Indiana is one of several states seeing a new wave of COVID-19 cases with some counties getting hit harder than others, and the rising numbers are creating additional challenges for schools struggling to stay open.

Indiana's average number of new COVID-19 cases has more than doubled since Gov. Eric Holcomb moved the state to Stage 5 four weeks ago and withdrew almost all restrictions.

Forty of Indiana's 92 counties were placed in orange or red levels under the agencys color-coded weekly tracking map update, while 22 counties were at those levels last week.

State health officials on Tuesday added 48 coronavirus-related deaths to Indiana's toll, which has growing faster over the past month along with new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.

Fountain County Clerk Paula Copenhaver said she will "not be part of the government overreach" and contends social distancing and hand sanitizer are enough.

Despite the encouraging sign, the labor force -- defined as the number of people working, or looking for work -- shrunk significantly.

The Indiana State Department of Health released its interim draft on Tuesday and -- similar to other states -- will follow a phased approach. The department says the first recipients of a COVID-19 vaccine will be healthcare workers.

An average student in Indiana may have lost the equivalent of more than one year of learning during the pandemics first months when school buildings closed, according to a new study.

Now that summer is over and temperatures are dipping across the Midwest, people are headed indoors, some experts fear the already striking rise in cases is the beginning of another wave of COVID-19.

Indiana's total death toll has grown to 3,960, including confirmed and presumed coronavirus infections.