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Marion County residents ‘disappointed,’ ‘inconvenienced’ by local stay-at-home extension

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Some residents complained about being inconvenienced by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s decision to extend countywide stay-at-home restrictions as the state announced a five-stage reopening plan.

Marion County has the state’s highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, and is the most densely populated county in Indiana.

State law permits localities to issue restrictions “more strict in their requirements than the state’s executive order,” according to Joe Heerens, the governor’s general counsel.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said Friday his “reflex will be to support a local official” if they hold back from taking steps toward reopening with the state.

But some Indianapolis residents said they were “disappointed” by the extension of local restrictions as friends in neighboring counties cheered the gradual reopening of non-essential businesses.

Many of the complaints were rooted in financial concerns; non-essential and laid-off employees said they were struggling to pay rent as they faced another month without work. 

Other objections were related to various county and city services disrupted by coronavirus concerns.

“I think it’s a big inconvenience, dealing with social services and stuff like that,” said Neshia Shingles, an Indianapolis resident who grumbled about a delayed court date in a pending case.

Shoshana Small, who said she was staying in a homeless shelter downtown, was upset public libraries would remain closed. 

“I just want to go to the library so I can get in touch with my family on Facebook,” she told News 8, adding she hadn’t communicated with loved ones in Florida in weeks.

Bryce Blay, an Indianapolis construction worker who suspected he had contracted and recovered from COVID-19, said he had mixed feelings about the extended restrictions.

“It’s a very complex question,” he said. “It’s not a simple ‘yes or no’ because there are a lot of people that aren’t able to make a living.”

The health of the economy and public health should both be priorities, he added.

Blay’s own actions reflected a willingness to follow public health guidelines and extend recommended practices.

His mother tested positive for COVID-19 days after dropping off groceries for him while he was ill.

“I was really worried that I had given it to her, so I self-quarantined for another week and a half longer than I was required to, just to be sure that I wasn’t contagious,” Blay said.

Hogsett issued a statement Friday in response to the governor’s phased reopening plan:

“I want to thank Governor Holcomb, Dr. Box, and our partners at the State of Indiana for their work to provide today’s set of policy recommendations. I am particularly appreciative that this statewide strategy will continue to allow counties to address the unique challenges faced by densely populated areas such as Indianapolis. In the coming days, Marion County public health leaders will analyze this phased approach to assess how it can be implemented in Indianapolis. It is my intention to provide additional guidance to residents and businesses next week as to how we can begin to work our way through these phases.”