Holcomb extends county-by-county restrictions amid improving COVID-19 conditions

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s executive order outlining pandemic-related capacity restrictions based on a county-by-county system will continue through March, even as COVID-19 conditions continue to improve around the state.

The order, which is set to expire Sunday, will be extended 30 days. In addition, the state’s public health emergency order, set to expire Monday, will also be extended 30 days.

The executive order outlines restrictions based on the rate of infection in each county. Under the county-by-county system, each county is assigned a color each week that is based on its seven-day positivity rate and number of infected individuals per 100,000. Red indicates the highest level of spread.

The number of positive cases and hospitalizations has continued to fall and, as of Wednesday, none of the state’s 92 counties were in red. The state had 39 counties in blue, which indicates the lowest level of spread.

The seven-day statewide positivity rate was 4.1% on Wednesday, down from 8.4% one month ago, and the number of hospitalizations recently dipped below 900 for the first time since late September.

“Where we were a month ago to where we are today has been—and I don’t use that word loosely—remarkable,” Holcomb said during his weekly press briefing.

But Holcomb cautioned that it is “not a mission accomplished moment,” so he will continue the executive order for another 30 days.

Last month, he tweaked the restrictions slightly so social gathering limitations would be based on a percentage of capacity at a facility rather than the specific number of people.

The order limits capacity to 25% in red or orange counties and 50% in yellow counties. Capacity is allowed to be at 100% in blue counties, but social distancing is still required to be practiced.

“We recognize we’re in a good place right now and moving in the right direction,” Holcomb said.