State officials are urging Hoosiers to be careful about the choices they make outside of school and work to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Indiana State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 671 new cases, 15 new deaths and a positivity rate of 7.7%. Johnson County data shows six new cases, no new deaths and a positivity rate of 7.2%.
New cases reported Wednesday are lower than some case counts in the past week, at times more than 1,000 new cases a day. State Health Commissioner Kristina Box said during the state’s weekly news conference Wednesday cases were higher because more people were tested in the days leading up to those high counts.
Hospitalization rates remain stable, but Box warns this could change if cases continue to rise and more Hoosiers don’t do their part to slow the spread.
Box and Gov. Eric Holcomb said the best way to make sure school and work can continue is for Hoosiers to exercise caution. As Labor Day approaches, they asked Hoosiers to be mindful of guidelines, particularly in situations where they are most comfortable, such as at a family reunion.
Whether at a wedding, party or other gathering, it is important to take precautions at all times, not just when at school or work, they said.
Most positive cases, particularly in the zero to 29 age range, have originated from social gatherings rather than school or work, Box said. At the start of the pandemic, cases for zero to 29-year-olds were few, but as of Wednesday, zero to 19-year-olds in Johnson County made up 6%, and those in their 20s were at 16%.
Holcomb announced a plan to avoid a situation in which school systems that choose not conduct in-person classes due to pandemic concerns receive less than 100% of expected funding.
Holcomb said he would ask the Indiana State Board of Education to call a special meeting to delay the fall count of student enrollment, known as the Average Daily Membership, through at least December. That count is used to set new funding levels for schools.
State law, as written before the pandemic, requires school districts to receive only 85% of their per-pupil funding for students who receive at least half of their instruction virtually.
Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray sent a letter to school leaders last week that said there’s “no guarantee” schools that choose not to resume any in-person classes due to pandemic health and safety concerns will receive 100% of their expected per-pupil funding.
That created an outcry from school officials who didn’t think it was fair for their funding to be jeopardized by actions they feel might be necessary to protect students and school employees.
Holcomb said by moving the count date from Sept. 18, as now scheduled, until next year, schools will get their existing funding for the rest of the year. By then, the General Assembly will be in session and will have the ability to change the law, he said, if necessary.
The proposal would allow state lawmakers to avoid calling a special session to change the state law.
“This solution will put to rest lingering questions or concerns so schools can continue to focus on opening schools safely and educating Indiana’s students,” Holcomb said in written comments.
That decision, though, is up to the board.
The state is also working to create a public-facing dashboard to inform the public which schools have COVID-19 cases, Box said. The state education board is working with the state health department to get the dashboard up and running, compiling accurate rosters of students for accurate reporting, she said.
As for the upcoming election, the state has not said anyone can vote by mail, as it did via an executive order during the primary due to a statewide stay-at-home order. No-excuse absentee voting is a decision that should be left to the General Assembly, he said.
“We are very mobile right now in the state of Indiana. So to make that kind of drastic change, on the fly, while we are mobile, I think would be inappropriate,” Holcomb said.
The Indiana Election Commission is set to meet virtually at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
The Indianapolis Business Journal contributed to this report.
