Bartholomew County Health Department issues COVID-19 restrictions

Due to an increasing level of activity of COVID-19 virus in our county, more people becoming ill and interacting with ill persons, and its effect on the Bartholomew County School Corporation and the healthcare system, the following steps are necessary to protect the health and well-being of our community.

The Bartholomew County Health Officer has announced that Bartholomew County will be
requiring the following restrictions in addition to the Indiana Governors Executive Order 20-48 and all referenced orders in that document. These orders and the Governors declaration of a Public Health Emergency for the COVID -19 Outbreak are available for review at
www.in.gov/gov/.

There is a continued requirement for adherence to requirements for Face Coverings, Social Distancing, Frequent Hand Washing, and Sanitation of frequently touched surfaces to slow the spread of the COVID -19 Virus. Of Specific Public Health Importance in this announcement are a summary of the following guidelines that become effective Noon, November 21, 2020 until further notice.

• Bars, Nightclubs, and bar seating at restaurants may not exceed 25 % capacity adhering to social distancing guidelines.
• Movie Theaters, Bowling Alleys, and similar indoor entertainment venues may not exceed 50 % capacity adhering to social distancing guidelines.
• Dining room food service, “Big Box” Retailers including food and hardware, essential businesses and similar facilities may not exceed 50% capacity adhering to social distancing guidelines.
• Social Gatherings, meetings and events are limited to no more than 50 people adhering to social distancing guidelines. Submitted Plans for larger events will be asked to not exceed 50 attendees, and may be reduced to 25 attendees if the county goes into red level.
• Gyms, Fitness Centers, Personal Services, and similar facilities are to operate in a reduced capacity equal to 50 % with restrictions. Screen employees daily, wear face coverings, and equipment must be spaced to accommodate social distancing. Equipment must be cleaned after each use and between uses. Group fitness classes should be postponed at this time.
• In their business plan, facilities are to calculate a number of customers that this percentage represents, post that number clearly on the entry door, and ensure those numbers are not exceeded and can be checked by staff and the proper authorities.

Local officials confirmed as of Friday, Nov. 20, that there have been 2,789 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus in Bartholomew County.

There are a cumulative 282,311 confirmed cases in Indiana and 4,952 deaths within the state (62 of those residents of Bartholomew County). There have been a total of 3,785,422 total tests conducted within the state; 24,836 of those tested have been Bartholomew County residents. We have limited the number of reporting cases to this site to those counties surrounding Bartholomew due to the number of increasing cases and counties effected. To view a full list on the ISDH map, click on the following link. https://www.in.gov/coronavirus/ This information is updated every day at 12:00 noon. 

Bartholomew (2789)

Brown (302)

Decatur (1162)

Jackson (1916)

Jennings (758)

Johnson (5678)

Shelby (1608)

Monroe (4964)

It is imperative that we, as a community, take whatever measures possible to prevent further spread of the COVID-19 virus. We realize that these actions pose an inconvenience to many businesses and members of our community. Difficult decisions such as this are taken with the utmost care and concern for our citizens and for our health care system as it continues to prioritize care and medical resources to best handle this situation.