COLUMBUS, Ind. — Members of a local COVID-19 task force will meet this week to decide if the city and county will move at the same pace as the governor’s plan to reopen Indiana as concerns increase over several states facing surges in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations.
A sub-group of the COVID-19 Community Task Force will meet Wednesday to “discuss our thoughts about the direction of the city and county” as the state prepares to enter the fifth and final stage of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Indiana Back on Track plan on Saturday, said Bartholomew County Health Officer Dr. Brian Niedbalski.
The task force, which was formed in February, includes representatives from Columbus Regional Health, the city of Columbus mayor’s office, Bartholomew County Health Department, Bartholomew County Emergency Management, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. and Cummins, Inc.
“We will be meeting this week to discuss our thoughts about the direction of the city and county moving forward with the next phase,” Niedbalski said. “There is some concern due to what is happening in Florida, Texas and Arizona, but I’m afraid those states have likely done a poor job with physical distancing, wearing masks and avoiding larger gatherings.”
“We will make our local decision at that time or the following day,” Niedbalski said.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
