INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Eric Holcomb has announced a mask mandate for Hoosiers, beginning Monday, July 27.
The order will apply for anybody 8 years old or older in public indoor spaces, on public transit, outside when it's not possible to be socially distant and in schools.
The determining factors for deciding to institute a mask mandate, Holcomb said, include the following:
- Increase in COVID-19 positivity rate
- Increase in number of Hoosiers hospitalized for COVID-19
- Additional counties seeing more cases
- Increase in cases and positivity rates in neighboring states
Not wearing a mask will be a Class B Misdemeanor, but Holcomb said the "mask police" won’t be patrolling the streets.
Holcomb addressed the criticism over the mandate, saying compliance and enforcement are always in question. He said the state is trying to appeal to the civic duty of its residents. Holcomb said the mask mandate will last as long as it needs to.
Holcomb said not only are more outlying counties in Indiana seeing more COVID-19 cases, but there are more cases in surrounding states. Indiana will join all its surrounding states (Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois) in requiring a mask.
Watch more from the announcement below.
