Indiana governor announces closure of restaurants and bars to dine-in customers

INDIANAPOLIS—Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb on Monday announced that bars, nightclubs, and restaurants will be required to close to dine-in customers.

Dining establishments will still be able to provide take-out and delivery services through the end of March.

➡️Bars, nightclubs and restaurants are required to close to in-person patrons and may provide take-out and delivery services through the end of March. — Eric Holcomb (@GovHolcomb) March 16, 2020

The governor’s office said the restriction is part of a larger effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Indiana's restaurant and bar restrictions come on the heels of similar actions taken by neighboring states of Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan.

Also on Monday, the governor’s office said that the state’s Emergency Operations Center has been raised to a Level 1 status.

Additional directives from Holcomb’s office include:

Indiana will adhere to the CDC directive for large events and mass gatherings by limiting in-person events to no more than 50 people

Hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers should cancel and/or postpone elective and non-urgent surgical procedures immediately

State employees will maximize the use of remote work and meet virtually whenever possible while maintaining operations

State employees over the age of 60 with underlying health conditions are advised to work from home

The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, which are closed on Mondays, will close to the public beginning Tuesday

The visitors' center at White River State Park will close

Indiana state parks and recreation centers, including state park inns, remain open. Restaurants will convert operations to take-out and delivery

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has suspended rules requiring certain unemployment insurance claimants to physically appear at a Work One location to engage in reemployment services for the next four weeks. This will ensure that individuals who may be symptomatic do not have to physically appear to continue their unemployment insurance eligibility

The DWD will also request flexibility under federal and state law to expand eligibility for claimants and ease burdens on employers.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation will postpone the inaugural Indiana Global Economic Summit, scheduled for April 26-28