INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Wednesday that the last stage of the state’s COVID-19 reentry plan will begin on Saturday.
Stage 5 of Indiana Back on Track allows restaurants and bars that offer food service to open at full capacity as long as appropriate social distancing is maintained between tables. Customers in bar sections must remain seated. Bars and nightclubs may open at full capacity as well.
Size limitations for social gatherings and meetings are removed, but organizers of events with more than 500 people must submit a written plan and receive approval from their local health department.
Indoor and outdoor venues may open at full capacity. Senior centers and congregant nutrition sites may reopen according to Family and Social Services Administration guidance.
Personal services, gyms, fitness centers and workout facilities may resume normal operations. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are required to provide visitation opportunities.
Social distancing, hand washing and refraining from work, school and public places if sick will continue to be emphasized throughout the stage. Holcomb’s executive order on wearing face coverings in many situations will remain in effect as well.
Stage 5 is slated to last through Saturday, Oct. 17.
“As we’ve done previously when we’ve moved one stage to the next, we’ve done that in three-week increments to be able to best consume and digest the data that helps guide us on whether to go forward or not,” Holcomb said during a media briefing Wednesday.
Stage 5 was originally eyed to begin on July 4, but the state modified its plan by adding a Stage 4.5.
Updated details on Stage 5 will be posted on backontrack.in.gov today (Thursday, Sept. 24).
Holcomb and Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said during the briefing that the decision to move to Stage 5 was motivated by a continued improvement of COVID-19 metrics in the state.
“The numbers continue to track in the right direction,” Holcomb said.
The state reported on Wednesday a 3.9% seven-day positivity rate for all COVID-19 tests between Sept. 10 and 16. That’s down from July, when seven-day positivity rates were about 6%.
Box and Holcomb also pointed to progress reflected in the state’s new color-coded map that illustrates COVID-19 conditions in Indiana’s 92 counties. The map assigns each county a color based on their weekly cases per 100,000 residents and seven-day positivity rates for all tests. Colors range from blue, representing good conditions, to yellow, orange and red, which represents bad conditions.
The map, which is updated every week, had more blue counties Wednesday. None were red, two were orange and the rest were yellow. Hancock County remained blue. The map can be viewed at coronavirus.in.gov/2393.htm.
Box and Holcomb also said there has been more COVID-19 testing throughout the state and has been reaching about 15,000 a day. Holcomb said he’s encouraged by what he described as personal protective equipment supply levels remaining steady and hospitals not getting overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.
Box and Holcomb emphasized continued vigilance amid the pandemic as well.
“As we move into Stage 5, it’s absolutely imperative that we remember that this is not a return to life the way we knew it in January or February,” Box said.
Jim Phillips, owner of Tour of Italy in downtown Greenfield, said the governor made the right call in allowing restaurants to open to full capacity.
“I’m excited about it,” he said.
Phillips said the change is welcome at a time when colder weather will make patio dining, which has been popular with his customers, a less viable option. He hopes to add back in some of the tables he’s removed from the dining room and bring live music back into the restaurant.
David Baker, owner of three Montana Mike’s Steakhouse locations in central Indiana, had a different view of the governor’s announcement.
“In reality, it doesn’t help restaurants at all,” he said.
Baker said that to maintain social distancing, he’ll need to keep the tables in his restaurants set up the way they are. Because the order from Holcomb says appropriate social distancing should be maintained, Baker said, the governor is telling restaurants they can have something that won’t be practically possible.
“There really is no middle ground,” he said.
Because he is making enough money to stay afloat, Baker said he is happy to continue with social distancing for now. However, he said, he’s seen a range of responses from diners, with some rankling at restrictions and others reporting to staff anyone who is improperly wearing a face mask.
“We try to keep everyone happy,” Baker said. “But some people are never going to be happy.”
Jessica Karins of the Daily Reporter contributed to this story.
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COVID-19 data
Hancock County
- 157 new tests administered (no date range provided)
- 3 new positive cases (no date range provided)
- 4% seven-day positivity rate all tests between Sept. 10 and 16, 4.4% cumulative rate
- 0 new deaths
- 22,418 total tests administered
- 16,050 total individuals tested
- 914 total positive cases
- 6.7% seven-day positivity rate unique individuals between Sept. 10 and 16, 5.7% cumulative rate
- 43 total deaths
Indiana
- 17,909 new tests administered between March 27 and Sept. 22, 7,509 new individuals tested
- 728 new positive cases on Sept. 22
- 3.9% seven-day positivity rate all tests between Sept. 10 and 16, 6% cumulative rate
- 10 new deaths between Sept. 16 and 22
- 1,916,433 total tests administered
- 1,322,819 total individuals tested
- 113,337 total positive cases
- 6.6% seven-day positivity rate unique individuals between Sept. 10 and 16, 8.6% cumulative rate
- 3,305 total deaths
- 47.4% ICU beds in use – non-COVID
- 11.8% ICU beds in use – COVID
- 40.8% ICU beds available
- 15.9% ventilators in use – non-COVID
- 2.7% ventilators in use – COVID
- 81.4% ventilators availble
- 815 total COVID-19 hospital patients
- 225 total probable deaths
Source: Indiana State Department of Health as of 11:59 p.m. Sept. 22
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