LIVE UPDATES: IN Governor Declares a Public Health Emergency Due to Coronavirus

[10:30 A.M.]  HEALTH OFFICIALS CONFIRM TWO NEW CASES OF CORONAVIRUS IN INDIANA BRINGING TOTAL TO 6

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) has updated its new COVID-19 online dashboard to reflect two additional presumptive positive cases. The patients reside in Adams and Boone counties. This brings to six the number of Hoosiers who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The dashboard can be found at https://on.in.gov/COVID19 and will be updated daily at 10 a.m. and will reflect results received through midnight.

Additional updates on the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak will be provided later today.

 Fears of the coronavirus continue to spread here in Dubois County.

Legacy Living in Jasper has announced it is postponing its planned Grand Open celebrations due to the outbreak.

Officials there say they need to protect their vulnerable senior population, adding the high traffic event would have caused concern.

The event will be rescheduled.

There have been four cases of coronavirus confirmed in Indiana and a second student in Avon is showing symptoms.

 Indiana has a 4th presumptive case of coronavirus. 

 This case is in Noble County at a Parkview Noble Hospital. 

 We are working to get additional details.

[5:50 AM MON] AVON STUDENT TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS, STATE'S THIRD CASE

An elementary school student in Avon has tested positive for coronavirus, prompting the entire school district to have an e-learning day on Monday. This is now the third confirmed case in Indiana.

The Hendricks County Health Department on Sunday night notified the school district that a student who attends Hickory Elementary received the positive test result late Sunday and shared it with the district.

The state health commissioner and the Hendricks County Health Department have recommended that Hickory Elementary School be closed for two weeks. Students and staff will return after spring break, on April 6.

Two Hoosiers who traveled to Boston in late February to attend a BioGen conference have also tested positive for the virus.

[2:24 P.M. SUN]  INDIANA HEALTH OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE SECOND HOOSIER CORONAVIRUS CASE

 The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) has identified the second presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in the state.

The patient, an adult who resides in Hendricks County, is in isolation with mild symptoms and is not hospitalized at this time.

The patient traveled to Boston in late February to attend the BioGen conference and developed mild flu-like symptoms on March 2.

[5:32 A.M. SAT]   Ball State Economist Warns Coronavirus Could Force Hoosier Factories to Close, Talks Possible Recession 

A recession is likely and may come in as soon as three weeks, said Ball State University Economics Prof. Michael Hicks. He said that though the February jobs report was good, it's not an accurate reflection of where the economy is headed, and the coronavirus is to blame.

"It's really hard to predict, but we could be in for a fairly difficult 18 months," he said. "The U.S. economy really decelerated in 2019. It certainly decelerated here in Indiana. Manufacturing is in or near a recession already. This impact both to factories and the service sector as a whole, it's very easy for an economic model to deliver a measurable recession as early as the second quarter, so starting in three weeks."

Hicks said the slowdown can be blamed not on the sickness itself, but on the efforts to keep the coronavirus from spreading.

He said the reasons can be divided into two categories: supply and demand.

"Factories in China, South Korea and parts of Japan are under quarantine. People aren't showing up to work," said Hicks, regarding the supply side. "The parts that are assembled here in the United States, the component parts for automobiles and transportation equipment and consumer electronics just aren't coming."

He predicts some factories may have to shut down within a month, and said some of them have already slowed their production.

On the demand side, he said people will stay away from cruise ships, vacations and restaurants, which he described as "the more urgent problem" over the next few months.

Hicks said while people may eventually get over their initial fears and things will get back to normal, it will likely take time and the fear, whether or not it's an overreaction, will have done its economic damage.

He added that the risk of under reacting is greater than the smaller risk of over reacting.

 Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box says the patient that tested positive for coronavirus in Marion County, Indiana is currently in self-isolation and stressed that it is “an isolated case at this time.”

We're learning the patient is an adult male in Indianapolis who recently traveled to Boston.

