COLUMBUS, Ind. — Bartholomew County is reinstating restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 amid a surge in cases in the community that has resulted in the quarantining of nearly three dozen local healthcare workers recently.
County health officials announced Friday that Bartholomew County is moving back to Stage 4.5 of Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s plan to reopen the state.
That means restaurant dining room capacity will be reduced to 75% capacity and bars seating, movie theaters and bowling alleys will be reduced 50% capacity. Social gatherings will be limited to no more than 250 people.
Stage 4.5 would take effect “as soon as possible” and last for at least four weeks, said Dr. Brian Niedbalski, Bartholomew County health officer.
“This is a very important time for Bartholomew County,” Niedbalski said during a Friday press conference. “Many of our local cases have been linked to some of these public gatherings, whether that’s weddings or baby showers or family get-togethers. Due to this, we’ve decided that we’ve reached a moment in time that we need to take a more cautious approach as a community, and we’re going to step back to Stage 4.5.”
Stage 4.5 was initially introduced by Holcomb in July as a stop-gap measure aimed at pausing his five-stage plan to reopen the state after the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and daily test positivity rate increased over the summer.
Bartholomew County, as well as the much of the rest of Indiana, later moved to Stage 5 in late September, but infection rates and hospitalizations have been climbing ever since.
More than 28,229 Hoosiers have tested positive for COVID-19 over roughly the past week, including 247 people in Bartholomew County, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
On Thursday, the number of people in Indiana hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infections eclipsed 2,000 for the first time, according to the latest figures from ISDH. By comparison, there were 731 people hospitalized on Sept. 12.
On Friday, there were 16 people hospitalized with COVID-19 at Columbus Regional Hospital, up from 11 the previous Friday.
But the surge in cases across the state is placing healthcare providers under increasing strain, particularly with staff, CRH officials said.
There were 34 Columbus Regional Hospital employees quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19 or experiencing symptoms consistent with the coronavirus as of this Friday, said CRH spokeswoman Kelsey DeClue.
A summary of Stage 4.5, provided by the Bartholomew County Health Department:
- Bars, nightclubs and bar seating at restaurants may operate at 50 percent capacity, following social distancing guidelines.
- Movie theaters, bowling alleys and similar facilities may operate at 50 percent capacity, following social distancing guidelines.
- Dining room food service may operate at 75 percent capacity, following social distancing guidelines.
- Gyms, fitness centers, personal services and similar facilities may operate, but must screen employees daily, wear face coverings, class sizes and equipment must be spaced to accommodate social distancing. Equipment must be cleaned after each use and between uses.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
