Indiana lawmakers won’t return for one-day session on COVID-19 legislation
Legislative leaders said they now will plan to address COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the public health emergency during the regular session in January.
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Indiana COVID-19 daily cases climb back past 4,000, hospitalizations rise
Another 17 deaths from COVID-19 were reported to the state on Tuesday, raising the total to 16,805.
On the road again: Travelers emerge in time for Thanksgiving
The number of air travelers this week is expected to approach or even exceed pre-pandemic levels, and auto club AAA predicts that 48.3 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday period, an increase of nearly 4 million over last year.
Biden administration asks court to allow vaccine mandate
The legal tussle over the vaccine mandate for larger private employers is one of several challenges over Biden administration vaccine rules. Courts so far have not halted two other mandates—one for health care workers and one for contractors for the federal government.
For many, expedited bill to weaken vaccine mandates either goes too far or not far enough
Republican leaders are trying to speed legislation through the Indiana General Assembly that would effectively force private employers that mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for employees to allow for any medical or religious exemptions—no questions asked.
Indiana hospitalizations from COVID near seven-week high as case counts climb
Another 51 deaths from COVID-19 were reported to the Indiana State Department of Health on Tuesday, raising the total to 16,788.
White House to spend $1.5B to attract doctors to underserved communities
The pandemic has highlighted what has long been a barrier to accessing quality medical care in rural areas and communities of color: provider shortages.
Roche Diagnostics terminates ‘small number’ of workers for not getting COVID-19 vaccine
About 3,000 people work on the company’s large campus at 9115 Hague Road on the northeast side of Indianapolis and another 1,500 people work elsewhere across the region.
Indiana GOP bill stymies workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandates
The bill is set on an extraordinary fast track for approval, with a single public hearing scheduled for Tuesday at the Statehouse followed by the House and Senate voting on final approval six days later.
Indiana COVID-19 hospitalizations up 31% over past two weeks as cases rise
The moving average of daily COVID-19 cases has climbed from 1,660 at the beginning of the month to 2,848, an increase of 71.6%.
Pfizer, U.S. ink $5.29B deal for possible COVID-19 treatment
Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to authorize emergency use of the experimental pill, which has been shown to significantly cut the rate of hospitalizations and deaths among people with coronavirus infections.
For second time, Franciscan Health extends deadline for employee vaccinations
Franciscan issued a three-paragraph statement, saying it had “re-examined its next steps” for the COVID-19 vaccine and was now adopting a Jan. 4 deadline to comply with the federal mandate.
U.S. offering investment to boost COVID-19 vaccine capacity
The Biden administration is making billions of dollars available to drugmakers to expand domestic production of COVID-19 vaccines in the hopes of building capacity to produce an additional 1 billion shots per year to share with the world.
Indiana governor, GOP lawmakers look to end COVID-19 orders
Indiana’s governor is facing pressure from fellow Republicans to end the statewide COVID-19 public health emergency order that’s been in place since March 2020 even as the state has seen a recent jump of infections and hospitalizations.
GOP-majority court chosen to consider Biden vaccine mandate
The selection could be good news for those challenging the administration’s vaccine requirement, which includes officials in 27 Republican-led states, employers and several conservative and business organizations.
Boosters for all adults in U.S. could be OK’d by this weekend
Pfizer asked U.S. regulators last week to allow boosters of its COVID-19 vaccine for anyone 18 or older. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to sign off on Pfizer’s application.
Statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations, cases climbing again
The Indiana State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 42 more COVID-19 deaths in the state, raising the total to 16,577.
Pfizer asks U.S. officials to approve promising COVID-19 pill
Pfizer reported earlier this month that its pill cut hospitalizations and deaths by 89% among high-risk adults who had early symptoms of COVID-19.
Health insurance premiums still on rise, topping $22,000 a year for family coverage
Over the past decade, premiums for family coverage under employer-sponsored health insurance has climbed 47%, faster than wages (31%) or inflation (19%), according to the Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits Survey.
Four out of 10 Hoosier adults remain unvaccinated against COVID-19
The slow climb in the vaccination rate coincides with recent increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.