You can find the latest updates on coronavirus and COVID-19 here. These summaries are available outside of IBJ’s paywall, although some of the links will take you to stories behind the paywall. Thank you.
9:15 p.m., March 12
Hamilton County schools to close
Districts in Hamilton County announced late Thursday they will close schools into April, with the dates of the closings dependent on the district.
School officials said the decisions were based on Gov. Eric Holcomb’s directive banning events, meetings or other gatherings of more than 250 people.
“We recognize how challenging this situation is for some of our families, students and staff,” said an announcement from Hamilton Southeastern Schools. “This decision was made after consultation with Hamilton County health officials and other Hamilton County schools.”
Hamilton Southeastern will close for students starting Monday and will stay closed through April 2. HSE will use a combination of eLearning and waiver days that Holcomb said Thursday would be available to all schools.
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5:49 p.m., March 12
Hogsett tells police to use summonses—not arrests—for some non-violent crimes
Indianapolis police will issue summonses for defendants to appear in court—rather than arresting them—for crimes that will be charged as non-violent misdemeanors, Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Thursday.
The move is mean tot keep inmates out of jail at a time when local officials are seeking to stop the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
The city said officers will be allowed to make arrests if they believe they are necessary to protect the public.
Hogsett also said Thursday that:
- City-County government will begin implementing operational changes designed to protect employees and the public while maintaining basic service. The changes include a ban on non-essential travel by city employees, the transition to work-from-home for employees able to take advantage of city technology, and a push for residents to use online services when possible.
- The Parks Department has suspended all senior programming and is evaluating other parks programming.
- The City-County Council will be developing new tools for online engagement to ensure continued access and engagement for public meetings.
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Ivy Tech delays semester, postpones in-person teaching
5:36 p.m., March 12
Ivy Tech Community College announced Thursday afternoon that it will be delaying the start of the second eight-week semester of classes until March 23 and will be teaching them virtually or through other alternative methods for their first two weeks.
The semester had been scheduled to start Monday.
The community college is the latest in a long line of Indiana higher education institutions to back away from in-person classes because of concern about the spread of COVID-19.
On Wednesday, Butler University, Ball State University and UIndy all announced they would suspend in-person classes for at least several weeks.
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5:20 p.m., March 12
All Marion County public schools to close through April 5
Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Thursday that all of Marion County’s public school districts and charter schools sponsored by the Mayor’s Office will close their doors starting Friday.
Combined with already-planned spring breaks, the schools will remain closed through April 5.
“This decision is made in conversation with all public schools within Marion County, who agree it’s time to take this step out of an abundance of caution,” said Virginia Caine, the director of the Marion County Health Department.
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4:25 p.m., March 12
Dow suffers biggest percentage drop in 33 years
The stock market on Thursday had its biggest drop since the Black Monday crash of 1987 as fears of economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis deepened.
The Dow industrials plunged more than 2,300 points, or 10%. The sell-of came despite action from the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank. The steep drops over the last month have wiped out most of the big run-up on Wall Street since President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Markets have turned turbulent amid a cascade of shutdowns across the globe and rising worries that the White House and other authorities around the world can’t or won’t help the weakening economy any time soon.
The S&P 500 shed nearly 261 points, or 9.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 750, or 9.4%.
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4:21 p.m., March 12
Gov. Holcomb puts limits on social gatherings, makes it easier for schools to close
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Thursday he is limiting social gatherings, including events at churches, stadiums and offices, to less than 250 people in response to the coronavirus.
The announcement says this policy applies to “non-essential gatherings” of people who are in one room or single space at a time and includes professional, social and community gatherings. More guidance is expected to be posted on the Indiana State Department of Health website by the end of the day.
Holcomb is also making it easier for schools to shut down temporarily by giving school corporations a 20-day waiver of the required 180 instructional days, and he has suggested that schools prepare for broad closures and the need for e-learning and remote classroom lessons.
The Department of Education will release more guidance for how schools can obtain the waivers as early as Friday.
Holcomb’s announcement also included guidelines for nursing facilities and child care centers.
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4:20 p.m.. March 12
No March Madness: NCAA calls off basketball tournaments, other sports championships
The National Collegiate Athletic Association on Thursday called off all winter and spring sports championships, including the men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournaments.
“This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities,” the Indianapolis-based organization said in a written statement.
