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Governor Holcomb recommends enforcement actions for businesses that fail to comply w/COVID-19 precautions

(Photo supplied/State Of Indiana)

Governor Holcomb’s latest public-health order outlines for the first time potential enforcement actions for businesses who ignore coronavirus precautions.

Holcomb announced Wednesday he’d institute new limits on large gatherings, linked to the four-level weekly COVID risk score calculated by the Indiana State Department of Health. The text of the 15-page order spells out additional requirements businesses must follow, and says state and local health departments, police, the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, or the Indiana Department of Homeland Security can act against businesses which defy those orders.

The order recommends a three-step process, starting with a verbal warning to correct “unsafe practices.” That would be followed by a written order, with businesses who still don’t comply subject to shutdown. The order says businesses closed down for noncompliance should be referred to state licensing boards or the secretary of state for possible license revocation.

The state followed that progression earlier this year with businesses who defied a lockdown order, but this is the first time it’s been explicitly applied to routine precautions. The order says businesses must mark off six-foot social distancing with signs or floor markings, make sanitizer readily available, and require employees to wear masks. It also requires restaurants, bars and clubs to keep tables six feet apart, and require patrons to remain seated.

The order requires businesses to post signs directing customers to wear masks, and recommends they deny admittance to those who won’t.

The order also limits spectators at most high school sporting events. Counties in the high-risk “red zone” — currently Clay, Decatur, Fayette, Fountain, LaGrange, Newton, Perry, Union and Warren — are barred from allowing any spectators other than players’ parents, guardians, or siblings. All but five of Indiana’s other 83 counties are in the “approaching high risk” orange zone, and are limited to quarter-capacity. The order says the Marion County Health Department and the I-H-S-A-A will work out a separate spectator plan for the state high school football championships at Lucas Oil Stadium over Thanksgiving weekend.

Spectators other than family members are banned from community sports events in orange and red counties.

As Holcomb announced on Wednesday, public or private gatherings other than religious services are subject to capacity limits based on risk level. The moderate-risk “yellow zone” — currently Crawford, Fulton, Monroe, Putnam and Switzerland Counties — are allowed gatherings of up to 100 people. The limit is 50 people in orange counties and 25 in red counties, unless the local health department approves in advance a plan for handling more.

While counties with worsening virus numbers can be moved to a higher risk level, counties must show improving numbers for two straight weeks before being moved to a lower level.

Local governments can impose stricter limits if they want. Indianapolis and Fishers have already done so.

The order runs through December 12 but can be extended or revised.

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6 comments

Rick November 13, 2020 at 4:45 pm

Hasn’t worked yet why do they think it will now? Stupid is as Stupid does!!!
I will not conform to this hoax! Mask DO NOT prevent the virus!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply
john w weaver November 13, 2020 at 6:57 pm

ty you are mmc news for the population of … strange times ? or just a glych in the bar code.

Reply
Slacker06 November 14, 2020 at 8:50 am

How ironic that everywhere the virus is apparently spreading masks are mandated. does anyone see a pattern? How about just being lied to? The American Republic is kaput.

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Richard November 14, 2020 at 9:00 am

It’s amazing that now that there is news of a vaccine that we have a uptick in Covid According to certain people, this is nothing more than a money grab folks, last chance to make big bucks from the federal government, they can’t even tell you if the test are correct, I took 2 within 1/2 hour and one was positive and one was negative, follow the money

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Slacker06 November 15, 2020 at 11:46 am

“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” I have always been very suspicious of the over dependence on “cases” which mean positive testing. There is a raft of stories of people going to get tested, filling out paperwork, then leaving without being tested because of time constraints. A week later they receive a letter saying they tested positive. What gives with that???

Now we have two celebrities, Elon Musk and a Grammy award winning singer. Musk was tested 4-times in the same day. The same machine and the same technician administered the tests. Two were positive and two were negative. WTF????

The Grammy winner reports that she was tested in both nostrils. One test was positive and the other nostril was negative. LOL how can that be? Somethi9ng is very wrong in cornyvirus test land. We are having our civil liberties stolen from us just like the election. Wise Up before you are living in Orwell’s 1984 all over again.

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Daily Show Prep: Monday, Nov. 16 - Casey Hendrickson - Radio Talk Show Host November 16, 2020 at 5:57 pm

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