Indiana COVID-19 Cases Hit Lake County, But Alarming Numbers Found Northeast Of Indianapolis

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Lake County continues to be the second hardest hit area in Indiana for COVID-19, but a county northeast of Indianapolis is reporting an alarming mortality rate from the novel coronavirus due to an outbreak at a nursing care facility

Madison County, which includes the town of Anderson, has seen 11 deaths out of 101 positive tests for the novel coronavirus-an astounding 11 percent mortality rate. State heath director Kristina Box revealed Monday afternoon that the 11 deaths occured after a outbreak about a week ago at Bethany Pointe nursing care facility. A total of 398 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted in the county, putting the infection rate at 25 percent. The statewide infection rate is 18.8 percent--4,944 cases out of 26,200 tests. The statewide mortality rate is 2.8 percent with a total of 139 deaths. There are likely many more people suffering from COVID-19 that have either not been reported or havent been tested, officials say.

"We are seeing more deaths," county health officer Dr. Stephen Wright told the Anderson Herald Bulletin. "People are not complying and need to stay home. We have an older population in Madison County. Getting sick is life or death for these folks. I cannot stress enough that we all need to stay home."

In Northwest Indiana, Lake County now reports 369 cases and eight deaths. The Indianapolis area reports 1,956 cases and 41 deaths. Porter County reports 79 cases and no deaths, and LaPorte has 21 cases and three deaths.