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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett on Wednesday said he will begin easing more of Marion County’s pandemic-related restrictions starting Friday, but most of the changes won’t take place until Monday.
Among the changes:
– Houses of worship will be able to hold services beginning Friday (May 29) at 50% capacity, as long as participants wear face coverings and practice social distancing. Outdoor services won’t be subject to caps.
Starting Monday, June 1:
– Restaurants will be able to allow indoor in-person dining at 50% capacity. Outdoor dining will still be capped at 50% capacity.
– Personal services such as salons, barbers, tattoo parlors, etc., will be able to open by appointment only as long as employees and customers wear personal protective equipment.
– Gyms and fitness centers will be allowed to open at 50% capacity.
– Public gatherings may increase to 50 or fewer people.
– Retailers and shopping malls will be allowed to operate at 75% capacity, up from 50%.
– Swimming pools can open at 50% capacity.
– Tennis and basketball courts, and other non-contact sports fields, may reopen.
– Movie theaters, bars, bowling alleys, live-performance venues and other cultural attractions must remain closed until further notice.
Marion County’s new public health order falls largely in line with Stage 3 of the state’s Back on Track plan, although the state’s plan allows for social gatherings of 100 people and does not limit capacity on churches. Gov. Eric Holcomb activated the latest changes May 22, but Marion, Lake and Cass counties are able to follow their own plans.
As of Tuesday, the latest data available, Marion county had 9,371 COVID-19 cases—roughly a third of the state total—and 546 Marion County residents have died because of the virus.
But the percentage of positive tests, deaths and hospital admissions related to COVID-19 have been on the decline. For example, two weeks ago, Marion County was averaging 200 new cases a day. Now, that number has fallen to 150.
Mayor Joe Hogsett and Marion County Public Health Department Director Dr. Virginia Caine encouraged residents to wear face coverings any time they’re in public. To ensure residents have a mask, the city has launched an initiative that is expected to provide free face coverings to residents who need them. To request a mask, visit indy.gov/masks.
“The very best way you can protect others from COVID-19 is by wearing a face covering while in public,” Hogsett said. “When you see someone with a mask, they aren’t wearing it for themselves, they’re wearing it for you. … We are in this together but only if we commit to protecting one another.”
 
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Notice the lopsided restrictions still upon the churches and small businesses vs big box retail.
re: church – no one goes to the store and stands next to the same people for a prolonged period of time. Further, no one goes to the store and sings, which has been shown as one of the most effective ways to spread the virus. Church services are far more dangerous than going to the store.
The Mayor does know that all Bars that currently ‘served food’ are OPEN right now, right??????
Shhhh. Don’t tell him!
I passed Joe Hogsett in the hallway of the state capitol building in about 1989. He politely said hello as we passed. He was then a young Evan Bayh disciple, just appointed to be SOS by Bayh. Little did I know then that more than 30 years later he would become just another career Democratic politician wanting to control other people’s’ lives. It took him about 5 election losses before he found his niche as mayor.
I believe you misspelled “protect”. “Control” isn’t even close. LOL
No, I meant “control.” The data, and the science, no longer justify using the word “protect.” If you don’t think that liberal (Democrat) politicians want control, you’re nuts. It’s because They Know How to Run Our Lives Better Than We Do. But you probably wouldn’t realize that, if you only watch MSNBC and CNN.
100,000 people dead in the US. But they probably didn’t tell you that on Fox “News.” I’m sure it’s all a hoax perpetrated by the liberals just trying to control you…
Damn nice of Mayor Joe. In the meantime, we can go spend our time and money in the adjoining counties this week.
Exactly, just like this past week. Apparently he knows something I don’t and he’s keeping it secret because I’m too dumb to understand why we can’t do business.
Translation: Pothole is finally feeling the heat from lost revenue and his bagmen$ telling him to get his head out. At least it’s progress.
The Democrats are listening to the scientists and health officials. The brainwashed Trump supporters are trying to get the economy going because Trump failed miserably in leading us through this pandemic. In fact Trump is no leader. Trump is a buffoon and pathological liar. He’s a hateful person who blames everyone that criticizes him. He’s a little man. He covers up all his crimes. His base is a cult. I am generally a GOP person and I told everyone the GOP should’ve have impeached him to get a respectable GOP to run for POTUS in 2020. Even Pence would be better than Trump and I’m not a big Pence fan. At least Pence acts presidential even though he cowers to Trump.
