Noble County’s Health Officer Dr. Terry Gaff is cracking down on social gatherings, the latest as COVID-19 positivity rates inch back up in northeast Indiana.
Earlier this week, Allen County’s Health Department issued a similar ruling, pushing forward restrictions on the percentages of building occupancy, how restaurants, bars, gyms and other events function amid the ongoing pandemic.
The Noble County public health order is consistent with state guidelines whenever counties are back in the “red” for COVID-19 spread. Noble County’s order takes effect on Jan. 16 and remains until Jan. 31, according to documents.
On Thursday, Noble County reported 26 new cases of the illness, with a positivity rate up to 16.7 percent for the past seven days. There have been 4,520 people infected with the virus, and 56 have died.
ICU capacity in northeast Indiana is at 16.3 percent availability. About 20 percent of the beds in the area’s ICUs are occupied by COVID-19 patients.
Those between the ages of 50-59 are those predominantly infected with the virus, at 16.2 percent. Those between the ages of 20-29 are a very close second, at 16.1 percent.
More than 250,000 Hoosiers over the age of 70 have scheduled their vaccines, according to the Indiana Department of Health.
- Adams County: 14 new cases for 2,916 total. No new deaths for 35 total. 7-day positivity rate at 12.1%.
- Allen County: 199 new cases for 31,419 total. 2 new deaths for 539 total. 7-day positivity rate at 14.6%.
- DeKalb County: 25 new cases for 3,362 total. No new deaths for 72 total. 7-day positivity rate at 18.3%.
- Huntington County: 28 new cases for 2,787 total. No new deaths for 57 total. 7-day positivity rate at 11.4%.
- Kosciusko County: 46 new cases for 7,773 total. No new deaths for 75 total. 7-day positivity rate at 18.4%.
- LaGrange County: 3 new cases for 2,220 total. No new deaths for 61 total. 7-day positivity rate at 20.7%.
- Noble County: 23 new cases for 4,539 total. No new deaths for 56 total. 7-day positivity rate at 15.4%.
- Steuben County: 19 new cases for 3,007 total. No new deaths for 40 total. 7-day positivity rate at 21.8%.
- Wabash County: 19 new cases for 2,863 total. No new deaths for 45 total. 7-day positivity rate at 8.6%.
- Wells County: 15 new cases for 2,251 total. No new deaths for 46 total. 7-day positivity rate at 16.3%.
- Whitley County: 29 new cases for 2,863 total. No new deaths for 24 total. 7-day positivity rate at 19.7%.
Sources include the Indiana Department of Health and local health departments.
