The Monroe County coroner is setting up a makeshift morgue to prepare for the possibility of a large number of COVID-19 deaths.



So far, no one in Monroe County is confirmed to have died of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.



However, the county coroner said Sunday that she was working with IU Health, the State Health Department and Emergency Management to set up a makeshift morgue should the need arise for one.



“There are things in the works which include maybe refrigerated trucks, if need be,” Joani Shields said. “We do not have any in place as of yet. It’s still a work in progress.”



The State Department of Health announced Monday that Indiana’s number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 grew by 272 to 1,786.



The number of confirmed cases in Monroe Co. is 26. The county had just eight confirmed cases as of Friday.

Also Sunday, an official said the Marion County Coronor was increasing its capacity.

Deputy Coroner Alfarena McGinty said her office had four refrigerated trucks that could hold a combined 16 extra bodies in case space runs out due to COVID-19 deaths.

This story has been updated to reflect new COVID-19 statistics.

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