Non-compliance could result in $1,000 fine, six months in jail
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Gov. Eric Holcomb will initiate a mask mandate beginning Monday.
The order, which the governor will sign today, works as follows:
- Applies to anyone age eight or older in indoor public spaces, commercial entities or transportation services, or outside public spaces when people cannot socially distance.
- Mask use in schools required for Grade 3 and higher for faculty and staff, volunteers and anyone in schools. Masks also will be required for co-curricular and extracurricular activities, with exceptions for strenuous physical activity.
- Exceptions will be made for medical purposes, strenuous physical activity, eating, and drinking.
- Masks are strongly recommended for ages two to seven.
Indiana’s mask mandate comes after neighboring Illinois, Michigan and Kentucky have already begun such mandates. Ohio’s mask mandate begins at 6 p.m. today.
Holcomb
Holcomb said during the state’s Wednesday coronavirus briefing, “I know not everyone will be supportive of this mandate. Compliance and enforcement are always in question. Our approach, if you recall, since Day 1, since the very beginning of this pandemic, has been an approach of education, of appealing to one’s civic duty and public good. You might even say public pride and being part of the solution. And it will continue to be.”
Failure to wear a mask under the order will be a Class B misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. But the governor added that “the mask police will not be patrolling Hoosier streets.”
“Over the last several weeks, several things have happened,” the governor said.
Determining factors for the creation of the mask mandate include:
- The goals of getting children back to school and keeping Indiana businesses open and operating.
- The recent increase in COVID-19 positive cases.
- The recent increase in number of Hoosiers hospitalized for COVID-19.
- Additional counties seeing more cases.
- The recent increase in cases in neighboring states.
“We have, as Hoosiers, worked very hard to get to where we are today. Businesses are open and operating at various levels of capacity. People are getting haircuts, myself included,” Holcomb said. “We’re eating in restaurants and we’re working in all kinds of facilities, both large and small. And if you want to keep it that way, we want businesses to stay open, we want more Hoosiers to continue this trend of going back safely to work. We don’t want to dial it back or put it in reverse or, as some are, shutting down again. Face coverings can and will help us blunt this increase. It has in other places around the country and, indeed, around the world.
“And this is time-sensitive now. It’s that time of the year, after all, when schools are going back. This might be one of the most important reasons, when you really stop and think about it, for all of us to wear face coverings. We’re asking our kids and their teachers to mask up. And our kids should not be getting mixed messages throughout the day. When they leave school grounds, they need to see that everyone is doing what they’re doing. That best practices are best for all, by slowing or stopping the unknowingly transmission of COVID-19.”
Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer of the Indiana State Department of Health, said a growing number of newer studies have shown the wearing of cloth face coverings have helped reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The masks can reduce the distance of droplets from a cough or sneeze can spread. Some studies have shown the masks reduce transmission of the virus by up to 80 percent.
Indiana Hospital Association supports mask mandate
Following Wednesday’s announcement that Governor Holcomb will implement a statewide mask mandate beginning Monday, Indiana Hospital Association (IHA) Board President Rob McLin and IHA President Brian Tabor released the following statements:
“Governor Holcomb is doing the right thing and we applaud his continued leadership,” said Lin, who also serves as the President and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital. “Now, it is up to each one of us to do our part to keep Indiana on track by masking up. Our efforts will determine whether students can successfully return to school, small business owners can restart, and that our family and neighbors can stay healthy.”
“Front-line workers in Indiana’s hospitals have put their lives at risk each and every day to care for patients and contain the spread of the virus,” said Tabor. “They will continue these efforts throughout the pandemic and beyond. In return, the least we can do is wear a mask, wash our hands, and social distance.”
Indiana State Medical Association applauds mask mandate
The following is a statement from Dr. Lisa Hatcher, MD, president of the Indiana State Medical Association in response to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s announcement that face masks will be mandated statewide for Hoosiers effective July 27:
“The Indiana State Medical Association applauds Gov. Holcomb’s courageous leadership to require face masks for all Hoosiers throughout the state. This mandate is a necessary step to reverse the rising trend of COVID-19 and protect Indiana’s health care system from further strain. Face masks are a proven and effective tool to prevent transmission of the coronavirus and will allow Hoosiers to more safely visit their doctors for the preventive and ongoing care needed to stay healthy.”
Hoosiers are encouraged to visit HoosierDoctors.org for tips during the pandemic on when to seek care from a physician’s office, a hospital or through telehealth, and how to obtain health insurance.