St. Joseph County decided today against issuing any new public health orders. They will not roll back the current reopening stage and will instead increase their contact tracing efforts.
Mark Fox, the county’s deputy health officer, says the Department of Health doesn’t want to penalize restaurants and bars that are following COVID-19 guidelines. Instead, the department will enhance investigation and abatement efforts for establishments failing to adhere to safety guidelines.
As of Wednesday night, there are 1,091 active COVID-19 cases and 64 COVID-related hospitalizations in St. Joseph County, according to the Department of Health. Fox said there has been a steady rise in cases since late September.
However, since the county is just entering the timeframe where officials will be able to see the impact of Stage 5 reopening, the increase can’t yet be attributed to the transition.
