Five COVID-19 deaths, case increases reported in Vanderburgh, surrounding counties
Thomas B. Langhorne
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Five deaths in Vanderburgh, Gibson and Posey counties. That was the toll extracted by COVID-19 with Wednesday's new data.
Two deaths each were reported in Vanderburgh and Gibson counties and one in Posey, according to the Indiana State Health Department's statewide dashboard.
It brings Vanderburgh County's total death toll in the coronavirus pandemic to 480 — 81 of them reported since the Delta variant emerged in the county in mid-June.
Area counties had seen a steady decline in new COVID-19 cases since the peak of a Delta variant-fueled surge in the final week of August — but cases rose last week. Vanderburgh went from 380 cases Oct. 4-10 to 463 cases Oct. 11-17 — a 22% increase. Warrick, Posey and Gibson saw increases of 6%, 11% and 23%, respectively.
Vanderburgh remained at an "orange" level of COVID-19 severity Wednesday, the second-highest, according to the state's newest map. Warrick and Gibson counties also are shaded orange. Posey County is shaded "yellow," the third-highest level of severity, but remains at an "advisory level" of orange for the next week. No area counties are shaded "red," the highest level of severity.
A planned new COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 could get an emergency use green light from the FDA in a week and a favorable CDC recommendation days later.
Until then, any Hoosier 12 and older can schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at any vaccine clinic at https://ourshot.in.gov.
Individuals without a computer or cell phone can call 211 (866-211-9966). Walk-in appointments are accepted at most vaccination sites.
COVID-19 cases in Evansville-area counties
Overall tallies as of Wednesday:
- Vanderburgh County has reported 32,162 COVID-19 cases in all during the pandemic and 480 deaths.
- Warrick County has reported 11,270 COVID-19 cases in all during the pandemic and 189 deaths.
- Gibson County has reported 6,567 COVID-19 cases in all during the pandemic and 115 deaths.
- Posey County has reported 3,758 COVID-19 cases in all during the pandemic and 44 deaths.
COVID-19 continues to strike unvaccinated individuals the hardest, as evidenced by data posted on Facebook on Monday by Deaconess Health System.
Deaconess reported it has 73 COVID-positive hospitalized patients — 82% of whom are "not vaccinated." There are 25 infected patients in the ICU at Deaconess, the local health system reported. All but one are unvaccinated.
Sixteen coronavirus patients are on ventilators, Deaconess reported — all of them unvaccinated.
The numbers include all Deaconess hospitals and The Women's Hospital.
Ascension St. Vincent Evansville hasn't regularly released patient vaccination data, but it has said anecdotally it knows the data would show the same trend.
Thomas B. Langhorne can be reached by email at tom.langhorne@courierpress.com.