By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – Wondering about the fluctuations with the orange and red categories used by the state as a guideline for COVID-19 restrictions?

Above is the state’s advisory level map.

As reported earlier Wednesday, Jan. 20, on InkFreeNews, the state’s two-week metric was updated and moved Kosciusko County and many other counties from red to orange.

InkFreeNews and other news organizations have been relying on the two-week metric map, which happens to be the default selection on the state’s dashboard website.

That map has switched colors several times in recent weeks.

But also available on the state website is an advisory level map, one of four options available in a drop-down menu on the page.

Mayor Joe Thallemer said the preferred metric is the advisory level, which still shows Kosciusko County in the red category.

Thallemer points out a summary on the page reads:  Advisory level refers to the current guidelines the county must follow. A county must remain at a lower Weekly Two-Metric Score for two consecutive weeks to move down to a lower advisory level.

That hasn’t happened yet, and the county remains in red on that map

In red counties, indoor and outdoor social gatherings are limited to 25 people.

Thallemer is asking everyone to abide by the red restrictions, follow social distancing and wear a mask when in group settings outside of the home.