Gov. Eric Holcomb waits for the arrival of Vice President Mike Pence aboard Air Force Two at Grissom Air Reserve Base before a visits to the General Motors/Ventec ventilator production facility in Kokomo on April 30.
Indiana will not move into the final stage of its Back on Track coronavirus reopening plan as scheduled, Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday.
The state is currently in stage 4, which limits social gatherings to no more than 250 people and mandates that restaurants operate at 75% capacity.
Stage 5, originally scheduled to begin on the Fourth of July, lifts capacity requirements and allows outdoor activities such as fairs, festivals and sports events to resume.
Holcomb introduced a new stage 4.5 on Wednesday, putting a pause on increased capacity in restaurant dining rooms, bars and entertainment venues.
This new stage will extend from July 4-17 for all Indiana counties except Elkhart County, which has seen a recent surge in coronavirus cases and will remain in stage 4 through at least July 17.
"Much will stay the same over the next two weeks," Holcomb said. "Understanding July Fourth is right around the corner where will celebrate our Independence, we wanted to make sure we were all on the same page going into this weekend."
In the new stage, social gatherings will remain limited to 250 people and restaurant dining rooms may remain open at 75% capacity, so long as social distancing practices are observed. The following businesses may operate at 50% capacity under stage 4.5: bars and nightclubs; cultural, entertainment and tourism sites; movie theaters and bowling alleys; amusement parks, water parks and similar facilities; and raceways.
Beginning July 4, some outdoor activities will be allowed to reopen, including fairs, festivals and youth overnight camps.
School reopening guidance should remain unaffected by the new stage. K-12 schools will be allowed to begin their 2020-21 academic year on Wednesday, and co-curricular summer activities, like sports practices, will be allowed to resume as scheduled July 6.
The governor's announcement comes in a Wednesday afternoon press conference as coronavirus cases continue to increase nationally with many states including Arizona, Florida and Texas reversing their reopening plans.
Indiana hasn't seen the same spike in cases over the last several days felt in southern states. Weekly case reports in Indiana long-term care facilities are down 77%, said Daniel Rusyniak, Chief Medical Officer for the Family and Social Services Administration, though daily positivity rates statewide have been on a slight uptick, and the number of patients hospitalized with the coronavirus has increased over the last week.
Coronavirus testing is available at more than 200 locations across the state, Indiana State Department of Health Commissioner Kristina Box said. Testing is free and available without a doctor's order at any state-sponsored location. Test centers can be searched online at www.coronavirus.in.gov.
In stage 4.5, outdoor visitation will be required at nursing homes and assisted living facilities with indoor visitation allowed beginning July 4. Though, the state is encouraging those 65 and older, as well as those with high-risk health conditions, to remain cautious and wear face coverings in public places.
Holcomb also announced a new statewide face mask campaign using the hashtag #MaskUpHoosiers to emphasize the role face coverings play in reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"This is one thing that we know works; to mask up," Holcomb said. "It may be inconvenient, but it's very important and it works. This is one of the tools that we know can limit the spread. It's just factual."
But, the statewide campaign does not go so far as to require face coverings in public places as is the case in neighboring Illinois, Michigan and Kentucky.
Dr. Woody Myers, a Democratic candidate running against Holcomb for governor this fall, applauded the governor for holding off on the state's final stage, but remained critical of forward-moving steps.
"With his decision to move forward beyond phase 4, Gov. Eric Holcomb puts Hoosiers at increased risk to contract COVID-19,” Myers said. “Our focus should be implementing a statewide mask order and encouraging Indiana to stay home. In addition, Indiana still needs to expand testing and prioritize our disproportionately impacted communities.”
Box said she is concerned masks mandates lend themselves to public resistance to voluntarily wear face coverings, but added the state will support local mask requirements such as those in place in Elkhart and St. Joseph counties. The statehouse will lead by example, Holcomb said, with masks required of all state employees.
"Wear a mask!" Holcomb said, closing out the Wednesday press conference. "It's cool!"
Get to know these new Indiana laws that take effect in 2020
911 fee
The Statewide 911 Board is authorized to increase the fee paid by all telephone users for access to 911 emergency services to $1.10 per month, from $1. (HEA 1235)
Abortion
Women completing a pill-induced abortion away from a clinic or hospital are encouraged — but not required — to collect the embryonic remains and return them to the abortion provider for burial or cremation. (SEA 299)
Breast prostheses
Health insurance sold in Indiana that provides coverage for mastectomies must also provide coverage for custom fabricated breast prostheses, including one additional breast prosthesis per breast affected by the mastectomy. (SEA 239)
Cancer screening
Health insurance companies, in most circumstances, are obligated to cover colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 45, instead of 50, in accordance with a recent recommendation by the American Cancer Society. (HEA 1080)
Child sex crimes
The statute of limitations for filing charges against perpetrators of sex crimes against children can be extended five years beyond the victim's 31st birthday if prosecutors discover new DNA evidence, a recording of the crime or the perpetrator confesses. The deadline for victims to seek assistance from the Violent Crimes Victim Compensation Fund also is extended. (SEA 109)
Chinese tech
Every state agency and department, including universities, and every local unit of government in Indiana, is barred from spending public funds to purchase services or products, including 5G networking equipment, produced or provided by Huawei Technologies or ZTE Corporation, due to their alleged surveillance and espionage work on behalf of the Chinese government. (SEA 197)
Distracted driving
It’s illegal for drivers to hold or use a handheld mobile device while operating a moving vehicle, unless the device is mounted on a dashboard, another surface in their vehicle, or otherwise operated in hands-free mode. Motorists caught holding a phone in a moving vehicle can be fined up to $500 and possibly lose their driver’s license for repeated violations.
