The first national guard team arrived in Muncie Wednesday, and other IU Health hospitals are expecting them in the coming days.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Indiana is one of four states with the largest surges in COVID-19 hospitalizations.

IU Health announced in June that it would require all doctors, nurses, and other employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 1.

On Tuesday, IU Health Ball in Muncie was treating 104 COVID-19 positive patients, occupying approximately 40 percent of the hospital's beds.

The Indiana Hospital Association said the state's health system is strained by the delta variant's spread at a time when Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracking shows Indiana has the country's 15th lowest rate of residents fully vaccinated.

All IU Health inpatient elective surgeries and procedures will be suspended starting Sept. 6.

Downtown Indianapolis commuters will see temporary street and lane closings around the Methodist Hospital campus.

The state's largest health system says affected patients are being notified and their procedures will be rescheduled in about three weeks.

Leaders of local civil rights advocacy groups declined an invitation from IU Health officials to discuss the death of Dr. Susan Moore and racial disparities in health care.

Three community groups hosted a virtual event on Wednesday as part of an ongoing effort to highlight racism in health care in the aftermath of the external review of Dr. Susan Moores death.