The next vaccination steps announced Wednesday come after vaccinations of Indiana health care workers began Dec. 16 and extended to nursing home residents and staffers last week.

The bill would protect businesses, hospitals, schools and other institutions from being sued by an individual claiming to have been exposed to COVID-19 while on the premises.

A group of about 20 protesters rallied outside the Statehouse Tuesday against Gov. Eric Holcomb's public health emergency orders.

No official analysis has been done on the economic impact of Indiana hosting this years March Madness games, but officials say they anticipate it to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The 24/7 access helpline was launched in July to support the mental health needs of Hoosiers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indiana hospitals had 2,907 coronavirus patients as of Monday, 71 more than Sunday and the most since Dec. 29.

Anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions have become more prevalent among Hoosiers since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the state's top health officials said in calling for renewed attention on mental health resources.

The tone of the session was set on Organization Day in November, when leaders of both parties talked about the lessons learned from COVID-19 and how they would influence lawmakers' agendas.

A study at Indiana University aims to shed light on so-called COVID-19 immunity, after a person has been infected or after being vaccinated.

The Continued Assistance Act would restart additional Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (benefits at a lower rate and extends the length of time an unemployed worker can be eligible for benefits.