County goes ‘red:’ Here’s what you should know

Staff Reports

Did the governor add any new guidance or restrictions this week?

With 36 of the state’s 92 counties in “red,” indicating severe community spread, Gov. Eric Holcomb said “the state of Indiana is on fire” during his weekly coronavirus update Wednesday. Counties in the “red” have a positivity rate of more than 15% and more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents, according to the state’s metrics.

In response to the uptick of counties in “red,” Holcomb announced a few new measures in an effort to slow the spread.

Hospitals in the state are asked to postpone non-emergency, in-patient surgeries scheduled between next Wednesday and Jan. 3. Holcomb and Dr. Kristina Box, state health commissioner, said this move will free up occupied beds, ease the stress on critical care units and help reduce the number of hospitals on diversion.

Social gatherings should be limited to the number that is allowed based on a county’s color designation. Under the state’s new gathering limits, local health departments cannot authorize a gathering larger than that. That means private gatherings cannot exceed 25 people in Johnson County while it is in the “red.”

Holcomb also asked schools to limit co-curricular and extracurricular activities to participants, support personnel and parents if a county is in the “red.”

Holcomb says college and professional sports can continue with athletes, support personnel and parents in attendance. For these events, local health departments may approve fan capacity of up to 25%.

With the county in “red,” does the City of Greenwood plan to take any additional actions?

The Greenwood Parks and Recreation Department is making some changes, but much will stay the same for the city, Mayor Mark Myers said.

“We will follow all the governor’s guidelines,” Myers said. “I talked to our parks director, Rob Taggart, and his team has been following that already. Now that we’ve gone ‘red,’ he’s contacted anyone that has any event scheduled to limit the size to 25 people and move to a larger venue.”

The Greenwood City Center will remain closed to the public and all meetings will continue virtually.

“We’ve been doing everything that way already,” Myers said. “We’ll continue to enforce the restrictions, and encourage everyone to socially distance and wear masks. We just really want everyone to follow the guidelines.”

The city plans to increase its social media presence to inform residents about the guidelines, social distancing and wearing masks.

The city’s fire chief, Darin Hoggatt, will continue to stay in touch with the county health department and offer support as needed, he said.

Does the City of Franklin plan to take any additional actions?

Franklin will make a few changes in addition to measures already in place.

The Franklin Parks and Recreation Department will limit crowds at the recreation center and require masks inside, Mayor Steve Barnett said. Masks are now required inside all city buildings, whereas they were just recommended before, he said.

City meetings will continue to be held in person with a virtual option, Barnett said.

“My plans are to stay with the governor’s guidelines. We did post online what ‘red’ means for residents to read,” Barnett said.

Franklin will also provide any support the Johnson County Health Department may need to enforce the governor’s guidelines throughout the city, he said.

What does going “red” mean for schools?

In addition to Holcomb’s new guidelines above, schools may continue with in-person instruction, especially in grades K-8, but decisions should be made in consultation with local health officials and include consideration of a school’s ability to maintain social distancing and enforce hand hygiene and wearing of masks, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. Schools may consider hybrid instruction for high school students in consultation with local health officials, guidelines say.

What are local schools’ plans now that the county is in “red?”

Most Johnson County schools plan to wrap up the fall semester following the hybrid format. Under the hybrid format, students in elementary and intermediate schools are in the classroom full-time, while middle and high school students are in the classroom two days a week on alternating schedules.

Students at Edinburgh schools are attending school in person five days a week, except at East Side Elementary School, which moved to an entirely virtual format until Jan. 5, after the school’s entire cafeteria staff had to quarantine.

Why should I care about the positivity rate?

Local and state health officials watch the positivity rate closely because it is tied to community spread and infecting vulnerable populations.

As the positivity rate climbed and case numbers increased, Johnson Memorial Hospital has begun to fill up, said Dr. David Dunkle, president and CEO.

“The more people who are positive, the more chance there is for the susceptible population will come into contact with someone who is an asymptomatic carrier,” Dunkle said, adding this is amplified by individuals who refuse to wear masks.

Even though most people don’t develop severe symptoms, the positivity rate should still be a cause for concern, he said.

“It is true 80% of people have mild to no symptoms, but it is shortsighted not to worry about the most vulnerable people,” Dunkle said.

How many are in the Critical Care Unit at Johnson Memorial Hospital?

Conditions were stable Wednesday at the hospital. There were 33 in-patients, 11 of whom were COVID-19 positive. Four COVID-19 patients were being treated in the Critical Care Unit, and one was on a ventilator, Dunkle said.

Local critical care cases have risen as the community spread deepened. As more people get sick, outcomes have grown worse for the elderly and those with underlying conditions, he said.

“A month ago, we could go two or three weeks without someone on a ventilator or needing excessive amounts of oxygen,” Dunkle said. “We are seeing a definite uptick of people who are getting severely ill.”

Nearly every day this week, more Johnson County residents were reported dead from complications of the virus, whereas a month ago and during the summer, only a handful of deaths were reported each month.

How can I show support my support for health care workers?

Holcomb asked Hoosiers to do 10 things to help slow the spread and clear out hospitals around the state. Those are: limit gatherings, pause non-emergency procedures, wear a mask, stay six feet from others, wash your hands often, get tested if you’re showing symptoms, isolate if you test positive for COVID-19, talk to employees about after-work activities, give blood, stay informed about vaccine distribution in 2021.

And Johnson Memorial Hospital launched a portal on its website to send messages of support to its stretched-thin staff. To say thanks, visit johnsonmemorial.org/frontline-team.

What should I do if I’m potentially exposed to COVID-19?

The Johnson County Health Department released Wednesday its revised quarantine guidance in light of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s modification last week. The county health department recommends a 14-day quarantine for close contacts, but will support early release from quarantine on day 10 without testing, as long as the following guidelines are met:

Monitor symptoms daily and isolate immediately if symptoms appear between days 11-14

Wear a mask at all times throughout the day, even on days 11-14

Maintain social distancing throughout the full 14 days of quarantine

Wash your hands frequently and avoid face contact

Avoid crowds

Stay home if you don’t feel well

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”By the numbers” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Here is a look at the latest numbers available, between Dec. 3 and Wednesday:

Johnson County

Weekly cases: 1,189

Weekly deaths: 7

7-day positivity rate: 15.4%

Indiana

Weekly cases: 44,876

Weekly deaths: 437

7-day positivity rate: 14.2%

Source: Indiana State Department of Health

[sc:pullout-text-end]