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Gov. Eric Holcomb announced most of the state was going to stay with its Stage 4.5 reopening plan during the COVID-19 pandemic through at least the end of July.
That means another two-week pause on increasing capacity in restaurant dining rooms, bars and entertainment venues as initially planned to start July 4. Indiana had been set to go to the Stage 5 reopening plan, the final plan, on Friday.
The sole exception: Elkhart County in northern Indiana will remain with the Stage 4 reopening plan.
Gov. Holcomb and state health officials explained a change to the Stage 4.5 plan, and the reasons for the decision to keep it active, during a Wednesday afternoon coronavirus briefing.
The Stage 4.5 plan will be changed for the gathering of groups of people. Effective July 23, organizers of group gatherings of up to 250, the maximum allowed in the plan, will be required to develop and submit to the local health department a written plan outlining steps to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. The change applies to seasonal or special events such as fairs, festivals, parades, graduations, outdoor concerts, outdoor movies (other than drive-ins), family reunions, conferences or weddings.
The group plans must address capacity limits, guest information, staff and volunteer screening, social distancing measures, increased sanitation, face coverings, and the ways to assure compliance.
Why staying at Stage 4.5?
In short, the answer is a lack of supplies to do testing for the coronavirus and an increase in the state’s positivity rate.
Dr. Kristina Box, the commissioner of the Indiana Department of Health, said one issue is a lack of supplies. The state had partnered with Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical maker Eli Lilly & Co. and the Indiana Hospital Association to make a $66 million order for reagents to perform testing at Indiana labs. The state still awaits that order to be filled, and the federal government has reduced the amount of supplies it’s providing.
She noted wait times for coronavirus test results have grown longer, and should be no more than three to five days. The current average is up to seven days for Optum sites. She says Indiana is trying to keep the lab work for the testing in the state to assure quicker results. She says the lack of supplies is due to “external factors beyond our control.” She says keeping testing supplies available will become important as the state heads toward the flu season, when the flu surges, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition, Box said she remains concerned about the positivity rate. Through July 4, the seven-day average positivity rate was 6.3 percent. It was at 7.1 percent as of Tuesday. The lowest seven-day positivity rate for the state was 4.2 percent as of June 18.
Data from the Regenstrief Institute shows the hospitalization rate remains steady. But, Box said, Indiana continues to see increased hospitalizations for COVID-19. It has risen from a low of 595 people on June 26 to 881 on July 14.
Box says most new COVID-19 cases are appearing in younger people in the 20 to 30 age group. That age group does not tend to get sick from the coronavirus, but does tend to infect the older population, which is more likely to show symptoms. Contact tracing has seen examples of this spread in at least two cases in long-term care facilities.
In relation to the rises in positive cases in the 20 to 30 age group, which generally includes college students, Holcomb says he’s been impressed with colleges that have developed their own plans for reopening. The state must work first to control what it can in the colleges, he said. Box added that she’s seen “remarkable” plans from the colleges.
The governor added that the most new cases being hospitalized, not surprisingly, are happening in the areas with high concentrations of populations. Counties he mentioned include Marion, 86; Elkhart, 78; Lake, 52; Vanderburgh, 48; and St. Joseph, 59.