Health Officials Seek Another Extension of Needle Exchanges
(INDIANAPOLIS) For a second year in a row, legislators are debating an extension of Indiana’s needle exchange law.
Indiana began needle exchanges in Scott County when opioid use had sparked a major HIV outbreak there. Seven more counties, including Marion, have them now. A ninth county, Madison, allowed its program to expire last year.
Indiana Hospital Association senior public policy director Trent Fox says it’s not only a public-health measure, but a step toward getting addicts into treatment, by giving them a point of contact with the health system
Last year, the Senate rejected a bill to make the program permanent, but agreed to extend it into next year. Opponents charge the program amounts to an official seal of approval for intravenous drug use.
The dominance of the Holcomb administration is reflected in this year’s list.
Credit: AP
Vice President Mike Pence elbow bumps Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb following a round table discussion at Catalent Biologics, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Author: Brian Howey Updated: 11:52 AM EST January 8, 2021
INDIANAPOLIS After two decades of publishing Power 50 lists in the first week of January, this one comes in a true crisis atmosphere. As we watched in horror the U.S. Capitol being overrun by supporters of President Trump on Wednesday, the COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 8,000 Hoosiers and 350,000 Americans, shutting down our state and nation for nearly two months last spring.
COVID spread continues as Indiana officials call for continued precautions over holidays lpheralddispatch.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lpheralddispatch.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Indiana virus warnings persist even as hospitalizations dip
By TOM DAVIESDecember 22, 2020 GMT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana’s governor and top health official called Tuesday for continued precautions to slow the coronavirus spread over the Christmas holiday even as pressure has eased on hospitals across the state with slight declines in COVID-19 illnesses in recent weeks.
Health officials also reported a busy start to vaccinations, with more than 40,000 health care workers expected to have received their first shots by the end of Tuesday and vaccinations planned to start next week for some residents of Indiana nursing homes.
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CHRISTMAS WARNING
Indiana’s COVID-19 hospitalizations are down about 10% since peaking Nov. 30 but remain nearly four times higher than in September when the state’s steep increase began for coronavirus deaths, hospitalizations and new infections.
Between the executive orders from Governor Eric Holcomb, the rising number of local COVID cases and the possibility of getting a vaccine, Daviess Community Hospital officials are scrambling to try and keep up.
Holcombâs latest order will once again force local hospitals to not do any elective surgeries from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3, 2021. The order comes as Holcomb attempts to keep hospital resources available.
âIn order to preserve hospital bed and staffing capacity for the period, licensed hospitals are directed to postpone, or reschedule non-emergent procedures which are unlikely to result in a significant risk to a patientâs acute condition or long-term outcome,â the governorâs order stated.