Hoosiers are being asked to keep their masks on until at least Oct. 17, even as the state moves to Stage 5 of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s reopening plan.
Both the mask order and Holcomb’s coronavirus emergency order were set to expire Friday.
Holcomb on Wednesday announced businesses throughout the state would be allowed to fully reopen with some social distancing requirements still in place. The state has parked at Stage 4.5 since July 4.
The specifics of Stage 5 have not been finalized, but Holcomb explained some components of the new plan, which will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Size limitations will be removed for social gatherings, but events expecting more than 500 people are required to submit a safety plan to county health departments, he said.
Bars and restaurants can reopen at full capacity, but customers in the bar area of a restaurant should remain seated and proper social distancing should be followed, Holcomb said.
All indoor and outdoor venues may also reopen at full capacity, but the governor said many may have restrictions due to social distancing recommendations, he said.
Nursing homes will be required to allow visitors again, and senior centers and congregate nutrition facilities may reopen, Holcomb said.
Sacrifices from Hoosiers are the main reason the state is finally ready to progress, he said.
The mask mandate, though, will stay in place because it is working, state leaders say. When the mask mandate first took effect, the state had a 6.4% 7-day positivity rate. That rate has now fallen to 3.9%, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
Johnson County’s 7-day positivity rate is 3.4% now, compared to nearly 7% before the mask mandate.
Continued progress and scientific evidence led the state to leave the mask mandate firmly in place, said Dr. Kristina Box, state health commissioner. Face coverings “substantially limit” the spread of the coronavirus from an infected person, and the inhalation of particles that may be hanging in the air, Box said.
Despite improvements, Box asked Hoosiers Wednesday to keep up with precautions to avoid an upward trend. As temperatures cool and Hoosiers start to spend more time inside, more precautions may be necessary, she said.
“This map doesn’t mean we are out of the woods,” Box said. “As we move into Stage 5, we need to know this is not moving back to life as we knew it in January and February.”
On Wednesday, 728 new COVID-19 cases were reported statewide; 10 of those were in Johnson County, according to the state health department. Statewide, 10 new deaths were reported; none of those were in Johnson County.
“While our numbers are tracking in the right direction, it is because of this,” Holcomb said, holding up his mask.
