GREENFIELD — On Thursday afternoon, Sept. 24, Snappers Bar and Grill in Greenfield was fairly empty. A handful of patrons were eating lunch at the bar, with empty chairs between them to promote social distancing, served by a bartender wearing a mask.
Eric Hamm and Kevin Coffelt were both enjoying a plate of wings, but they were divided in their opinion of Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, whose executive orders have set most of the state’s COVID-19 policy. The latest order will allow Snappers and eating establishments around the state to resume serving at their full capacity starting Saturday.
“I think he’s pretty good, in my opinion,” Hamm said.
“He may be good for a governor, but he’s made bad decisions on this mask-wearing (issue),” Coffelt said. “Why does he get to control what we get to do and what our health is?”
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Hamm said he doesn’t mind wearing a mask, even if it is sometimes uncomfortable. He has a respiratory condition; he doesn’t want to get COVID-19, or pass it on to anyone else.
“I don’t like it, but if it’s going to keep some other people, especially older people, from getting sick and dying, yeah, I’ll do it,” he said.
Holcomb announced Wednesday, Sept. 23, that the state will move into Stage 5 — the final phase of its reopening plan — starting Saturday, Sept. 26. At Stage 5, restaurants and bars can reopen at full capacity as long as 6 feet of social distancing is possible. Senior centers and public meal sites, like soup kitchens, can reopen. Gyms, salons and other businesses can resume full, normal operations, with social distancing.
Face coverings remain required, though the mandate to wear them in public places will expire Oct. 17 unless extended. Organizers of events with more than 500 people expected to attend will be required to have a plan to mitigate COVID-19 spread approved by the local health department.
Local governments are free to impose more restrictive guidelines if they choose to, but governments in Hancock County haven’t taken that path.
While Holcomb is free to move the state back to an earlier stage if he believes public health indicators warrant it, the latest decision signals a winding down of restrictions on businesses and the public to protect against a disease that recently reached a grim milestone, claiming 200,000 American lives.
The Indiana State Department of Health’s novel coronavirus dashboard reported 17 new deaths Thursday, Sept. 24 and 920 new cases. The seven-day positivity rate, representing the percentage of those tested who were found to have the virus, was 3.9%.
Craig Felty, vice president, chief nursing officer and chief operating officer of Hancock Regional Hospital, believes Hancock County is ready for Stage 5 as long as people continue to maintain practices like social distancing, wearing face coverings and proper hygiene. He said the county’s done a really good job of that so far, and it’s reflected in local COVID-19 data.
“I think people are just really ready to move back to some sense of normalcy,” Felty said. “We just hope that everybody will still adhere to the stuff that we need to do to keep an eye on this so we don’t see another spike.”
Dr. Sandra Aspy, Hancock County health officer, did not respond to a request seeking comment.
Holcomb’s executive order pointed to several positive indicators of the state’s handling of COVID-19, including a decline in the percentage of positive results from tests, a decline in the number of deaths per week, and the high availability of hospital beds and ventilators.
While Stage 5 allows indoor and outdoor venues of all types to open at full capacity, social distancing of at least 6 feet is still required “among non-household members, especially for indoor events where attendees may be gathered for extended time periods.”
Because of that, Legacy Cinema in Greenfield will maintain the capacity restrictions it’s had since reopening in August. General manager Cary Benbow said at the time that the theater’s goal is to seat about 30% for each screening and never more than 50%. Moviegoers who attend together will continue to be able to sit together but will be asked to leave at least three seats between themselves and those they didn’t attend with. They’re also asked to wear face coverings when not enjoying concessions.
“We’re basically holding where we were,” Benbow said Thursday.
Although Stage 5 won’t allow more people to be in Legacy Cinema’s auditoriums at one time, the state’s act of moving forward with its reopening plan could go a long way toward making people feel more comfortable about heading back to movie theaters, Benbow said.
“I think that’s a positive thing to it,” he added.
Other businesses and gathering places may not see much change, either. Jeff Harris, owner of Ye Olde Head Shoppe Salon and Spa in Greenfield, said he doesn’t plan on stopping the practices he’s been using during the pandemic, like checking customers’ temperatures and keeping the door of the salon locked until customers call from the parking lot.
“Other than that, we’re still going to be following a lot of the sanitation rules we’ve been following since I’ve been in business,” Harris said.
Hancock County Public Library director Dave Gray said he does not anticipate the library returning to hosting large group events anytime soon.
“We’re not going to do anything until at least the beginning of the year, because we don’t have the facilities to space out,” he said.
The decision could also affect public events like high school sports. Currently, Hancock County football game attendance is capped at 750 people. Like other organizers of large events, athletic directors are required to submit photos to the health department to show compliance with social distancing.
