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Indiana Moves to Stage 5 of Governor Holcombs Back On Track Plan

Face coverings will continue to be required in Stage 5.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) – Indiana will be moving onto the final stage of Governor Holcomb’s Back on Track Plan.

During Wednesdays, the governor made the announcement of the state moving forward.

“Because of the progress that we’ve made over the last not one week, two weeks, three weeks, but going back now for a few months is that steady progression has occurred we’ll be able to move on to Stage 5 of our Back on Track Plan,” said Governor Holcomb.

Saturday, September 26 is when Stage 5 will begin and will continue until October 17. On the original schedule of the Back on Track Plan, Indiana was scheduled to move onto stage 5 on July 4, but due after looking at the numbers, the decision was made to move to Stage 4.5.

Face coverings will continue to be required in Stage 5, but size limitations for social gatherings and meetings will be removed, but organizers of events that will include more than 500 people must submit a written plan to the local health department.

Hoosiers should continue to wash hands frequently, maintain social distance, and not go to school, work, or out in public places if they are feeling sick.

Stage 5 will look different for restaurants and bars that offer food, as they will be able to open at full capacity. Governor Holcomb did state that appropriate social distancing must be maintained between tables, and bar section customers must be seated.

Nightclubs may also open at full capacity under Stage 5.

Indoor and outdoor venues may open at full capacity, while personal services such as gyms, workout facilities, and fitness centers can resume normal operation.

Additionally, senior centers and congregate nutrition sites may reopen following guidance from the Family and Social Services Administration. While nursing homes and assisted living facilities are required to provide visitation opportunities.

Moving forward to Stage 5 is possible due to the COVID-19 numbers within the state continuing to trend in the right direction. According to the Indiana State Department of Health’s new color-coded metric system, a majority of the state’s 94 counties have turned blue.

What that means is that a majority of Indiana counties have reported seven-day positivity rates of less than five percent. As a whole, the ISHD says Indiana’s seven-day positivity rate was at 3.9 percent as of last week.

In addition to moving to Stage 5, Governor Holcomb announced that the state launched a new initiative in order to help Hoosier communities and businesses get back to work and connect with resources that can help them continue to move forward during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rapid Recovery for a Better Future initiative focuses on the following:

  • Learn about options and connect to relevant, simple and real-time job, career, skill, and educational resources and funding for personal advancement. An online hub, YourNextStepIn.org, provides connection and one-on-one supports for Hoosiers at the touch of their fingertips. A comprehensive outreach network will share the state’s resources with Hoosiers from their own trusted sources: community leaders, pastors or other faith leaders and employers. For those thinking through their education and training options, INvestEd will provide free, one-on-one financial aid guidance.
  • Connect to opportunities with the assistance of career coaches and navigators to empower Hoosiers to assess and develop their skills and gain better understanding of job needs and opportunities.
  • Take the next step and advance their careers with convenient access to accelerated programs and credentials that value prior learning and experiences, such as the Workforce Ready Grant and Ivy Tech’s Rapid Recovery program—which will provide free courses and training for 10,000 Hoosiers.
  • In addition, the Rapid Recovery initiative is providing enhanced, consolidated, and simplified resources for employers with the partnership of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

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