EVANSVILLE — It might be the calm before the storm, given expectations that a post-Thanksgiving COVID-19 surge will come to Vanderburgh County and much of the rest of America -- but Tuesday's daily numbers were at least not as high as Monday's.
A day after Vanderburgh County shattered its previous one-day record with 266 new COVID-19 cases and one new coronavirus-related death, the county reported 126 new cases, one new death and slightly lower positivity rates. Gibson County also reported one new death.
The new data, found on the Indiana State Department of Health's statewide dashboard of cases, brings Vanderburgh County to 10,672 cases and 129 deaths attributable to COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. The total has been building since the first case emerged on March 19.
Slight day-to-day improvements could be found in Tuesday's data, offering a respite of sorts from what has been a recent run of record high daily case numbers and deaths.
Monday's one-day record of 266 cases came against 1,607 new tests administered. The 126 cases reported Tuesday came against 1,444 tests. On Monday, Vanderburgh County's seven-day positivity rate among individuals was 19.4%, covering the period Nov. 17-23. Tuesday's number was 19.1%, covering Nov. 18-24.
The overall positivity rate among individuals did tick upward slightly, from 15.3% to 15.4%. But the positivity rates for all tests dipped from 5.4% cumulatively on Monday to 5.2% with the seven-day number also ticking downward, from 6.9% on Monday to 6.7%.
No new deaths were reported Tuesday in Warrick, Posey, Spencer or Perry counties.
Vanderburgh County’s current run of COVID-19 cases began on Nov. 6, when the ISDH dashboard recorded a then-record-setting 177 new cases in a single day. Before the startling new number went up on the state’s dashboard at about 11 a.m. Central that day, Vanderburgh County stood at 6,981 cases reported.
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Deaconess and St. Vincent hospital officials found a new way on Monday to pound home the message that their facilities and employees are strained as cases rise and flu season looms. Shawn McCoy, CEO of Deaconess, and Ascension St. Vincent President Dan Parod made a joint video, shared on Facebook.
In the 31-second video, McCoy and Parod again beseeched the public to keep holiday gatherings small, wear masks, social distance and wash hands often.
"You'll help save lives and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed," Parod said.
Both hospital system executives offered hope for relief from the pandemic.
"Things will get better," McCoy said.
Overall, the state of Indiana reported 5,518 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday and 142 new deaths, bringing the statewide total to 344,373 positive cases since March 6. There have now been 5,598 total deaths, according to the ISDH.
Warrick County on Tuesday added 36 new cases for a total of 3,536; Posey County added 13 for a total of 1,316; and Gibson County added 38 for a total of 2,111.
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In Southwestern Indiana, 40.3% of hospital ICU beds were reported to be occupied by COVID-19 patients — down from 49.5% last week. ISDH's dashboard shows the multi-county District 10, of which Vanderburgh and Warrick are the most populous, going down from 17.6% of ICU beds available last week to 14.9% Thursday. Statewide, 44% of ICU beds are being used for COVID-19 while 21.3% are available.
A total of 69,190 individuals in Vanderburgh County have been tested for COVID-19 since March 11, with 139,792 total tests administered. The number of cases in the 20-29 age group remains the largest demographic of COVID-19 cases, with 20.5%.
The school-age demographic of children age 0-19 was at 14.0% of all cases locally Tuesday, slightly higher than the state's proportion of cases in the 0-19 age bracket, 13.8%.
The ISDH dashboard offers four separate figures for positivity rates. The "unique individuals" positivity rate for Vanderburgh Tuesday was 15.4% cumulatively and the seven-day rate, covering Nov. 18-24, was 19.1%.
The "all tests" positivity rate was 5.2% cumulatively and 6.7% over the same seven-day period.
The ISDH updates its online dashboard of COVID-19 data daily, including deaths, as it tracks the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.