INDIANAPOLIS — Thursday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.
Purdue suspends students
Purdue University suspended 36 students Wednesday night for violating the school’s policy on social distancing and masks.
According to university officials, the students from Circle Pines Cooperative, were holding a social gathering inside.
“No one was wearing face masks or social distancing as reported by the Purdue University Police Department,” said Katie Sermersheim, Associate Vice-Provost and Dean of Students. “It's very disappointing and discouraging that we haven't even officially launched the semester and we've had a social function that violates our 'Protect Purdue' policies and plans."
Students have five days to appeal the summary suspension.
This week, Purdue University announced students who violate social distancing guidelines and other commitments to the "Protect Purdue Pledge" could face disciplinary action including suspension and expulsion.
ISDH updates COVID-19 case count
The state is reporting 955 more coronavirus cases and 11 more deaths. Indiana has now recorded 83,277 total cases and 2,979 total deaths.
The seven-day positivity rate between Aug. 7-13 is 7.6 percent. Overall, the positivity rate in the state is 8.8 percent. There have been 1.2 million tests administered since the pandemic began.
Mayor Hogsett to announce funding plans to help Marion County residents further their education
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett revealed funding plans to help Marion County residents further their education and grow their employability skills with post-secondary education, which includes colleges, universities and trade and vocational schools.
Hogsett announced $327,000 of funding will go toward completion grants that will be available for Ivy Tech and IUPUI students who would otherwise be unable to complete their degrees. The grants will be available through Indy Achieves, a program that makes post-secondary education possible for Marion County residents.
Historically, the average value of completion grants at IUPUI is around $2,500, while the average completion grant for Ivy Tech students is between $1,000 and $1,100.
Another $1.1 million will go toward rapid reskilling grants for adults looking to get high school degrees or retrain for new careers. That $1.1 million will fund seven different adult education providers and is in addition to a previously announced $1.5 million for adult education.
The funding comes from the $16 million CARES Act package submitted to the City-County Council by Hogsett on Aug. 10.
YMCA opening e-learning labs
The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis is helping students who may not have a reliable internet connection with e-learning. The organization will roll out e-learning labs beginning Aug. 24.
The labs will be open to students in sixth through 12th grades Monday through Thursday from noon until 6 p.m. The labs will be inside Avondale Meadows YMCA, Baxter YMCA and OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA.
"To help support the efforts of teachers to virtually connect students to the classroom, the Y is ready to provide the space and internet services to those who need it most," said Derrick Stewart, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. "We believe these labs can make a positive impact in filling the gap for middle and high school students in need of support during these trying times."
The labs will be open through Dec. 17. Additional hours or locations could be added if funding allows.
Students can reserve up to two hours of time in the labs online. There will be a 15-minute break between time blocks to allow for cleaning the area for the next student.
1.1 million Americans seek unemployment aid as layoffs remain high
The number of laid-off workers seeking U.S. unemployment benefits rose to 1.1 million last week after two weeks of declines, evidence that many employers are still slashing jobs as the coronavirus bedevils the U.S. economy.
The latest figures suggest that more than five months after the viral outbreak erupted the economy is still weak, despite recent gains as some businesses reopen and some sectors like housing and manufacturing have rebounded. A rising number of people who have lost jobs say they consider their loss to be permanent.
The total number of people receiving unemployment aid declined last week from 15.5 million to 14.8 million, the government said Thursday. Those recipients are now receiving far less aid because a $600-a-week federal benefit has expired, which means the unemployed must now get by solely on much smaller aid from their states. The loss of the federal benefit has deepened the struggles for many, including a higher risk of eviction from their homes.
GreekFest canceled for 2020
Indy GreekFest, which was scheduled for Aug. 28-30, has been canceled. The festival board announced the cancellation Thursday morning, and set the next Indy GreekFest for Aug. 27-29, 2021.
