Thread by @WIBC_EricBerman

With Marion County #COVID positivity over 10%, @IndyMayorJoe announces new restrictions, effective Sunday:

--Bars limited to 25% capacity inside
--no karaoke
--max 6 people at tables
--all hospitality/entertainment venues must close at midnight (previously applied to bars/clubs)

More:

--Organized gatherings (Colts games, weddings, funerals, etc.) capped at 25% capacity; no more than 50 people unless approved by @Marion_Health
--Other gatherings capped at 25 people
--no self-serve buffets or salad bars
-Church services capped at 75%

--Indoor visitation at #longtermcare requires negative #COVID test
--Gyms and clubs capped at 25% capacity

Afterschool activities also restricted, details shortly

Hogsett: "We should be announcing further assistance to businesses....Unfortunately, Congress has now gone eight months without approving additional assistance." He says the March #CARESAct was "transformative," and says Washington needs to step up.

Marion County is in ISDH's orange zone, which would cap gatherings at 50 people under @GovHolcomb's order taking effect Saturday. Hogsett order goes beyond that.

Hogsett: there are "myriad" sources of surge, but some clear trends: weddings/funerals, workers returning to workplace. "We are also seeing a shift from community spread in public places, to spread among families, in private homes."

Hogsett: "Please recognize that this virus doesn't care whether you are in public or not. Private gatherings at your house are just as dangerous." He's particularly concerned with Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah approaching. Holiday season "will not in any way be normal."

Marion County had more than 700 new cases yesterday.

.@Marion_Health director Virginia Caine: we may hit 1,000 cases in a day in Marion County before long. "We're reaching that critical point that we really have to practice our preventive measures to avoid going back to the stay-in-shelter phase."

Caine: Marion County is now *averaging* 367 cases a day, and there's a snowball effect: more cases means more spread means even more cases.

Caine: Indy averaging 16 hospital admissions a day for #COVID, up from 10 a month ago.

Caine: per 100,000 people, Marion County is now averaging 55 adult #COVID cases a day,, 40 high school-age cases, 28 middle-school age. High school students have 18% positivity rate, middle school 14%. Both are above Caine's previously announced threshold to close schools again.

Elementary school positivity around 8%, but Caine says trend points to 12% by end of next week. "We've had good control in our schools, but you can only do it when your community spread is not so significant."

BREAKING: Marion County schools must return to all-virtual instruction by Nov 30.

Afterschool activities, including sports, are limited to participants and their parents/guardians; no other spectators. That limit, and the all-virtual order, continues through January 15.

Caine: January 15 end date for school closure "unless we see some remarkable, surprising changes....Miracles can happen sometimes."

Clarification: new capacity limits in Marion County take effect Monday at 12:01am, not Sunday.

Caine: @Colts already have approval for their cap of 12,500 fans. That's well below 25% capacity limit, and @LucasOilStadium has been enforcing social distancing.

Caine: no cases linked to long lines at polling places, but @Marion_Health is studying the issue. Given virus's incubation time, could take another week or two for cases to surface.

Public health and safety director Paul Babcock: while increasing number of cases come from private family gatherings, CDC study found transmission twice as likely in bars. Plus, limiting capacity at bars narrows the circle when contact tracing.

.@FishersHealth order approved Tuesday night caps outdoor gatherings at 25 people, and indoor gatherings at 10, even stricter than new Marion County order. Caine says she's working with area health depts on education campaign to stress importance of virus precautions at home.

Hogsett says Indy may disqualify businesses from future aid programs if they defy health orders. "This is a life and death issue. The vast, vast majority of bars and restaurants" are complying with mask and capacity orders, but city will not incentivize "bad actors."

Caine: Indy will request part of the $20M @GovHolcomb announced yesterday to aid local #COVID enforcement efforts. @HamiltonIN commissioners have said they'll apply as well. Hogsett says city has already budgeted $12M for compliance efforts.

Caine: "Significant percentage" of schools are starting to have staffing problems, since teachers who have contact with infected students have to quarantine for two weeks. Along with positivity, that's a factor in school-closure order.

Caine: Hundreds of citations still being issued each month for violations of mask and capacity orders.

Hogsett: "Most business owners, as difficult as these orders are for them, are following them, protecting their patrons and employees by following them.....That's why it's important to help them in every way possible."