He exhibited a low-grade fever and was developing a cough when he came to the hospital, Box said during a press event Friday.

“We can expect to see other cases in Indiana in the future,” she said, though she emphasized that the state is “prepared for that possibility” and encouraged all “Hoosiers to educate themselves about COVID-19.”

[12:10 P.M. FRI]  Indiana Governor Declares Public Health Emergency After Coronavirus Case Reported

Governor Eric J. Holcomb and the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) announced today the first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in a Marion County resident with a recent history of travel to Boston. To ensure continued coordination, Gov. Holcomb is issuing a public health emergency declaration.

“With the help of our federal, state and local partners, Indiana is responding to this case as we have planned and prepared for weeks,” Gov. Holcomb said. “The Hoosier who has been diagnosed has taken responsible steps to stay isolated.”

ISDH is working closely with the Marion County Public Health Department, Community Hospital North and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that any close contacts of the patient are identified and monitored and that all infection control protocols are being followed.

A presumptive positive case means the patient has tested positive at the ISDH Laboratories. Samples will be sent to the CDC for final confirmation.

The public health emergency declaration Gov. Holcomb is issuing today will call on state agencies to continue their diligence and cooperation in responding to COVID-19 and ensures that Indiana can seek funding to control and stop the spread of coronavirus. The declaration will be posted at www.in.gov/gov.

State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, said the adult patient has been in quarantine since arriving back in Indianapolis and that the risk to the general public is low. The CDC will work to identify and notify air travelers who were on the individual’s flight from Boston and had close contact with the patient.

The patient will remain in isolation for 14 days and will not be released until specimens taken two consecutive days at the end of that period test negative for COVID-19. No additional information about the patient will be released due to privacy laws.

“The state health department has been preparing for weeks to ensure that we have the resources and systems in place to limit or prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Indiana,” Dr. Box said. “Given the global spread of this illness, the question was never if Indiana would have a case, but when it would arrive. I want to stress that this is an isolated case, and that this patient and the hospital did everything possible to limit the risk of exposure to other individuals. Because of those steps, the risk of additional exposure and community transmission is low, but we are taking every precaution to prevent new infections related to this patient.”

Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:

• Respiratory droplets released into the air by coughing and sneezing;
• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands;
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands; and
• Rarely, fecal contamination.

The best way to protect yourself from any respiratory illness, including the flu, is to:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. A facemask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms to protect others from the risk of infection.

This is an ongoing situation and is evolving rapidly. ISDH will provide updates as new information becomes available. For more information, including a list of frequently asked questions, visit https://on.in.gov/COVID19.

Visit the Indiana State Department of Health at http://www.in.gov/isdh/ or follow us on Twitter at @StateHealthIN and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StateHealthIN.

[11:05 A.M. FRI] Indiana Confirms First Coronavirus Case, Dubois County Health Officials Say They Are Ready

JASPER -- Businesses and residents in Dubois County are taking steps to protect you from the coronavirus.  

Indiana officials confirmed the state's first case of coronavirus case in Marion County.  CLICK HERE for more on that. 

Jo Ann Spaulding, the director of the Dubois County Health Department says many local companies are already looking at what they’ll do if the virus impacts them.  Local officials want the public to know as much as possible about coronavirus and to be ready to take action if cases arise here at home.

"[Coronavirus] is now spreading person-to-person," Spaulding explains.  "The risk for the United States is low.  Even with the threat being low, we still want to be prepared.  People can protect themselves from respiratory illnesses with everyday preventive actions." 

Those actions include .....  

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Some experts have said the coronavirus has a higher mortality rate than the flu but health officials here in Dubois County are skeptical about the logic behind the numbers.

"If you have two people infected, and one person dies from that, half the people are dying from this," says Spaulding.  "So, the rates may be misleading as far as knowing 1 out of 2 people die from this.  Well, if you only have two cases...."   

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. A facemask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms to protect others from the risk of infection.

CLICK HERE for more information about Coronavirus from the CDC.