(LaPorte County, IN) - Last week, the LaPorte County Health Department stated recommendations for combating coronavirus spread. The announcement claimed that LaPorte County is labeled Red, even though Indiana’s COVID map shows it as Yellow. Health Department Administrator Amanda Lahners explains that the Red designation is based on CDC guidelines, which differ somewhat from the state.

 

The bottom line, Lahners says, is that the Delta variant is more contagious, a fact that she says bears out in recent testing numbers. About 93% of COVID cases are the Delta variant. "We are seeing an uptick in cases," she said. "We were down to zero and single digits. Over the weekend, on Friday, we had 43 new cases."

 

According to the state’s coronavirus tracking website, COVID cases in LaPorte County have trended up in recent weeks. COVID testing in the county has also increased at a slightly higher rate. Only two coronavirus deaths have been reported in LaPorte County in more than a month.

 

Lahners could not provide statistics for hospitalization due to COVID. However, county healthcare and government leaders plan to convene via a Zoom meeting on Thursday to share that information.