Northeast Indiana is back in the red, the state’s worst category for COVID-19 community spread.
Only Adams County remains in the orange, or second-worst category.
Thirteen new deaths were reported in the region on Wednesday, with six in Allen County, four in Wabash County, and three in DeKalb County.
With positivity rates around Northeast Indiana all above 16 percent, with the exception of Adams County at about 9 percent, the area remains among the state’s worst regions for COVID cases, according to the Indiana Department of Health.
Most of Indiana north of Indianapolis is now in the “red”, based on 7-day positivity rates and cases per 100,000 residents.
A recent report by the Washington Post identified Indiana as one of four states driving a current surge in COVID numbers, along with Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Northeast Indiana’s current performance with regards to the virus puts it among the worst of the four worst.
And the area remains the most sluggish with regards to vaccination compliance, with only one county, Allen, over 50 percent of its eligible population fully-vaccinated.
LaGrange County remains stuck at 23 percent, the worst in the state for vaccination rate by 10 percentage points.
Hospitalizations both in northeast Indiana and throughout the state are at their highest level since December 2020.
Northeast Indiana totals for Dec. 8:
- Adams County: 32 new cases for 5,519 total. No new deaths for 81 total. 7-day positivity rate at 8.7%. Eligible population fully vaccinated 35%.
- Allen County: 433 new cases for 68,763 total. 6 new deaths for 897 total. 7-day positivity rate at 16.9%. Eligible population fully vaccinated 53.5%.
- DeKalb County: 74 new cases for 8,034 total. 3 new deaths for 112 total. 7-day positivity rate at 21.8%. Eligible population fully vaccinated 41.6%.
- Huntington County: 69 new cases for 7,860 total. No new deaths for 118 total. 7-day positivity rate 17.9%. Eligible population fully vaccinated 46%.
- Kosciusko County: 70 new cases for 14,595 total. 2 new deaths for 169 total. 7-day positivity rate at 17.6%. Eligible population fully vaccinated 41.5%.
- LaGrange County: 24 new cases for 4,396 total. No new deaths for 91 total. 7-day positivity rate at 23.8%. Eligible population fully vaccinated 23.2%.
- Noble County: 79 new cases for 9,532 total. No new deaths for 123 total. 7-day positivity rate at 19.6%. Eligible population fully vaccinated 40.3%.
- Steuben County: 44 new cases for 6,849 total. No new deaths for 89 total. 7-day positivity rate at 19.5%. Eligible population fully vaccinated 45.3%.
- Wabash County: 35 new cases for 6,388 total. 4 new deaths for 117 total. 7-day positivity rate at 21.1%. Eligible population fully vaccinated at 41.3%.
- Wells County: 29 new cases for 4,962 total. No new deaths for 107 total. 7-day positivity rate at 16%. Eligible population fully vaccinated 41.9%.
- Whitley County: 60 new cases for 6,752 total. No new deaths for 61 total. 7-day positivity rate at 21.5%. Eligible population fully vaccinated 44.8%.
Source: The Indiana Department of Health