Community leaders provided an update on Monroe County’s COVID-19 response and the county’s social gathering guidelines at the City of Bloomington’s weekly COVID-19 press conference Friday.
Walk-in appointments
The Indiana State Department of Health is asking vaccination sites to allow for some walk-in appointments starting as early as next week, Monroe County Health Administrator Penny Caudill said.
Walk-in appointments do not require pre-scheduled appointments online or by phone.
IU Health South Central Region President Brian Shockney said he thinks this is part of the state’s push to increase vaccination rates.
“It's our understanding that this is part of the push to get shots in arms and get as many Hoosiers vaccinated as possible,” he said.
The Indiana Motor Speedway in Indianapolis offered a no-appointment drive-thru clinic the weekend of April 16-18.
Shockney said notice about the move to walk-in appointments from the ISDH was given to vaccination sites Friday. Each site may operate differently in regard to walk-ins, so Shockney encouraged people to be patient as the transition is made.
The Monroe Convention Center — which used to be Monroe County’s primary vaccination site before IU began offering appointments at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall — will not take walk-in appointments. IU’s vaccination site is open to the public. It is not yet known if IU’s site will take walk-in appointments.
Reluctance to get vaccinated
Certain groups are hesitant to get the vaccine, Caudill said. This could limit the state's vaccination rates more than supply issues, she said.
“We are seeing that across the state, and you can listen even to the national news,” Caudill said. “So while there is still demand for the vaccine, there are some folks who have not yet taken advantage of that.”
Shockey said he is seeing reluctance to receive the vaccine in Indiana and Monroe County. The vaccination rates are higher in some areas than others.
“We also have a rural-urban separation as well for vaccines,” he said. “In the urban areas, it [the vaccination rate] is much higher than it is in the rural areas.”
Shockney said he is seeing this trend of reluctance in the IU Health South Central Region, in which Bloomington is included.
Violations Gathering Restrictions
This past week, police broke up a serious violation of the county’s gathering restrictions, Mayor John Hamilton said.
“We had to break up a party of hundreds of people,” he said. “Police were called. It was broken up.”
The party was held at an apartment complex on Walnut Street, Hamilton said.
Hamilton expressed concern that parties will lead to further rise in cases and hospitalizations throughout the Bloomington community.
“The fact that our fellow residents chose to do that is alarming,” Hamilton said. “I hate to be so serious, but I am very concerned that we are going the wrong direction now.
IU-B COVID Response Unit Lead Kirk White said IU will deal with violations of city and university guidelines on a case-by-case basis, but students can and will face consequences from the university.
“When we learn we have members of the university community that violate guidelines, they're reported to the Bloomington police or to the IU Police Department,” he said. “Those reports are then sent on to our dean of students.”
White said the dean of students has scheduled disciplinary hearings for students as early as Friday afternoon for students who have recently violated COVID-19 guidelines.
Will IU require vaccinations?
White could not answer whether or not IU would require a COVID-19 vaccination for the fall semester, though he did say IU is looking into whether that is the proper path.
IU is planning to return to normal operations in the fall, with most courses being in person. White said the key element of returning to normal operations is a high vaccination rate in the community.
“With high percentage of vaccination, we're going to be able to get back to normal operations,” he said. “Without that, it's going to be questionable. So that's why this vaccine effort is so important now and throughout the summer.”
The university will give enough notice to students should vaccinations be required, White said.
The University of Maryland joined Rutgers University Friday morning in mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for the fall.
“Our university community should take advantage of this easy opportunity to go to Assembly Hall and get your shot now,” White said. “That'll protect you for the fall.”
