By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Kosciusko County’s COVID-19 positivity rate is 2.2%, according to the Indiana Department of Health dashboard. This is a decrease from a 2.8% positivity rate reported last week.

The color-coded county metrics map on the IDH website shows a majority of counties in the “blue” category. Color-coded county metrics are based on each county’s seven-day positivity rate and the number of newly reported weekly cases per 100,000 residents. Blue counties are categorized as such when they have a seven-day positivity rate less than 5% and/or less than 10 new weekly cases per 100,000 residents. Source: Indiana Department of Health

IDH relies on a color-coded county map that measures percent positivity and new cases per 100,000 residents. The baseline for red is 15%.

Whitley County has stayed in the “yellow” category on the two-metric map for two consecutive weeks, moving the county into the “yellow” category on the “advisory level” map used by the state health department. The county has a 5.2% positivity rate.

The advisory level is used to establish guidelines for counties regarding restrictions on gatherings.

Wabash County has continued to remain “blue” on the two-metric map and is now able to follow “blue” guidelines.

Under Gov. Eric Holcomb’s pandemic requirements, social gatherings of any kind in yellow counties are limited to 100 people.

Since Wednesday, March 3, Kosciusko County has seen one new COVID-19 death, bringing the county’s total to 112. The county has 8,622 positive cases.

More than 6,600 people in Kosciusko County have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This is up from 4,900 reported last week.

An estimated 11,043 people in Kosciusko County have been administered their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 744,000 Hoosiers are considered to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This is up from 608,000 reported last week.

According to statewide demographics, more than 70% of those fully vaccinated are individuals who are 60 and older. 58% of people fully vaccinated are female.

Statewide, the IDH website shows the number of COVID-19 deaths in Indiana rose to 12,350.

A look at the number of people in each county that have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The total positive number of reported COVID-19 cases in Indiana is now at 669,164. More than 8,308,000 COVID-19 tests have been administered to Hoosiers.

Locally, Fulton County has 1,804 positive cases, Wabash County has 3,342 positive cases, and Whitley County has 3,538 positive cases. Marshall County has 5,470 positive cases, Noble County has 5,146 positive cases and Elkhart County has 25,608.

In other northern Indiana counties, Lake County has 48,838 positive cases; Allen County has 36,319 positive cases; and St. Joseph County has 30,542 positive cases.

According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, more than 527,000 people in the United States have died due to COVID-19.