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Coronavirus roundup for May 4th: State passes 20k cases; Rules for religious gatherings

John Clark

Indiana has passed 20,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , as of Monday’s update from the Indiana State Department of Health.

According to the most recent update, there are 20, 507 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indiana, an increase of 583 cases since Sunday’s report.

There have been 1,151 deaths as of this afternoon’s update, an increase of 19 deaths from the previous day’s numbers.

Bartholomew County has 269 confirmed cases, an increase of 8 since Sunday. There have been 14 deaths so far from the coronavirus in Bartholomew County.

In other area counties, Decatur has 202 cases and has had 28 deaths; Jennings 82 cases and 3 deaths; Jackson 166 cases and 1 death; Brown 18 cases and 1 death, Johnson 718 cases and 72 deaths; and Shelby 224 cases and 13 deaths, an increase of one since Sunday.

Indiana guidance for religious services

The following are the recommended minimum health protocols for places of worship in our state. Places of worship may adopt additional protocols that are consistent with their specific needs and circumstances to help protect health and safety.

The virus is still impacting our communities, and we should continue to observe practices that protect all Hoosiers, including those who are at-risk and most vulnerable.

IN-PERSON SERVICES

When services are in-person, consider the following practices:

  • Ask all individuals who are 65 and above or who have an underlying at-risk health condition to stay home and watch services online
  • Ensure 6 feet between individuals or family units of the same households during services
  • Space and mark seating, alternating rows when possible
  • Clean between each service and disinfect high-contact surfaces regularly
  • Place hand sanitizers in high-contact locations (e.g. bathroom, entry, exit) and ask staff, members, and guests to sanitize their hands before entering the building
  • Recommend putting on a face covering before entering the building
  • Consider placing signage telling staff, members, and guests to not enter if they are symptomatic or if they have tested positive for COVID-19
  • Implement non-contact greetings
  • Avoid handing out materials
  • Keep cafs, coffee, and other self-service stations closed
  • Establish safe protocols for any communion and collection to avoid contact
  • Dismiss services in a way that supports social distancing
  • Place readily visible signage to remind everyone of best hygiene practices

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Consider waiting to reopen the preschool and children areas until schools reopen. If open, do not place a mask on children age two (2) or under per CDC guidelines, and limit leaders in the preschool and childrens areas to those who do not have pre-existing conditions and those under age 65.
  • Clean entire facility (e.g. shampooing carpets, sanitizing bathrooms, doorknobs, light switches, and microphones)
  • Consider offering multiple service times to encourage a greater opportunity for social distancing
  • Consider having a sign-up for services to allow for an attendance and capacity plan
  • Consider suspending in-person praise teams or choirs and using previously taped performances.
  • If in-person teams are used, use proper social distancing and limited team members

For more information https://backontrack.in.gov/files/BackOnTrack-IN_PlacesOfWorship.pdf