This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, July 15, 2020.

Later in the program, Sydney Foreman and Kade Young take a look at the 'Black Lives Matter' mural overlay and the history of People’s Park.

But first, here are three things you need to know today.

Free Covid-19 testing is available at the Optum Serve site at the National Guard Armory at 3380 South Walnut Street (Sydney Foreman).

700 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Indiana on Tuesday, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. The state department of health also attributed three new deaths to the virus. Locally, Monroe County saw ten new confirmed cases yesterday, while Lawrence County saw eleven. 

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Gregory Reed Travis used data compiled from John's Hopkins University to provide this Covid-19 graphic (Gregory Travis).

The percentage of Black people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Monroe County is nearly double the percentage of Black people who live in Monroe County. 

According to the U.S. Census, Black people make up 3.7 percent of the population in Monroe County. Black residents have made up 6.5 percent of positive cases in the county according to ISDH.

That’s according to a WFHB comparison of the U.S. Census Bureau and Indiana State Department of Health data. The rate of positive cases among Black people in Monroe County is likely even higher than the reported 6.5 percent. That’s because the state health department’s racial categories can miscount Black people who also who identify as Bi-racial, Latinx, Asian, Indegeneous, or by another label, by grouping them into one category called “Other.” 

The number of People of Color in Monroe County who have tested positive for COVID-19 reflects a disproportion in the U.S., in which Black, Latinx, and Indegeneous people are at least two to three times more likely to become infected with the disease. 

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The Monroe County Public Library is hosting Virtual Storytimes on Tuesdays at ten AM this month. Children’s librarians will be leading a fun, short, preschool storytime. The program is geared to ages 2–6, but all ages are welcome! You find the virtual storytimes on the library’s youtube channel.

Sydney Foreman breaks down the latest Covid-19 press conference (Photo courtesy of Community Access Television Services).

Monroe County Health Administrator Penny Caudill said the county is working on a new health order during a July 10th COVID-19 press conference meeting. She said the order should be finalized by the end of July. She spoke about possible order mandates.

Caudill said the county is also considering a face covering mandate with reasonable acceptations. She said enforcement actions are still under consideration. She said most new cases are in young people ages 20 to 30 years old.

Emergency Management Director Allison Moore said the county continues to collect home made face masks. She said personal protective equipment and supplies for public and private schools were received last week for students and staff. President of Indiana University Health Brian Shockney said before school begins, parents should normalize wearing mask for children. Indiana saw its second largest increase in COVID cases.

Caudill said any student that experiences a positive COVID-19 case must notify the school. She said the schools will close areas or temporarily to clean any necessary areas. Caudill said testing is not a prevention measure. She said an individual acquiring routine tests could strain resources for others.

Photo courtesy of Al-Jazeera.

Marion County joined three other counties in issuing a mandatory mask mandate. According to its latest public health order, Monroe County does not require face coverings in public places.