White House to spend $1.5B to attract doctors to underserved communities
The pandemic has highlighted what has long been a barrier to accessing quality medical care in rural areas and communities of color: provider shortages.
Roche Diagnostics terminates ‘small number’ of workers for not getting COVID-19 vaccine
About 3,000 people work on the company’s large campus at 9115 Hague Road on the northeast side of Indianapolis and another 1,500 people work elsewhere across the region.
Indiana GOP bill stymies workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandates
The bill is set on an extraordinary fast track for approval, with a single public hearing scheduled for Tuesday at the Statehouse followed by the House and Senate voting on final approval six days later.
Indiana lawmakers to reconvene Nov. 29, look to end COVID-19 orders
Many conservatives have criticized Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb for continuing to extend the monthly public health order, which he has renewed 20 times, although he has signaled he might not to do so again.
Indiana COVID-19 hospitalizations up 31% over past two weeks as cases rise
The moving average of daily COVID-19 cases has climbed from 1,660 at the beginning of the month to 2,848, an increase of 71.6%.
Arts community will ‘keep creating’ into 2022
Thanks to a $500,000 City-County Council allocation made possible through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, the #IndyKeepsCreating initiative launched in 2020 will continue until March.
FDA approves COVID boosters to all adults; final hurdle ahead
There’s one more step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must agree to expand Pfizer and Moderna boosters to even healthy young adults. Its scientific advisers were set to debate later Friday.
Pfizer, U.S. ink $5.29B deal for possible COVID-19 treatment
Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to authorize emergency use of the experimental pill, which has been shown to significantly cut the rate of hospitalizations and deaths among people with coronavirus infections.
Seven of 10 IPS staffers report receiving COVID vaccinations
The vaccination rate is higher among teachers and principals—more than 80%—and lower among classified staff such as custodians and food service workers, said Superintendent Aleesia Johnson.
For second time, Franciscan Health extends deadline for employee vaccinations
Franciscan issued a three-paragraph statement, saying it had “re-examined its next steps” for the COVID-19 vaccine and was now adopting a Jan. 4 deadline to comply with the federal mandate.
City to invest $3.5 million in far-east side through Lift Indy program
The far-east area is Lift Indy’s seventh designee, after Mid-North, Monon16, the Old Southside, East 10th Street, the Near-North and Martindale-Brightwood.
U.S. offering investment to boost COVID-19 vaccine capacity
The Biden administration is making billions of dollars available to drugmakers to expand domestic production of COVID-19 vaccines in the hopes of building capacity to produce an additional 1 billion shots per year to share with the world.
Indiana governor, GOP lawmakers look to end COVID-19 orders
Indiana’s governor is facing pressure from fellow Republicans to end the statewide COVID-19 public health emergency order that’s been in place since March 2020 even as the state has seen a recent jump of infections and hospitalizations.
GOP-majority court chosen to consider Biden vaccine mandate
The selection could be good news for those challenging the administration’s vaccine requirement, which includes officials in 27 Republican-led states, employers and several conservative and business organizations.
Boosters for all adults in U.S. could be OK’d by this weekend
Pfizer asked U.S. regulators last week to allow boosters of its COVID-19 vaccine for anyone 18 or older. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to sign off on Pfizer’s application.
Statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations, cases climbing again
The Indiana State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 42 more COVID-19 deaths in the state, raising the total to 16,577.
Pfizer asks U.S. officials to approve promising COVID-19 pill
Pfizer reported earlier this month that its pill cut hospitalizations and deaths by 89% among high-risk adults who had early symptoms of COVID-19.
A dozen states, including Indiana, challenge health worker vaccine mandate
The latest suit, dated Monday, was filed in Louisiana on behalf of 12 states and comes less than a week after another lawsuit challenging the rule was filed in Missouri by a coalition of 10 states.
Four out of 10 Hoosier adults remain unvaccinated against COVID-19
The slow climb in the vaccination rate coincides with recent increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Biden health officials push to make COVID booster shots available to all adults
The debate comes at a critical time for the Biden administration, with top advisers growing increasingly fearful the country could slide backward into a fifth pandemic wave amid colder weather and declining vaccine protection.
Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC Resources for Businesses and Employers OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 Indiana State Department of Health Indy Chamber Rapid Response Hub Small Business Administration The SBA is making low-interest loans for working capital available to Indiana small businesses. Indiana Unemployment Information Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Dashboard Critical Industries Hotline(for business and industry only)
877-820-0890
covidresponse@iedc.in.gov State’s virus-related executive orders State plan to reopen Indiana