Over the past few weeks, northeast Indiana went from the “yellow” zone of Indiana’s COVID-19 dashboard to mostly red, warning of intensifying community spread of the disease.
As of Wednesday, only Noble, Adams, Huntington, Wabash and Kosciusko counties were still in the orange, but their positivity rates were all trending upward.
During the weekly briefing, Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said the entire state is in the red based on the number of positive cases alone.
It is a stark warning as Hoosiers head into a holiday season filled with traditions of gatherings and social events.
In Allen County, one more death was reported Wednesday, bringing the total of deaths to 274. Another 485 tested positive, bringing that total to more than 15,000 at 15,374.
Schools are continuing to shift to remote learning, and many area municipalities have announced rollbacks to reopening plans.
Every single northeast Indiana county has a positivity rate over 10.
Northeast Indiana's totals for Nov. 18, including 7-day positivity rate:
- Adams County: 56 new cases for 1,431 total. One new death, with 18 total. Positivity rate 11.1%
- Allen County: 485 new cases for 15,374 total. One new death, with 274 total. Positivity rate 18.3%
- DeKalb County: 72 new cases for 1,555 total. No new death, with 25 total. Positivity rate 16.9%
- Huntington County: 67 new cases for 994 total. No new deaths, with seven total. Positivity rate 10.1%
- Kosciusko County: 101 new cases for 2,765 total. No new deaths for 39 total. Positivity rate 14.5%
- LaGrange County: 20 new cases for 1,267 total. No new deaths for 24 total. Positivity rate 27.6%
- Noble County: 60 new cases for 2,186 total No new deaths for 44 total. Positivity rate 12.9%
- Steuben County: 50 new cases for 1,233 total. No new deaths for 13 total. Positivity rate 17.1%
- Wabash County: 62 new cases for 1,243 total. No new deaths for 17 total. Positivity rate 13.1%
- Wells County: 87 new cases for 1,048 total. One new death for 21 total. Positivity 17.2%
- Whitley County: 45 new cases for 1,107 total. No new deaths for eight total. Positivity rate 18.2%
Sources include the Indiana State Department of Health and local health department statistics.
