Gov. Holcomb To Sign Executive Order Modifying COVID Gathering Restrictions

This comes as many of the state's 92 counties have moved to orange level.

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(Indianapolis, Ind.) – Most Indiana counties have moved to orange level for COVID-19 spread.

With decreasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state, Governor Eric Holcomb announced Wednesday that he will be signing an executive order to change current COVID-19 gathering restrictions.

“We are not out of the woods. The steps we have been taking to reduce the spread must continue, especially wearing a face covering and maintaining social distancing,” Gov. Holcomb said. “As we’ve experienced before, trends that look promising can shift very quickly, and we will continue to monitor what is happening with positivity, deaths, and cases per capita, as we have done since the start of the pandemic.”

The Executive Order will go into effect on February 1 and will last the entire month.

Under the order, attendance at social gatherings and events will be limited on a county’s color-coded metric:

• Red: Up to 25 people present
• Orange: Up to 50 people present
• Yellow: Up to 100 people present
• Blue: Up to 250 people present

We're providing updates on Indiana's fight against COVID-19. https://t.co/npA9GaCIDp

— Governor Eric Holcomb (@GovHolcomb) January 27, 2021

Locally, Dearborn, Ripley, and Switzerland counties are now listed as orange on the state’s color-coded map. Franklin and Ohio counties are among five counties that are in red status.

Overall attendance at social gatherings or events may not exceed 25 percent of a facility capacity for counties at red or orange levels. Yellow counties can operate at 50 percent capacity, while blue counties can fully open.

Safety plans for social gatherings or events should include the number of invited, requested, or expected attendees and staff, and plans must be submitted to a county’s local health department.

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, hospitalizations are down from the beginning of the month. There were 297 hospital admissions throughout the state on January 1. That number has fluctuated throughout the first month of the year, exceeding 300 daily admissions on several occasions.

The latest data from Tuesday showed only 38 hospital admissions statewide.

In addition, only 19.8 percent of ICU bed usage is for COVID-19 patients.

Even as COVID-19 counts are seeing a decrease, Hoosiers are encouraged to continue maintaining social distancing and wear face coverings to prevent the spread of the virus.

The COVID-19 vaccine is also available for Hoosiers 70 and older. Learn more at www.ourshot.in.gov.

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