Marion County Prepared To Relax Restrictions And Increase Vaccinations

Marion County officials gave a COVID-19 update Wednesday. So far, about a third of Marion County residents are vaccinated, but city officials want to have half of the county with shots by July 4. 

Efforts to increase vaccination rates include a new hotline for multilingual residents, community recovery grants and vaccine clinics for youth ages 12-17.

Marion County Public Health Department Director Dr. Virginia Caine said there will be enough shots for everyone at the clinics that are being held at local high schools.

“Family members older than 17, hey, you can get vaccinated as well,” Caine said.

Caine also said following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she is prepared to submit new public health recommendations to the City-County Council next week.

“That relaxes some of our capacity restrictions and removes the mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals,” Caine said.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said Indianapolis is still experiencing about one death a day from COVID-19.

“And we need to eliminate, we are morally obligated to eliminate that all together,” Hogsett said.

Marion County’s seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate is currently 4.7 percent.