Indiana reports 17 more COVID-19 deaths, 855 new cases

Seventeen more Indiana residents have died from COVID-19 while ar 855 Hoosiers — largest number in recent weeks — have been diagsed with respiratory disease caused by coronavirus, state health officials said Saturday. Indianapolis Public Schools, meanwhile, became latest Indiana school district to push back start of school year due to state’s recent rise in coronavirus cases.

IPS — state’s largest school district, with some 30,000 students — was supposed to start year on Aug. 3 with in-person and virtual options for instruction. But district’s commissioners voted during a Saturday board retreat to move school year’s start to Aug. 17 at recommendation of Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, Indianapolis Star reported.“As I’ve ackwledged all along, this is a fluid situation and we will remain flexible,” Johnson said.

Indiana State Department of Health said in Saturday’s update that 17 newly reported deaths brings Indiana’s confirmed deaths from COVID-19 to 2,627. state ncy has also recorded 193 fatalities considered coronavirus-related by doctors but without confirmation of illness from test results. Those deaths give Indiana 2,820 confirmed or presumed deaths from COVID-19.Indiana’s 855 newly diagsed cases of COVID-19 brings total number of Indiana residents kwn to have illness to 55,654.

To date, 614,455 coronavirus test results have been reported to state ncy, and 9.1% have tested positive.For most people, coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Older ults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia.

(Im Credit: AP)