The COVID metrics for Fishers are better this week compared to the previous period, but the Fishers Health Department is not optimistic about what is in store for us during January.

The 13.85% positivity rate and case incidence rate of 92.5 are improvements, but the community coronavirus transmission rate remains in the red, or highest category.

Fishers Public Health Director Monica Heltz says she does not expect these metrics to remain positive.  5 new deaths have been reported due to COVID in the past week.

“Although we have appeared to have leveled off for right now, I do anticipate that that is more a result of kind of erratic activities around the holiday season more than it is around a true decrease,” Heltz said in her weekly video update posted Tuesday evening.  “We are very anxiously anticipating further increases into January.”

COVID testing availability at the two Fishers sites is described as good, with appointments available the same day or the following day.  Results are available on an average within 2.6 days.

ICU beds in our area are at 20.7% availability.  Trends are better this week compared to the previous week, perhaps tied to the holidays, but remain at a high capacity.

“Our healthcare system capacity remains stretched,” said Heltz.

Hamilton County residents are the second most mobile in the state, behind only the Fort Wayne area in Allen County.  That is not a good thing, because it measures the number of  neighborhood and family events drawing people together, increasing the chances of COVID spreading.

There is great concern at the Health Department about long-term care facilities.

“We have seen COVID go through quite a few of our long-term care facilities and nursing homes again, and it has been disastrous for them, both in staffing and resident outcomes,” Heltz said.  FHD is providing assistance to those locations as needed.

Vaccine guidance is expected next week from the state.  It will include steps on who will be next in receiving the vaccinations.

You can view the entire video from Monica Heltz at this link.

Hamilton County Reporter

Indiana State Board of Health data indicates Hamilton County has experienced a decline in number of new daily COVID-19 cases. On Dec. 2, the county reported a record number of 482 new cases, with cases on a steady decline through Dec. 27 with 178 newly reported cases.

A total of 23,282 COVID cases have been reported in Hamilton County since March 15, a total of 270 people have died in the county due to COVID-19.

The top 3 county zip codes with highest COVID-19 cases by percentage of population are:

1. 46074 (Westfield) – 9.55 percent
2. 46037 (Fishers) – 8.67 percent
3. 46062 (Noblesville) – 8.25 percent

It began on Christmas Day and will not end until January 8.  I am referring to a Public Health Order in place for the City of Fishers closing all restaurants, bars, taverns, nightclubs, retail food establishments, and other establishments providing in-person food and/or drink service to indoor dining and drink service and cleared of customers between the hours of 10:00pm and 5:00am. During these times, carry-out dining is allowed under the order.

This was in response to a recent 40% increase in the number of positive COVID tests in Fishers.

The holiday season does tend to draw customers closer together as the hour is late, which appears to be the target of this order.  Public health experts had warned of a spike in positive tests after Thanksgiving and the Fishers numbers sadly reflect that.

Dr. Anthony Fauci has recently said we have still not seen the worst of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the United States.  How bad it gets is largely up to all of us.

Practicing the simple advice of the experts will go a long way – wear a mask, distance at least 6 feet and wash hands thoroughly & often.

As someone that contracted the virus and survived, I want to urge everyone reading this piece to heed the expert advice.  You are not just protecting yourself, you are protecting those close to you.

This is the year to curtail the large New Year’s Eve parties.  Consider not only yourself, but everyone around you every day.

You can read the entire City of Fishers Health Department Public Health Order at this link.

The end-of-the-year holiday season normally sees a flurry of film releases.  COVID has made this something less than a normal year, but we have seen some important films released lately.  Join Adam Aasen, Alec Toombs and myself for the latest episode of the Grade A Movies podcast.  www.GradeAMovies.com

Hamilton County Reporter

Due to COVID-19 concerns, Hamilton County Clerk Kathy Williams issued the oaths of office to individual county-level elected officials. Normally the county conducts a public swearing-in ceremony that draws nearly 200 onlookers. Newly and re-elected officials begin their term of office on Jan. 1.

