Evansville area officials ponder next steps as area's COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations surge

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Amid an alarming surge of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, local officials are pondering next steps and imploring residents to take oft-repeated steps to protect themselves and one another.

Vanderburgh, Warrick and Spencer counties as of Wednesday are in orange on the Indiana State Department of Health’s coronavirus heat map, reflecting multi-day spikes in positive tests as well as a growing 7-day percentage of positives.

Orange is the second-worst category, behind red.

Deaconess Health System has its highest inpatient total since the pandemic began. Flagship Deaconess hospitals are seeing an influx of patients from facilities in Henderson and other surrounding communities.

Ascension St. Vincent also has high patient numbers at its Southwest Indiana hospitals.

Peak hospital seasons are typically much later than now, because of flu. Dr. James Porter, president of Deaconess, and Dr. Heidi Dunniway, chief medical officer of Ascension St. Vincent South Region, said the current spike in hospitalizations is worrisome because flu season hasn't taken off yet.

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Healthcare officials are pleading with residents to get flu shots very soon to guard against that illness as the fight with coronavirus goes on.

"Numbers are going up, and if that continues, all hospitals are going to be struggling," Dunniway said. "We need people to get a flu shot."

A cocktail of factors is driving the local COVID-19 surge, according to health officials.

They cited spread in skilled nursing facilities, as well as the resumption of in-person school, youth sports and activities where precautions aren't followed.

“We’ve seen more people gather in crowds and get together,” Porter said. “People are tired of being cooped up.”

Health officials consider outdoor activities safer than indoor ones. But they say coronavirus can still transfer outdoors, especially if people are without masks and close together.

“People have a false sense of security if you’re outside, or if you’re eating and drinking and your mask is off,” Porter said. “Less risk isn’t no risk. And the larger the group, the more likely there’s someone who is contagious.”

From the start of the pandemic, health experts have warned that younger, asymptomatic people carrying coronavirus can easily share it with those who are more vulnerable in family or work situations.

That’s still true and it contributes to spread, local officials said.

Besides Vanderburgh, Warrick and Spencer counties, only Brown County in Indiana was in the orange category Wednesday. Brown County was considered a statistical anomaly because of a low number of recent tests given there.

Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke noted that early in the pandemic, Southwest Indiana fared better than the rest of the state which was harder-hit by coronavirus. Current data shows opposite trends.

Winnecke has asked the Vanderburgh County Health Department for an analysis of what is driving the current cases.

Pending that report, Winnecke said he won’t make any decisions to reinstate restrictions on local business, or similar steps. Gov. Eric Holcomb recently took Indiana to the last stage of his reopening plan, removing restrictions on businesses while also requiring continued use of masks and social-distancing practices.

“What we have been told by the state is the state would support any decision made at the local level,” Winnecke said, and Holcomb confirmed that Wednesday during his weekly coronavirus briefing. “I’m not comfortable making further restrictions until we know what the cause of this uptick is. It’s incumbent on the health department to give us the best data possible so we can make informed decisions.”

The mayor acknowledged that “ebbs and flows” of COVID-19 cases are “frustrating. We implore people to take personal steps to protect themselves and the community.”

Porter said the pandemic is becoming more regional in scope, so “a statewide ubiquitous approach probably doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

But he urged the public to make decisions on their own to wash hands, wear masks and avoid crowds regardless of what actions the government does or doesn’t take.

“There doesn’t need to be a law to do the smart thing,” he said.

Although local hospitals have high patient volume at this time, Ascension St. Vincent and Deaconess said they have sufficient PPE and the ability to serve the region.

"If you have a medical issue, don't be afraid to seek care, because we have equipment and precautions in place," Dunniway said.

Neither Porter nor Dunniway would confirm how many were currently hospitalized.