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4:19 p.m., March 12
Firefighters postpone massive Indy convention due to COVID-19
The FDIC International convention—which with 35,000 participants is one of the biggest annual tourism events for Indianapolis—has been postponed with no date yet for rescheduling.
The convention for firefighters and other rescue personnel was scheduled to run April 19-25. It typically has an economic impact of nearly $35 million for the city.
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4:06 p.m., March 12
Concert promoter Live Nation, Broadway, Hollywood shutting down over virus
The entertainment industry prepared Thursday for an unprecedented shutdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, canceling upcoming concerts, movies, suspending all Broadway performances and eliminating live audiences from television shows until it’s safe to welcome crowds back.
Huge national concert promoter Live Nation is instructing its touring shows to prepare to return home, Billboard magazine reported Thursday. The company told employees it will be postponing current touring arena shows through the end of the month.
To accommodate calls for social distancing, Hollywood moved to pause the normal hum of TV productions and the bustle of red-carpet movie premieres. After New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned gatherings of more than 500 people, Broadway theaters announced that they would close immediately and remain dark through April 12.
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4:06 p.m., March 12
Schools in Boone County shut down through at least April 6
Zionsville Community Schools and Lebanon Community Schools on Thursday announced they are closing their schools until at least April 6 because of COVID-19 concerns.
The districts said they will be closed beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday. Classes are canceled for Friday, and students will begin e-learning Monday.
Students will continue with online learning through March 27, when spring break for both districts begins.
The closures includes all activities, rentals, special events and performances.
MORE
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12:38 p.m., March 12
Fiat Chrysler says a Kokomo worker has tested positive for COVID-19
A Fiat Chrysler Automobiles worker in Kokomo has tested positive for COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus, and is receiving medical care, the company announced.
The Indiana State Health Department confirmed a Howard County case on Thursday morning.
Fiat Chrysler said the employee works at the Kokomo Transmission Plant is currently receiving medical care.
The plant remains open. But the company said in a statement that has “placed into home quarantine [the worker’s] immediate co-workers and others in the facility he may have come into direct contact with.”
“Additionally, the company has deep cleaned and disinfected his working area and is deploying additional sanitation measures across the entire facility, retiming break times to avoid crowding and deploying social spacing,” the company said.
A dozen people in Indiana have now tested positive for the coronavirus.
11:57 a.m., March 12
Big Ten cancels remainder of men’s basketball tournament
The Big Ten Conference announced at midday Thursday that it is canceling the remainder of its men’s basketball tournament, effective immediately, because of concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
The tournament started Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Fans were present for Wednesday’s games, but the conference that evening announced it would be barring them from the remaining days of the tournament, which was supposed to run through Sunday.
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11:45 a.m., March 12
Statewide student music competition cancels some events
An organization that planned to sponsor student music festivals across Indiana over the next few weeks involving more than 35,000 participants has decided to cancel them.
The Indiana State School Music Association said Thursday that it made the decision in hopes of protecting the young musicians from the spread of COVID-19. Students from more than 300 schools were set to perform at more than 30 school facilities.
The canceled competitions involve junior, middle and elementary school concert groups and the ISSMA State Show Choir and Jazz Finals. The events were set to take place through April 11.
The ISSMA has not yet decided what will happen with some high school events scheduled to take place after April 11, said Executive Director Michael Bridgewater.
A process is being developed to allow participants whose events have been canceled to submit recordings for evaluation, Bridgewater said.
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10:55 a.m., March 12
St. Patrick’s Day Parade, canal greening called off
The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Indianapolis and two other St. Patrick’s Day-related events have been called off because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The downtown parade had been scheduled to take place for the 40th time on Friday before being called off by the Athletic Club Foundation.
“After consulting with public safety officials and reviewing a great deal of public information, the Foundation determined that it would be in the best interest of the general public and the fans that attend this event to cancel,” the group said Thursday in a statement.
Additionally, the Greening of the Canal event scheduled for Thursday and the Annual Shamrock Run Walk were also canceled.
A tent party sponsored by the Public Safety Foundation that was scheduled to take place during the parade also was nixed.
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1 a.m., March 12
Huge volleyball event canceled due to coronavirus scare
Plainfield-based Capitol Sports Center has canceled the Nike Mideast Volleyball Qualifier, which was expected to draw upwards of 38,000 people—including young athletes and their families—to the Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium and the Incrediplex sports center northeast of Lawerence. The event was scheduled for March 20 to 22.
