Indiana is not quite moving all the way into Phase 5 of the Back on Track plan this coming weekend.
Governor Eric Holcomb in today’s press conference from Indiana said the state will move to “Phase 4.5” starting Saturday and it will go through July 17th. What this means is there will not be an increase in seating capacities at restaurants, bars and entertainment venues, however plans for fairs and festivals, with those that remain, can continue on with their plans. Gyms will also continue at their current capacity limits. Visits to nursing homes inside will also be able to start in July.
The reasoning for not going to a full transition to Phase 5, according to Governor Eric Holcomb, is due to the COVID-19 spikes seen in some areas of the state. While numbers have been holding steady in cases, there has been a slight rise in the amount of positive cases and hospitalizations.
Holcomb also said he and state officials are watching the cases in neighboring states, where some are managing better than others. The slow move into Phase 5 is to remain cautious about the virus. The final phase would have allowed no capacity limits at all levels, and Holcomb said the state isn’t ready for that just yet.