Indiana will remain in Stage 4.5 of Governor Holcomb’s Back on Track plan for at least another two weeks. Holcomb announced the change during Wednesday’s COVID-19 briefing.
“As we look out and factor in everything that’s happening – it’s a very volatile environment out there, not just in our state but surrounding our state, around the country, around the world – so we’re going to lock in at 4.5, and we’ll be here for, as I said, at least, underscore at least, another two weeks,” Holcomb said.
That means social gatherings will continue to be limited to 250 people. Restaurant dining rooms remain at 75 percent capacity, while bars and nightclubs remain at 50 percent.
The change comes as the number of new cases continues to go up. “I remain concerned about the number of overall COVID-19 infections,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box. “The seven-day average positivity rate in Indiana was 6.3 percent through July the 4th. That average has increased to 7.1 percent as of July 11th. For comparison, our lowest average positivity rate was on June the 18th, and that seven-day average was 4.2 percent.”
Similarly, the number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital went from 595 on June 26 to 881 on Tuesday.
At the same time, it’s also taking longer for test results to come back, as demand increases nationally. Box said the $60 million bulk order for testing reagents that she announced over a month ago still hasn’t been filled, and regular shipments have also decreased.
She stressed that every Hoosier has a role to play in slowing the spread and helping the state to reopen. “That means wearing your mask when you’re in public and when you can’t socially distance outside,” Box said. “It means staying home if you’re sick. This is especially important if you’ve been tested for COVID and are awaiting results. If you’ve been exposed to a person with COVID and don’t have symptoms, you still need to quarantine at home.”
Governor Holcomb said the decision to mandate the use of face masks remains up to counties and other local governments for now, but he didn’t rule out the possibility of a statewide order if numbers keep going up. Box said she expects to see another surge of COVID-19 cases this fall.
