HANCOCK COUNTY — Two more Hancock County residents have died from COVID-19, the Indiana State Department of Health reported Saturday.
The increase brought the county’s death toll from the coronavirus to six. Hancock County’s recorded positive COVID-19 cases also rose three to 112 on Saturday, and the county tallied 38 more tests for which results have been received, bringing that total to 672.
Craig Felty, vice president, chief nursing officer and chief operating officer of Hancock Regional Hospital, said one of the county’s COVID-19 fatalities reported on Saturday was a patient at the hospital. The patient was older than 65 and had multiple medical issues, Felty said.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that adults 65 and older and people with underlying health conditions are at higher risk for severe illness.
Hancock County also recorded two COVID-19 fatalities on Friday. Both were patients at Hancock Regional Hospital as well, Felty said. He added one was older than 65 and one was younger than 65 and that both had underlying health conditions.
The Hancock County deaths reported Friday indicate that the state continues to play catch-up on a backlog of data on COVID-19 cases across Indiana. While the state health department first reported the county’s third and fourth COVID-19-related deaths on Friday, Felty said both died more than a week ago and that the hospital was aware they were COVID-19-positive when they died.
“The state just updated their website,” Felty said. “We knew they were COVID-positive at the times of their deaths.”
Felty said both patients were in intensive care before their deaths, but he could not disclose how long they were hospitalized.
They are the second and third reported COVID-19-related deaths at Hancock Regional Hospital, Felty said.
Hancock County recorded its first two COVID-19-related deaths on March 24 and 31. Both were older than 60, and the one on March 24 was reported to have had underlying health conditions.
Felty said Hancock Regional Hospital has four patients for whom COVID-19 tests have come back positive as of Friday. Two are in serious condition and two are in stable condition, he added. He also said the hospital is awaiting COVID-19 test results for about eight patients.
Statewide on Saturday, recorded positive COVID-19 cases rose more than 500 to 7,435. Deaths hit 330 after rising by 30 fatalities. Tests jumped almost 4,200 to 39,215.
The CDC reported on Saturday that nationwide, COVID-19 cases rose almost 32,000 to 459,165 and deaths rose almost 2,000 to 16,570.
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COVID-19 data as of April 10
Hancock County
- Positive cases: 112
- Deaths: 6
- Tests: 672
Indiana
- Positive cases: 7,435
- Deaths: 330
- Tests: 39,215
U.S.
- Positive cases: 459,165
- Deaths: 16,570
Sources: Indiana State Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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