State health officials say they're not mandating masks in K-12 schools amid a surge of COVID-19 in part because local officials told them they want to make those decisions.

The Indiana Department of Health said so far in 2021, one mosquito sample collected in Vigo County tested positive for West Nile virus. No human cases have been detected, but officials expect to see more West Nile activity as the mosquito season progresses.

IUPUI’s Center for Urban Health will distribute dozens of free lead screening kits at the Indiana Black Expo health fair this week to help overcome barriers many families with children face to get their houses tested.

The annual report from the state health department shows that the number of abortions in Indiana grew by 119, or 1.6 percent, to 7,756 during 2020.

Indiana is no longer requiring K-12 schools to implement any COVID-19 precautions or restrictions. State health officials say those decisions must now be made at the local level.

Indiana's COVID-19 positivity rate was reported at its lowest level since the pandemic began just over a week ago. Since then, the rate has jumped 52 percent.

Indiana is closing its OptumServe COVID-19 testing sites at the end of June. The sites, set up early in the pandemic, have provided more than 541,000 free tests since May of last year.

The state vaccination website will begin scheduling appointments for that age group at 8 a.m. Thursday, following federal approval made Wednesday afternoon.

The Indiana Department of Health will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to 12- to 15-year-olds starting Thursday, pending recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The counties near Indianas border with Michigan are showing persistent risk of coronavirus spread, with top state health officials saying Wednesday they were trying to turn around declining COVID-19 vaccination rates.