HeplerBroom understands how staying abreast of the latest developments related to COVID-19 is important to your business and planning for the future. We have assembled some of Indiana’s additional executive, legislative, and regulatory actions related to COVID-19 that may affect you and summarized them below.

EMERGENCY SERVICES

• On March 30, 2020, Governor Holcomb announced many ways he was planning to fight COVID-19 in the State of Indiana. Each of the additional steps is designed to provide further support for hospitals, medical teams, and patients who have been diagnosed with the virus. For example, Governor Holcomb announced that hospitals now have 1,940 ICU beds available, an increase from the average 1,432 beds. The increase in beds will allow hospitals to welcome and care for more patients suffering from coronavirus.
• The plan announced by Governor Holcomb would transfer patients with less serious illnesses or conditions to community hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and other alternate care centers. By shifting these patients to alternative locations, the Governor hopes to keep the more sophisticated care centers open for coronavirus patients; it has the added benefit of separating less seriously ill patients from those with COVID-19.
• Governor Holcomb also announced his plan to double the number of ventilators in Indiana. Currently, the state has 1,177 ventilators, but Governor Holcomb is hoping to double that number to ensure patients have access to the medical equipment necessary for recovery.
• The Governor’s plan also called for retired physicians and other clinicians to return to work to help. Additionally, trainees, soon-to-be graduates, and medical students have been asked to help. So far, more than 5,300 clinicians have answered that call, stepping back into practice to relieve other clinicians, and add additional support where necessary.

HOSPITALITY

• Governor Holcomb signed an Executive Order extending the requirements for bars, nightclubs, and restaurants to stay closed to dine-in patrons until April 6, 2020.

GOVERNMENT SERVICES

• The Governor signed a second order that will ease government operations, including permitting electronic notary services to remotely review and approve documents. Both orders are in place for the purpose of helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the State of Indiana, which has seen more than 2,100 positive tests.

A public emergency such as the one we are experiencing with COVID-19 is unlike anything any of us has ever experienced. In an effort to continue to keep citizens safe, Indiana has also worked to keep many businesses and services running. Like many, HeplerBroom attorneys are diligently working from their homes to keep both clients and the community at large updated as to executive, legislative, and regulatory actions in the midst of COVID-19.