HANCOCK COUNTY — Two more county residents have died from COVID-19, and the county smashed its previous record for daily cases, the Indiana State Department of Health reported Friday.
Both deaths occurred on Nov. 26, according to the state health department’s online COVID-19 dashboard. Both were women, one was in her 80s, and the other was in her 60s.
A total of 57 Hancock County residents are now reported to have died from the novel coronavirus.
The county on Friday recorded 126 new infections. All of the latest cases were confirmed on Nov. 26, according to the dashboard, shattering the daily case record of 80 set on Nov. 20.
Golden LivingCenter-Brandywine, a Greenfield long-term care facility experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, reported two more COVID-19 deaths Friday since its last update on Nov. 25, raising its total to nine. Of the facility’s 88 residents, 72 are COVID-19 positive. Sixty-one tested positive in the past 14 days, and 87 have throughout the entirety of the pandemic.
The facility also reported that 25 employees were COVID-19 positive Friday, four fewer than Wednesday. Six received a positive test result in the prior 24 hours, and one had new respiratory symptoms in the prior 24 hours.
The Indiana National Guard has been assisting at the facility since earlier this month. A Golden LivingCenters–Indiana spokesperson told the Daily Reporter in an email that the company is looking to other COVID-19 resources that may be needed to support residents and staff at Brandywine as well. The facility has been notified that five more clinically trained National Guard members are available to it. The facility also has been priority-listed for the state’s COVID-19 workforce reserve program, and it has support from two statewide Golden LivingCenters-Indiana COVID-19 support teams.
“Perhaps one of the most humbling outcomes of this pandemic is to witness the dedication, resilience and unwavering commitment of all our staff who, day after day, are stepping in to do whatever is necessary to protect our residents and fight this insidious virus,” the spokesperson said.
The message also states that staff continue to be expected to consult guidance on health care staffing from state and federal agencies.
Indiana’s health care reserve workforce program has received interest from more than 4,300 health care workers throughout the state, said Dr. Kristina Box, the state’s health commissioner. They include retired health care professionals, health care students and health care practitioners.
“Facilities that have a staffing need will be connected with reservists to help fill those gaps,” Box said during a media briefing earlier this week.
Hancock Regional Hospital reported it was treating 15 COVID-19 patients Friday, one more than the day before.
The county also added 812 new administered tests between Nov. 9 and 26, raising that total to 43,886, according to the state’s dashboard.
Hancock County’s seven-day positivity rate rose slightly Friday to 9.3%, as did the cumulative rate, to 5.9%. The seven-day rate for unique individuals dropped slightly, to 13.4%, while the cumulative rate rose slightly, to 10.6%.
Indiana added 33 new COVID-19 deaths between Nov. 23 and 26, raising that total to 5,328. Another 5,700 cases between Nov. 25 and 26 raised that total to 324,537. The state also added 48,612 new tests between Aug. 22 and Nov. 26, raising that total to more than 4.1 million.
The seven-day positivity rate for all tests in Indiana was 11.1% and the cumulative rate was 7.2%. Seven-day positivity and cumulative rates for unique individuals were 20.9% and 15%, respectively.
Indiana’s COVID-19 hospital census dropped slightly from its peak, to 3,287 for Nov. 26. More than 43% of the state’s ICU beds are being used by coronavirus patients, and just over 23% are available. Almost 72% of the state’s ventilators are available, with 12% being used by COVID-19 patients.
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COVID-19 data through early Friday, Nov. 27
Hancock County
- 812 new tests administered (Nov. 9-26)
- 126 new cases (Nov. 26)
- 9.3% seven-day (Nov. 14-20) positivity rate all tests, 5.9% cumulative rate
- 2 new deaths (Nov. 26)
- 43,886 total tests administered
- 25,843 total individuals tested
- 2,729 total cases
- 13.4% seven-day (Nov. 14-20) positivity rate unique individuals, 10.6% cumulative rate
- 57 total deaths
Indiana
- 48,612 new tests administered (Aug. 22-Nov. 26), 16,865 new individuals tested
- 5,700 new cases (Nov. 25-26)
- 11.1% seven-day (Nov. 14-20) positivity rate all tests, 7.2% cumulative rate
- 33 new deaths (Nov. 23-26)
- 4,148,596 total tests administered
- 2,162,110 total individuals tested
- 324,537 total cases
- 20.9% seven-day (Nov. 14-20) positivity rate unique individuals, 15% cumulative rate
- 5,328 total deaths
- 266 total probable deaths
- 33.2% ICU beds in use – non-COVID
- 43.6% ICU beds in use – COVID
- 23.2% ICU beds available
- 16.4% ventilators in use – non-COVID
- 12% ventilators in use – COVID
- 71.6% ventilators available
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
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Golden LivingCenter-Brandywine COVID-19 data as of Nov. 27
- Total employees COVID-19 positive: 25
- Employees confirmed COVID-19 positive within past 14 days: 34
- Employees COVID-19 positive test result received within past 24 hours: 6
- Employees with new respiratory symptoms identified within past 24 hours: 1
- Total residents: 88
- Total residents COVID-19 positive: 72
- Residents confirmed COVID-19 positive within past 14 days: 61
- Residents COVID-19 positive test results received within past 24 hours: 0
- Residents with new respiratory symptoms identified within past 24 hours: 0
- Cumulative total COVID-19 residents who tested positive during pandemic: 87
- Cumulative total COVID-19 residents who tested negative during pandemic: 157
- Cumulative total COVID-19 residents recovered during pandemic: 5
- Cumulative total COVID-19 resident deaths during pandemic: 9
Source: Golden LivingCenters
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