In the last two days, the Boone County Health Dept. reported 14 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Department officials said most of the new cases were not affiliated with long-term care facilities, though some were. Claire Haughton, the department’s public health educator, said the cases “may indicate there is some person-to-person, community spread going on in our community.”
But testing has become more widely available in past weeks. The state has added testing sites to establish at least 180 statewide, including one in Boone County at Lebanon Senior High School.
“It’s safe to assume we’ll become more aware of new cases as it becomes easier for people to get tested,” Haughton stated. “Either way, as Phase 3 approaches and more places begin opening up, we really want to emphasize how important it is that we all continue to do our part to prevent the spread. Please continue to wear face coverings while out in public, wash your hands frequently, and cover your coughs and sneezes.”
State officials have predicted COVID-19 cases would continue to increase as testing capabilities expand. On May 20, Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said the state’s percentage of positive cases has decreased as testing has expanded. She said the state had seen about 15 percent of tests come back positive, and that number had dropped closer to about 10 percent after more testing sites opened.
CVS will be offering free drive-through COVID-19 testing at various locations throughout Indiana starting tomorrow, including their location in Zionsville, according to the BCHD. Patients must register online at CVS.com, but registration for Indiana is not open yet, according to a press release.
To date, the Indiana State Health Dept. has reported 276 positive cases of COVID-19 in Boone County. Of those, 35 have died of the disease out of 1,963 total tests.
