Local health officials are concerned Labor Day weekend parties and gatherings could lead to a surge of COVID-19 cases in Bartholomew County over the next couple weeks.
Long holiday weekends and family gatherings have been a source of infection for many people in Indiana, and health experts have pinned some of the blame for the summertime surge in much of the country on Memorial Day and Fourth of July gatherings.
Now public health officials are worried that Labor Day will contribute to the virus spread.
Bartholomew County Health Officer Dr. Brian Niedbalski is urging residents to take COVID-19 seriously and wear masks and maintain social distance during any gatherings.
Currently, social gatherings of 250 or more people are not permitted in Indiana, according to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s phased plan to reopen the state.
“Labor Day weekend is a popular time for parties and get-togethers,” Niedbalski said. “I want to emphasize the importance of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing during these events. We don’t want to see a surge in cases in the next two to three weeks, which would be a result of these gatherings.”
A surge in coronavirus cases across large swathes of the country this summer appears to be slightly easing in some areas, but a post-Labor Day surge could quickly wipe out any progress that has been made, The Associated Press reported.
The surge, however, has resulted in about 3.8 million cases of COVID-19 and at least 64,000 deaths across the country, including nine deaths in Bartholomew County, since the first day of summer, according to Johns Hopkins University.
In Indiana, confirmed cases of COVID-19 still remain about as high as they have ever been, with state health officials reporting an additional 1,110 cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, up from 803 the previous Thursday.
In August, 48 people were admitted to Columbus Regional Hospital with COVID-19, the hospital said. Four of them died.
A total of at least 185,900 people in the United States have died from the virus, including at least 3,110 in Indiana and 54 in Bartholomew County.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is believed to be spread by respiratory droplets released when people talk, cough or sneeze, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is also thought to be spread when a person touches a contaminated surface and then touches their mouth, nose or eyes.
Spread is more likely when people are in close contact with one another, within about 6 feet, and the risk is thought to be much higher at large gatherings, health officials said.
In Indiana, state health officials have identified more than 3,300 COVID-19 cases linked to bars, restaurants, family reunions, weddings, churches and other places where people congregate, according to the state health department.
“It is imperative that we continue to take COVID-19 seriously now so that we can hopefully return to a sense of normalcy as soon as possible,” Niedbalski said.
