Bloomington mayor issues emergency executive order limiting private gatherings to 15 people
BLOOMINGTON (WISH) — The mayor of Bloomington issued an emergency executive order Friday limiting the size of private gatherings to 15 people due to growing concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor John Hamilton signed the order which went into effect at noon Friday.
The order reduces the size of non-commercial gatherings to 15 people. That’s down from the previous 50-person allowance. He also ordered those attending the gatherings must practice social distancing and use a face covering, which is in line with county public health regulations.
The order comes just days after IU students attended a large party on Wednesday. After video of the gathering was posted to Twitter, the university responded: “We are aware of this situation and are actively investigating. Today we will identify participants and hand down suspensions. This gathering violated city and county regulations as well as our own guidelines and endangered the health of the IU community.”
The order will remain in effect until it is rescinded.
Hamilton and Indiana University Provost and Executive Vice President of Indiana University Lauren Robel on Friday released the following statement to News 8:
Will we keep the pandemic under control in Bloomington or not?
That’s an urgent question, as tens of thousands of new and returning students join city residents and the Indiana University community in Bloomington. Our behavior over the next days and weeks will determine the answer.
After months of enormous, extensive, coordinated efforts to protect public health and prepare for a safe return to campus for IU’s students, just a few large gatherings–such as those we’ve witnessed over the past few days–could jeopardize the viability of in-person instruction and imperil the health of our residents and stability of our community.
To avoid that outcome, the City of Bloomington today is issuing an emergency executive order order that limits the size of private gatherings to 15 people, from a previously permitted size of 50 people. Those attending these gatherings must also observe regulations about physical distancing and face covering. Executive Order No. 20.03, which goes into effect Friday, August 21 at noon, is available here.
Another semester is about to begin in beautiful Bloomington, but this semester is unlike any other. Bloomington as we know and cherish it depends on compliance with this new order, with county and state regulations for gatherings and physical distancing, and with IU’s own guidelines. Sanctions for students who do not adhere to IU’s COVID-19 health and safety precautions will be swift. Learn more here: https://policies.iu.edu/policies/stu-02-sanctions-noncompliance-covid19/index.html.
We know that most of our students plan to do the right thing. We ask you to let us know if something is threatening our safety–both on and off campus. If you witness a violation of existing county orders please report it at 812-803-6360. If you witness a violation of the new city private gathering size limit, please call the 24-hour Bloomington Police Department line at 812-339-4477 or report it at https://bit.ly/3aKRVJm (IU login required).
On behalf of all of us who live, work, and study in Bloomington, we remind everyone that our well-being depends on our choosing to value something greater than ourselves. Whether or not you show symptoms of COVID-19, you may be positive for it, and can be contagious. That means you might feel fine, while infecting a friend, their grandparent, a first responder, or a grocery store clerk.
The actions we take now have the gravest implications. Let’s do our best to avoid them by thinking We, Not Me.
Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton and Indiana University Provost and Executive Vice President of Indiana University Lauren Robel