Chase First Banking.
F-L POSTPONED 3 GAMES DUE TO
A SURGE IN CASES AMONG
PLAYERS. *ALEXI*) TOMORROW
NIGHT'S SOLD-OUT COLTS GAME
AGAINST THE PATRIOTS IS STILL
ON AT LUCAS OIL. HERE ARE THE
CHANGES: LAS VEGAS AT
CLEVELAND IS MOVED FROM
SATURDAY TO MONDAY. SEATTLE AT
THE L-A RAMS.. AND WASHINGTON
AT PHILLY FROM SUNDAY TO
TUESDAY. THE LEAGUE HAD TO
RESCHEULDE 15 GAMES LAST
SEASON. ACCORDING TO THE
N-F-L, THE CHANGES WERE BASED
ON THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
WITH THE OMICRON STRAIN. THE
LEAGUE PREVIOUSLY DID NOT PLAN
TO MOVE ANY GAMES DUE TO
OUTBREAKS.
*PHI*) THIS LEAVES ONE N-
F-L GAME FOR TOMORROW... AND
IT'S RIGHT HERE IN
INDIANAPOLIS. THE COLTS VERSUS
PATRIOTS.. AT LUCAS OIL
STADIUM. WISH T-V REPORTER
GARRETT BERG- QUIST FOUND OUT
WHY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS
ARE IN WAIT-AND- SEE MODE.
*) SATURDAY'S COLTS GAME
IS SOLD OUT... SO ORGANIZERS
SAY THERE COULD BE 60 THOUSAND
PEOPLE IN THE STANDS. MARION
COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
DIRECTOR DOCTOR VIGINIA CAINE
SAYS COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS IN
INDIANA ARE CLOSE TO A RECORD.
BUT THE OVERALL CASE COUNT IS
HALF OF WHAT IT WAS LAST
YEAR... SO SHE'S NOT QUITE
READY TO IMPOSE A MASK
MANDATE. SHE SAYS IT'S ON ALL
OF US TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. ((
DR. VIRGINIA CAINE, MARION CO.
PUBLIC HEALTH DEPT. "WE CAN'T
DO NOTHING ABOUT TOMORROW BUT
WE CAN DEFINITELY DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THE NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP OR FOLLOWUP
FOOTBALL GAMES, IS GET
VACCINATED. THAT IS THE NUMBER
ONE MOST CRITICAL TOOL. PLUS
GETTING YOUR BOOSTER SHOT.
THAT MAKES A HUGE
DIFFERENCE.")) (( )) OFFICIALS
AT LUCAS OIL STADIUM SAY
THEY'LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW
MARION COUNTY'S GUIDELINES.
SATURDAY ALSO BRINGS THE
CROSSROADS CLASSIC AT THE
GAINBRIDGE FIELDHOUSE.
OFFICIALS THERE SAY ANY COVID
RULES ARE UP TO THE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT... AND TO
INDIVIDUAL EVENT ORGANIZERS.
DANNY LOPEZ/PACERS SPORTS &
ENTERTAINMENT "WE CONTINUE TO
FOLLOW CDC GUIDELINES, WHICH
IS RECOMMENDED MASKS INDOORS
REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION
STATUS, AND THEN OF COURSE
EACH INDIVIDUAL PROMOTER, OR
ARTIST OR EVENT OR, IN THIS
CASE, IN THE CASE OF THE
CROSSROADS, THE INDIVIDUAL
SCHOOLS, WILL HAVE THEIR OWN,
COULD HAVE THEIR OWN
REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY LAYER
ON TOP AND SO OUR STAFF WORKS
TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE AS
WELL.)) GARRETT BERGQUIST /
WISH TV: )) "THE PUBLIC HEALTH
GUIDANCE HERE IN MARION COUNTY
HASN'T CHANGED. OFFICIALS SAY
YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO WEAR A
MASK INDOORS AT LARGE EVENTS
BUT THEY STRONGLY RECOMMEND
YOU DO SO REGARDLESS OF
WHETHER YOU HAVE RECEIVED A
COVID-19 VACCINE. AT THE
GAINBRIDGE FIELDHOUSE, GARRETT
BERGQUIST, WISH TV, WISHTV.COM
AND FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK."