The event was canceled “due to the current health scare throughout the nation,” following discussions between Capitol Sports, governing body USA Volleyball, local and state health departments and the Indiana Convention Center, according to a brief statement on the group’s website.
The event helps determine the national championship bracket for USA Volleyball (age groups 15 Open, 15 Select and 16-18s), while also drawing college scouts from across the country. About 105 courts were expected to be set up throughout the convention center’s exhibit halls and inside Lucas Oil Stadium, while 17 courts would have been used at the Incrediplex.
The Mideast Qualifier was expected to bring $24.8 million into the local economy, as the city hosted hundreds of girls volleyball games. St. Louis was slated to host games this weekend, for separate age brackets, however those competitions were also canceled.
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11:10 p.m., March 11
Butler, BSU, UIndy suspending in-person classes
Butler University, Ball State University and UIndy all announced Wednesday that they would suspend in-person classes for at least several weeks in hopes of stemming the spread of COVID-19 among their school communities.
The Indiana schools noted that no cases of the respiratory illness had been reported on their campuses, and they plan to switch instruction from classrooms to online venues. All three schools are incorporating spring break into their plans.
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9:41 p.m., March 11
NBA suspends season after player comes down with virus
The National Basketball Association has suspended its season “until further notice” after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league’s owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.
Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the presumptive positive test.
A person who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity said the league expects the shutdown to last a minimum of two weeks, but cautioned that time frame is very fluid.
If the season is suspended at least through March, the Indiana Pacers will miss eight games, including five home games. The Pacers were next scheduled to play on the road Saturday in Philadelphia. The team’s next scheduled home game was next Wednesday against Golden State.
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7:14 p.m., March 11
NCAA says it might move regional basketball games out of Lucas Oil
NCAA President Mark Emmert said the NCAA wants to move the men’s Final Four from Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium to a smaller arena in the area.
And it will also will consider using smaller venues for regional sites currently set to be played at the Toyota Center in Houston, Madison Square Garden in New York, Staples Center in Los Angeles and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“We have to determine the availability of the sites, obviously, but it doesn’t make good sense to have a football stadium be empty,” Emmert said.
All sites for next week’s men’s games will remain the same unless conditions in those areas force relocation, Emmert said.
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7:02 p.m., March 11
Big Ten to ban fans starting Thursday
The Big Ten Conference announced late Wednesday that it will ban fans from its men’s basketball tournament starting Thursday, the second day of action at the Indianapolis event.
The decision came less than two hours after the NCAA said it would play its March Madness games in empty stadiums.
The Big Ten said it will only admit student-athletes, coaches, event staff, essential team and conference staff, TV network partners, credentialed media and immediate family members of the participating teams.
In addition, the Big Ten said all winter and spring sport competitions, including championship and tournament events will be limited to the same group of people.
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4:54 p.m., March 11
NCAA to play basketball tourney games without fans
The Indianapolis-based NCAA said Wednesday afternoon it is banning fans from its March Madness men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, explaining that it wants to limit the spread of the COVID-19 illness.
NCAA President Mark Emmert announced the games will be open only to “essential staff and limited family attendance.”
“While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sport, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States,” he said in written remarks. “This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and mostly importantly, our student-athletes.”
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3:42 p.m., March 11
Park Tudor closing through April 13
Park Tudor School in Indianapolis on Wednesday announced it will be closed through April 13 out of “an abundance of caution” as the number of COVID-19 cases in Indiana increases.
The private school posted the update on its website and emailed parents Wednesday afternoon.
The school said there are no known cases of COVID-19 within “the Park Tudor community,” but the school was notified Wednesday that at least three members of its “community” may have been in contact with individuals who have tested positive for the virus.
The school will be closed following dismissal Wednesday until at least April 13. The closure includes an already-scheduled two-week spring break from March 30 to April 10. Beginning March 16, the school will implement e-learning.
“We understand that this is quite disruptive for all of you, as well as for our students,” the notice states. “Please know that we have not made this decision lightly, and it is based on our desire to protect the heath and safety of our entire community from COVID-19, particularly the more vulnerable members of our community.”