“This year has been a challenging year for us all,” said Chris Lafter, chairman of Indy GreekFest said in a statement announcing the cancellation. “During the past months, we have worked diligently to create an alternative to our annual Indy GreekFest. Our goal is to ensure a safe environment for our volunteers and patrons while providing the opportunity to celebrate our faith and culture. Health and safety concerns are our overriding priority."
This is the first Indianapolis Greek Festival to be canceled in the event's 46-year history.
About 400 families make up the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 106th St. and Shelbourne Rd. which serves as the site of the annual festival.
Humane Society of Hamilton Co. cancels fundraiser, closes store
The Humane Society for Hamilton County announced two COVID-19 pandemic-related changes Thursday that could cost the organization approximately $250,000 in lost revenue.
In a statement posted on the no-kill shelter's website Thursday, President & CEO Rebecca Stevens said that while pet adoptions have been excellent, their annual fundraising initiatives have been casualties of COVID.
Donors, corporate sponsors and grants help provide the shelter's approximately $400K in net annual revenue. But its Wine, Wigs & Whiskers fundraiser on Sept. 18 has now been canceled. And its Trends for Tails retail shop is going out of business due to the pandemic. The no-kill shelter is now looking at losing more than 60 percent of its annual revenue for 2020.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been 5.52 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of 3:30 a.m. ET Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 173,000 deaths and 1.92 million people recovered.
Worldwide, there have been 22.41 million confirmed cases with more than 787,000 deaths and 14.33 million recoveries.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Indianapolis barber appearing in court Thursday for violating mask mandate
An Indianapolis barber will appear in court virtually Thursday morning for violating Marion County's pandemic-related restrictions.
Brenda Barrett, who has owned Jack's Barber Shop at City Market for nearly 15 years, is accused of violating the county's mask mandate three times, specifically, the order that requires barbers, hair stylists and their customers to wear face coverings during service.
"My reaction is, it's BS," she said, "because I'm a hard-working business owner and a woman-owned business and they're just trying to take me down."
Barrett said the allegations misrepresent what actually happened.
2 Indianapolis AMC theatres reopening with 15-cent ticket prices Thursday
AMC Theatres, the world's largest movie theatre chain, is preparing to re-open its auditoriums.
The parking lot and the theatres inside AMC Indianapolis 17 have sat empty for five months now because of the pandemic, but the south side Indianapolis and Castleton locations will reopen Thursday, Aug. 20 with some significant changes.
Moviegoers will be required to wear masks except when they are seated in the theatre eating or drinking, with reduced auditorium capacities for social distancing.
Guests are asked to leave an empty seat between themselves and other guests in auditoriums with AMC Signature recliners. In auditoriums with traditional seating, every other row is blocked off and an empty seat should separate guest groups.
More time between shows will allow enhanced cleaning procedures, which includes electrostatic sprayers disinfecting the auditoriums between each show. AMC has also upgraded to MERV 13 air filters where possible and vacuums with HEPA filters.
The concession menu is simplified with cashless sales only.
To celebrate AMC’s 100 years in business, AMC theatres will be offering 15-cent ticket prices Thursday, which is what they cost were in 1920.
New releases from studios are limited and will be supplemented for now with some classic movies like "Back to the Future," "The Goonies," and "Ghostbusters."
Most other area AMC locations are scheduled to reopen Aug. 27.
VERIFY: Oleandrin is not an approved treatment for COVID-19
The therapeutic drug oleandrin is being discussed in the media after multiple claims that it could be used to treat or prevent COVID-19.
Supporters like MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell say the drug is natural, safe and effective at stopping viruses like COVID-19. He’s worked with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson to propose the drug to President Donald Trump as well.
The VERIFY team did some research about this substance to understand the safety of its use.
Oleandrin is not an approved treatment for COVID-19 and, right now, there are no peer-reviewed studies that show it has an effect on the virus.
A preliminary study was published that showed positive results when oleandrin was applied to monkey kidney cells, but there have been no tests on human COVID-19 cases.