The Indiana State Department of Health designated Monroe County as a yellow advisory level for COVID-19 cases for the second week in a row, indicating a moderate spread of the disease. The ISDH determines a county’s advisory level by monitoring changes in 7-day positivity test rates and cases per 100,000 residents.
Related: [Monroe County COVID-19 advisory level rises to yellow Wednesday]
The seven-day positivity rate in Monroe County was 1.02% this week, an increase from the 0.85% last week. Additionally, cases per 100,000 residents increased from 128 to 137 in the last week, according to the ISDH website.
Advisory levels in Indiana range in severity from blue to red, with blue indicating minimal spread and red indicating high community spread. Yellow is the second least severe level.
Counties can only move to a lower COVID-19 advisory level by meeting the requirements for a less severe color and maintaining that status for two weeks.
Related: [UPDATE APRIL 7: IU reports 0.5% positivity rate, 151 new COVID-19 cases]
COVID-19 cases are also on the rise for IU. IU’s weekly dashboard said the mitigation testing positivity rate is 0.5% for this week, the highest rate since January. IU also reported 151 new cases of COVID-19, pushing the total number of cases between staff, faculty and students at IU above 8,000 since July 2020. This is the most new cases in a week IU has reported since November.
