The old plan? The one that has guided Hoosiers for the past eight months? Throw that stack of papers in the recycling bin.
With virus numbers surging statewide, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has scrapped the Back on Track Indiana plan for something entirely different.
Wearing a suit and tie instead of his usual T-shirt and sports coat, Holcomb told Hoosiers on Nov. 11 that the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations are reaching a tipping point.
After making his weekly plea to the public to wear masks and socially distance, Holcomb announced that he would sign a new executive order for stricter COVID-19 guidelines Nov. 15.
The new rules focus on each individual county and their status on the Indiana State Department of Health’s color-coded map rather than the five-stage chart offered by the state in the spring. The map measures weekly cases per 100,000 residents and the seven-day positivity rate for all tests completed before determining if a county falls under a blue, yellow, orange, or red category.
On Nov. 11, 87 of Indiana’s 92 counties, including Bartholomew County, were in the orange or red categories. By the end of the week, Indiana had recorded over 40,000 new COVID-19 cases while hospitalization records were broken six out of seven days.
Social gatherings are now to be limited to 50 people in counties falling under the “orange” label and 25 for “red.”
The state’s allowing 25% capacity for extracurricular activities in the schools and there is no capacity limit for church services. Special, including seasonal, events drawing over the social gathering limit can also happen per county approval.
Most importantly, the state has made $20 million available to cities, counties and other local government entities to provide funding for event plan review, education and compliance enforcement. Holcomb also directed Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) to take all available administrative and enforcement actions against businesses failing to comply with the new rules. ISDH, homeland security, and the alcohol and tobacco commission and law enforcement can also take action if businesses fail to comply.
If businesses and customers don’t comply with the new rules, there could be consequences for the establishments including loss of licenses and closure.
The new rules are warranted, but will only work if they’re enforced.
Many businesses have done a good job of keeping customers compliant, but there are also some that have disregarded the recommendations put out by health officials. Conversely, many individuals are also guilty of walking into businesses and taking their masks off once inside a building.
State health officials have said that the numbers will continue to get worse as the “second surge” progresses, so it’s going to take a community effort to keep storefronts open through the winter months.
Hopefully enforcement will help lower the community spread, and the numbers can become more manageable as winter approaches.
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