Governor Holcomb Issues 5-Phase Plan To Reopen Indiana

Governor Holcomb has unveiled a 5-phase plan to reopen Indiana. The plan allowed some businesses, including Farmers Markets and Golf Courses, to open this past weekend. Over the course of the next two months, providing all public safety safeguards are met, businesses will be allowed to resume operations.

A snapshot of how the plan relates to music venues in Indiana

• May 11: Bars and restaurants that serve food may reopen with restrictions, which include dine-in and capacity restrictions. No live music or entertainment permitted during this phase.

• June 14: Bars, nightclub, entertainment and music venues may open at 50% capacity with restrictions and may not exceed capacities of 250 customers.

• July 4: All businesses, including music venues and festivals, may resume full operations with no capacity restrictions.

The plan and target dates are subject to restrictions involving the number of new cases, city/county restrictions and new safety protocols required by businesses. Businesses should review the Governor’s full plan for additional information.

As local businesses begin preparation to re-open to the public, many questions still remain. For instance, the city plans for regular employee testing for restaurants, bars and venues. The plan does not, however, specify how/where testing will take place or who will be responsible for the cost.

While this plan provides some hope, music venues may continue to struggle through 2021. With many tours already cancelled, theses venues face uncertainty due to perceived safety concerns and drastic reduction on consumers discretionary income.