Bar owner reacts to Indiana staying in stag

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has announced Indiana will not move forward in its reopening p\lan.

Meaning bar and restaurants will stay at less than full capacity.

"i can't close my doors because this is my livelihood."

Businesses in the wabash valley are trying to hold on during this pandemic.

Covid-19 cases in indiana continue to rise.

The state had more than 700 "new cases" in just one day.

That's why governor eric holcomb kept indiana in stage four point five.

News 10's sarah lehman is live in our newsroom.

She has more from a local bar owner about how she feels about staying in this stage.

Indiana is stuck in stage four point five of the reopening plan.

That's for at least the next two weeks.

That means bars and resturants have to continue to operate at less than full capacity.

Indiana was set to fully open on saturday.

Or at least that was the hope.

But -- with covid cases on the rise in indiana.

Governor eric holcomb announced the hoosier state will stay in stage four point five.

For resturant and bar owners... that means not opening to 100% capacity.

"i mean this is how i support myself.

Even though i have grown children i support them with this."

Connie wrin is the owner of the verve.

A bar in downtown terre haute.

Right now -- under indiana's current stage -- bars can only be at 50% capacity.

Even though it's how wrin makes her living.

She knows how important it is to help slow the spread of covid-19.

"you know, we're at 50% and honestly if they had gone to 5 we were going to stay at 50 percent we were not changing."

That's because she see's the medical side of this pandemic.

"i was an er nurse for almost 15 years."

So -- wrin says she sees the struggle from all sides.

"i understand both sides of it.

From the medical side and from the economic side.

I mean for me to shut down again.

Would be devastating."

She says -- even though her business is operating at half capacity.... she doesn't think indiana is ready to fully open.

"i feel like i'm kind of in between a rock and a hard space with the bar because i know resturants and bars we are part of the problem.

/// it just feels wrong to have this place packed.

/// but i can't close my doors because this is my livlihood.

" livlihood.

" this is my livlihood.

" indiana will stay in stage four point five stay in stage indiana will livlihood.

" indiana will stay in stage indiana will livlihood.

" indiana will stay in stage four point five for at least the next two weeks.

Governor holcomb says they will then re evaluate.

Reporting live in the newsroom.

I'm sarah lehman.

News 10.

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