope seen once the omicron wave increases global immunity
One influential model projects that nearly all nations will be past the omicron wave by mid-March. Others predict a strong decline in U.S. infections by April, unless a new variant emerges that can sidestep the growing levels of immunity.
Indiana’s COVID-19 death toll surpasses 20,000
Statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have fallen for four days in a row and are down more than 10% since hitting a pandemic peak on Jan. 13, the Indiana State Department of Health reported Monday.
FDA expected to sharply restrict use of monoclonal antibodies made by Lilly, Regeneron
The Food and Drug Administration is poised as soon as Monday to restrict two monoclonal antibodies, saying the COVID-19 treatments should not be employed in any states because they are ineffective against the dominant omicron variant, according to two senior administration health officials.
Low-wage workers prop up nursing home industry, and they’re quitting in droves
The nursing home industry has lost more than 420,000 jobs since the start of the pandemic, reducing its workforce to the size it was 15 years ago. Meanwhile, the aging trend that the U.S. Census Bureau calls the “gray tsunami” looms ever closer.
New COVID-19 cases reach all-time high in Indiana
The Indiana State Department of Health on Friday also reported 95 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the official pandemic death toll to 19,992. On a more positive note, statewide hospitalizations dropped by more than 100.
Booster shots needed against omicron, CDC studies show
The study found vaccine effectiveness was best after three doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in preventing COVID-19-associated emergency department and urgent care visits.
Indiana reports 137 more COVID-19 deaths as cases climb past 1.5M
COVID-19-related hospitalizations rose from 3,492 on Tuesday to 3,506 on Wednesday, the second-highest mark of all time.
COVID forces Marion County to halt all jury trials until end of January
The executive committee of the courts issued an executive order Thursday, continuing all jury trials until after Jan. 28.
Workers have been out sick in record numbers, exacerbating labor shortage woes
Between Dec. 29 and Jan. 10, approximately 8.8 million workers reported not working because they were sick with the coronavirus or caring for someone who was, according to data from the Census Bureau.
Statewide COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations increase to near-highs
Every county in Indiana was colored red on Wednesday on the state’s advisory-level map. Red is the highest level on the four-color map.
U.S. begins offering 1B free COVID tests, but many more needed
The White House also announced Wednesday that it will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free at pharmacies and community health centers.
Surgeon general: Omicron hasn’t peaked and ‘next few weeks will be tough’
Case counts fueled by the highly contagious variant have started to level off in some parts of the country hit early by the latest wave, but the entire country is not moving at the same pace.
White House soft-launches COVID-19 test request website
At points Tuesday, more than 750,000 people were accessing the website at the same time, according to public government tracking data, but it was not immediately known how many orders were placed.
Indiana House passes bill to limit employer vaccine mandates
The bill would force employers who require the COVID-19 vaccine to provide medical and religious exemptions (the latter with no questions asked) and offer a testing option at no cost to the employee.
Indiana reports 12,126 new COVID-19 cases, 77 more deaths
COVID-19-related hospitalizations rose from 3,363 on Sunday to 3,460 on Monday.
Inaccurate rapid COVID tests leading to ‘false sense of security’ for many
Available at-home coronavirus tests might be less sensitive to the now-dominant omicron variant, especially early in an infection, leading to false negatives. But experts say better-performing tests are coming.
Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC Resources for Businesses and Employers OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 Indiana State Department of Health Indy Chamber Rapid Response Hub Small Business Administration The SBA is making low-interest loans for working capital available to Indiana small businesses. Indiana Unemployment Information Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Dashboard Critical Industries Hotline(for business and industry only)
877-820-0890
[email protected] State’s virus-related executive orders State plan to reopen Indiana