The City of Bloomington is launching a hotline for citizens to report violations of face mask and public gathering rules.
Mayor John Hamilton issued an executive order earlier this week that mandates masks in public where physical distancing can’t be maintained.
READ MORE: Bloomington Mayor Fast Tracking COVID-19 Prevention Measures
He said the goal of the hotline isn’t to get people in trouble, but to help everyone understand what the rules are.
“We’ve actually done a number of visits just last evening to bars and I think the compliance was good, but we have to be extremely vigilant and improve education," Hamilton said.
The mayor’s executive order also limits public gatherings to 100 people indoors and 150 outdoors.
The hotline number is (812) 349-3501 and is available to all bystanders who see any large group of people breaking the rules.
The Monroe County Health Department says it will also create an online portal for citizens to submit complaints.
Ventilator Numbers Less Important As Pandemic Continues
As Monroe County COVID-19 cases are on the rise, the number of patients on ventilators remain low.
IU Health South Central Region President Brian Shockney said this is because the hospitals are now using a newer method to treat people with symptoms.
“High-flow Oxygen has become the new way and the best way to treat patients," Shockney said. "So while we do have a great supply of ventilators, most of our COVID patients are treated with High-flow Oxygen.”
Shockney said the number of people on ventilators is not as important as it was back when the pandemic began.
He said this new method will help patients combat against the coronavirus.
For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here.
