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NCAA Tournament Fans Creating Some COVID-19 Concerns

By Bob Zaltsberg

Posted March 23, 2021

March Madness mask

(Justin Hicks/IPB News)

Some Indiana medical officials say large gatherings such as one in Indianapolis last weekend and even smaller ones in bars and restaurants could spark the spread of COVID-19 as the state hosts the men’s NCAA basketball tournament.

Marion County Health Department officials on Monday cited one establishment, Bottleworks, and on Tuesday was considering citing three more businesses for gatherings connected to the first weekend of the tournament.

Dr. Dan Handel, chief of medicine for IU Health South Central Region, saw photos and videos from the Bottleworks District, where people were crowded together and not wearing masks as if the pandemic were over.

He noted the state registered 700 COVID-19 cases Tuesday, which is around where the state was last spring and summer.

“Compared to the surge we went through doesn’t seem like a lot,” he said, “but it was still part of what we call pandemic, we’re still very much in that.”

Handel said he’s also nervous about smaller gatherings in restaurants and bars. He said he understands it’s been a year, and basketball fans want to get together, but we’re still months from reaching herd immunity.

READ MORE: Indiana Reports 701 COVID-19 Cases, 18 Deaths Tuesday

Still, he’s more comfortable with the men’s tournament compared to the potential for a surge from the women’s NCAA tournament. Indianapolis and the rest of Indiana have more restrictions than the site of the women’s tournament.

“If you talk about the women’s tournament, it’s in Texas which is an entirely different environment when it comes to COVID protections at this point,” he said. “I’m at least thankful for that from a local standpoint.”

On March 2, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lifted that state’s mask mandate and increased capacity of all business and facilities in the state to 100 percent. The tournament is being played mainly in San Antonio.

Handel reiterated Tuesday that some restrictions, such as masking and social distancing, should be in place for a while longer.

“I anticipate we will still have that for a few more months until we really get to that point where we can get a critical mass of people vaccinated,” he said.

He noted results of studies on children have not yet been reported, so no plan is in place to vaccinate them.

“That’s a whole other population or cohort of Hoosiers that we really need to figure out how we’re going to protect them moving forward,” he said.

For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here. 

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