Gary schools
The Indiana Distressed Unit Appeals Board may suspend the $550,000 in monthly debt repayments of the Gary Community School Corp. to the state's Common School Fund and instead use the money for school building repairs or demolition. (HEA 1065)
Griffith
The town of Griffith has until June 30 to voluntarily join either North or St. John townships, otherwise Griffith automatically becomes part of North Township. The town's voter-approved transfer out of Calumet Township becomes final Jan. 1, 2022. (SEA 365)
Health pricing
Hospitals, same-day surgery centers and urgent care clinics are required by March 31, 2021 to post on their websites the costs of their most frequently used services. The Indiana Department of Insurance is directed to begin the process of creating an all-payer claims database to improve health care pricing transparency. (SEA 5)
Indigency
Judges in all 92 counties must consider the same criteria — assets, income and necessary expenses — to determine whether a criminal defendant lacks sufficient financial resources to hire a private attorney and is entitled to use the public defender. (SEA 302)
Insulin
A prescription no longer is required to purchase insulin in Indiana beginning Jan. 1, 2021. (SEA 255)
Lake Michigan
The shoreline of Lake Michigan up to the ordinary high-water mark is, and always has been, owned by the state, and Hoosiers have a right to use the shoreline for walking, fishing, boating, swimming and any other recreational purpose for which Lake Michigan ordinarily is used. Adjacent private property owners are not entitled to exclusive use of the beach or the water. (House Enrolled Act 1385)
Marriage
The minimum age to marry in Indiana is increased to 16 years old from 15. Children ages 16 and 17 only can marry if their partner is no more than four years older and a juvenile court judge grants permission for the marriage. (HEA 1006)
Medical billing
Most health care providers must prepare, upon request, a good faith estimate of the costs of nonemergency health care services ordered or scheduled for a patient to minimize surprise medical bills. The requirement takes effect July 1, 2021, though providers may voluntarily comply sooner. (HEA 1004)
Microchipping
Employers are prohibited from mandating the implantation of any identity or tracking device in a worker or job candidate, unless the person voluntarily consents to having something put into their body. (HEA 1143)
Online eye exam
Hoosiers between ages 18 and 55 may procure a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses through telemedicine, so long as they've undergone an in-person eye exam and/or contact lens fitting in the previous two years. Only two online eye exams are permitted in a two-year period before a subsequent in-person exam is required. (SEA 19)
Organ donation
Hoosiers may indicate intent to donate their organs upon death on a state-issued hunting, fishing or trapping license, in addition to a driver's license, state identification card or donor registry. (SEA 288)
Out-of-state prescriptions
Indiana pharmacists are obligated to fill a prescription issued by an advance practice registered nurse or physician assistant licensed in another state, just as they would fill a prescription written by an out-of-state physician, podiatrist, dentist or veterinarian. (SEA 21)
RDA transit
Three members are added to the board of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority solely to vote on issues relating to transit development districts. The new members — one each from Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties — are appointed by the governor from a list of candidates nominated before July 1 by the commissioners in each county. (SEA 367)
Resource officers
School corporations and charter schools must annually report to the Indiana Department of Education the number of school resource officers they employ for building and student protection. The department also is required to compile a statewide total of school resource officers. (SEA 132)
School water
Officials responsible for a school building must have its water fountains and taps tested for lead by Jan. 1, 2023, unless it previously has been tested and found in compliance since 2016. In Lake County, the water equipment in every school building must also be tested for lead at least every other year starting in 2023. (HEA 1265)
Sex assault victims
Victims of sexual assault have a statutory right to a no-cost forensic medical exam, the right to speak with a victim advocate or social worker during a hospital visit for the exam, and a law enforcement officer investigating the assault must provide notice of those rights to the victim. (SEA 146)
Small claims
The maximum value of a case eligible for judgment in a small claims court is increased to $8,000 from $6,000. (HEA 1313)
Smoking age
Hoosiers under age 21 are prohibited from buying or possessing cigarettes, electronic cigarettes or vaping products under state law, as well as federal statutes. Indiana retailers who sell tobacco products to underage purchasers may face fines of between $400 and $2,000, double the previous fines. New tobacco retailers cannot be located within 1,000 feet of a school. (Senate Enrolled Act 1)
Teacher evaluations
A state mandate that annual teacher evaluations and linked pay increases be largely based on student ILEARN test results is eliminated. (HEA 1002)
Unemployment
Indiana businesses will continue paying the same unemployment insurance rates to the state through at least 2025, instead of the rates automatically being reduced sometime after July 1, 2021. (HEA 1111)
Carley Lanich
Education Reporter
I cover all things K-12 and higher education throughout the Region. I come to Northwest Indiana via Indianapolis and studied journalism at the IU Media School in Bloomington.
