Monroe County Health Department reports rising COVID-like visits, urges safe-sleep resources after statewide infant deaths

The Monroe County Health Department told commissioners Thursday that emergency department visits for COVID-like illness and wastewater concentrations were trending upward and that state health officials had reported more than 10 infant deaths related to unsafe sleep in August.

At the meeting the health department said it offers free safe-sleep training and resources and provided a county contact number for those services. The department also reminded residents that its public health clinic has vaccines available for all ages and supplied the clinic appointment phone number.

Commissioners thanked the health department for the information and noted the infant-death figure was reported by the Indiana Department of Health as a statewide total. The department did not propose new county policy during the presentation but urged residents to access safe-sleep training and clinic vaccination services.

The department's public contact numbers given in the meeting are (812) 349-2075 for safe-sleep training and resources and (812) 353-3244 for the public health clinic and vaccinations.