The latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic from Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021.
INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Saturday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic, including the latest news on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in Indiana.
Registrations for the vaccine are now open for Hoosiers 12 and older through the Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Indiana health officials anticipate COVID spread to worsen
Indiana’s top health officials said that despite having done everything in their power to educate and make vaccine available to Hoosiers, the state has reached “the darkest time in the pandemic” amid a surge in infections and hospitalizations.
State health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box during a news conference Friday that the state’s positivity rate has risen to 10.8%, marking Indiana’s worst surge of COVID-19 since last winter.
If more Hoosiers don’t get vaccinated and wear masks, she predicted virus spread and hospitalizations “will get much worse” during the next six weeks."
But with just 52% of Indiana residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Box said she was “disappointed” that nearly half of the state’s population is refusing to get the shots.
Denmark, with 71% vaccination rate, ending COVID restrictions
Denmark, which has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the world and one of the first to impose lockdowns, will reportedly end its domestic pandemic restrictions -- including its version of a coronavirus passport -- on Sept. 10. The nation's top health official has declared the virus is no longer a "critical threat to society."
Danish health minister Magnus Heunicke released a statement Friday saying “The epidemic is under control, we have record high vaccination rates. Therefore, on September 10, we can drop some of the special rules we have had to introduce in the fight against COVID-19.”
Denmark is the European Union's third-most vaccinated country at 71%, according to Our World in Data. Only Malta (80%) and Portugal (73%) are higher. While other nations, including the United States, have seen a new surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, Denmark's numbers have fallen or stayed relatively steady over the past four months.
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Central Indiana mobile vaccine clinics
Today, 4-11 p.m.
Feast of Lanterns
1800 Nowland Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46201
Today, noon-4 p.m.
Phillips Temple Community Health and Wellness
210 E. 34th St., Indianapolis, IN 46205
Patients with an appointment at a state-hosted public vaccination site can get a free Uber or Lyft ride. Call 2-1-1 or (866) 211-9966 to receive a voucher to cover the cost of an Uber ride to and from your vaccination appointments. IU Health offers free Lyft rides to any vaccine site in the state. Call 1.888.IUHEALTH (888-484-3258) and choose option 9 if you need transportation to your vaccine appointment.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 38.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 6 a.m. Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 636,700 deaths recorded in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 215.49 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 4.48 million deaths. More than 5.13 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.