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2:30 p.m., March 11
Carson cancels Youth Opportunities Fair
Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indianapolis, announced Wednesday that he has decided to cancel his seventh annual Youth Opportunities Fair, which was scheduled for March 16 at the Indianapolis Central Library. Carson said he was doing it “out of an abundance of caution to protect my constituents.”
“This is one of my favorite events of the year, and my staff and I cherish this chance to connect young people with a variety of enrichment activities that can help change lives,” he said in a statement. “But as COVID-19 continues its rapid spread, it’s clear that the health and well-being of friends, neighbors, and colleagues takes precedence.”
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1:20 p.m., March 11
Law firm reopens Indy office
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath reopened most of its offices Wednesday, the firm said in a statement, though its Washington, D.C., offices remained closed for monitoring.
The firm had closed all its offices on Tuesday and asked employees to work remotely after someone who visited the Washington office was later diagnosed with COVID-19, which is caused by the coronavirus. commonly known as coronavirus. The firm said it later learned a second person who visited the Washington office was also diagnosed with coronavirus.
“Because the scope of each guest’s contact with firm colleagues was not readily known, and because our attorneys, consultants and professionals have been traveling cross-office to support firm integration efforts, we chose to exercise caution while our leadership team evaluated the situation,” the firm said in announcing the reopening of most offices.
“The health and safety of Faegre Drinker’s colleagues, clients, visitors and their loved ones is a top priority. The firm’s executive leadership team acted quickly to protect those we care about, making time to gather key facts, assess risk and determine appropriate next steps,” the statement said. “We received helpful advice from a board-certified infectious disease expert with specialized knowledge in communicable diseases, including coronavirus, and consulted with internal specialists. Additionally, we took the precautionary measure of engaging a specialized service to clean and disinfect each office prior to our colleagues returning.”
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12:40 p.m., March 11
Notre Dame becomes latest Indiana university to call off in-person classes
University of Notre Dame on Wednesday followed in the footsteps of Indiana University and Purdue University in temporarily suspending in-person classes and planning to move instruction online.
University officials said classes on its South Bend campus would be halted on March 16 through at least April 13.
President John Jenkins attributed the move to protecting students from the spread of coronavirus, although no cases have been identified on the university’s campus.
“The probability that it will spread to our region is high,” Jenkins said in a letter to the university community.
Notre Dame students and faculty currently are on spring break. In order to give them time to adjust to new circumstances, all in-person and online classes will be canceled March 16-20. Online instruction will begin on March 23.
Jenkins also said he was suspending all study-abroad programs and bringing students and U.S.-based faculty home as soon as possible.
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10:32 a.m., March 11
Indy Hematology Review postpones conference until August
The Indy Hematology Review, which was expected to hold its annual meeting March 21 at the Westin downtown, has postponed its event to August. The group had been expected to draw up to 500 doctors from across the state, but several guest speakers were required to withdraw from the event because of the coronavirus outbreak.
“We decided, for the safety of all the physicians and professionals that will be there, to postpone it,” said Debbie Locklear, president of Meeting Services Unlimited, which helped organize the event.
The spread of COVID-19 means the event will now be held Aug. 14-15, also at the Westin.
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10:14 a.m., March 11
State total of COVID-19 cases rises to 10
The Indiana State Department of Health on Wednesday said the number of presumptive positive cases for COVID-19 has risen to 10 in the state after the emergence of four more cases, including three cases in Johnson County.
The other newly identified patient resides in Howard County, the department said.
The health department is providing case updates daily at 10 a.m. based on results received through midnight.
On its statistical online dashboard, the department said it had tested 43 Hoosiers for the virus. No deaths have been reported.
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7:33 a.m., March 11
Indy Lilly employee tests positive for COVID-19
An Eli Lilly and Co. employee in Indianapolis has tested positive for COVID-19, multiple TV stations reported early Wednesday.
Lilly spokesman Scott MacGregor confirmed the case to WRTV-TV Channel 6 but said he could not elaborate on the circumstances, citing employee privacy.
“We continue to monitor the situation,” MacGregor said. “We’re evaluating this on a day-by-day basis.”
The station said it was not immediately clear whether the Lilly employee is included in the six cases confirmed by the Indiana State Department of Health on Tuesday.
Lilly employs about 11,000 people in Indianapolis.
