The state will stay put at Stage 4.5 of its Back on Track Indiana plan for at least two more weeks, Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday.
Updated guidance for Stage 4.5 and an extension of the state’s emergency order will be finalized later this week, the governor said during a now weekly news conference.
The state will now require all events with more than 250 people in attendance to have a safety plan in place, developed in conjunction with a local health department. This change will take effect July 23, he said.
Further reopening was again halted due to a continued rise in cases, said Holcomb and state health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box.
On Wednesday, 700 new COVID-19 cases were reported, with 13 of those being in Johnson County, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. Overall, 55,370 cases have been reported in Indiana since the outbreak began in mid-March, data shows.
The seven-day average of new reported cases is up, Box said. In the past seven days, the lowest new count was 447 cases on Sunday, and the highest new count was 763 on Friday, according to state health department data. Many of the new cases have been among young people who have relaxed social distancing, Box said.
In addition, the seven-day average positivity rate is up to 7.1% as of Saturday, compared to the lowest seven-day average of 4.2% on June 18, an increase Box also finds concerning, she said.
COVID-19 hospitalization rates are also up significantly. On June 26, 595 Hoosiers were hospitalized for COVID-19, compared to 881 Hoosiers on Tuesday, according to data from the Regenstrief Institute.
Though the death rate right now is lower than the peak, Box said it is still concerning. Across the state, 10 new deaths were reported Wednesday and 2,592 have been reported since mid-March, according to state health department data.
“I want these increases to be a cautionary tale for every Hoosier,” Box said. “I want Hoosiers to take steps so we can safely open our state.”
Steps that need to be taken include wearing masks while inside or within six feet of others, frequent hand washing and staying home when possible, she said.
Holcomb and Box pleaded with Hoosiers to take these steps to keep the state open and slow the spread of the virus.
“We’ve got to be as vigilant today as we were in march, if not more so,” Holcomb said.
The state is keeping a close eye on where new cases are originating, in terms of municipality and the type of interaction, to determine future reopening plans and whether the current state of openness should be rolled back, they said.
Hot spots and high numbers of cases have led to mask orders in Marion, LaGrange, Elkhart, Vanderburgh and St. Joseph counties. Though statewide numbers are high, Holcomb said he is still taking the “home rule” approach in allowing county commissioners and mayors to make decisions on mask orders themselves.
The state is continuing to send out health department strike teams and expand testing, with 11 new sites opening this week, Box said. However, spikes in the state and around the country have led to increased wait times for test results and scarcity of tests, she said.
