x
Breaking News
More () »

Indiana coronavirus updates for Tuesday, June 8, 2021

The latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic from Tuesday, June 8, 2021.

INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Tuesday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic, including the latest news on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in Indiana.

Registrations for the vaccine are now open for Hoosiers 12 and older through the Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED: Here's everything we know about the COVID-19 vaccine

Westfield-Washington Schools announces in-person plans for coming year, end of mask mandate

Westfield-Washington's school board has announced plans for "100 percent in-school learning for pre-K through grades 12 for the school year 2021-22." 

The district also said masks will be voluntary in all schools and district buildings, beginning July 1. Masks will remain mandatory on district school busses.

“As I have the rounds throughout the district, it is evident that our teachers and staff have done a great job rolling with the punches and adapting to all of the latest directives” said new superintendent Dr. Paul Kaiser. “We are fortunate that we are at the point in this experience where restrictions are loosening and operations are beginning to look more familiar. Students, staff, teachers and administrators are encouraged to do what makes them comfortable, so long as you are following all prescribed guidelines.”

CDC eases travel alerts for more than 100 countries, territories

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lowered travel warning levels this week for more than 110 countries and destinations. It comes as many parts of the world steadily vaccinate their populations, seeing a closer end to the most restrictive parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As Reuters reported Tuesday, the new ratings include 61 nations which had their travel warning level reduced below the agency's highest warning level, a "Level 4" rating. 

The CDC said that an additional 50 countries and territories were lowered to a "Level 2" or a "Level 1," according to Reuters. Countries including Albania, Iceland, Israel, Belize and Singapore have now been put at the lowest travel risk level. Switzerland, Ukraine, Turkey, Honduras, France, the Philippines, South Africa, Mexico, Italy, Hungary and Canada are all now at a "Level 3" risk category.  

FULL STORY: CDC eases travel alerts for more than 100 countries, territories

State reports 12K more full vaccinations, 10 additional deaths

The Indiana State Department of Health reported 12,568 more Hoosiers have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Tuesday morning. The state has registered 5,297,222 total doses of vaccine, with 2,602,304 people fully vaccinated.

ISDH also reported 302 new positive tests for the virus, along with 10 additional deaths that occurred June 4-6. Indiana has lost 13,278 people to COVID-19.

The new cases bring Indiana's total to 747,447 residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus.

City-County Council vote ends mask mandate in Marion County

The City-County Council has approved a proposal that will end the mask mandate in Marion County for those who are fully vaccinated.

The proposal followed the latest recommendations by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Dr. Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Public Health Department.

The measure was approved by a 19-5 vote. It will now be sent to the mayor's office for his signature.

The approval means Hoosiers who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear face masks in Marion County unless a business or venue requires it. Masks must still be worn for everyone while at hospitals and on public transportation, which includes the Indianapolis International Airport.

Caine said the county hopes to reach the 50-percent vaccinated mark by July 4. The department is putting $100 million toward vaccinating medically underserved communities in the county, Caine added.

More mobile vaccination clinics planned this week

Mobile vaccination clinics are planned on the following schedule this week:

June 9-12 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.);

La Porte County:
Pentecostal Temple Church of God and Christ
2722 Wabash St., Michigan City, IN 46360

Howard County:
Second Missionary Baptist Church
819 N. Apperson Way, Kokomo, IN 46901

Fayette County:
Ivy Tech
717 W. 21st St., Connersville, IN 47331

June 9, 11 and 12 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.):

Madison County:
Ivy Tech
815 E. 60th St., Anderson, IN 46013

June 10-11 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.):

Kosciusko County:
Center Lake Pavilion
119 E. Canal St., Warsaw, IN 46580

June 10-11 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.):

Elkhart County:
Goshen High School
401 Lincolnway East, Goshen, IN 46526

June 11-12 (4 p.m. to 10 p.m.):

Harrison County:
Harrison County Fair
341 S. Capitol Ave., Corydon, IN 47112

Indian daily cases dip below 100K after 2 months

India's daily coronavirus infections have dipped below 100,000 for the first time in more than two months as an overall downturn prompts some states to ease restrictions.

The 86,498 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed India’s total past 29 million on Tuesday, second only to the United States, which has more than 33 million. The Health Ministry also reported 2,123 new fatalities in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 351,309. Both figures are believed to be vast undercounts.

India peaked at adding more than 400,000 cases a day in May, but new infections and deaths have declined across the country since then.

The downturn has led some states to ease restrictions on commercial activities to spur consumption. Multiple states have, however, extended lockdowns and have been reluctant to reopen.

Meanwhile, the federal government is going to take over vaccine procurement from the states and ensure vaccines are provided free of cost to every adult Indian. India’s vaccination drive has been marred by delays and shortages. Less than 5% of the population is fully vaccinated.

Spain opens borders to tourists, cruise ships

Spain is jump-starting its summer tourism season by welcoming vaccinated visitors from most countries as well as European visitors who can prove they are not infected with coronavirus. It also reopened its ports to cruise ship stops on Monday. 

Non-vaccinated travelers from the European Union’s 27 countries can enter Spain now with the negative results of recent antigen tests, which are cheaper and faster than PCR tests. Spain is still banning non-essential travelers from Brazil, India and South Africa, where virus variants have been been a major source of concern. Tourism is a major industry that in 2019 accounted for over 12% of Spain’s GDP.

Latest US, world numbers

There have been more than 33.37 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 4:30 a.m. ET Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 597,900 deaths in the U.S.

Worldwide, there have been more than 173.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 3.73 million deaths. More than 2.1 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.

RELATED: See where confirmed Indiana coronavirus cases are with this interactive map

The actual number of people infected by the virus around the world is believed to be much higher — perhaps 10 times higher in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — given testing limitations and the many mild cases that have gone unreported or unrecognized.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.

Before You Leave, Check This Out