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7:30 a.m., March 11
Medical group cancels plans to meet in Indy, takes conference online
The American Medical Women’s Association has canceled plans to meet in Indianapolis for a March 26-29 conference and has moved the events online out of concern about COVID-19.
The association had planned to hold its Leadership Development Conference for Women Physicians at the Hyatt Regency but said in a statement that “continuing on with the meeting would have caused undue hardships for many, if not most, attendees.”
“Our primary obligation as health care providers is to our patients and the communities in which we live,” the group said on its website. “In light of all of these factors, we decided not to convene the live annual meeting in favor of a virtual platform.”
AMWA’s members are physicians, residents, medical students, pre-medical students and health care professionals.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams—a former Indiana’s state health commissioner—was scheduled to be a keynote speaker for the event.
Last week, the American Coatings Show and Conference announced it would postpone its event, which had been scheduled for March 31-April 2 at the Indiana Convention Center.
This week, the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Department of Indiana canceled its spring conference due to concern the coronavirus could affect some of its attendees. The event, which had been scheduled for March 13-15 at the Indianapolis Marriott East, was expected to draw more than 200 people, including elderly veterans and school-age children.
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1:24 a.m., March 11
Coronavirus clusters swell on both coasts
Alarming clusters of the coronavirus swelled on both coasts of the U.S. on Tuesday, with more than 70 cases now tied to a biotech conference in Boston and infections turning up at 10 nursing homes in the hard-hit Seattle area.
New York’s governor announced he is sending the National Guard to scrub public places and deliver food in a New York City suburb that is at the center of the nation’s biggest known cluster of infections.
At least 24 people have died in Washington from COVID-19, most in the Seattle metro area. Nineteen of the deaths are linked to one suburban Seattle nursing home and authorities in King County said the virus has spread to at least 10 long-term care facilities
On Wednesday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee will announce a ban on gatherings and events of more than 250 people in virtually the entire Seattle metro area to try to stop the spread of the outbreak, said a person involved in the planning of the decision.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency as cases statewide jumped by 51 from the day before, to 92. Of that number, 70 are now connected to a meeting held last month by biotech company Biogen at a hotel in downtown Boston.
Santa Clara County in California, home to San Jose and Silicon Valley, on Monday announced a ban on all gatherings of 1,000 people or more.
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10:50 p.m., March 10
Scrutiny on NCAA tournament coronavirus plan intensifies
The Indianapolis-based NCAA faced mounting pressure over how it will conduct its marquee event Tuesday, the same day the Ivy League canceled its conference basketball tournaments and two other Division I conferences announced that their tournaments would be played without spectators because of escalating concerns about the novel coronavirus.
The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are scheduled to begin next week at more than two dozen sites across the country, including multiple venues in Ohio, where Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, issued a strong recommendation Tuesday to play indoor sporting events in nearly empty arenas. The NCAA remained noncommittal in how it will proceed.
“The NCAA continues to assess how covid-19 impacts the conduct of our tournaments and events,” the organization said in a statement, referring to the disease caused by the new coronavirus. “We are consulting with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel, who are leading experts in epidemiology and public health, and will make decisions in the coming days.”
As coronavirus concerns have shut down college campuses, canceled political rallies and led to the National Guard entering New Rochelle, New York, scrutiny is intensifying on the NCAA, which is preparing to host large-scale gatherings across the country. The pace of the coronavirus’s spread and statements by public officials further raised the specter of one of America’s most popular sporting events unfolding in front of television audiences only, with squeaking sneakers and bouncing balls providing an echoing, eerie soundtrack.
The Mid-American Conference and the Big West announced minutes apart Tuesday evening they would hold their tournaments—in Cleveland and Anaheim, California, respectively—without spectators. The MAC followed the recommendation of DeWine, who asked for no spectators at indoor sporting events “other than the athletes, parents, and others essential to the game.”
“The safety of all is our greatest concern,” MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said.
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8 p.m., March 10
IPS cancels all field trips through April 3
Indianapolis Public Schools said Tuesday it has canceled all school sponsored field trips through April 3 as a measure to protect students from contracting COVID-19, caused by a coronavirus.
No cases have been identified among IPS students and staff.
“We know and acknowledge the inconvenience and loss of opportunity for students, yet the risks of not acting now far outweigh the disruption,” the district said in a statement on its website.
