Indiana hiring company to boost coronavirus testing

Indiana health officials anunced a plan Tuesday for a significant increase in coronavirus testing as goverr said he was preparing details on perhaps relaxing business restrictions later in week.

state’s deal with OptumServe Health Services calls for company to open 20 testing sites around state within next week, with 30 more sites during following two weeks. Those sites are intended to provide COVID-19 testing for 100,000 people within 30 days, said Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer with Indiana State Department of Health.

That’s more than some 87,100 procedures reported to state health department since coronavirus testing began in early March. Testing has been largely limited to people who are seriously ill and to health care workers.

testing will be provided for free to anyone with COVID-19 symptoms without need of a doctor’s order, Weaver said.

“This will provide a more complete picture about spre of virus, t only in high-risk populations but across entire state,” Weaver said.

OptumServe, which is a division of insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, has a $17.9 million contract with state, which officials hope will be covered by federal grants, Weaver said. But neir Weaver r Gov. Eric Holcomb explained how company was selected during goverr’s coronavirus briefing Tuesday.

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Indiana’s death toll from confirmed coronavirus cases has topped 900, with nearly 100 or people having died with presumed infections, state health officials said Tuesday.

Indiana State Department of Health reported 57 ditional deaths, boosting state’s confirmed COVID-19 death toll to 901 since first fatality was recorded seven weeks ago. Most of newly reported deaths happened between Friday and Monday, but one dates back to April 18.

Three more presumed COVID-19 deaths ded to state statistics give Indiana 91 such fatalities. Those are deaths that state officials said doctors blame on coronavirus infections without confirmation of illness from test results.

Indiana’s confirmed COVID-19 death toll has more than doubled since 437 recorded as of April 12 while Gov. Eric Holcomb has continued discussing steps toward easing business restrictions imposed under statewide stay-at-home order.

Holcomb said Monday he was considering information such as hospitalization and death rates, along with availability of intensive care unit beds and ventilators for those who are seriously ill.

latest state statistics showed 546 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units of Indiana hospitals and that 44% of ICU beds remained available as of Monday. That’s 75 fewer coronavirus patients in those ICUs than last Thursday.