Indiana school coronavirus tracker expected to be released

by Associated Press
| September 30, 2020 10:03 AM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — State officials are expected to release to the public a new online tool Wednesday designed to help track coronavirus cases in Indiana schools.

The step comes as state health officials on Wednesday added 20 more COVID-19 deaths to the state’s pandemic toll.

The newly recorded deaths raise the state’s death toll to 3,632, including confirmed and presumed coronavirus cases, since the state’s first such death was reported on March 15, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. That is an increase of 102 deaths in the past week.

The new school data dashboard could be discussed during Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb’s weekly coronavirus briefing Wednesday afternoon.

Heath officials have said the dashboard will reflect the new and cumulative numbers of positive COVID-19 cases among students, teachers and other workers in a given school. Data will be available to the public and updated each week, although reporting by schools is so far voluntary.

The new tracker’s release follows concerns from health experts over sharp increases in COVID-19 cases among Indiana’s younger population groups.

Casey Smith is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.