Wonder Woman as a superhero has been around for a long time, first as a comic book character in DC Comics.  Hollywood brought Wonder Woman back in 2018 for a very good film.  Wonder Woman 1984, the first sequel, was released on Christmas Day.  So, what is the verdict on the sequel?  Here is my review.

I have been thinking all week how I should express my Christmas greeting to the Fishers community in 2020.  Most of us look back on this year with a bad taste in our mouths, and with good reason.  This has been a hard year for most of us.

I do not want to minimize that pain.  COVID-19 has brought serious health and economic hardships.  People have become sick.  People have spent time in the hospital due to coronavirus.  People have died.

I do believe most of us have become numb to the numbers, but there is human suffering and pain attached to these numbers.  For instance, there have been a total of 6,538 positive tests for Fishers residents since the pandemic began. I was one of those.  I was also one of the lucky ones to survive.

There have been 51 people in Fishers listed as dead due to COVID-19.  That is not just a number.  Those people are moms, dads, brothers, sisters and spouses.  Each COVID death impacts an entire family and circle of friends.

With all that pain, I want to point out that there are acts of kindness going on throughout our fair city of Fishers.  Mayor Scott Fadness has started a campaign to recognize those in Fishers helping others.

Even with the divisions we see within our local community, we often forget that selfless acts of kindness are happening all day, every day throughout Fishers.

So, let us not forget about how we help each other out.  It is worth recognition.

In this very difficult year, I have something to celebrate myself.  I became a grandfather for the first time.  My grandson Dakota is four months old now and the light of my family’s life in a year that has not provided much to rejoice.

So, as hard as things are, let’s remember and recognize the good that is happening in our communities and our families.  Do not ignore the suffering and hardships many of us are undergoing at this time.  Perhaps you can find a way to help your neighbors, as many people in Fishers are doing now.

Please, enjoy the holiday season.  God bless all the readers of my LarryInFishers.com news blog.

Trane Technologies says it plans to move 100 employees from the northeast side of Indianapolis to Hub & Spoke in Fishers.

Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) reporter Kurt Christian has a story posted on the newspaper’s Web site at this link. (NOTE:  Your access to the story may be limited if you are not an IBJ subscriber)

Hamilton County Reporter

Fishers lost a tough game at Class 4A No. 1 Lawrence North on Tuesday, falling to the Panthers in overtime 65-60.

The Tigers got off to a great start, leading 15-6 after the first quarter and 32-18 at halftime. The Panthers began to chip away at that lead, getting within 43-35 by the
end of the third period.

Fishers led 56-53 with seconds left, but a last-second 3-pointer by LN sent the game into overtime. The Panthers outscored the Tigers 9-4 in the extra period. Fishers is 2-2 for the season.

The Tigers play next Tuesday at the Huntington North Tournament, taking on New Haven and Arsenal Tech in pool play

The recount for the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board is complete and Sarah Donsbach remains the winner, by 19 votes, following the additional ballot count.  Here are the totals following the tally overseen by the Recount Commission:

Sarah Donsbach         14,752

Amanda Shera             14,733

Tony Bagato                  12,931

Hamilton County Superior Court Judge Jonathon Brown issued the order December 20th finalizing the commission’s work.  The Recount Commission consisted of three members – Amy Summerfield, Joe Weingarten and Jerry Liston.

Hamilton County Clerk Kathy Williams says the recount resulted in 3 additional votes for incumbent Amanda Shera, 2 more votes for Donsbach and 5 fewer votes for Tony Bagato.  In the original certified count, Donsbach was shown as the winner in Delaware Township with 20 more votes than Shera.

This will mean the HSE board will have three new members sworn-in at the first meeting in 2021, scheduled for January 13.  Those new members will be  Ms. Donsbach, Sarah Parkes-Reese and Suzanne Thomas.