Teachers, students and administrators have dealt with a lot the past two years, and many are looking to the end of school with the hope of having a “normal” year this fall. But before that, the annual ILEARN exams begin this month.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Riley Children’s Health chief medical officer Dr. Elaine Cox said about four times as many children are being admitted to Riley Hospital now than at any other point in the pandemic.

Indiana reports more than 12,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day. State health officials raise the alarm about Indiana’s overwhelmed hospitals. And Gov. Eric Holcomb said he was “stunned” by Attorney General Todd Rokita’s comments saying he “doesn’t believe any numbers any more.”

As COVID-19 deaths approach 19,000 in Indiana, the insurance industry has been processing claims at a record rate. Nationally, more than 824,000 people have died from the virus.

Marion County Public Health Department Director Dr. Virginia Caine said the goal is to reduce the spread of COVID.

After a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health experts believe we're still a way off from endemic — a term used for a disease that is normally seen in a population.

The Indiana Department of Health reported more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases Friday. That comes as cases – and hospitalizations – have continued to grow in the last several weeks.

The COVID-19 delta variant accounts for more than 80 percent of sampled positive cases in Indiana. State health officials have pointed to the variant as the main driver of Indiana’s recent climb in new cases and hospitalizations.

An eastside Indianapolis church with nearly 11,000 members has been busy during the pandemic to maintain accessibility to their worshippers.

Side Effects Public Media recently received questions from audience members through our texting group, the Midwest Checkup, about how the changes wrought by the pandemic may affect child development and talked to experts to provide some answers.