Elkhart County moves to red as Covid-19 continues to spread

ELKHART, Ind. ---- Elkhart County has transitioned into category red, as new cases, hospitalizations, and unfortunately deaths rise at record rates. The month of November has seen 42 deaths so far, and just to put that in perspective October saw 36. 

This transition is causing a ton of concern all over the county, as so many are uncertain about what the future now holds. 

"It's so hard because you don't know if you are going to make it," said the owner of Big City Pizza Miranda Lambrou. 

Business owners in Elkhart County are frightened with the Covid situation worsening by the day. Some still hold out hope the trend will be reversed, and another shutdown is not in the works, simply because they are not sure how they will survive. 

"We just opened this year, me and my husband left our jobs so we can open something on our own, and it's just, are we going to make it, but we want to support because safety is number one," said Lambrou. 

Family owned and operated businesses like Big City Pizza are most affected without a corporation or franchisee behind it. This is worrying for employees of those establishments, as they are just hoping to keep their jobs through this. 

"When you start to notice things like reservations being canceled, larger parties being canceled, people being more fearful to leave and come out, it affects us a lot," said Leah Tipton a server at The Vine Bar in downtown Elkhart.

Restaurants were one of the worst-hit industries during the first shutdown, and job security is a concern, but employees are still working to protect their best asset, the customer. 

"Of course I'm concerned for my job, cause I need employment, but definitely concerned for customers too, and whatever's best for them is what I want. It's part of the job, protecting other people," said Tipton. 

It is a frightening time for many, but what we do know, is this virus is serious. Health officials are stressing, the sooner the county comes together to beat this virus, the sooner life returns to some form of normalcy once again.