If the Biden administration goes forward with the plans, it would amount to a dramatic escalation in the effort to vaccinate the roughly 90 million Americans who are eligible for shots but who have refused or have been unable to get them.
Indiana University Health saw its earnings more than double in the first half of the year, to $414 million, compared to a year ago, as patients flocked back to hospitals and clinics, many for procedures they had postponed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The department said statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19 rose from 933 on Tuesday to 977 on Thursday.
The governor has maintained he won’t reinstate a statewide mask mandate or other restrictions, instead leaving such decisions to local officials.
The updated guidance mostly follow CDC recommendations and come as football practices start across the country.
Airlines for America, a trade group for major U.S. airlines, said it was pleased by reports that the administration plans to make it easier for more foreign travelers to enter the country if they have been vaccinated.
Some experts are calling for mandatory vaccinations at nursing homes, warning that unprotected staff members are endangering residents. Even residents who have been inoculated are vulnerable because many are elderly and frail, with weak immune systems.
The state said more than 2.96 million Hoosiers have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. More than 2.95 million had received the first dose of a two-dose vaccination.
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, President Joe Biden was uncertain whether the new moratorium could withstand lawsuits about its constitutionality.
The state department of health reported 13 new deaths from COVID-19, lifting the cumulative death total to 13,596.
Starting Tuesday, anyone coming in or occupying public areas of the four courthouses of the Southern District of Indiana must wear face coverings and maintain six feet of social distancing in all public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
The state said more than 2.95 million Hoosiers had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Monday at 5 a.m. More than 2.94 million had received the first dose of a two-dose vaccination.
State health officials say they have no authority to require anyone to get a vaccine, including state employees.
The clock is ticking for workers at large hospital systems across central Indiana to get vaccinated for COVID-19 or risk losing their jobs.
The federal government directly employs about 4 million people (including about 38,900 in Indiana), but Biden’s action could affect many more when federal contractors are factored in.
With COVID numbers on the rise and businesses taking steps to require masks or vaccinations, IBJ is collected tidbits here. Check back regularly for updates.
The number of Indiana counties approaching high risk for community spread of COVID-19 nearly quadrupled in one week as an especially contagious coronavirus variant spread throughout the state.
Eli Lilly and Co. confirmed to IBJ on Thursday its mask requirement is effective immediately and is based on recommendations earlier this week from the CDC. Many other large employers, however, are still in a wait-and-see mode on imposing new restrictions on employees.
IBJ talked to Dr. Cole Beeler, an infectious disease specialist at Indiana University Health, about vaccines, the CDC’s mask recommendation and more.
Ascension’s decision to require vaccinations follows similar mandates by all three other major health systems here.