“The health and safety of our students, families and staff is our primary concern in this fluid situation,” the statement said. “These decisions are being taken to help mitigate and slow the spread of COVID-19 and to help protect the IPS community.”
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6:25 p.m., March 10
One of city’s largest law firms has closed its offices; attorneys working remotely
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath closed all 22 of its global offices Tuesday due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. Attorneys worked remotely after concerns that employees in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office had potentially been exposed a day prior.
No staff members or lawyers from the firm had tested positive for COVID-19, but a person who attended a firm event in Faegre Drinker’s Washington office had tested positive.
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6:22 p.m., March 10
Purdue, IU take on-campus classes online in bid to prevent virus spread
Indiana University and Purdue University announced Tuesday that they would suspend in-person classes after their upcoming spring breaks out of concern for the novel coronavirus spreading across the globe.
Neither school has identified any COVID-19 cases on campus.
IU told students and faculty that it planned to suspend in-person classes at all of its campuses for the two weeks following spring break, which runs from March 15 to March 22. Students will receive instruction remotely from March 23 to April 5, and then are expected to return to their campuses on April 6.
Purdue University told its professors to move their courses to online or alternative delivery before March 23. An email from Purdue President Mitch Daniels and Provost Jay Akridge said the change would “continue as long as in-person instruction seems inadvisable (potentially through the end of the semester).”
Purdue’s spring break begins March 16 and runs through March 21. “To be clear, the campus will remain open after spring break,” the email said. “However, starting March 23, students must take their courses online.”
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3:37 p.m., March 10
Hamilton County plans virus awareness session
Hamilton County officials are planning a Facebook Live discussion about the CORVID-19 virus to spread awareness without risking infection.
Three county agencies—the Hamilton County Commissioners, the Hamilton County Health Department and Hamilton County Emergency Management—will each host a live video discussing the coronavirus on their Facebook pages at 8:30 p.m. on March 18.
“We felt that a public meeting is contrary to current public health guidance and that this type of communication is one of the safest ways to educate our citizens,” County Commissioner Christine Altman said in a written statement. “Any business you can conduct remotely right now is a best practice and certainly helps reduce risk of exposure.” Though there are no known cases of the virus in Hamilton County, two of the state’s six confirmed cases as of Tuesday afternoon are in neighboring Marion and Boone counties.
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1:35 p.m., March 10
Gleaner’s makes its Community Cupboard Food Pantry drive-thru only
Gleaner’s has changed the distribution of food from its Community Cupboard Food Pantry to a drive-thru option only and has closed its interior facility, including its restrooms, to the public, out of concern about COVID-19 and possible volunteer shortages.
Pantry will remain the same during the week, but distribution this Saturday due to a lower number of volunteers and staff available. The Senior Shopping Day scheduled for Monday from 10 a.m. to noon will go on as scheduled, again in the drive-through format.
Volunteers and staff will be available to guide clients when they arrive at the Gleaners warehouse. Due to parking and environmental issues, clients are asked to arrive no earlier than 9:30 a.m. and to not idle cars as they wait.
“It is important that we prepare appropriately for several possible scenarios, continue to modify procedures as needed, but also remain calm and focused on our current responsibilities to clients and others—not overreacting, but taking prudent steps to prepare for possibilities,” said Gleaners CEO John Elliott in a statement. “We feel modifying our distribution is a good step, eliminating the need for clients, staff, and volunteers to congregate in our waiting area.”
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10:48 a.m., March 10
Two more reported cases of virus bring state total to six
The Indiana State Department of Health on Tuesday said the number of presumptive positive cases for COVID-19 has risen to six after the emergence of two more cases.
The newly identified patients reside in Adams and Boone counties, the department said. Adams County is in northeastern Indiana along the Ohio state line, and its county seat is Decatur.
The health department said it would provide case updates daily at 10 a.m. based on results received through midnight.
On its statistical online dashboard, the department said it had tested 36 Hoosiers for the virus. No deaths have been reported.
The first positive case of COVID-19, reported Friday, involved a Marion County resident who traveled to Boston in late February to attend the BioGen conference.
A second case, reported Sunday, involved a Hendricks County patient who also attended the Biogen conference.
The third case in the state, reported Sunday night, involved a student at Hickory Elementary School in the Avon Community School Corp. The fourth was reported Monday in Noble County in northern Indiana.
