Hoosier State Stays in Stage 4.5 of Reopening Due to Rise in Positive COVID-19 Cases

The state will stay in this stage for the next two weeks.

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(Indianapolis, Ind.) - The Hoosier state will be staying in Stage 4.5 of the Back on Track plan for the next two weeks.

During Wednesday’s media briefing, Governor Holcomb and Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box addressed the fact that positive COVID-19 cases are trending upwards meaning that the state will not be moving forward to the 5th and final stage of the governor’s plan to reopen Indiana.

This is the second week in a row that cases in the Hoosier state have been climbing. The 7- day average positive rate shows 4.2 percent as of June 18, 6.3 percent as of July 4, and now 7.1 percent as of July 11.

Stage 4.5 regulations include:

Social gatherings following the CDC’s social distancing guidelines will be limited to up to 250 people. This limit applies to wedding receptions, parties, and other events where people are in close physical contact for extended periods of time, particularly indoors.

Dining room food service may continue operations at up to 75 percent capacity as long as social distancing is observed. Bar seating in restaurants may continue operations at 50 percent capacity. Bars and nightclubs may continue operations open at 50 percent capacity as long as they adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Cultural, entertainment and tourism sites may continue operations open at 50 percent capacity.

Movie theaters, bowling alleys and similar facilities may continue operations open at 50 percent capacity.

Amusement parks, water parks and similar facilities may continue operations open at 50 percent capacity. Reservations are encouraged to limit the number of customers at any one time.

Raceways may continue operations open at 50 percent grandstand capacity.

Effective July 23, gathering and events with more than 250 attendees will be allowed to develop and submit a written plan outlining the steps that are being taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 to local health departments.

This applies to seasonal or special events including, fairs, festivals, parades, graduations, outdoor concerts, outdoor movies (other than drive-ins), family reunions, conferences or weddings.