Good afternoon. This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, November 30th, 2020.

Later in the program, coronavirus cases are expected to increase after the Thanksgiving holiday, according to national, state and local health officials. More on that later in the program.

Also coming up in the next half hour, we have the latest edition of A Few Minutes with the Mayor – where we pose questions to Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton on community issues.

But first, your local headlines:

COVID-19 Joint Press Conference

During the November 25th COVID-19 Press Conference County Health Administrator Penny Caudill mentioned slow test result return times due to an increased demand in testing.

IU Health Hospital South Central Region President Brian Shockney reported the highest COVID-19 patient volume since the pandemic began.

Shockney mentioned 50 percent of Bloomington Hospital inpatients came from neighboring counties, over the last 14 days. He said some COVID-19 vaccinations would be received in mid-December.

However, Shockney stated the end of the virus would probably NOT be seen until late 2021.

Coronavirus Spike Expected From Thanksgiving Holiday

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said to expect an additional surge of Covid-19 after the Thanksgiving holiday.

According to numbers from the Transportation Security Administration or TSA, more than one million Americans traveled by plane last Wednesday – the largest number since the start of the pandemic.

More Covid-19 cases are expected in the aftermath of the holiday, Fauci said on Sunday’s Meet the Press. It takes five to six days for symptoms to show, so the spike will likely be reflected in the Covid-19 dashboard later this week.

In Indiana, we’ve seen a trending increase in Covid-19 hospitalizations ahead of Thanksgiving. In a November 25th press conference, Governor Eric Holcomb said he’s meeting with local officials after the holiday to provide updated perspectives on how Covid-19 has impacted various communities.

Penny Caudill, Monroe County Health Administrator, urged residents to take precautions ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in a joint press conference on Wednesday.

As of Monday, Monroe County has seen 5,724 total positive cases and 52 total deaths from Covid-19.

Indiana Schools Struggle to Stay Open After Increasing Covid-19 Cases

As of Monday, the Indiana State Department of Health reported over 15,000 total cases of Covid-19 in schools. That number includes students, teachers and staff members.

The number of positive cases is likely higher, as participating in the state dashboard is not mandatory for schools. 386 schools have not reported Covid-19 data to the state health department.

The Associated Press reported that schools struggle to stay open due to the increasing number of new infections and related quarantines.

As of tomorrow, all Marion County schools are moving completely online until mid-January, according to an order by the county health department.

After a week-long break from classes, Monroe County Community School Corporation will move to Phase Yellow – which means that elementary schools will continue in-person, while middle and high schools continue a hybrid model of learning. Any student in 100 percent virtual learning will continue to do.

Kelby Turmail, communications officer for MCCSC, said in a phone conversation on Monday that the school corporation’s Covid-19 data is monitored daily and is subject to change. In mid-December, MCCSC will decide how it will move forward with in-person learning.

Richland Bean Blossom schools will use E-Learning from November 23rd to December 4th. In person learning will begin on December 7th.

State Lawmaker Steps Down, Cites Governor’s Restrictions

Republican state lawmaker Christy Stutzman said she will resign from the Indian...