Trump is an embarrassment to our country.
You will probably get comments on this, so I thought you would want to know that at least one person agrees with you, at least most of it. (I disagree with the Pence part.)
So the Dems are the only ones listening to the scientists & health officials who have been consistently wrong?
If you think scientists are “wrong” then you have a poor understanding of how science works.
So half the country is a cult? The only reason Trump was elected is because your new Demo Party had Hillary as the nominee. Blame yourself. Trump is not a like able person but he gets things done. I cant even imagine how bad this would be if Biden had been at the helm when everyone (and I do mean everyone including your “scientists” so misread this pandemic. Trump has mobilized so many private sector resources in a short 8-10 weeks that would never have been in place by now if Biden had been POTUS. He cant even string 3 sentences together without forgetting what he was talking about. We would still be watching the CDC fumble around. I’m not a huge Pence fan either but I felt so bad for him at the start of this when the CDC’s testing program was in shambles and he had to stand up there and take it like a man.
Mark B,
You are a disgrace to an intelligent and thoughtful discourse among and between folks with different political viewpoints. The democrats are listening to the scientists and health officials as if they are the last word. They are winging it along with everyone else. The economic damage will last much longer then the virus. If a person is high risk (over 60) or has health issues they need to pay attention to their personal risk and not listen to anyone until they feel safe. TDS is incurable.
Stop confusing science and Republican economic theory.
In science, people don’t “wing it”. They learn as they go. They try things under controlled scenarios, learn from them, and it builds their knowledge base for the future. That’s how vaccines will be developed to get us past this. That’s how people will figure out if any existing drugs work to mitigate symptoms for the truly sick.
If you want to “wing it”, fund the construction of some factories for promising vaccine candidates that get through Phase II testing. Because some of those candidates will fail, and the money on that specific factory will be wasted. However, if you fund enough vaccines and factories, a couple will hit and the necessary volume of vaccines will be achievable that much sooner. That’s the kind of “winging it” we need right now.
First of all, Joe is a good person and you should admire is his service to our city. Second, he is in a tough spot and doing his best. You all do realize our biggest economic driver is hosting conventions and events? The perception of Indianapolis from afar is absolutely critical. Business leaders from around the country need to see a thoughtful approach to the reopening of our city, not a free for all. If you want to move to Hamilton County then do it. They dont have to worry about hosting conventions, Indy 500s, NBA All Star games, NCAAF Championships, etc, but sure like to attend these events in Marion County. The picture here is much bigger than getting to eat inside of your favorite restaurant this week. The game is much longer. Think about it, please.
Hey Daniel J: Hogsett is a dopy political hack trying to appear relevant. I wouldn’t doubt his nose is out of joint since the State of Indiana had to step in and pass legislation to clean up and protect the citizens and visitors in our downtown district because the city council wouldn’t do anything.
How’d that idea to close Mass Ave. & Broad Ripple Ave. go?
Exactly. There is enough information out there now to allow us as free citizens to move about at our own risk. I’ll wear a mask in confined places, the science is good on that. Medical personnel have been doing it for decades. Other than that, practice normal hygiene and keep WORKING. Stay home if you want to and can afford it. Is it really that simple? There is no good excuse not to let anyone who wants to work or do business, to do so.
This thread: LOL
John M: Closing Mass Ave was great actually and should be considered for weekends, events moving forward. Other cities are doing it and finding it successful. Also, being the mayor of a city of our size, I find relevant.
The beauty of the C-19 pandemic is that it is fueled by propaganda and not science. The original intent of the lock down was to not overwhelm the hospital capacity. In every society you will have those who believe (propaganda) the sky is falling and those who will go outside and look for themselves. Our Freedom and Liberties require our government to let us make choices, isn’t that what the pro abortion crowd tells us. Our bodies our choice. Open up the establishments and if you are not comfortable DO NOT GO OUT. But if you are comfortable, enjoy. Herd immunity has to take place, so 99 % of the people are going to get it and have little or no symptoms. In Indiana of the .4813% of the population that get C-19, .0277% will die. Nearly 1/2 will be in assisted living or working in a meat processing plant in Cass County. Moral of the story do what you comfortable with, if you don’t want to do my hair fine, if I don’t want you to do my hair fine.