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9:42 a.m., March 10
Some state prison facilities halt visitation as precaution
The Indiana Department of Correction announced Tuesday that it has suspended visitation to some prison facilities indefinitely because of the coronavirus outbreak. The department said there are no known cases of COVID-19 among staff or offenders housed at IDOC facilities, but it was taking the step as a precaution.
The following facilities are affected:
- Indiana State Prison – LaPorte County
- Indiana Women’s Prison – Marion County
- Heritage Trail Correctional Facility – Hendricks County
- Plainfield Correctional Facility – Hendricks County
- Reception Diagnostic Center – Hendricks County
- Westville Correctional Facility – LaPorte County
- LaPorte Juvenile Correctional Facility – LaPorte County
- New Castle Correctional Facility – Henry County
“I know how important visitations are to offenders and to their family and friends, but the overriding concern is to limit the opportunity of COVID-19 being introduced into our facilities,” IDOC Commissioner Rob Carter said in written comments. “I’ve directed my staff to assess the need for continued visitation restrictions on a daily basis, and when responsible to do so, restrictions will be lifted, or if necessary, expanded to other facilities to protect staff and offenders.”
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12:52 a.m., March 10
Trump to seek payroll tax cut as part of virus response
President Donald Trump said Monday that he is seeking major policy changes that White House officials hope will arrest the widening economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus outbreak by providing immediate federal aid to workers and a number of business groups. Trump said he will ask Congress to cut payroll taxes and provide relief to hourly workers suffering from the economic fallout of the coronavirus. He also said he was seeking to provide assistance to the airline, hotel and cruise industries, which are all suffering as Americans rapidly cancel travel plans.
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4:45 p.m., March 9
Dow drops 7.8% as crashing oil prices, virus fears slam markets
The Dow Jones industrial average sank 7.8% on Monday, its steepest drop since the financial crisis of 2008, as a free-fall in oil prices and worsening fears of fallout from the spreading coronavirus outbreak seize markets.
The sharp drops triggered the first automatic halts in trading in two decades.
U.S. stocks are now down 19% from the peak they reached last month. Bond yields plumbed new lows as investors sought safety.
The price of oil plunged nearly 25% after Saudi Arabia indicated it would ramp up production after Russia refused to production cutbacks in response to falling demand.
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 2,013 points, or 7.8%, to close at 23,851. The Standard & Poor’s 500 lost 225 points, or 7.6%, to end at 2,746. The Nasdaq dropped 624 points, or 7.3% closing at 7,950.
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4:32 p.m., March 9
VFW cancels spring conference
The Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Department of Indiana has canceled its spring conference due to concern the coronavirus could affect some of its attendees. The event, which had been scheduled for March 13-15 at the Indianapolis Marriott East, was expected to draw more than 200 people, including elderly veterans and school-age children.
The event draws veterans from across the state, including the heads of various VFW posts.
Deborah Ryan, adjutant for VFW Indiana, said the decision came after news broke today of COVID-19, the disease caused by a novel coronavirus, impacting the Avon school district and other parts of central Indiana.
“We are pretty close to where some of these cases have been reported,” she said. “We don’t want to put our attendees at any kind of risk, especially those veterans that may be older or immunocompromised.”
She said the group’s summer conference is still scheduled for June 11-14, also at the Marriott on the east side.
3:15 p.m., March 9
Avon schools will be closed through March 20
All Avon Community School Corp. schools will be closed through March 20 after a second student began displaying symptoms of COVID-19, the school system announced Monday afternoon.
The student has not tested positive for the disease.
Avon Schools Superintendent Maggie Hoernemann said closing all schools is a precautionary measure. Officials did not say what school the second student displaying symptoms attends.
With the district’s spring break scheduled for March 23-April 3, students won’t actually return to school until April 6.
On Sunday night, a student at Hickory Elementary School in Avon schools tested positive for COVID-19, which led the district to close that school through March 20.
The other schools had an e-learning day on Monday. But now, district officials are expanding the closure to the entire district.
District officials said the schools will utilize e-learning days as much as possible during the closure.
Students without internet can request paper packets. The district will also provide families who rely on the school system for meals for their children with paper bag meals.
Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana’s state health commissioner, warned that the next two weeks should not be viewed as a spring break, with families visiting museums, the movies or the mall. Families need to practice social distancing, she said.
