Watch the Governor’s Daily Address Here

Nearly 1000 Covid-19 tests have been administered in Southern Indiana so far. 

997 tests have been given to residents in 10 Southern Indiana counties as of Sunday with close to 30 percent of those being positive.

The total number of positive cases are 297 as of Sunday. 

One of the number one questions being asked is – “Who is being tested” or “Is there a way I can get a test”.

From early on the Indiana State Department of Health has asked that only people with symptoms should seek testing. To get screened on the phone, call 1.317.833.CARE. 

Also, actual “Covid-19 tests” aren’t a physical item you can get at this time. Sites were set up at hospitals to collect specimens and those were sent off to state labs and results were returned between 3-6 days. 

ISDH has now released information on how many people have been tested and here is a list of those numbers in the Kentuckiana area:

As of Sunday, April 5, according to the Indiana Department of Health

Lawrence County

138 Tests, 39 Cases, 5 deaths

Jackson County

132 Tests, 36 Cases, 0 deaths

Jennings County

68 Tests, 35 Cases, 0 deaths

Orange County

55 Tests, 7 Cases, 2 deaths

Washington County

52 Tests, 18 Cases, 0 deaths

Scott County

73 Tests, 8 Cases, 1 death

Clark County

295 Tests, 66 Cases, 4 deaths

Floyd County

260 Tests, 50 Cases, 0 deaths

Harrison County

134 Tests, 33 Cases, 1 death

Crawford County

30 Tests, 5 Cases, 0 deaths

Target, Meijer and Walmart and other retailers are putting limits on the number of people allowed in stores at once in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.

This is being done to try to curb the number of people who are still getting out even though Indiana is under a “Stay at Home” order. 

Stores have been flooded with customers and some are coming not only to shop, but to congregate and visit. 

Limiting the number of people in the stores can hopefully limit that. 

Local stores like Ace Hardware of Salem stopped allowing customers inside two weeks ago and began offering curbside service to pick up items they can call in and request or order online. 

Starting Saturday, Walmart said in a statement released online that they will limit the number of customers who can be in a store at once.

Stores will now allow no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time, roughly 20 percent of a store’s capacity.

To manage this restriction, associates at a store will mark a queue at a single-entry door (at the Salem store, it’s the Grocery entrance) and direct arriving customers there, where they will be admitted one-by-one and counted.

Associates and signage will remind customers of the importance of social distancing while they’re waiting to enter a store – especially before it opens in the morning.

Once a store reaches its capacity, customers will be admitted inside on a “1-out-1-in” basis.

Shopping Inside the Store

Walmart noted they will also institute one-way movement through our aisles this week in a number of stores, using floor markers and direction from associates.

According to a statement by Walmart Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith, “We expect this to help more customers avoid coming into close contact with others as they shop.”

“We’ll continue to put signage inside our stores to remind customers of the need to maintain social distancing – especially in lines,” Smith wrote. “And once customers check out, they will be directed to exit through a different door than they entered, which should help lessen the instances of people closely passing each other.”

Smith wrote, “We always want people to feel welcome at Walmart, and we know that in ordinary times a store is a gathering place for members of a community to connect and socialize. We look forward to the time when that is again the case; however, we now want to prioritize health and safety by encouraging customers to do their shopping at a distance from others, then head home.”

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb ordered restaurants and bars to remain closed through May 1. However they can continue to offer drive-thru or carryout service. 

Grocery stores and some retailers were allowed to remain open as “essential” businesses. 

Scott County Health Department confirmed the 7th case of Novel Coronavirus in Scott County on Saturday, April 4. 

The patient has stated they were not working during the infectious period due to the stay-at-home order.

The patient also stated they did not go to any public stores or gatherings.

The patient is quarantined at their residence and recovering.

All close contacts of the patient are quarantining as well.

The infectious period is 48 hours before and 14 days after symptoms onset.

Scott County’s first case was confirmed on March 20 and one person has died to due to the virus. 

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined a bipartisan group of Senators on a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, urging the Administration to ensure the continuity of our country’s food supply and to support rural areas during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by providing needed relief to farmers.

 “We write to ask that you take action to ensure the continuity of our country’s food supply and support rural areas during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by providing needed relief to farmers—including by ensuring that the temporary flexibilities on farm loans recently announced by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are made permanent for the duration of the pandemic and subsequent economic recovery, and also by ensuring adequate and equitable access to credit during this period of market uncertainty,” the senators wrote.

 “Americans always depend on our nation’s farmers to grow the food, fuel, and fiber that we all need, but that reliance becomes much more pronounced in times of crisis,” the senators continued.

 “To provide additional support for those whose operations are being affected by the coronavirus, we urge you to consider making emergency measures such as deadline extensions, loan payment deferrals, payment forbearance, and a full suspension of all current and pending foreclosure actions effective for the duration of the pandemic and subsequent economic recovery.”

 “Such measures are critical to avoiding disruption in the country’s food supply chain.”

Here’s a copy of the letter — 92866A6EFF661C239834ECCFB13B79E3.klobuchar-hoeven-farm-loans-and-credit-covid19-letter-to-usda-final

The Floyd County Health Department released a list of local areas that have been compromised by the Covid-19 virus with persons who have visited these locations testing positive.

FCHD officials want those who have visited these locations to know that may have been exposed and have been experiencing symptoms, please contact the Floyd County Health Department at 812-948-4726 or the COVID-19 hotline at 812-981-7610.

Baptist Lab Phlebotomy Station Suite 100
1919 State Street, New Albany IN 47150
Dates: 3/17/2020- 3/18/2020

Spring Valley Funeral Home
1218 E. Spring Street, New Albany IN 47150
Dates: 3/23/2020

Baptist Health Medical Group Family Medicine (Northgate)
3605 Northgate Court, New Albany IN 47150
Dates: 03/16/2020

American Health Network
1919 State Street, Ste 440, New Albany IN 47150
Dates: 3/9/2020, 3/10/2020, 3/13/2020, and 3/16/2020

Endodontics Associates of Southern Indiana
3018 Charlestown Xing, New Albany, IN 47150.
3/20/2020 only (last day person worked)

With the forthcoming economic impact payments (commonly referred to as stimulus checks), there will undoubtedly be those who will attempt to take advantage of the situation.

Scammers and swindlers will stop at nothing in an attempt to steal others’ money…Don’t let them fool you! Here are a few facts from the Internal Revenue Service every Hoosier should know.  

On March 30th, The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service announced that the distribution of economic impact payments should begin over the next three weeks.

The checks and will be distributed automatically, with no action required for most people. However, some taxpayers who typically do not file returns will need to submit a simple tax return to receive the economic impact payment.

For those who have already filed their 2019 tax returns, the IRS will use this information to calculate the payment amount. For anyone who has not yet filed their return for 2019, the IRS will use data from their 2018 tax filing to calculate the payment.

The economic impact payment will be deposited directly into the same banking account reflected on the return filed.

Don’t give the scammers, swindlers, and frauds an open door. The IRS will not contact you via telephone or email asking for any personal information. All stimulus check information will be automatically gathered by the IRS from your actual tax return data.  

For more information and to read for yourself, please visit the IRS coronavirus website for more details: 

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/economic-impact-payments-what-you-need-to-know