The Elkhart County Health Department announced last Friday evening that the county will move to Stage 4.5 beginning the next day.
In an announcement released around 7:20 p.m. Friday, Elkhart County Health Officer Lydia Mertz said that while the coronavirus remains in Elkhart County, the county will join the rest of the state in Stage 4.5.
“We have only suppressed its spread,” Mertz said in the announcement. “This was possible because of decreasing positivity rates over the past week. I applaud the citizens who worked together to wear masks in public, distance themselves, use hand hygiene, and stay home when sick.
“Your efforts got us closer to controlling the spread of the SARS-Co-V-2 virus in our county. Our positivity rates have gone from 13.7 percent to 8.4 percent recently, allowing us to move toward a bit more openness.”
Mertz also noted in the announcement that if mitigation measures end, an increase in illness will be seen in the county.
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“I urge all residents to keep wearing masks in public, use physical distancing, wash your hands often, and stay home when feeling ill. Let us all work together for continued success.”
Under Stage 4.5 of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s plan, restaurant dining rooms can open at 75 percent capacity, and places like zoos, museums, movie theaters and bowling alleys can open at half-capacity. Bars, nightclubs, and tourism sites can operate at 50 percent capacity.
