December shapes up as deadliest COVID-19 month in Indiana

After a lull in Monday’s report of COVID-19 deaths, the Indiana State Department of Health is now reporting a record number of deaths from the disease in the state with yesterday’s update.

The state is adding 143 new deaths to the tally, up one from the high hit earlier this month. However the newly reported deaths happened between Nov. 10th and Monday. The state is now reporting 72 hundred and 44 deaths from the disease.

December could soon surpass November as the deadliest month for COVID-19 in Indiana. The coronavirus killed 982 people during the first 21 days of November. Through December 21st, 1,469 Hoosiers died of COVID-19. As of yesterday, the virus was killing an average of 69 Indiana residents per day.

Of the counties in our area, Johnson County is reporting six new deaths, while Bartholomew, Jennings and Decatur counties are each reporting one new death.

Bartholomew County had 38 new cases reported, Decatur 9, Jennings 11, Jackson 32, Brown 4, Johnson 137 and Shelby County 27.

Statewide there were 3,258 new cases reported with a 7-day positivity rate of 12.2 percent. The total since the pandemic began in Indiana is 471,876 cases.