After deadline on Monday, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) reported 3,978 new COVID-19 cases over the previous 24 hours (6,558 new cases on Sunday), to bring the total so far to 468,219.

ISDH also reported 34 additional deaths over the same 24-hour period (66 on Sunday), to bring the total to date to 7,473.

The seven-day moving average for per-day COVID-19 deaths on Monday was 51 (60 on Sunday). The seven-day moving average of 79 per-day deaths on Monday, Dec. 14, is the highest ever recorded during the pandemic. The highest recorded during the initial surge was 42 on April 27.

The total COVID-19 death count includes both confirmed and presumptive deaths to date. Presumptive deaths are those for which x-ray, scans, and clinical symptoms all point to COVID-19 but for which no positive test is on record. A total of 337 presumptive deaths was reported on Monday, up from 334 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, ISDH reported 2,967 hospitalizations on Monday (2,932 on Sunday). Saturday was the first day in nearly five weeks that the number of daily hospitalizations fell below 3,000. The last time was on Nov. 16, when ISDH reported 2,951 hospitalizations.

According to ISDH, the most hospitalizations on any given day during the initial surge of the pandemic was 1,799, on April 13.

The number of per-day hospitalizations statewide has been generally declining since the record-high of 3,460 reported on Nov. 30, even as the number of per-day deaths has been generally rising.

On Monday, ISDH reported a 25.0 percent availability of ICU beds statewide (23.6 percent on Sunday). COVID bed use on Monday was 30.8 percent (30.6 percent). Non-COVID bed use on Monday was 44.2 percent (45.8 percent).

On Monday, Marion County reported 64,549 cases and 1,040 deaths (63,929 and 1,038 on Sunday), the most in the state in both categories. Lake County reported 37,301 cases and 556 deaths (37,040 and 555), the second most in the state in both categories. LaPorte County reported 6,770 cases and 122 deaths (6,706 and 122).

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, ISDH left Porter County’s COVID-19 color status unchanged at Orange 2.5. The color status is the average of two metrics: the seven-day rolling average of new cases per 100,000 residents; and the rolling seven-day average “All Test” positivity rate.

A per-100,000 average of 200 or more earns a Red score (3). Porter County’s per-100,000 average on Sunday: 566.

An average “All Test” positivity rate of 10 to 14.9 percent earns an Orange score (2). Porter County’s “All Test” positivity rate on Dec. 12: 10.6 percent.

ISDH also upgraded 10 counties on Nov. 16 to Orange. Currently, 26 counties of the 92 counties in Indiana are rated Red, down from 36 last week.

ISDH is next scheduled to update Porter County’s color code on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

Note: the Porter County Health Department, using other metrics such as hospitalizations and deaths, has opted to retain the Code Red status and has issued additional restrictions accordingly, under the authority granted by Executive Order 20-48.

On Monday, ISDH reported 2,081 new student cases statewide (18,460 total); 394 new teacher cases (3,798 total); and 496 new staff cases (4,610 total).

As of Monday, 176 schools had reported no COVID-19 cases; 1,885 had reported one or more cases; and 307 had not filed no reports at all.