Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday said schools will be offered a 20-day waiver of the 180-day requirement, and banned gatherings of more than 250 people.
Indiana had 12 positive cases of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, including three in Johnson County, as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
“This is a time when we must do all we can to reduce the spread of COVID-19, protect our most vulnerable populations and reduce their potential to acquire or spread this virus,” Holcomb said in a news release. “While some actions are drastic, now, not later, is the time to act.”
The state will offer school corporations a 20-day waiver of the required 180 instructional days to use as needed for the rest of the school year. The waived days do not need to be used consecutively and can be leveraged as needed, according to the news release from the governor’s office. Waiver applications will be available today, the news release said.
Non-essential gatherings must be limited to no more than 250 people, according to the news release. This includes any event or gathering of people who are in one room or a single space at the same time, including cafeterias, churches, stadiums, meeting and conference rooms, and auditoriums, the news release said.
State officials are encouraging seniors with known underlying health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease to limit their public exposure and have food delivered, according to the news release.
“I fully expect there will be additional actions warranted in the coming days,” Holcomb said in the news release. “Just as we have since the beginning of the year, we are working with partners at all levels to secure all necessary resources for any escalation of this virus.”
