Warnings over, fines to come for violation of public health order in Marion County, officials say
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — During a virtual press conference on Tuesday morning, Mayor Joe Hogsett seemed disgusted that so many people have ignored city and state health guidelines by not wearing face coverings, calling those people selfish and insulting to the 3,000 people in Indiana who have died from coronavirus.
Over the weekend, the Indianapolis Speedrome was a busy place. The iconic far southeast-side race track was bustling with fans, many of them in the stands shoulder to shoulder and not wearing masks.
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“It’s beyond discouraging; we have spent months clawing our way to where we are. To see others possibly squander that in the course of just one afternoon is painful,” Hogsett said.
The Speedrome has been fined $1,000 for violating the public heath order by greatly exceeding the 25% capacity limit on attendance. Dr, Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Public Health Department, said warnings and $50 fines were not getting the message across: ‘So no warnings this time, $50 fines. We immediately go to $1,000 fine. We need to get your attention.”
Enforcement of the public health order is done exclusively by inspectors from the Marion County Public Health Department. Caine says her department has 10-20 inspectors on the street at any one time, along with a few sheriff’s deputies who work for the health department. As of noon Tuesday, the health department has received more than 400 complaints and written two citations.
“If we felt that we had something more egregious in terms of a violations of our order in terms of social distancing and not wearing masks,it generates a much larger fine and if we thought someone was a repeat violator related to that fine, that would also increase our fine,” Caine said.
Caine says the health department can also shut down a business for repeated violations. The health department has received a number of complaints, including pictures of people not wearing face coverings,
“So unless we can identify who that person is, you know, a lot times once the complaint comes in about an individual, that person is no longer there” Caine said.
The fines are filed in court as a notice of violation.
A business can face fines of $1,500 a day for violations.
Caine told News 8 no individuals had been fined yet — only businesses — but that technically individuals can be fined.
The city has a complaint hot line, 317-221-550, that is answered during business hours, you can email healthdept@marionhealth.org.