Brown County is stepping up restrictions on travel as local officials seek to discourage out-of-town visitors from overwhelming its businesses.
While Indiana is closed to all but “essential” business, public properties like Brown County State Park and Yellowwood State Forest are open to visitors.
READ MORE: State Parks Seeing High Turnout Despite Social Distancing Guidelines
Commissioner Diana Biddle says some residents have complained that it’s causing problems for Brown County’s one grocery store, one pharmacy and three gas stations. They’re being swamped by out-of-towners on the way to and from parks.
In a video uploaded Saturday to Facebook, Biddle shared fears that the uptick in visitors could be putting residents at risk of exposure to the coronavirus.
“Please, Gov. Holcomb, do the right thing by Brown County and close the state properties — Brown County state park, Yellowwood campground — and discourage the continued unnecessary and unessential travel into our community,” Biddle said, reading from a letter the commissioners were planning to send to Holcomb.
Biddle says that Brown County is raising its travel restrictions to “Watch,” the second-highest level. That means only essential trips for groceries, gas and medications are permitted. She warned the next step would be to stop most travel if necessary.
Marion and Decatur counties have already elevated their travel status to the "Warning" level. That means travel may be restricted to emergency management workers only.
Brown County has five confirmed COVID-19 cases so far, according to the latest numbers from the Indiana State Department of Health.
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