“We go as the health department guides us,” Mt. Vernon High School athletics director Brandon Ecker said. “I’ve received numerous inquiries the past 24 hours, and my response has been that until we reach a point that the health department feels comfortable increasing attendance, our numbers will not change, nor will our event protocols in regards to distancing and masks.”
New Palestine athletics director Al Cooper said he doesn’t expect much change until the end of the mask mandate.
“We’re still limited by the numbers that we’re given, athletically speaking. Now, do I hope that changes? Absolutely, I hope that changes, but I’m not as optimistic that it will until we get a reaction from our health department,” Cooper said.
Greenfield residents, at least those who were out and about on Thursday afternoon, seemed comfortable with the idea of moving to Stage 5.
“If they can open up the NFL, they can open up everything else,” said one Walmart shopper, Angel Lockhart, as she headed into the store.
Ron Hovey, another Walmart customer, said he felt safe going to public places with a mask on and believed mask requirements and social distancing should remain in place.
“Somehow, we’ve got to get back to living, though,” he said.
The three locations of the Hancock Wellness Center are among the workout facilities that could return to full capacity beginning on Saturday. The medical director of the center was not available for a comment on Thursday.
Bonnie Kletecka has been working out at the Hancock Wellness Center location in Greenfield since the facility reopened. She said she always wears a mask while exercising, and plans to continue to do so until a vaccine for COVID-19 is available.
“They’re real safe in there. I do a lot of personal training stuff, and I usually come at a time when there’s not a lot of people there,” Kletecka said.
Hancock County Commissioner Brad Armstrong heralded the announcement as a positive one, especially for small businesses.
“I think it’s very good and long overdue,” Armstrong said. “…I think most people are really good at self-policing, so the state mandates are a bit overreaching.”
Armstrong said he believes the virus is under control in Hancock County, with the number of new positive cases in the single digits most days. The county has seen 43 total COVID-19 deaths, including one in the past week.
Commissioner Marc Huber agreed that Hancock County is doing well and that moving to stage 5 is the right call. Bars and restaurants in particular need the change if they are going to stay in business through the winter months, he said.
“The virus is real, it’s here, it’s affecting people… We have to try to be safe and move on the best we can,” he said.
Commissioner John Jessup said he doesn’t think Stage 5 goes far enough and would like to see a swift end to all government restrictions related to the pandemic. He and the other commissioners sent a letter to Holcomb in July protesting the statewide mandate to wear masks in public spaces, which has not been enforced in the county.
“I think the mask mandate is pointless and doesn’t do anything,” Jessup said. “…This needs to be over with. People are capable of making decisions for themselves.”
Greenfield Mayor Chuck Fewell said he is excited about more flexibility for local businesses.
“I still think that we have to be very cognizant and very cautious of the things that we want to do,” Fewell said. “It does not mean free reign for everything, but I think it certainly is a step in the right direction.”
Brigitte Cook Jones, executive director of the Hancock County Tourism Commission, said she believes the move could be a positive development for the local tourism economy. Though Hancock County has still been hosting public events, including mostly less risky outdoor events, Jones said she thinks people have been nervous about participating.
“I’m hoping that we are going to see more people able to get out and visit some of our events,” she said.
Jones said some people will likely still be nervous about visiting downtown Indianapolis, but may want to get out and visit somewhere new after spending months at home. Greenfield and other smaller communities could benefit from that.
“We are a safe, healthy option for people who are looking for that,” Jones said.
Mitchell Kirk and Rich Torres of the Daily Reporter staff contributed to this story.
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The executive order creates a color-coded system by which each Indiana county’s level of COVID-19 risk will be evaluated by the Indiana State Department of Health. The categories include:
- Blue Zone: All current Stage 5 activities can continue.
- Yellow Zone: Community spread remains low, but increased caution is needed.
- Orange Zone: Community spread is high, and ISDH officials will consult with local governments about what actions to take.
- Red Zone: Community spread is very high, and the ISDH may order actions to mitigate the problem.
Key takeaways from the executive order include:
- The mandate to wear face coverings will remain in place at least through Oct. 17. This includes the requirement for students, teachers and others to wear masks in schools.
- All businesses resuming or continuing full operations should develop a plan to protect their employees and customers from COVID-19. This must be posted publicly and distributed to employees.
- All businesses are required to take steps to maintain social distancing and sanitation.
- All establishments serving food and/or drink can only serve customers who remain seated at least 6 feet from other customers.
- Organizers of events expecting more than 500 people to attend must have a plan to mitigate community spread approved by their local health department.
- The Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration may take action to enforce these rules.
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