IndyStar

The main WorkOne Indy office is closing to the public until further notice.

EmployIndy, a branch of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, is located at 4410 N. Shadeland Ave.

"This decision was not made easily but, in the interest of the safety of staff and job seekers," is in compliance with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EmployIndy said.

The news release said that "with more than 100 individuals coming through WorkOne Indy on any given day," the action was taken to comply with CDC recommendations to limit non-essential gatherings to no more than 50 individuals at one time.

While assistance will no longer be available on site, EmployIndy and WorkOne said Hoosiers can still file for unemployment insurance online via a computer or smartphone through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development: https://www.in.gov/dwd/2334.htm. They also can call the unemployment insurance help line at 1-800-891-6449.

— Dwight Adams

YMCA closing all locations

The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis will temporarily close all of its locations from March 17 to April 5, in accordance with state health officials' directives to limit gatherings to 50 or fewer people.

Instruction is available online via YMCA 360 on YouTube and YMCA members will receive more information about virtual programs.

— Holly Hays

Utilities to suspend shut-offs for the near future

In light of the hardships caused by coronavirus, several utilities serving customers across Central Indiana and the state at large are suspending shut-offs.

Indianapolis Power & Light, Duke Energy and Citizens Energy said they will not be disconnecting any customers’ service because of non-payment. This is to give customers experiencing financial hardship extra time to make payments.

IPL and Citizens said that disconnections will resume in April, though both acknowledge that it is a fluid situation and that date could change as they continue to assess the situation.

Duke has not announced a date, but said they will notify customers when disconnections are resuming.

While the shut-offs are temporarily suspended, the utilities said the customers are still responsible for paying for the utilities they used during this period. The companies will continue to send bills during this time and encourage customers to pay what they can to avoid building up a large balance that will be difficult to pay off.

The utilities said that they will continue to assess the situation and will work with customers to determine if they require assistance or qualify for a payment plan.

— Sarah Bowman

Indiana sees first COVID-19 death

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced at a Monday afternoon press conference that Indiana has seen its first death from COVID-19. Officials said the patient fell into the high-risk category, and was over 60 with underlying health problems.

The patient's significant other was also infected. The two had to be kept apart and had to give their goodbyes by iPad, officials said.

Community spread of the virus has also arrived in Indiana, said Kris Box, Indiana State Department of Health commissioner. That means the virus is spreading from person to person, and it's not always obvious where a person acquired the virus.

Ram Yeleti, Chief Physician Executive for Community Health, where the patient died, asks anyone in high-risk to self-quarantine.

"We have no treatment. We have no vaccine," Yeleti said.

Holcomb said that Indiana residents should take action including social distancing and checking on neighbors. He said the actions people take today will have a "positive impact" in the near future.

"To those who think we may be overreacting, I can assure you we are not," he said. "Indiana is under a public health emergency. We are, make no mistake about it, at war with COVID-19, and we will win this war."

Hoosiers should be prepared for this to last "30, 60, 90 days," Holcomb said.

Also on Monday, President Trump urged citizens to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people after the CDC recommended that events with more than 50 people should be canceled or postponed.

Full story.

Newfields closes all indoor spaces, IRT cancels remainder of season

The Indiana Repertory Theatre announced Monday it would cancel the remaining performances of its 2019-20 season.

The IRT ticket office will be in contact with those who have already purchased tickets for the remaining performances. Those who have purchased tickets to upcoming performances of "Murder on the Orient Express" will have the option to view a taped performance. More details on how to access that performance will be available on the IRT website, irtlive.com/, in the coming weeks.

Newfields announced it will close all of its indoor spaces through April 14 in accordance with state recommendations regarding social distancing, but its outdoor spaces will remain open, with free admission.

The IMA galleries and buildings will close effective March 17, according to a news release. However, The Garden at Newfields and The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres will remain open with free admission.

Newfields will be closed Mondays and will operate from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, visit discovernewfields.org/.

— Holly Hays

Rose-Hulman suspends in-person classes through of spring quarter

The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology will extend its suspension of in-person instruction through the end of the spring academic quarter, according to a statement from President Robert A. Coons.

The Terre Haute-based institution was expected to return to face-to-face instruction beginning April 19.

— Holly Hays

Instacart sees surge in orders

Instacart, a grocery delivery service, saw the highest customer demand for groceries in the company's history this past weekend as more and more people are staying and working from home to help quell the spread of coronavirus. The company notes a significant uptick in the options to leave orders at customers' doorsteps and to send groceries items to family members and friends.

Real estate company suspends open houses

F.C. Tucker Company has suspended open houses in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19. Laura Musall, a realtor with the company who lives in Fishers, said she thinks it's the right move.

