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Christina's Pancake House in Indianapolis is closing its doors for two weeks in response to the novel coronavirus. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett declared an emergency on March 16.
Lauren Chapman/IPB NewsA Johnson County resident is the second death from the novel coronavirus. The Indiana State Department of Health said they were older than 60. And the Indiana Department of Workforce Development is asking unemployed Hoosiers to file online, as the unemployment insurance program has seen a significant increase in claims as business is disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.
DWD Sends Unemployed Hoosiers Online
The Department of Workforce Development is urging those filing a claim to go online instead of a WorkOne office.
Typically, someone has to be healthy and actively looking for work to receive benefits. The U.S. Department of Labor issued new guidance last week to allow states to grant unemployment insurance benefits to workers who are temporarily laid off or are quarantined. Those rules haven’t taken effect in Indiana yet due to state laws.
At the end of 2019, the state reported it had just less than $900 million in the unemployment insurance trust fund. According to a federal formula, that puts it at only half of where it should be to be considered financially solvent.
OB-GYN: Pregnancy Should Be Included In COVID-19 High Risk Groups
Health officials have new guidelines to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus and protect those most at risk – including people over 60 and those with underlying health conditions. But doctors say there’s still a lot we don’t know about the risks to women who are pregnant.
Pregnant women should practice social distancing as much as they can to limit the risk of exposure and only essential caregivers should be in contact with newborns.
Based on guidance from similar viruses – like MERS, SARS and the flu – women who have just given birth are still considered high risk because they are prone to infection up to eight weeks.
READ MORE: What Do You Need To Know About Coronavirus? We’ve Got Answers.
Democrat In Governor’s Race Releases COVID-19 Proposals
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Woody Myers says the General Assembly should be brought in for an emergency session to help address the COVID-19 crisis.
The former state health commissioner unveiled proposals Tuesday for the health emergency.
Myers also says the single biggest need is more testing. He says it was a mistake not to emphasize testing earlier because without broader testing, there’s not enough information.
Indiana’s Federal Delegation Response
Indiana Rep. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City) was the only Indiana representative to vote against passing a coronavirus relief package Saturday following the World Health Organization’s designation of the virus as a pandemic.
HR 6201 responds to the outbreak by ensuring paid sick leave and free testing for the virus, expanding food assistance and unemployment benefits and putting in place stricter workplace protections for health care workers.
Fellow Republican U.S. Reps. Jackie Walorski (R-Jimtown), Jim Baird (R-Greencastle), Susan Brooks (R-Carmel), Greg Pence (R-Columbus), Larry Bucshon (R-Newburgh) and Trey Hollingsworth (R-Jeffersonville) all voted in favor of the resolution.
Democratic U.S. Reps. Pete Visclosky (D-Merrillville) and André Carson (D-Indianapolis) also voted in favor of the virus relief package.
Congress is making changes to help protect representatives and senators as they vote on Capitol Hill. According to a report from the Congressional Research Service, the average age of House members in the current Congress is about 57-years-old. For senators, it’s nearly 63-years-old.
Rep. Greg Pence says his colleagues are watching their health while passing measures to help the country.
International Travel ‘Chaos’
The federal government abruptly put updated travel screenings in place over the weekend to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. One central Indiana woman who flew through O’Hare says they may have made the spread worse.
Liz Manasek and her husband returned to the U.S. Saturday after a trip to Iceland. When they arrived in Chicago before a connection to Indianapolis, she says it was chaos.
"If we get sick, we did not pick up the coronavirus in Iceland,” Manasek says. “We picked up the coronavirus in O’Hare International Airport with a thousand other people. That is where I am going to tell you we picked up the coronavirus.”
Distilleries Start Producing Hand Cleaner
Distilleries in Indiana are shifting production to produce hand cleaner in response to the coronavirus. Indianapolis-based Hotel Tango Distillery's company officials say the decision aims to help at-risk communities.
With the coronavirus pandemic, demand is outpacing the supply of many products, including hand sanitizer.
Hotel Tango Distillery CEO Travis Barnes says seeing people online incorrectly producing hand cleaner at home pushed him to use his company to make a product that meets the federal safety standards.
Vanderburgh County Joins Marion With Emergency Declaration
Vanderburgh County Commissioners and the city of Evansville have declared a state of emergency in response to the ongoing coronavirus threat.
Immediate effects of the declaration include closing the Civic Center to the public, drastically reducing in-person activity in the court system and closing several city and county facilities.
State University Cancellations
Vincennes University will not be re-opening dorms this semester.
An update sent out from President Chuck Johnson says students will be allowed access to their dorm room over the next two weekends in order to move their personal items out.
An Indiana University spokesperson says international students who can’t return to their home countries will be able to remain on campus until summer.
IU’s president announced Sunday that the university would conduct the remainder of its spring semester online and close most on-campus housing by March 20.
Purdue University’s in-person spring commencement ceremonies have been officially cancelled.
In a letter to students Tuesday, Purdue President Mitch Daniels said plans were underway to create a virtual ceremony. He also said students would have the chance to participate in a more traditional graduation in the future.
Catholic Masses Canceled Throughout Indiana
All public Catholic masses in Indiana have been suspended.
The suspension is effective starting Wednesday, March 18 and includes all Sunday and weekday public masses throughout the Province of Indianapolis, which includes the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Dioceses of Gary, Evansville, Fort Wayne-South Bend and Lafayette.
Contact Lauren at lchapman@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @laurenechapman_.
This is a rapidly evolving story, and we are working hard to bring you the most up-to-date information. However, we recommend checking the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Indiana State Department of Health for the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases.
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