Eric Holcomb continues partisan inaction on the coronavirus, leaving Hoosiers in the dark for the last 162 days
IndyStar: Another week, another record for COVID-19 cases reported in Indiana schools
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for the future of Indiana and its families, today bumped up the following news coverage to show how Governor Eric Holcomb’s 162 days-worth of inaction on the COVID-19 pandemic is harming the future of Indiana and its families. As it stands, Indiana schools are reaching record levels of COVID cases and hospitals are reaching capacity levels not seen since last winter – causing first responders to feel “burned out” from their work to save Hoosiers from this virus. Eric Holcomb has failed to provide Hoosiers an update on how he’ll guide Indiana through the pandemic, and this partisan decision is ignoring his promise to use the “facts on the ground”.
It’s been 162 days since Governor Eric Holcomb held a media briefing on COVID-19.
Governor Holcomb and the Indiana Republicans are abiding by a form of extreme partisanship that ignores the facts and refuses to provide Hoosier families the science-based truth about how communities could help put the pandemic behind them. In contrast, Indiana Democrats have done everything possible to help Hoosiers put the pandemic in the rearview mirror. U.S. Congressmen André Carson and Frank Mrvan passed the American Rescue Plan, which delivered vaccines in arms and relief for both families and cities and towns across Indiana. Every Republican in Indiana’s Congressional Delegation voted “NO”.
Here’s what Hoosiers are reading as Eric Holcomb continues to dodge his elected duties of guiding Indiana and its families out of COVID-19:
Indiana Public Media: All Indiana Counties In “Red” On CDC COVID-19 Map – Indicating High Levels Of Spread
South Bend Tribune: ‘Tired, burned out.’ South Bend area hospitals worry about staff levels as COVID surges
“As South Bend area COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen sharply over the past month, hospital officials are increasingly worrying about having enough people to care for everyone.
Hospitals are suffering the same labor shortage as other employers, but it’s being exacerbated by the fatigue, trauma and stress that health care workers have experienced over the pandemic’s first year and a half, at a time when the delta variant is driving a a new surge in severe cases, overwhelmingly among the unvaccinated.” [….]
“Memorial’s 30 COVID-19 patients at mid-week was still only about one-third of the peak level in late November, but Patterson said he is just as concerned as he was nine months ago or even more so.” […]
“Amidsa national nursing shortage that has worsened during the pandemic, Saint Joseph Health System recently has had to pay significantly higher wages to contract traveling nurses, said R.J. Dabney, its chief human resources officer.”
Madison Courier: New COVID cases stressing capacity of hospitals
“Positive cases of COVID-19 are stressing hospital staffs throughout Indiana and Kentucky with 2,443 hospitalizations from the virus in Indiana and 2,365 in Kentucky.
Late last week, King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison was reporting its highest volume of COVID-related admissions since the pandemic began with the overwhelming majority of those patients unvaccinated.”
IndyStar: Another week, another record for COVID-19 cases reported in Indiana schools
“Indiana schools continue to reach new heights in COVID-19 cases reported among the state’s K-12 students — driven, in part, by an increase in the number of schools participating in the state-mandated reporting this week.” […]
“The past two weeks have seen more cases in the state’s K-12 student population than any previous week since the dashboard launched last school year.
Despite the sky-high number of new cases, State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box reported two weeks ago that half of the state’s roughly 2,400 schools were not participating in the dashboard this school year. While it was not mandatory last year, reporting to the state dashboard is required this year. As of Tuesday’s update, delayed by the Labor Day holiday on Monday, more than 700 schools were still not participating.” […]
“Already this school year, which started for most districts in late July or early August, more than 17,000 student cases have been reported. That’s about half as many as were reported all of last school year.” […]
“Some schools have seen more cases in the first month of the year than they did all of last year and many have struggled to keep up with the rate of new infections and the number of students required to quarantine after being identified as a close contact…”
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