*)
*ALEXI*) INDIANA REPORTS
MORE THAN 3- THOUSAND HOOSIERS
HOSPITALIZED WITH THE VIRUS.
THE STATE'S LARGEST HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM ACCOUNTS FOR 518
OF THOSE STATEWIDE. I-U HEALTH
SAYS THAT'S AN ALL TIME HIGH..
AND A MAJORITY OF PATIENTS ARE
IN THE I-C-U. IT SAYS THE
DEMAND AND STRAIN ON ITS
HEALTH CARE WORKERS HAS NEVER
BEEN GREATER. NATIONAL GUARD
MEMBERS ARE HELPING STAFF AT
13 OF I-U HEALTH'S 16
HOSPITALS TONIGHT. TROOPS WILL
BE DEPLOYED TO TWO MORE
HOSPITALS NEXT WEEK.
*ALEXI*) ESKENAZI HEALTH..
ST. VINCENT.. AND COMMUNITY
HEALTH NETWORK ARE ALSO
DEALING WITH DISTURBING
NUMBERS. NEWS 8'S CAMILA
FERNANDEZ SPOKE WITH HOSPITAL
LEADERS ABOUT THE OVERWHELMING
SURGE.
*) ((I SPOKE WITH SEVERAL
DIFFERENT HOSPITALS TODAY..
AND THEY CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH
THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING
VACCINATED. AT ESKENAZI.. I'M
TOLD MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF
THEIR COVID-19 PATIENTS ARE
UNVACCINATED.)) ((THERE HASN'T
BEEN THE BREAK OR THE TIME OFF
THAT WE USED TO NEED AND
NEED.)) ACCORDING TO INTENSIVE
CARE PHYSICIAN AT ESKENAZI
HEALTH DR. GRAHAM CARLOS.. THE
HOSPITAL HAS AROUND 333 BEDS
AND THEY'RE TREATING MORE THAN
50 COVID-19 PATIENTS. ((WE ARE
SIMPLY LIKE MANY HOSPITALS OUT
OF BEDS. WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THE
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT THAT ARE
ADMITTED THAT NEED CARE IN THE
HOSPITAL.. BUT WE HAVE TO WAIT
FOR OTHERS TO BE DISCHARGED..
SO THEY CAN BE MOVED UP TO GET
IN.)) ST. VINCENT HOSPITAL
TELLS ME.. THEY'RE ALSO FACING
SOME CHALLENGES. IN NOVEMBER..
THEY TREATED A TOTAL OF 824
COVID-19 PATIENTS.. AND SO FAR
FOR DECEMBER.. THEY'VE HAD A
TOTAL OF 851 COVID-19 PATIENTS
SO FAR.. AND THE MONTH IS ONLY
HALF OVER. ((IT IS
OVERWHELMING.. AND AGAIN..
WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS
FOR COMING UP ON A COUPLE OF
YEARS ALREADY AND WE'VE SEEN
DIFFERENT WAVES AND SPIKES AND
IT'S HARD WHEN YOU'RE IN THE
MIDDLE OF A WAVE.)) ((DOCTORS
TELL ME.. THE BEST WAY TO
PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS
FROM COVID-19 INFECTION IS
STILL TO GET VACCINATED.
REPORTING IN INDIANAPOLIS..
CAMILA FERNANDEZ.. WISH-TV..
WISH- TV DOT COM.. AND FOLLOW
US ON FACEBOOK.))
*PHI*) STUDENTS EXPOSED TO
COVID-19 CAN STAY IN THE
CLASSROOM IF THEY TEST
NEGATIVE. THAT'S PART OF THE
C-D-C'S NEW STRATEGY RELEASED
TODAY. IT'S CALLED 'TEST TO
STAY.' THE C-D-C SAYS TESTING
WILL NEED TO BE DONE AT LEAST
TWICE DURING THE 7-DAY PERIOD
AFTER EXPOSURE. BEFORE, IF
SOMEONE IN A SCHOOL TESTS
POSITIVE, THOSE DEEMED CLOSE
CONTACTS HAD TO QUARATINE FOR
10 DAYS. THE C-D-C SAYS THE
'TEST-TO-STAY' APPROACH ONLY
WORKS IF MASKS ARE WORN
CONSISTENTLY AND CORRECTLY.
THE AGENCY PLANS TO UPDATE ITS
GUIDANCE TO HELP SCHOOLS AND