"You can get 30 or more people coming through an open house," she said. "I don’t think this will seriously impact the real estate market. Part of it is where we are located. People want to move here."

She said people can still schedule showings, and this will likely cut down on people who just come to open houses because they are curious to see the home, not necessarily to buy it.

Meridian Title Corporation, which is headquartered in South Bend and has offices across the state, announced it would begin offering "curbside closings" at some of its locations, allowing customers to meet employees in the parking lot, where they will talk them through transactions via telephone. For more information, visit meridiantitle.com.

— Kellie Hwang

Indiana judicial branch takes action

According to Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush, the Indiana Supreme Court will continue to hold oral arguments, review cases and accept filings, but only the attorneys and parties involved in each case may attend the trials. The public can view oral arguments online via the webcasts.

The law library will be closed and parties can e-file documents without needing to go to the courthouse. The Indiana Supreme Court and Clerk’s Office will remain open. Contact your local court to check visitor details and search for cases online.

IndyGo anticipates reduction in ridership

With many Hoosiers asked to work from home and businesses shuttering temporarily due to city and state orders, this likely means fewer people on the roads and in need of public transportation. IndyGo spokeswoman Lesley Gordon said bus service is "operating as normal" while the agency receives guidance from health departments.

"We don’t have hard numbers yet on ridership, but we anticipate the restrictions on travel and work will have an impact on those numbers," Gordon said in an email.

Many businesses close

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced on Monday that all restaurants, bars and nightclubs must close to in-person customers, and may only offer take-out and delivery through the end of the month. No specific time was set for the closures, but press secretary Rachel Hoffmeyer said it will happen "as soon as reasonably feasible."

Read more on how restaurants are adjusting.

Indiana will also need to adhere to CDC standards and limit gatherings to 50 people or fewer. While 273 public school districts are closed, 16 school districts are not yet required to close, though state officials are working with those districts to determine next steps.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett declared a local disaster emergency in Marion County on Monday, issuing an executive order that recommends restricting all non-essential travel. The mayor also encouraged all employers to allow workers to work remotely as much as possible.

The “watch” level travel advisory means conditions are threatening to public safety and is the second of three levels of severity. The travel recommendation does not apply to travel related to medical care, mandatory employment activities, food delivery or essential grocery shopping.

Hogsett also announced the closing Indianapolis bars and nightclubs that do not serve food, as well as movie theaters, entertainment venues, gyms, and fitness facilities. These closures must take place no later than 8 a.m. Tuesday and remain in place at least seven days. Grocery stores and cafeterias in hospitals, nursing homes, and similar healthcare facilities will continue operations, the release said.

The administration launched a new online tool to connect residents impacted by the pandemic to community resources.

“We must all do our part – as one city – to support each other during this difficult time,” Hogsett said in a statement.

The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, already closed Mondays, will shutter to the public starting on Tuesday. The White River State Park visitor center will also close.

Indiana's Emergency Operations Center has been raised to a Level 1 status and is working with the Indiana State Department of Health's incident command center for planning and coordination.

David Hosick, director of public affairs for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, said a Level 1 activation is the center's highest level, indicating full emergency conditions exist in the state. With COVID-19, the governor or his designee is directly involved in the response, operations and planning, Hosick said.

Hoosiers are encouraged to donate blood as supplies are running low.

24 cases in Indiana

Indiana now has 24 cases of the coronavirus, an increase of five cases over Sunday, according to a dashboard maintained by the Indiana State Department of Health.

The state has tested 139 people. According to testing criteria, all of those displayed symptoms of the disease as well as an exposure to someone with a confirmed case or were severely ill with a respiratory condition.

Marion County leads the state with seven cases, one of which is a newly reported case. Hendricks County also has a newly reported case, bringing it to a total of three. Johnson County has three cases.

Howard gained a case, bringing it to two cases, and Floyd and Bartholomew each had their first case.

BlueIndy temporarily suspending service

The electric car-sharing service in downtown Indianapolis announced to members that it is suspending service indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak. Users of the service reserve available electric cars and return them to any of the stations when finished. BlueIndy announced late last year it was shutting down by May 21, and would slowly phase out cars until then.

Hamilton, Boone County closures

In Hamilton County and Boone County, city and town officials are taking steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Westfield Mayor Andy Cook announced Monday all city government buildings will be closed until further notice, though some city workers will continue to work remotely and city services will continue as usual.

Public libraries, Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield, the Monon Community Center in Carmel and the Nature Center in Zionsville are among a few community centers in the counties that will be closed until further notice.

See a full list of closures here.

Carmel council to vote on coronavirus leave

Carmel City Council will vote on “COVID-19 Leave” tonight for city employees.

