With the highly transmissible omicron variant spurring record levels of infections and hospitalizations, experts have repeatedly urged the Biden administration to recommend the better-quality masks rather than cloth coverings to protect against an airborne virus.
The move is a reaction to the severe hospital staffing shortages and crushing caseloads that the omicron variant is causing.
Under the new policy, first detailed to the AP, Americans will be able to either purchase home testing kits for free under their insurance or submit receipts for the tests for reimbursement, up to the monthly per-person limit.
COVID-19 patients occupy 37% of Indiana’s intensive care unit beds. The state has 12.6% of its ICU beds available overall.
The federal government has resumed shipping all three monoclonal antibody treatments—including one made by Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co.—that are authorized for early-stage COVID-19 to states despite evidence that two might be ineffective against the omicron variant.
As the raging omicron variant of COVID-19 infects workers across the nation, millions of those whose jobs don’t provide paid sick days are having to choose between their health and their paycheck.
The arguments in the two cases come at a time of spiking coronavirus cases because of the omicron variant, and the decision Friday by seven justices to wear masks for the first time while hearing arguments reflected the new phase of the pandemic.
Marion County on Friday reported 2,807 new COVID-19 cases and 18 more deaths. Marion and every surrounding county except Shelby are at the red, or highest, pandemic advisory level.
Central Indiana hospitals diverted ambulances for nearly 3,000 hours during a six-week period this fall, according to information IBJ received from the Indiana State Department of Health through an open-records request.
Opponents argues Friday morning that the vaccine-or-test rules were an unprecedented imposition by the federal government on private workplaces.
The Indiana Senate’s top Republican said tax cuts and limits on employer vaccine mandates didn’t land on his priority list because they are “controversial” and “more complicated to work through.” But that won’t stop House Republicans from pursuing them.
The justices are scheduled to hear arguments Friday about whether to allow the Biden administration to enforce a vaccine-or-testing requirement that applies to large employers and a separate vaccine mandate for most health care workers.
Test manufacturers and distributors seeking to provide a share of the 500 million tests have submitted proposals to the government, and the Biden administration on Thursday evening awarded its first contract toward the purchase.
COVID-19 patients occupy 36.2% of Indiana’s intensive care unit beds, leaving the state with only 9.5% of its ICU beds available overall.
The vaccine-mandate provisions of the bill would effectively force employers to accept any medical or religious reason to exempt employees from getting a vaccine, without question.
The state health department also reported 39 more deaths from COVID, raising the cumulative total to 18,644.
Indiana House and Senate Republican leaders appear to be at odds on how to handle legislation to address employer vaccine mandates and end the state’s public health emergency.
Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box is one of an estimated 113,000 Hoosiers to suffer a breakthrough case since Jan. 18, 2021.
Easy-to-take antiviral pills, authorized just before Christmas, were hailed as a potential turning point in the fight against the coronavirus because of the medicines’ ability to keep high-risk people out of the hospital.
A House committee is set to vote Thursday on a bill that includes administrative actions sought by Holcomb, along with provisions that would force businesses to grant broad exemptions to any workplace COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
