State Health Commissioner Kristina Box today said Indiana’s epidemiological models predicting the expected surge of COVID-19 patients have shifted.
Box said recent data suggests Marion County will see its peak during the last week of April, and the rest of the state will see its zenith sometime in the start of May.
Previously, state officials said they expected a surge sometime between the middle of April and the middle of May.
“Our earlier, moderate modeling indicated that it could come as early as this week,” Box said during a press conference.” As our social-distancing measures and requirements have taken effect, it has really made a change in our models.”
Marion County, to date, has reported 3,012 positive cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The county has also reported 123 of the state’s 350 total COVID-19 deaths, more than any other county.
Gov. Eric Holcomb said the state would work in two-week increments according to “facts on the ground” to determine whether he will extend his stay-at-home executive order to slow the spread of the virus. His decision on the matter is expected Friday, ahead of the order’s April 20 expiration date. During a prior press conference, Holcomb said the state would aim to give hospitals time to recover from the surge, even after it passes.
In addition, The Indiana Economic Development Corp., which has been working with business leaders across the state to help meet increased demand for personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and hospitals, has secured commitments for more than 2.6 million PPE items.
To date, the IEDC reported the state has received and distributed more than 375,000 PPE items and expects to receive more than 150,000 items this week with deliveries made daily.
