This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, December 7th, 2020.

Later in the program, around 5,000 Covid-19 vaccines are expected to arrive at the IU Health Bloomington Hospital this week. More on that in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, A Few Minutes with the Mayor - a weekly segment where listeners pose questions to Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton on community issues.

But first, your local news brief:

Indiana has the second most Covid-19 cases per capita out of any state in the U.S.

That’s according to the New York Times, which also puts Indiana as having recording the ninth most deaths per capita of all states in recent weeks.

Indiana State Department of Health data has Indiana averaging almost 7,000 new cases per day. The department’s data indicates that about 60 Hoosiers are dying every day from Covid-19, the disease caused by Novel Coronavirus. Covid-19 is the leading cause of death in Indiana for the 2020 year.

The number of Hoosiers in ICU beds because of Covid-19 has roughly halved in the past week or two. Likewise, the number of Hoosiers hospitalized because of Covid-19 is still near historic highs, but has gone down to about 3,200.

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Locally, Monroe County is averaging almost 100 new cases per day. The county has seen almost 60 of its residents die because of Covid-19.

Since August, Indiana University reports on its website that 4,182 people have tested positive for Covid-19 at its Bloomington Campus alone. At this point, Indiana University Bloomington cases have made up about 70 percent of all of Monroe County’s cases.

Owen, Green, and Brown Counties each reported around 20 to 30 new cases today, while Jackson, Lawrence, and Morgan Counties each reported around 50 to 75 new cases. 

IU Health Bloomington is slated to begin vaccinating five-thousand of its healthcare workers in the next week. It is the first round of vaccinations which will affect the region. 

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The City of Bloomington Board of Parks Commissioners will vote tomorrow evening on a policy that would ban tents in city parks during day-time hours.

Tents are already banned in night hours. The policy is primarily directed at people experiencing homeless who have erected tents in city parks to find shelter from the cold winter weather.

The language in the policy reflects a so-called “language of inclusion.” It states that the tents prohibit the “whole community from enjoying the parks.”

However, activists have criticized the proposed policy, because they say that it cloaks exclusion and discrimination against homeless people in a progressive language of inclusion. 

Bloomington Covid-19 Joint Press Conference 

Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton said Indiana is averaging one COVID-19 related death every 24 minutes; during the December 4th COVID-19 Press Conference. Indiana University Health Hospital South Central Region President Brian Shockney spoke about Monroe County hospital capacities.

Shockney mentioned the first COVID-19 vaccinations would be distributed to healthcare workers in mid-December. He stated the general public would receive vaccinations in mid 2021.

Monroe County Health Administrator Penny Caudill stated volunteers are needed for vaccine distribution. She mentioned volunteers do not need a medical background.

Monroe County Commissioner Julie Thomas stated the businesses and Social Services CARES funding assistance was continued with an increase of 30 thousand dollars’ worth of assistance for each business. She said any business in need of assistance should visit the county website at co.monroe.in.us.