COVID-19, in three parts

ALL COUNTY FIGURES ARE THE COUNTY'S; THE ORDERS BOUND THIS TOWN AS LAW

(i) The county's course and toll, dated from its own health department's published series. 22 May 2020: 1,083 cases; 37 deaths (34 of them county residents — the department's updates distinguish deaths occurring in the county from deaths of county residents, and both bases print where the carrier gives both). 12 June 2020: 1,490 cases; 62 deaths (59 residents). 3 August 2020: 3,171 cases, 638 active. As of 25 December 2020: 23,775 total cases; 360 deaths (county residents). As of 18 February 2021: 29,499 total cases; 512 deaths (county residents — the department's sheet flags the figure as reflecting reconciliation of a state backlog). At the series' close (USAFacts' aggregation of state and federal sources, collection ended July 2023): 70.6K reported cases; 863 reported deaths in St. Joseph County, printed as an aggregator's total at aggregator strength. No town-level case or death figure exists in any official carrier reached; North Liberty's COVID toll is uncounted (settler in the note). (ii) The orders, as they bound this town. The county Health Officer's orders ran by their terms "throughout St. Joseph County, Indiana" — North Liberty was bound as a matter of county law, which is the town-level fact at official strength. Public Health Order 1-2020 (issued 3 May 2020 by Health Officer Robert M. Einterz, M.D.; effective 4 May – 4 July 2020): face coverings required in enclosed public spaces and places of business where six feet of distance could not be maintained. Order 2-2020 extended the mandate through 7 September 2020. Order 3-2020 (issued 4 September 2020; effective 8 September – 31 December 2020): coverings as before, plus a requirement that any business open to customers make hand sanitizer of at least 60% alcohol available at entrances and near high-touch surfaces. In November 2020 the County Commissioners empowered the Health Department to fine businesses 50–250 dollars per day for employee mask violations. The state frame at pointer: Governor Holcomb's orders closed all Indiana K–12 school buildings on 19 March 2020 and ordered remote instruction for the remainder of the school year on 2 April 2020. The town's own school record stands at secondary strength and is flagged as such: in August 2021 the John Glenn School Corporation — the district serving North Liberty, whose North Liberty Elementary is its seat here — enacted a mask mandate for students and staff (district history compiled from press coverage; the settler for district-primary strength is the corporation's board minutes). No town-council COVID action for North Liberty itself was found in any carrier reached. (iii) The vaccination campaign, dated from the county department's own summary sheets. As of 18 February 2021: 35,081 first doses administered to county residents; 13,519 residents fully vaccinated. The department's metrics sheets through autumn 2022 print the fully-vaccinated share of the total population at 57.8% (sheets of 30 September, 3 and 17 October, and 21 November 2022 — the figure standing unchanged across those sheets as published), up from 56.5–56.7% on the May 2022 sheets. No township-level vaccination figure exists in the carriers reached; North Liberty's share is uncounted.

St. Joseph County Department of Health published summary data and case updates (in.gov/localhealth/stjosephcounty); USAFacts county aggregation (closed July 2023); county public-health orders 1-2020, 2-2020, 3-2020; The Indiana Lawyer (Nov. 2020 enforcement ordinance); JGSC mask mandate at secondary strength as flagged.