TOP STORY OF THE DAY, brought to you free by WICU: Clay County alone in ‘yellow’ in District 7 advisory column

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, Clay County remains in the YELLOW ADVISORY category with an overall score of “1” for the second week in a row.

Clay County is the lone YELLOW county in District 7; a sea of BLUE (overall scores of 0 or .5), including Greene, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion Vigo counties.

The ISDH updates the Advisory Category determination each Wednesday. A county must remain at a lower Weekly Two-Metric Score for two consecutive weeks to move down to a lower advisory level.

Clay County is the only one in District 7 (left image) at the "yellow" level of the COVID-19 advisory scale.

Among Clay County’s estimated 26,501 residents, data at the ISDH shows 11,067 unique individuals have been tested, with 22,543 tests completed overall. A total of 2,414 positive cases were reported since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, with 44 deaths.

Log onto https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/ to learn more about how the State of Indiana is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hoosiers 50 years and up now eligible

On Wednesday, March 3, the Indiana State Department of Health announced the next group of Hoosiers — age 50 to 59 — are now eligible to receive the free COVID-19 vaccine.

Appointments can be scheduled online at ourshot.in.gov for one of the nearly 400 vaccination locations around the state. People wanting to schedule appointments can also call 211 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily; a representative will help schedule an appointment.

The Clay County 4-H Fairgrounds, 6656 North State Road 59, is the local vaccination clinic, open for appointments only during Wednesday through Saturday.

Some facts to know before going to a vaccine appointment:

The vaccine is available at no cost but bring your insurance card if you have one. Also, Indiana residents need to show proof of eligibility at their appointment.

If living with another person(s) who is also eligible to receive the vaccine, you will need to schedule separate appointments.

If making an appointment for the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, people will need a second dose to be fully vaccinated. This will be scheduled at the time of your first shot. (The Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires one dose.)

Log onto https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/ to learn more about the COVID-19 pandemic region.