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Which counties with IU campuses have their own COVID-19 safety mandates? Here’s a list

Aug 13, 2020
IU students in a Bloomington park
In Monroe County, home to IU Bloomington, a number of measures are in place to further protect citizens from COVID-19.Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University

EDITOR’S NOTE: On Sept. 23, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb moved Indiana into “Phase 5” reopening effective Saturday, Sept. 26. This allows retail stores, malls, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and fitness centers to open without restrictions. Conventions and sports events may resume as well. A mask mandate has also been extended through Oct. 17. Individual counties may continue to enact their own orders; county information below is current as of Sept. 23, 2020.

More than five months have passed since Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued an executive order declaring a public health emergency for the state as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. (If it feels longer than five months, that’s understandable.)

Since then, Holcomb has issued several more executive orders, including a stay-at-home order (no longer in effect), restrictions on restaurants (many are now open, with safety measures) and a statewide mask mandate in public areas (put it on, please!).

Counties in Indiana are required to follow executive orders but are also permitted by law to enact any further orders deemed necessary to protect citizens. Three counties that have IU campuses have taken further measures.

Here’s a look at those counties and some of those measures:

Marion County (IUPUI)

  • Social gatherings limited to 50 people or fewer.
  • All other gatherings/meetings/seasonal events limited to 250 people unless risk mitigation plan is approved in advance by county.
  • Restaurants, bars, nightclubs and other food businesses at 50 percent capacity indoors and 100 percent capacity outdoors.
  • For more information, visit the Marion County Health Department COVID-19 page.

Monroe County (IU Bloomington)

  • Noncommercial gatherings limited to 50 people per Monroe County; limited to 15 people per city of Bloomington. Includes private gatherings or those at a personal residence, including fraternities and sororities in Bloomington and on or off the IU campus.
  • Commercial gatherings, or those held at venues offered to the public for rent or use, limited to 100 people inside and 150 outside.
  • Restaurants/bars open only to seated customers, bar-top service disallowed.
  • Occupancy in “residential, communal living facilities” recommended to be 50 percent of maximum capacity and not to exceed 75 percent, with 6-foot physical-distancing measures recommended for shared dining, living rooms and sleeping rooms, as well as a recommendation that “nonessential” visitors be prohibited.
  • Specifies that IU may impose stricter measures than those imposed by the county.
  • For more information, visit the Monroe County Health Department COVID-19 page.

St. Joseph County (IU South Bend)

  • Mask mandate enacted through Dec. 31 (statewide mandate runs through Oct. 17).
  • For more information, visit the St. Joseph County Health Department website.

Other IU campuses’ county COVID-19 updates

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