COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana

On March 6, Indiana health officials announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Indiana, and Governor Eric Holcomb declared a public health emergency in the state.[5] The first case was a Marion County (Indianapolis) resident who had attended the BioGen conference in Boston.[6]

On March 16, the first death from COVID-19 was announced. Governor Holcomb also ordered all bars, restaurants, and nightclubs to close to in-house patrons; only take-out would be permitted.[6]

On March 19, Governor Holcomb announced numerous actions in response to the pandemic.[7] These included the following:

• The State of Emergency was to be extended for another 30 days beyond its previously scheduled expiration of April 5.
• All K-12 schools (both public and private) were to remain closed until at least May 1, and all state-mandated standardized tests were canceled.
• An Executive Order prohibiting evictions and foreclosures was issued. Utilities were prohibited from disconnecting services.
• Extensions for paying income taxes (to July 15) and property taxes (60 days beyond May 11) were granted.

On March 20, Marion County had its second death, making three for the state.[8]

On March 21, the fourth death occurred in the state, in Muncie (Delaware County).[9] Three additional deaths occurred on March 22, one each in Scott, Marion, and Allen Counties.[10]

On March 23, Governor Holcomb issued a 'stay at home' order effective March 25 through April 7.[11] He put the following restrictions in place:[12]

• Public gatherings were limited to 10 people
• Non-essential businesses were ordered to close or allow employees to work from home. Some examples of businesses closed included hair and nail salons, entertainment venues, theaters, and fitness centers.
• Essential businesses included grocery stores, pharmacies, home improvement stores, auto repairs, medical providers, gas stations, pet care, trades, and professional services like accountants and law offices.
• Penalties for violating the order could include a fine of up to $1,000 and 180 days in jail, though the Governor was vague about how enforcement would work and said police would not pull over motorists.

Governor Holcomb issued additional executive orders closing many state government offices, extending state-issued licenses and permits 60 days, and giving the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco commission the authority to suspend or revoke liquor licenses for establishments that were not complying with a previous directive to engage in carryout sales only.[12]

On March 26, eight residents and two staff members of a Johnson County, Indiana senior home tested positive for COVID-19.[13]

The spike in deaths on March 31 also includes some deaths from previous days. Reporting of those deaths had been delayed pending tests confirming COVID-19.[14]

For the month of March, Indiana had 123 deaths from COVID-19, all from the second half of the month, and 2,560 cases. Marion County had the most cases at 1,117, but cases were reported in 83 of Indiana's 92 counties. A total of 14,375 tests were conducted.[15]

Due to delays in receiving test results, March death totals were gradually revised upward in later months. The first deaths, two, were actually on March 9, and the total number of deaths in March was 214. (Each date's report is actually from the previous date ending at 11:59 pm.)

On April 1, Marion County extended their stay-at-home order until May 1 and closed all golf courses (effective April 3).[16]

On April 2, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Jennifer McCormick, announced that all K-12 schools would provide remote instruction for the remainder of the 2019–2020 school year. The new order also permitted them to conclude the school year once they had provided 20 days of remote learning after April 2 (meaning the school year could end as soon as May 1), even if school had not met for 160 days.[17]

On April 3, Governor Holcomb extended the stay-at-home order by two weeks, to April 20, and the state public health emergency by 30 days, to May 3.[18]

On April 12, cases were reported in all 92 of Indiana's counties.[19]

On April 17, Governor Holcomb announced that the stay-at home order would be extended on April 20 to May 1.[20]

On April 27, 65 positive cases had been confirmed at a nursing home in Clarksville.[21]

State of Indiana Executive Order 20-26: Roadmap to Reopen Indiana

On May 1, Governor Holcomb announced a five-stage plan detailing the gradual reopening of business sectors in Indiana, with the final stage, completely reopening the state without restrictions, culminating on July 4. The previous statewide lock down was retroactively deemed Stage One. Stage Two began on May 4, with retail and commercial businesses operating at 50% capacity and mall common areas restricted to 25% capacity. A week after entering Stage 2, restaurants can open at 50% capacity for dine-in service and personal services can be performed by appointment only. People who can work from home are still strongly encouraged to do so.