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12:20 p.m., March 9
Noble County in northern Indiana has coronavirus case
U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-3rd District, said Monday that an individual at Parkview Noble Hospital has been diagnosed with COVID-19, the illness caused by a novel coronavirus that was first discovered in China. The patient is the fourth in Indiana to test positive for the virus.
Banks said the patient does not have school-aged children, meaning the East Noble School Corp. has not been immediately affected.
“My office reached out to Parkview Health, the Noble County Health Department and East Noble School Corporation,” he said in a statement. “We’ve requested regular updates on the new coronavirus case and offered any assistance our office can provide.”
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9:54 a.m., March 9
Virus fears, crashing oil prices take toll on stock market
Stocks fell sharply Monday on Wall Street on a combination of coronavirus fears and plunging oil prices, triggering a brief, automatic halt in trading to let investors catch their breath.
The price of oil sank nearly 20% after Russia refused to roll back production in response to falling prices and Saudi Arabia signaled that it will ramp up its output.
While low oil prices can eventually translate into cheaper gasoline, they are wreaking havoc on already struggling energy companies and countries that depend on oil, including the No. 1 producer, the United States.
The war between the giant oil producers came just as Italy heads for a huge hit to its economy as it enforces a lockdown on 16 million people in the northern part of the country, the heart of its manufacturing and financial industries. The turmoil is expected to push Italy into recession and weigh on the European economy.
The carnage in other markets was nearly as breathtaking as in oil. U.S. stocks careened closer to a bear market, signified by a drop of 20% from its record, while a measure of fear in the market touched its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. European stock markets fell even more sharply, and Treasury yields plunged to more record lows in the latest vicious swings for a market that has rocked investors the last couple weeks.
The S&P 500 plunged as much as 7.4% in the first few minutes of trading, and losses were so sharp that trading was temporarily halted. Stocks trimmed their losses following the halt, and the index was down 4.8%, as of 11:44 a.m. Eastern time.
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7:30 a.m., March 9
Hendricks County elementary school student has positive COVID-19 test, school district says
A student at Hickory Elementary School in the Avon Community School Corp. has tested positive for COVID-19, the school district reported late Sunday night.
The district said on its website that it had been informed of the positive test by the Hendricks County Health Department. As a result of the positive test, all schools in the district will have an e-learning day on Monday. In addition, Hickory Elementary School will be closed for two weeks, which will be followed by the district’s regularly scheduled two-week spring break. School is set to resume April 6.
This is the third reported positive test for COVID-19 in Indiana, and the second in Hendricks County. Earlier on Sunday, Indiana health officials said a man from that county who had traveled to Boston in late February to attend the BioGen conference had tested positive. The man developed mild flu-like symptoms on March 2.
The patient is not hospitalized, officials said, but they did not disclose where or when the individual was tested. It was not immediately clear whether there is a connection between that man and the Hickory Elementary student.
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3:45 p.m., March 8
Anxiety grips companies around globe as virus spreads
Since breaking out of China, the coronavirus has breached the walls of the Vatican. It’s struck the Iranian holy city of Qom and contaminated a nursing home in Seattle.
And around the world, it’s carrying not just sickness and death but also the anxiety and paralysis that can smother economic growth.
From Florida, where the CEO of a toy maker who can’t get products from Chinese factories is preparing layoffs, to Hong Kong, where the palatial Jumbo Kingdom restaurant is closed, businesses are struggling. The virus has grounded a British airline, and it’s sunk a Japanese cruise-ship company.
The cumulative damage is mounting.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development this week slashed its forecast for global growth for this year to 2.4% from 2.9%. It warned that Japan and the 19 European countries that share the euro currency are in danger of recession. Italy may already be there.
Capital Economics expects the Chinese economy to shrink 2% in the January-March quarter and to grow as little as 2% for the year. That would be a disastrous and humiliating comedown for an economy that delivered a sizzling 9% average annual growth rate from 2000 through last year.
The bleak outlook and nagging uncertainties about how severe the damage will be have shaken financial markets. The Dow Jones industrial average, gyrating wildly from day to day, has plummeted nearly 12% over the past month.
“The virus is going to go on, and it’s going to impact a lot of countries and economies,” said Sondra Mansfield, who owners Chalk of the Town in New York City, which makes T-shirts and tote bags that children can write on with chalk.
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