Indiana will be under a public health emergency until April 30, but Gov. Eric Holcomb announced last week that current rules regarding mask wearing and certain business capacity limits will expire on April 5.
Beginning April 6, all venue capacity restrictions will be determined by local officials rather than the state, the governor said.
Customers in restaurants, bars and nightclubs will no longer be required by the state to be seated. Six feet of spacing between tables and other seating will still be recommended as is spacing between non-household parties.
The statewide face covering mandate will become a mask advisory on April 6. Face coverings will remain mandatory in all state buildings and facilities and in all vaccination and COVID testing sites until further notice. K-12 schools will continue under current requirements through the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.
Local governments and businesses may require the mask mandate to remain in place if they so wish, he said.
As of press time, county leaders had not responded as to Brown County’s plans regarding business capacities or local mask mandates. Town council President Jane Gore said that the town would follow the governor’s directions.
COVID-19 cases in Brown County have risen slightly in the past seven days, with four added between March 23 and 29. Deaths remain at 40. As of March 26, about 26 percent of Brown Countians had received at least one vaccine dose.
More than 1 million Hoosiers had been fully vaccinated as of March 25.
All Hoosiers age 16 and up will become eligible for the vaccine on March 31. However, only one vaccine, by Pfizer, can be given to people ages 16 and 17. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the two-dose Moderna vaccine are authorized for people 18 and older. The vaccination clinic at the Brown County Music Center has the Moderna vaccine.
Dr. Jennifer Sullivan with the Family and Social Services Administration said that FSSA has partnered with Walgreens to vaccinate 4,000 Hoosiers with developmental disabilities, 5,500 residents who rely on emergency shelters and 3,400 homebound Hoosiers.
In addition to vaccine appointment scheduling and information, Indiana is using the 211 helpline to support the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority for the emergency rental assistance program. In July, 211 also became a support line for Hoosiers in need of mental health services.
