South Bend leaders respond to coronavirus concerns

There remains just one confirmed coronavirus case in St. Joseph County.

“Out of roughly 60 tests that have come back through the weekend, we still only have the one positive case that was announced last Thursday,” said Mayor James Mueller at a morning news conference. “There are about 200 additional tests that we expect to come back in the next day or so. Those results will give us a better sense of how the virus is spreading through our community.”

Deputy St. Joseph Health Officer Dr. Mark Fox added, “I do think out of that first 60, though, there was a high priority placed on people known to have contact either with our index case here or some elevated level of suspicion, so the fact that the bulk of those, those that came back this far have been negative actually is good news.”

The city announced plans Monday to close its five community and recreation centers (Rum Village, Howard Park, O’Brien, Charles Black, and Martin Luther King Jr.) to coincide with the closing of the South Bend public schools.

Furthermore, residents will no longer be allowed to pay their water bills in person.

Those who fall behind in paying those bills will see late fees and shut-offs waived for at least eight weeks.