Possible Enforcement Looms As Cases Skyrocket

The free testing site outside of the Bowen Center Health Clinic in Warsaw had a line of more than two dozen cars around the noon hour Friday, Nov. 13. A spokesman for Bowen said they’ve seen exponential demand for testing. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – Local officials on Friday, Nov. 13, offered a stark warning: Take more precautions now to slow the spread of COVID-19 or face even worse conditions this winter.

Kosciusko County has seen a 74 percent increase in the number of cases since the start of October and saw a single-day record Thursday with 154 new cases.

The pleas to social distance, mask up and avoid big crowds came with a fresh sense of urgency as Indiana and much of the country sees what appears to be a second, even bigger surge.

“We are on a trajectory that is very, very worrisome,” said County Health Officer Dr. William Remington.

Mayor Joe Thallemer attempted to put the situation into perspective: “Hospitals are filling up and people are dying as a direct result of the uncontrolled community spread.”

Remington said hospitals in South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart County and Kosciusko County are seeing an impact from the spike in cases and that normal services were being affected.

“People showing up in the ER with chest pains may not have the same accommodation of care and level of care as they would have traditionally received a month ago,” Remington predicted.

“Routine care is starting to feel it. Your future care could be compromised,” he warned.

Remington went as far as suggesting the health department could start checking on restaurants and businesses to see if they are adhering to social distancing and in some case, the use of masks.

Remington and Thallemer both said they’ve received recent complaints about restaurants and bars for not using more precautions.

Potentially, the health department could pull an establishment’s food permit, which would essentially close the business depending on circumstances. Remington said they don’t want to take that kind of action.

For now, Remington said they want to work with businesses on existing guidance.

“We’d much rather work with you. But if we are serving a complaint from a citizen and we enter your premise and you are unwilling to work with us, we have that ultimate action,” Remington said.

The warning comes just days after Gov. Eric Holcomb announced a switch to county-by-county restrictions based on a color-coded map.

Kosciusko County is among a majority of other counties in the state currently in the orange category, meaning they have a positivity rate above 10%. Officials warned Kosciusko could soon shift to red, which designates counties with 15% or more in positivity.

The current capacity limit for restaurants in orange counties is 75 percent.

Gatherings of more than 50 people in orange counties require approval from the health department beginning Sunday. In red counties, approval is needed for groups of 25 and more.

Furthermore, officials are already asking people to avoid large gatherings for Thanksgiving and Christmas with Thallemer going as far as suggesting sacrifices now would help ensure some return to normalcy by the next holiday season.

Thallemer also announced new restrictions for city hall:

• While city offices will remain open, officials are asking the public to make appointments if they need to discuss city business
• Public meetings will be available to the public and the press through the city’s live stream. Board members will have the option of attending or participating online. The one exception to that policy will be at Monday’s meeting when the council is expected to host a public hearing on a stormwater fee increase. Thallemer also said a phone number will be available for people to communicate questions and concerns over the proposal.
• Thallemer also announced he signed an executive order that will allow employees of the city to work from home if practical through the remainder of the year.

The sense of urgency was also conveyed in a letter from the city council imploring to take precautions.

The statement “kindly” asks that people “mask up.” Doing so, the statement said, could help keep schools safely open, keep businesses open and prevent health care providers from being overburdened.

“The life you save may be your own or somebody you care about,” the statement read.

City Councilman Michael Klondaris read the statement from council. He said the letter had the support of six of seven council members, but declined to say who balked at supporting it.

Klondaris added, “We’re on a roller coaster with no brakes. Everyone needs to do their civic duty. I know people are concerned about their rights. We all have rights. But we need to show some human compassion and social responsibility and try to take care of each other.”

In another matter, Thallemer said no decision on whether the December First Friday would happen. He said that is still being looked at and that all city events for the rest of the year are uncertain at this point.