Marion County to allow bars, nightclubs to reopen with limits on Tuesday
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Bars and nightclubs in Marion County will soon be able to reopen at partial capacity.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett made the announcement on Thursday morning and cited the city’s progress in lowering COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.
He said indoors will be able to open at 25% capacity. Outdoors can reopen at 50% capacity.
Bartop seating will remain prohibited, and people are asked to remain seated at a table while inside.
The mayor warned that the Marion County public health director, Dr. Virginia Caine, and her team will “go full Footloose” on any businesses that fail to comply with the new rules.
Hogsett also announced that main street closures for outdoor seating, such as Massachusetts Avenue, will end after Labor Day on Monday. He cited financial concerns for the city since many parking spots have been unavailable on several downtown streets.
Caine also reviewed recent COVID-19 data during Thursday’s press conference. She said the city has made progress throughout August and dropped from about 200 cases per day at the beginning of the month to roughly 117 cases per day at the end of the month.
Caine also said there has been a significant drop in hospital admissions in recent weeks. She cites younger people contracting the virus and more people wearing masks in public as reasons for the decrease.
COVID-19-related deaths in Marion County have also dropped to around 0.7 per day.
Caine said that while Indianapolis is making progress against the virus, she does not want to see the city repeat the surge in cases that occurred after the Fourth of July.