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Indiana Remains Stuck In Reopening Stage For Another Month

Stage 4.5 – in place since the beginning of July – restricts restaurants to 75 percent capacity and limits bars, nightclubs and other entertainment venues to 50 percent.
Justin Hicks/IPB News
Stage 4.5 – in place since the beginning of July – restricts restaurants to 75 percent capacity and limits bars, nightclubs and other entertainment venues to 50 percent.

Indiana’s reopening plan is stuck in park after Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Wednesday the state won’t move forward for at least another month.

Stage 4.5 – in place since the beginning of July – restricts restaurants to 75 percent capacity and limits bars, nightclubs and other entertainment venues to 50 percent. Gatherings of any kind are restricted to 250 people, unless there’s approval from a local health department.

READ MORE: Indy Mayor Orders Bars Closed, New Restrictions For Schools, Religious Events As COVID-19 Cases Increase

Holcomb said he doesn’t see the need to reimpose past restrictions – like closing bars and nightclubs – but stressed the importance of local leaders (and even individual businesses) enforcing compliance.

“For every 10 that are doing the right thing, if one doesn’t enforce these guidelines at the local level – at the individual business or social gathering – it can ruin it for a much greater area,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb’s latest extension of Stage 4.5 runs through Aug. 27.

Contact reporter Brandon at  bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state.
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