The Columbus Regional Health Foundation has set up a special fund to support hospital system employees struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Julie Abedian with the Foundation explains that hospital workers are facing two kinds of challenges now: The stress of the coronavirus epidemic and the economic hardships brought on by the epidemic.

While many people think of hospital workers as high-paid physicians and nurses, many are lower-wage workers.

The fund will help employees with one-time grants for expenses such as basic housing, transportation or childcare needs. The needs must be unusual, unexpected, and immediate or time sensitive. The funds will be available for services unique to hospital employees as opposed to other community relief efforts such as the United Way of Bartholomew County’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.

You can donate by text message to 202-858-1233, online at CRH dot org slash relief or by mail. Send a check, with note to CRH Employee Relief Fund, via USPS to Columbus Reginal Health Foundation, 2400 E. 17 th Street, Columbus, IN 47201

Indiana has nearly 8,000 total cases of COVID-19 being reported, and 343 deaths as of Sunday morning’s update.

The Indiana Department of Health reported 7,728 cases of COVID-19 yesterday.

Bartholomew County has 110 confirmed cases, up from 108 on Saturday and 83 on Friday. There have been four deaths so far from the coronavirus in Bartholomew County, which remains unchanged from last week. Local health officials say that there have been 796 tests of Bartholomew County residents, with 534 negatives and 105 results still pending.

Decatur County has 127 cases, Jennings 56, Jackson 70, Brown 12, 317 in Johnson and 71 positive test results in Shelby County.

Johnson County has had 20 deaths, 10 deaths in Decatur, two in Shelby and one in Brown. Neither Jennings nor Jackson counties have reported a death from COVID-19.

The state health department has been releasing daily updates at 10 a.m. each morning, but going forward those won’t be updated until noon.

The Indiana State Department of Health is reporting this morning that Bartholomew County still has 83 positive test results for COVID-19, with 118 cases in Decatur, 46 in Jennings, 57 in Jackson, 9 in Brown, 270 in Johnson and 63 in Shelby counties.

Bartholomew County has not had any more deaths from the disease, with four so far. Decatur County had two more deaths bringing their total to eight. Brown County has had only a single death. Shelby County has had two. Johnson County had five more deaths, bringing their total to 16. Neither Jackson nor Jennings county has had a death from the disease.

The state is reporting 6,907 positive test results for COVID-19 in Indiana and 300 deaths as of this morning’s update. That is almost double the annual average number of deaths from the seasonal flu in the state.

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce is offering daily updates to area businesses trying to navigate the recently enacted CARES stimulus package.

Cindy Frey, president of the chamber, said the chamber began two weeks ago to have the daily webinars with Jon Myers, business advisor with Indiana Small Business Development Center.

During times of crisis, the center acts as an arm of the small business administration.

Frey said the most popular program for local small businesses has been the Paycheck Protection Program which lets businesses borrow from a bank to make payroll and other liabilities for up to four months.

The business has to agree to keep their employees on the payroll, and if they do the loan is forgivable.

You can get more information or sign up for the 9 a.m. sessions on the chamber website at columbusareachamber.com.