Many Jasper Students Begin Virtual Learning Today as COVID-19 Continues to Spread

BY: DAVID SHEPHERD, NEWS DIRECTOR / PHOTO: NEWS FILE 

JASPER -- Greater Jasper students in grades 8 - 12 move to virtual learning starting today. [Yesterday]

Students will be out of the classroom until after the Thanksgiving break.  CLICK TO READ THE FULL STATEMENT FROM SCHOOL OFFICIALS

The move comes as cases of COVID-19 continue to rise throughout Dubois County. Local officials reported 36 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday afternoon.

It brings our total to 1,904 since the pandemic began.

Our seven-day positivity rate is 12.2%. That’s up from 11.7% Monday but lower than Sunday's rate of 13.3%.

Dubois County remains under a CODE RED designation.  Officials will re-assess that later this morning.

Area hospitals in District 10 are seeing an uptick in COVID-19 patients.  21% of the district’s ICU beds are currently available.  Half of the occupied beds are being used by COVID-19 patients.  Over 78% of the district’s ventilators are available with only 13.6% of them being used by patients suffering from the virus.

And, we’re looking at how the pandemic is breaking down by age.

In Dubois County, 33.7% of all COVID patients have been under the age of 30.  35% of them were ages 50 and older.

OTHER COUNTIES IN THE AREA:

Officials in Martin County are reporting their first two COVID-related deaths as of the Tuesday update.

They also reported 8 new cases for a total of 255 since the pandemic began.

In Daviess County, three more residents have died.  That brings their death toll to 40.  There were also 13 new cases reported totaling 1,145.

There was one new death reported Tuesday in Spencer County.  Seven residents have now died there.  15 new cases were also reported for a total of 583.

In Pike County, eight new cases have been reported.  421 residents have tested positive there so far.  18 have died.

Five new cases have been reported in Orange County for a total of 513.  27 residents have died since the start of the pandemic.

And it Crawford County, two new cases were reported Tuesday.  205 have tested positive.  One resident has died.