Bars, gyms, entertainment events and venues such as zoos, concert halls, movie theaters, bowling alleys, amusement parks, playgrounds, adult day cares, casinos, community swimming pools and camps are not open during Stage 2. However, churches will reopen on May 8. Religious services were specifically exempted from the 25-person rule.

Additional restrictions remained in place for the three hardest-hit counties: Cass County, Lake County, and Marion County.[22]

The continued progression of the plan is contingent on 4 guiding principles:

• "The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients statewide has decreased for 14 days."
• "The state retains the ability to test all Hoosiers who are COVID-19 symptomatic, as well as healthcare workers, essential workers, first responders, and others as delineated on the ISDH website."
• "The state retains its surge capacity for critical care beds and ventilators."
• "Health officials have systems in place to contact all individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and complete contact tracing."[23]

On June 3, Governor Holcomb issued Executive Order 20–30, extending the public health disaster emergency declaration to July 4.[24]

Not long after public schools reopened (for the first time since March), one student and one school staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The student tested positive on the first day of class. The student was isolated in the school clinic under the "Positive COVID-19 Test Protocol". Nurses began contact tracing procedures. Under the protocol, close contacts are expected to quarantine for 14 days before they can return to school.[25]

Staff and students who test positive can return to school after a 10-day isolation period if they have been non-symptomatic for 72 hours.[25]

Between August 8 and August 25, the University of Notre Dame had a total of 408 confirmed positive cases. The student newspaper published an op-ed on its front page titled, "Don't Make Us Write Obituaries".[26] In-person classes for undergraduates were canceled for two weeks. Students were not sent home.[27]

On August 20, Purdue University suspended a cooperative house and 36 students for attending an off-campus party.[28]

On September 1, 30 out of 40 fraternities and sororities at Indiana University Bloomington were quarantined. The test positivity rate was 8.1% among students living in fraternity and sorority housing, and 1.63% among students living in residence halls. An outbreak of 14 cases was announced at Wabash College.[29] The number of confirmed cases at Notre Dame was 577.[30]

On September 2, Notre Dame had put security personnel at its off-campus COVID-19 quarantine and isolation sites, because some students had been leaving their quarantine locations.[31] Classes resumed at Notre Dame, with the goal of phasing in all classes for in-person instruction by September 7.[32] Indiana University recommended that all 40 Greek life houses be closed.[33]

On March 12, the National Basketball Association announced the season would be suspended for 30 days, affecting the Indiana Pacers.[34] On June 4, the NBA announced a preliminary plan to restart the season on July 31 with 22 teams, including the Pacers, playing all the remaining games at Walt Disney World Resort. Teams would also practice and be housed there for the remainder of the season.[35]

On June 15, the Women's National Basketball Association announced plans to start the delayed 2020 season in late July, playing a 22-game season followed by traditional playoffs at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Under the plan, all WNBA teams (including the Indiana Fever) would practice and be housed at IMG Academy for the entire season and would play all games without fans in attendance.[36]

On March 12, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, headquartered in Indianapolis, canceled all winter and spring tournaments, most notably the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, affecting colleges and universities statewide.[37] The announcement came as men's basketball teams from Michigan and Rutgers were warming up on-court at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the third game of the Big Ten men's basketball tournament.[38]

On March 26, the IndyCar Series announced that the 2020 Indianapolis 500 would be held on August 24, 2020—marking the first time since the race resumed in 1946, after the conclusion of World War II, that it was not held on Memorial Day weekend. Indianapolis Motor Speedway's road course race, the GMR Grand Prix, was held on July 4, 2020, during the NASCAR Cup Series' Brickyard 400 race weekend, as part of a double-header with the NASCAR Xfinity Series' Pennzoil 150, all of them held behind closed doors.[39] IndyCar had delayed the start of the 2020 season due to the pandemic.[40]

New IndyCar and IMS owner Roger Penske disclosed in June that he preferred the 500 to be run with spectators in attendance (in order to showcase renovations made to the facility after he took ownership), and that he would be open to postponing the event to October if it cannot be held with fans in August.[41][42] On June 26, IndyCar announced that the 500 would be held in August with spectators, with capacity capped at half.[39] On August 4, the IMS announced that the race will be held without spectators.[43]

On April 2, the Indiana High School Athletic Association announced the cancellation of all spring sports tournament series events for the 2019–20 school year.[44]