COLUMBUS, Ind. — Just over a year ago, life in Bartholomew County was very different.
Local residents still greeted one other with handshakes, crammed into bars and restaurants and packed offices for hours at a time — with no idea that everyone’s life would dramatically change over the course of about 10 days.
Concern had been mounting about a mysterious pneumonia-like illness named COVID-19 that had been spreading across the globe since January 2020, but Columbus had so far been spared.
But it wasn’t until March 16, 2020 that viral outbreak hit home.
On March 16, 2020, Columbus Regional Health held a surprise press conference and announced that a mysterious pneumonia-like illness named COVID-19 had arrived in Bartholomew County.
A patient at Columbus Regional Hospital had tested positive for COVID-19, and hospital officials issued a dire warning to the community — the illness was spreading locally.
Around the same time, the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. transitioned to e-learning. City officials closed city buildings. Cummins Inc., which employs about 8,000 people in the Columbus area, also instituted a work-from-home policy.
Fear and panic buying had set in. Suddenly toilet paper and some basic food items were nowhere to be found.
And that was just the beginning.
For the full story of the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 arriving in Bartholomew County, pick up a Sunday Republic.
