This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, July 20th, 2020.

In today's program, we hear from attorney Katharine Liell and Vauhxx Booker on the two men charged for pinning Booker to a tree and threatening to “get a noose.” You will also hear A Few Minutes with the Mayor. In today’s segment Assistant News Director Sydney Foreman talks to Mayor John Hamilton about the mandatory mask mandate in Monroe County.

But first, your local headlines.

653 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Indiana on Sunday, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. ISDH also attributed one new death to COVID-19. Locally, Monroe County saw 14 new confirmed cases yesterday, while Lawrence and Brown Counties saw one and three new reported cases respectively.

 

County Health Administrator Penny Caudill said the Optum-serve COVID-19 testing site will run through August during a July 17th COVID-19 press conference. She said the new county health order included a mask mandate which began on July 17th, however there are some exceptions.

Caudill said all businesses must ensure customers compile with the mandate. She said beginning July 31st residential or non-commercial gathering events will be limited to 50 people. She said commercial gatherings would be limited to 100 people indoors or 150 outside. Caudill said bars cannot use bar top services and all dine in locations must space customers parties 6 feet apart.

Caudill said an online complaint process will be developed to bring attention to any organizations not in compliance with the order. Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton said local case numbers and hospitalizations are rising. He said the city of Bloomington plans to implement all sections of the new health order before July 30th.

President of Indiana University Health Brian Shockney said from July 6th to July 13th the IU health Hospital tripled its 5 COVID-19 patients. He said pending cases also increased.

Emergency Management Director Allison Moore listed locations where Monroe County residents can get face coverings.

Moore said an appointment can be made to collect coverings by phone call between 9am and 3pm at each location. She said phone numbers can be found online at co.monroe.in.us. 

 

A Bloomington Transit employee tested positive for Covid-19. The positive test means at least six city employees contracted novel coronavirus.

The employee works in bus maintenance and received a positive test last Wednesday. According to a city press release, the employee felt symptoms on Sunday, July 12th and has not worked since Saturday, July 11th.

The city said it plans to conduct internal contact tracing “in accordance with CDC guidelines” and “has determined no other employees were placed at risk of exposure.”

The employee was placed on paid leave for two weeks after the positive diagnosis. On Friday, the Monroe County Health Department issued a public health order requiring all county residents to wear a mask in public spaces.

Alice J. Wolfson, a local resident, said Bloomington Transit did not enforce the mask mandate in an incident over the weekend.

In a Facebook post, Wolfson said she went to the farmer’s market and took the bus home. She reported to the bus driver that one passenger was not wearing a mask.

Wolfson said in her post, “I asked the driver why he allowed this. He told me he wasn’t the mask police and that I could get off if I didn’t like it.”

In the mask mandate, the county health department said businesses and public accommodations are subject to “enforcement action” if they didn’t comply with the order.

However, it is not clear in the health order who would enforce the mask mandate.

Alice Wolfson said she reported the incident to customer service and the county health department.