Budget increases, not cuts for Indiana K-12 public schools
INDIANAPOLIS (WLS) -- Indiana announced 41,438 total COVID-19 cases and 2,304 related deaths Thursday.
There have been 384,722 tests conducted, and 10.8% have been positive, according to state health officials. Thursday's data showed 584 new COVID-19 cases and 15 new deaths.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said the state's K-12 public schools won't face funding cuts for the 2020-21 school year. Instead, the governor announced Wednesday that the state will move forward with the current budget, which includes a $183 million increase for K-12 spending for schools. This increase will be awarded, regardless of whether students are attending class in-person or online due to restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Public universities and state agencies still face significant budget cuts for the fiscal year starting July 1.
And a northern Indiana health department is requiring everyone to wear a mask or face covering over the mouth and nose following a steep increase of cases since Memorial Day.
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The LaGrange County Health Department says the county has seen a sharp rise in COVID-19 illnesses, and the best defense is hand washing, social distancing and wearing masks.
LaGrange County's cases have spiked, with 215 new cases since Memorial Day. In all, the number has almost quadrupled in 21 days. The Journal Gazette reports LaGrange is one of the few counties in Indiana to mandate the wearing of face coverings.
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Last Friday, the state moved to Phase 4 of its reopening plan, two days ahead of schedule.
Many businesses were caught off guard with Indiana starting stage 4 early, especially in Lake County which has been a week behind most of the state in the governor's reopening plan.
Holcomb defended his decision to move the state into the next stage with COVID-19 still spreading.
In Stage 4 office buildings, retail stores and malls are allowed open at full capacity. Restaurants can have up to 75 percent capacity in their dining rooms. Bars, nightclubs, Bowling alleys, Movie theaters, Amusement parks can open at 50 percent capacity.
Casinos were also allowed to reopen at reduced capacity on Monday. Horseshoe Hammond Casino will implement new health and safety protocols.
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Social distancing guidelines are still in place, and face coverings are still recommended.
We've compiled the need-to-know information and resources to keep you and your family informed and safe. You can find all of ABC7's latest reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak here.
Here's what the next phase means for Indiana:
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.