Steve R,
Well said. You addressed the situation unlike Mark B who found it necessary to put his political beliefs out there instead of addressing the issues. The armchair quarterbacks have 20/20 vision.
Here is why this looks like a political discussion:
Here is an analogy that the corona virus is like poop in the swimming pool.
When a kid poops in the water, which happens a few times every summer, everyone clears the pool. “That’s the initial step to protect people from the poop.”
Then some poor soul on pool staff has to go fish out the poop. It’s a pretty thankless job.
Then they have to shock the pool with chlorine to kill off bacteria. And then everyone waits half and hour or so til it’s safe to swim again.
If the lifeguards tell everyone to clear the pool, but the pool staff declines to actually get rid of the poop, what happens? No one can go back in. The poop is still there. Limbo.
Whose fault is it that it’s not safe to go back in the water? Who is accountable?
Do you focus on the people saying “clean up the poop before we can go back in safely!”? Or do you focus on the staff whose job it is to clean up the poop? And what would you think if the staff started saying – look, just get back in. Be a warrior.
America is a big swimming pool with a poop problem and a President who– rather than clean up the poop– is urging everyone back into the pool. According to him, the *real* problem is those people who think the pool’s not safe yet. They must hate the pool.
The President’s whole play here is to distract from his failure to fix the mess by focusing the country’s attention on people who don’t want to swim in a pooped-in pool.
Trump wants you to believe they’re saying you should never go back in. And if you buy that, he’s off the hook. He doesn’t have to clean up the poop, and he doesn’t get blamed for failing to do so. Win-win for him.
But NO ONE is saying “never go back in the pool.” They’re saying – please clean out the poop first.
It’s an analogy even the people who are demanding the “freedom” to ignore everyone else’s rights should understand.
It is understandable, that people are getting hot and cranky while the pool is closed, and some people can’t afford to just stand by, but the pool is still pooped in, and until it is cleaned up, the only thing to do is be very careful and take things slowly so things don’t go out of control.
So Mark B half the country is a cult? The only reason Trump was elected is because your new Demo Party had Hillary as the nominee. Blame yourself. Trump is not a like able person but he gets things done. I cant even imagine how bad this would be if Biden had been at the helm when everyone (and I do mean everyone including your “scientists” so misread this pandemic. Trump has mobilized so many private sector resources in a short 8-10 weeks that would never have been in place by now if Biden had been POTUS. He cant even string 3 sentences together without forgetting what he was talking about. We would still be watching the CDC fumble around. I’m not a huge Pence fan either but I felt so bad for him at the start of this when the CDC’s testing program was in shambles and he had to stand up there and take it like a man.
1/2 the country is a cult if they re-elect this horrible man. Trump won because the Dems put up Hillary who I didn’t vote for either.
Obama took the country out of the Great Recession from Bush and created a great economy which Trump inherited. Trump made the rich richer and propped up the stock market by lowering taxes on the rich and corporations resulting in a lot of cash going into the stock market.
Trump lies so much you can’t believe or trust him. Obama left Trump a pandemic team and book which Trump disbanded and ignored. Trump also cut CDC staff in China. Obama warned us about a potential pandemic 5 years ago. It’s ok video. Trump blew off the virus early against all advice from the intelligence people and scientists. No one is blaming Trump for the virus but he clearly isn’t being a leader hurling insults and conspiracy theories against anyone that doesn’t agree with him. Trump blames a broken system on Obama and the National stockpile. Well Trumps been president for 3 years so why didn’t he fix it. Trump blames everyone and never takes responsibility.
He should have been impeached. Everyone knows he was guilty and block all the subpoenas. Only the spineless GOP covered it up.
Trump committed obstruction 10 times in the Moeller a Report and likely collusion but Moeller couldn’t prove it because of Trumps obstruction.
What’s in those tax returns he won’t release? How many women has he allegedly harassed or sexually assaulted.
Sorry I can’t vote for this despicable person.
Larry P. I am not a democrat nor did I vote for Hillary. I do not like Trump because he’s a despicable person. Trump only cares about his ego, power and money. He mentally deranged and a pathological liar.
A pandemic. 100,000 deaths.
Choose wisely; your actions determine outcome. The verbal assaults will do little to solve this problem.