Ventilators are often the difference between life and death as patients fight coronavirus, and a Northwest Indiana auto manufacturer delivered the precious devices to an Uptown hospital. NBC 5’s Patrick Fazio has the story.
A day after the state of Indiana extended its stay-at-home order through May 1, officials reported nearly 500 new cases of the coronavirus Saturday.
According to the latest data from the State Department of Health, the total number of coronavirus cases in the state increased by 487 over Friday’s reported count. That number brings the state’s total number of coronavirus cases to 10,641 since the pandemic began.
In addition, state officials reported 26 additional deaths as a result of the virus, bringing the statewide total to 545.
The hardest hit county in the state remains Marion County, with 3,624 reported cases since the pandemic began. Lake County in Northwest Indiana has also been hit hard by the virus, with 1,095 reported cases and 43 deaths.
Indiana officials say that nearly half of the state’s ICU beds remain open, with 23.4 percent of ICU beds currently being used to treat COVID-19 patients. Statistics show that 29.1 percent of the state’s ICU beds are being used for non-COVID-19 cases.
Although state officials are optimistic that stay-at-home orders and social distancing are helping curb new COVID-19 cases, the state’s stay-at-home order was extended by Governor Eric Holcomb until at least May 1.
