Indiana now has 16,588 total cases of COVID-19 being reported, an increase of 650 cases since Monday’s total. According to the Indiana State Department of Health, the state has had 901 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon’s update, an increase of 57 deaths from the previous day’s numbers.

Bartholomew County has 238 confirmed cases, an increase of 32 since yesterday. There have been 11 deaths so far from the coronavirus in Bartholomew County, an increase of 1. Local officials report that 1,619 Bartholomew County residents have been tested, with 1,286 negative restuls and 182 tests still pending.

In other area counties, Decatur has 195 cases and has had 27 deaths. Jennings 72 cases and 2 deaths, an increase of one death, Jackson 125 cases and the county is reporting its first death, Brown 15 cases and 1 death, Johnson 548 cases and 58 deaths, an increase of 7 deaths; and Shelby 191 cases and 10 deaths, an increase of two deaths since yesterday’s report.

Governor: New, free testing sites opening next 7 days

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb announced Tuesday that OptumServe Health Services, powered by Logistics Health, Inc., will open sites across Indiana in the next seven days to begin large-scale testing of Hoosiers.

“Launching this partnership with Optum further expands Indiana’s COVID-19 testing capacity,” said Gov. Holcomb. “These free tests will be available in locations across the state, ensuring even more Hoosiers who have symptoms or an affected family member can get tested for coronavirus.”

In the first 30 days, 100,000 Hoosiers are expected to be tested. Testing is for any symptomatic Hoosier, close contacts of positive cases, or residents of congregate living settings.

Hoosiers can get tested without visiting a healthcare provider. State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box will issue a standing order for the test for any Hoosier who meets the criteria.

In the next seven days, 20 testing sites will open in Indiana National Guard armories and an additional 30 testing sites will open in the next 14 days for a total of 50 testing sites. Each site will be open for at least eight hours per day, Monday – Friday. A map is attached.

Testing will be by appointment only. Registration will open 48 hours before testing sites open. To sign up for an appointment, Hoosiers will register through the Optum portal that will launch soon and self-report symptoms using an online screening tool. A hotline phone number will be added soon.

Hoosiers will receive results within 48 hours on average. Results will be provided to the patient via a phone call if the test is positive or via an email or text if the test is negative.

Hoosiers will not be charged for testing and insurance is not required. If you have private health insurance, please bring that information with you.

“We have been working diligently to increase access to testing throughout Indiana with drive-thru clinics and strike teams,” said Dr. Box. “By joining forces with Optum, we will ensure that testing for COVID-19 is available to Hoosiers who need it most.”

OptumServe will collect the swabs specimens, and manage the testing and reporting of data. OptumServe is providing its own supplies, PPE, testing kits, staffing and lab – increasing Indiana’s overall testing capacity. The Indiana State Department of Health will continue to target focused testing and high risk populations in its testing.

An estimated 4,400 more Hoosiers will be tested every day in the initial phase. Once all 50 sites are open, as many as 6,600 more Hoosiers can be tested per day.

Cummins is reporting first quarter revenues of $5 billion dollars, a decrease of 17 percent since the first quarter of last year. In its quarterly SEC filing, the company said lower truck production in North America and weaker demand in global construction, mining and power generation drove the decreasing revenue.

Sales in North America declined by 16 percent while international revenues ere down by 17 percent. That was led by declines in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, India, and China.

The company declined to provide revenue or profitability guidance for 2020, due to the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger said that the company has faced unforseen crises before in its 100 year history and he said he is confident the company can navigate the current crisis and emerge stronger.

Cummins reported that it is planning for weak demand levels to persist for some time.

Read Cummins 2020 Q1 report

Bartholomew Consolidated Schools have been keeping in close contact with their teachers on how the current eLearning program is going and on ways to improve it.

Dr. Laura Hack, the school district’s director of elementary instruction explains during this week’s school board meeting that a survey was sent out to the teachers about three weeks after the switch to e-learning.

Hack said that about 26 teachers responded that they needed help.

The school district was able to pair them up with mentors and coaches who were able to assist them.

A second survey went out this week, Hack said.

Columbus police say that a woman’s vehicle nearly struck a fire truck responding to a reported overdose Saturday morning before leading police on a chase through the city.

At about 6:25 Saturday morning officers were on the scene of the incident in the 3100 block of Miami Court when 29-year-old Catina M. Caudill began screaming at officers. She then got into her vehicle and took off with no headlights, running over a curb and nearly crashing into the fire truck. Police tried to stop her but she ignored a traffic light and sped off down 25th Street.

Bartholomew County deputies joined in the pursuit and tried to stop her vehicle with tire deflating devices and she hit the obstacles twice before her vehicle was finally disabled near State Street and Repp Drive.

She was taken to Columbus Regional Health to be checked out before going to jail on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement and driving while suspended.

Indiana now has 15,961 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 being reported, an increase of 963 cases since Sunday’s total. That is the highest single day increase since the start of the disease tracking in early March. It is more than 250 cases higher than the second highest day, which was Friday.

The state has had 844 deaths as of this afternoon’s update, an increase of 31 deaths from the previous day, according to the state health department.

Bartholomew County has 206 confirmed cases, an increase of 26 cases since Sunday. There have been 10 deaths so far from the coronavirus in Bartholomew County unchanged since the weekend. 1,504 tests have been done on Bartholomew County residents with 1,126 negative results and 128 tests still pending.

In other area counties, Decatur has 194 cases and has had 27 deaths. Jennings 72 cases and 1 death, Jackson 118 cases and no deaths, Brown 15 cases and 1 death, Johnson 538 cases and 51 deaths and Shelby 184 cases and 8 deaths, an increase of two deaths since yesterday.

Indiana is giving the go-ahead to dentists’ offices, abortion clinics, dermatology practices, and veterinary clinics to reopen today.

Local food pantries are seeing a sharp increase in need during the current crisis, as more families find themselves in dire straits.

I talked recently with Kelly Daugherty, director of Love Chapel, who said about 20 percent of their clients are new over the past few weeks and their need for food assistance is greater than normal.

The food bank is in need of food donations. They are in especial need of dried goods including pastas, cereal and macaroni and cheese.

The food bank is in need of volunteers to help behind the scenes packing food boxes. Many of the center’s regular volunteers are elderly and have opted not to take part during the virus pandemic.

If you want to donate food you can drop items off at the pantry at 292 Center Street, from 9 to noon Monday through Saturdays. Love Chapel is operated by the Bartholomew County Ecumenical Assembly.

Chelsea Warriner from the Community Center of Hope food bank, said that they are seeing about 50 percent more families as before the crisis.

Warriner said that the food bank sees itself working in conjunction with the Flat Rock-Hawcreek schools lunch program to feed families in need.

The Community Center of Hope is at 534 Washington St. in Hope and it serves residents of Flat Rock and Hawcreek Townships in Bartholomew County.