HANCOCK COUNTY — A new data tool designed to paint a picture of COVID-19 transmission in Indiana’s 92 counties is now live, and it reports Hancock County is experiencing moderate community spread.
The Indiana State Department of Health’s latest map, available at coronavirus.in.gov/2393.htm, bases its determinations for counties on two metrics: weekly cases per 100,000 residents and the seven-day positivity rate as determined by the number of positive tests divided by the number of administered tests. The tool assigns each metric a score, the average of which falls into ranges that correspond with colors ranging from less severe to more severe: blue, yellow, orange and red.
The latest results are as of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30. The map will be updated at noon on Wednesdays and reflect data through the previous Sunday.
Hancock County’s color is yellow, indicating moderate community spread. The map reports 66 weekly cases per 100,000 residents for the county. Ten to 99 weekly cases per 100,000 residents results in a score of 1. Fewer than 10 cases scores a zero; 100 to 199 a 2; and 200 or more a 3.
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The map reports a 5.03% seven-day positivity rate for Hancock County, placing it just within the threshold for a score of 1, which ranges from 5% to 9%. Less than 5% is a zero; 10% to 14.9% ranks a 2; and 15% or greater a 3.
Together, Hancock County’s average comes out to a 1. Yellow counties have scores between 1 and 1.5; blue are between 0 and 0.5; orange 2 and 2.5; and red 3.
As it has done for months, the dashboard continues to tally total numbers of cases recorded daily; the rolling seven-day average of new cases; and the number of tests administered per day.
“The goal is to provide an easy-to-understand system that local and school officials can use to inform their decisions,” said Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box during a news conference earlier this week. “The score does not trigger a requirement of action, but it provides information and recommendations.”
Suggestions for yellow counties are for schools to continue all grades in person but increase vigilance in distancing, hand hygiene and masks. No assemblies or activities are recommended if social distancing is not feasible. Schools should consider postponing or canceling extracurricular activities as warranted, or consider allowing only parents or close family to attend athletic and other events. The guidance also suggests working with local health departments to determine if increased precautions and public outreach should begin.
Mt. Vernon schools officials welcomed the map.
“Any tools the state can provide to assist with our goal to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for our students is appreciated,” district spokeswoman Maria Bond told the Daily Reporter in an email.
Bond added the school corporation’s reentry plan continues to be modified after receiving new guidance from state and county health departments.
Mt. Vernon continues to follow the Hancock County Health Department’s current recommendation of limiting spectator capacity at school events to 250 people, Bond continued.
“We have been implementing this guideline by limiting ticket sales to parents first, and if there are any tickets left, we open them to the community,” she said.
The Associated Press reported that some Indiana school district leaders have been reluctant to embrace the new system, saying countywide statistics might not indicate the coronavirus risk in their communities.
David Pfaff, superintendent of Eastern Hancock schools, shares that reluctance. He told the Daily Reporter in an email that the map will not change what the district is currently doing.
“I can see it being another data point that we consider, but it alone will not dictate our decisions,” Pfaff said.
Last week, Box said counties’ scores were going to also be based on the change in their positivity rate from the previous week, but further reflection led to its removal.
“We determined that including the percent change in the positivity from week to week introduced too much volatility and wasn’t truly representative of the situation in a county or the true community spread,” Box said. “…We want these maps to be useful tools, but we do not want them to give people a false sense of security when COVID is still very active in their communities.”
While not used to determine the scores, the map still indicates whether counties’ positivity rates are trending up or down. Hancock County’s is on the rise, according to the current map.
Most of Indiana’s counties are currently yellow or blue, indicating minimal to moderate community spread. That goes for Hancock County’s neighbors as well; Marion, Henry, Madison and Hamilton counties are yellow while Shelby and Rush counties are blue.
Seven Indiana counties are orange and one — Martin County — is red.
The map will post disclaimer alerts for counties when applicable as well. DeKalb and Sullivan counties, for instance, were flagged for having a large number of weekly cases being attributable to congregate settings.
Box also said at the news conference that the state health department continues to gather information needed for a dashboard reporting the number of COVID-19 cases in schools across the state. The department’s plan remains to have the public dashboard ready by the end of the month.
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New color-coded county COVID-19 map
Classifications and recommendations
Blue: Minimal community spread
- Schools operate all grades in person but limit activities where social distancing is not feasible
- Extracurricular activities to follow local and state guidelines, including distancing and masks, and limit spectators
- Outreach to encourage public to continue with precautions
Yellow: Moderate community spread
- Schools continue all grades in person but increase vigilance in distancing, hand hygiene and masks
- No assemblies or activities if social distancing is not feasible
- Postpone or cancel extracurricular activities as warranted, consider allowing only parents or close family to attend athletic and other events
- Work with local health department to determine if increased precautions and public outreach should begin to halt the spread
Orange: Moderate to high community spread
- Grade schools continue in person, strong recommendation for hybrid learning for middle and high school students
- No assemblies or large group activities
- Strong recommendation to limit extracurricular activities and have competitors and participants only, with no in-person attendees
- Discussions with parents about limiting social events outside of school
- County education leaders work with local health department to consider implementing aggressive prevention efforts in schools and communities
Red: High community spread
- Grade schools remain in person or consider hybrid learning, middle and high schools consider virtual learning
- No assemblies or large group activities
- Extracurricular activities canceled
- Discourage social events
- County education leaders work with local health department to consider implementing aggressive prevention efforts in schools and communities
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
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COVID-19 data
Hancock County
- 135 new tests administered (no date range provided)
- 8 new cases (no date range provided)
- 5.6% seven-day positivity rate unique individuals between Aug. 22 and 28, 6% cumulative rate
- 0 new deaths
- 18,454 tests administered between March 11 and Sept. 2, 13,913 individuals tested
- 836 cases between March 21 and Sept. 2
- 4.6% seven-day positivity rate all tests between Aug. 22 and 28, 4.8% cumulative rate
- 41 deaths between March 21 and Aug. 16
Indiana
An additional testing facility was newly onboarded into the Indiana State Department of Health’s electronic reporting system, resulting in the addition of 1,175 historical tested individuals and 1,751 historical tests administered to Friday’s counts.
- 22,843 new tests administered between July 14 and Sept. 3, 14,503 new individuals tested
- 1,044 new cases between Aug. 29 and Sept. 3
- 7.4% seven-day positivity rate unique individuals between Aug. 22 and 28, 8.8% cumulative rate
- 17 new deaths between Aug. 6 and Sept. 3
- 1,497,703 tests administered between Feb. 26 and Sept. 2, 1,117,427 individuals tested
- 97,884 cases between March 6 and Sept. 2
- 5.5% seven-day positivity rate all tests between Aug. 22 and 28, 6.7% cumulative rate
- 3,127 deaths between March 15 and Sept. 1
- 49.3% ICU beds in use – non-COVID
- 11.2% ICU beds in use – COVID
- 39.6% ICU beds available
- 15% ventilators in use – non-COVID
- 2.7% ventilators in use – COVID
- 82.3% ventilators available
- Hospital census: 865
Source: Indiana State Department of Health as of 11:59 p.m. Sept. 3
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