Indiana see 5,700 new COVID-19 cases, 42 additional deaths

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana health officials reported 5,700 new coronavirus infections and 42 additional COVID-19 deaths Monday as the state saw a slight increase in coronavirus-related hospitalizations following a recent drop.

The 42 additional deaths raise Indiana's pandemic death toll to 6,284, including both confirmed and presumed infections, the Indiana State Department of Health said.

The state agency also reported that 3,214 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Sunday at Indiana's hospitals - an increase from the 3,189 hospitalized as of Saturday.

That was Indiana's first increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations since the state's hospitalizations began declining after reaching a peak of 3,460 on Nov. 30, according to the state agency's daily statistic update.

Health officials across the state remain worried about hospitals being overwhelmed by the recent influx of severely ill patients.

Indiana's hospitals are currently treating more than quadruple the number of COVID-19 patients that were under care in late September, when the state's recent steep increase in hospitalizations and deaths began.

Indiana's 5,700 newly confirmed coronavirus cases reported Monday bring the number of Indiana residents known to have had the coronavirus to 387,278 since the start of the pandemic.