If approved, full-time employees would be given up to 75 hours of leave in order to care for school-aged children whose classes are canceled or self-quarantine if they have been directed to. Part-time employees will be allowed to take up to 60 hours of leave.

“Leave will not be authorized based upon fear, speculation or unverified rumor,” the proposed ordinance reads.

The leave would not apply to city police officers or firefighters.

Council meetings limit attendees, cancel

In an effort to comply with the CDC's guidelines to limit gatherings to no more than 50 people, the Indianapolis City-County Council will admit no more than 10 public attendees to its full council meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday evening. Councillors, staff, public officials and members of the media expected to attend.

Proposals 67 and 79 are the two items open for public comment that the council will hear. Public comment can be officially submitted before 5 p.m. through this link: indy.gov/agency/city-county-council. Those at home can watch the meeting via live stream: indy.gov/activity/channel-16-live-web-stream.

In Westfield, city leaders have canceled meetings for the next two weeks. This includes Monday night's Advisory Plan Commission meeting and the City Council meeting on Monday, March 23.

Indiana to offer psychological first aid trainings

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and American Red Cross Indiana will launch two virtual psychological first aid training courses for healthcare and social services professionals. The training is to help individuals exposed to a traumatic event or disaster. They'll take place from 1 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24 and Tuesday, April 7 to the first 30 participants to register for each session.

Anyone feeling anxiety from the pandemic should is encouraged to call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990, or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746. Users will be connected with trained crisis counselors.

Hospitals postpone elective surgeries

Most of the hospitals around the city are canceling many, if not at all, elective surgeries to focus resources on COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Surgeon general have both recommended this step as a way to conserve vital resources such as blood products, certain equipment and staff.

Community Health Network, Eskenazi Health and Ascension St. Vincent have said they are suspending elective surgeries.

The only exception will be when a physician after talking with the site’s medical director, “determines the patients will face a life-threatening or life-altering risk in the next 30 days,” said Community Health Network spokeswoman Kris Kirschner in an email.

For now, Franciscan Health surgeons have voluntarily restricted the number of elective surgeries they’re performing in Central Indiana.

“Such measures will help us to have enough inpatient beds, blood supplies and other resources should we being to receive a surge of COVID-19 patients,” said hospital spokesman Joe Stuteville in an email.

IU Health officials said they would have more information on elective surgeries at their facilities later.

Johnson County library closes temporarily

Johnson County Public Library will close Monday and Tuesday to assess coronavirus concerns. Administrators will meet to discuss state and federal recommendations, and notify the public on Wednesday, March 18 of a longer term decision.

The community can call their library branch with any questions, and access e-books, audiobooks, entertainment and research materials via the JCPL Virtual Branch. The library also offers a curbside service where staff members can bring books to your car.

LEGO event postponed

The Brickworld LEGO exposition, which was originally scheduled for March 21 and 22 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, is now postponed until November. The event producer announced the move was in compliance with the Gov. Holcomb's orders to cancel events with 250 people or more gathered.

The event is rescheduled for Nov. 14 and 15 at the fairgrounds, and all tickets, including Groupon vouchers, will be honored. Organizers are encouraging event-goers to consider other Brickworld events across the Midwest, including Milwaukee April 18-19 and Chicago June 20-21.

More than 200 school districts close

After Gov. Eric Holcomb said last week that schools could waive up to 20 days from the state’s requirement to have at least 180 instructional days in a school year, many districts have taken that guidance as license to close amid COVID-19 concerns.

According to the Indiana Department of Education, more than 200 of the state’s 290 traditional public school districts have closed or are planning to close in the coming days.

All of Marion County’s 11 districts have closed, prompting concerns about how students that usually rely on school for access to healthy breakfast and lunch will eat during the closure. Most districts are still offering meal service in some way – many with daily pickup locations for grab-and-go meals.

See the full list of school closures and get information on where to pick up free meals here.

Indy 500 on for now

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway released a statement about the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500, currently scheduled for May 24.

"“This continues to be a dynamic situation which we are monitoring constantly in coordination with federal, state, local & public health officials. We are planning for all contingencies and will be prepared to run the GMR Grand Prix and Indy 500 as the COVID-19 situation permits," the statement said.

Here is other news from around the country and the world:

The death toll in the U.S. stands at 69, with more than 3,770 confirmed cases as of Monday morning. The global death toll has surpassed 6,500.

The CDC issued new recommendations late Sunday, saying that gatherings of 50 or more people should not take place in the U.S. for the next eight weeks. The recommendation does not apply to businesses or schools.

Five governors ordered bars and restaurants closed, except for take-out and delivery. These states include Illinois, Ohio and California.

More than 30 states have closed all schools. Indiana has not issued a statewide closing.

This story will be updated.