INDIANAPOLIS—On the day Indiana set a new high mark for COVID-19 cases, the Democrat seeking to unseat Governor Eric Holcomb attacked the state's response to the COVID crisis.
"Governor Holcomb’s current plan is clearly moving us in the wrong direction as many of the 1,832 new cases and 19 deaths today were, sadly, preventable," said Dr. Woody Myers. “Two weeks after Governor Holcomb recklessly moved Indiana into Stage 5, and despite public health experts warning the pandemic was rapidly resurging, I am now calling on the governor to take action to save Hoosier lives."
Specifically, Myers is calling for:
- Reversing course from Stage 5, returning to an earlier stage of the reopening plan.
- Issuing new guidance to schools undergoing in-person learning to switch to distance learning.
- Instituting a true mask mandate enforceable by current state law.
- Declaring a public health emergency that warrants no-excuse absentee voting to avoid long lines of Hoosiers in close contact with one another during this election cycle.
For reaction from the statehouse, WRTV asked for specific responses to Myers' proposals. The Holcomb campaign did not give WRTV specific answers, but did issue this statement:
"Woody Myers is trying to scare Hoosiers. While Governor Holcomb is looking at the data and listening to the doctors to safely get Indiana's economy back on track, the Democrat in this race wants to shut down Indiana's economy and arrest people for not wearing masks. We've made so much progress compared to other states. Together, we've made it to Stage 5 because of Hoosiers' actions, and it's those same actions that will keep Hoosiers safe and our economy open."
