Highlights

• St. Joseph County extends COVID-19 regulations until Sept. 7, 2020.
• Elkhart adopts a public health order requiring face coverings where six feet of separation cannot be maintained unless there is health exception.
• Businesses in Elkhart must require face coverings, revise their COVID-19 continued operations plans, and post Elkhart’s public health order at all entrances.

On June 29, the St. Joseph County Department of Health issued Public Health Order 2-2020, following up on Public Health Order 1-2020. This local public health order in St. Joseph County, Indiana, extends previous guidelines in reopening businesses, which took effect May 4, to apply through Sept. 7. 

Get the details of the St. Joseph County public health order from our previous coverage.

Elkhart County Enacts Face Covering Requirements

The Elkhart County Health Department issued its own local public health order June 29 as well. Public Health Order No. 01-2020 establishes guidelines for businesses and individuals beginning June 30. 

Regulations for Businesses

Businesses must require employees to wear a face covering when six feet of physical distance between the employee and someone from outside their household cannot be ensured. Employees are not required to wear a face covering when: 

• A person is in a personal office (a single room)

• Others outside of that person’s household are not present, can maintain at least six feet of distance, or are otherwise separated by a physical barrier (i.e. plexiglass)

• The public does not have open access (i.e. without an appointment) to visit the room

Additionally, businesses must update their COVID-19 continued operations plan, currently required under Section 5.b of Governor Eric J. Holcomb’s Executive Order 20-32, to require face coverings consistent with Public Health Order No. 01-2020. Finally, businesses must post copies of Public Health Order No. 01-2020 at all available entrances in both English and Spanish. 

Enforcement

Neither St. Joseph’s Public Health Order 2-2020 nor Elkhart’s Public Health Order No. 01-2020 authorize punishment of an individual who does not comply with the orders. Elkhart County confirmed no individual will be stopped, detained, issued a citation, arrested, intimidated, or harassed for not complying with the order.