Holcomb extends mask mandate, Stage 4.5 for 30 days

Updated Aug. 27th

Gov. Eric Holcomb is extending the statewide mask mandate for at least 30 more days and keeping the state at Back on Track Stage 4.5, he announced Wednesday afternoon.

Local governments may impose more restrictive guidelines.

The governor said that the state continues to monitor and respond to these four guiding principles:

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients statewide has decreased for 14 days
• The state retains its surge capacity for critical care beds and ventilators
• The state retains its ability to test all Hoosiers who are COVID-19 symptomatic as well as health care workers, first responders, and frontline employees
• Health officials have systems in place to contact all individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and expand contact tracing

The governor also announced that the state is updating its color-coded county positivity map to score counties as blue, yellow, orange or red, more easily allowing local officials to determine the best course of action. The map will go live on the Indiana State Department of Health COVID-19dashboard next week and be updated weekly.

Scoring does not trigger a state requirement of any action, but provides local information and recommendations. Holcomb said the scoring is based on:

• Number of new cases in the past week per 100,000 residents
• Percent positivity as determined by the number of positive tests divided by the total number of tests administered
• The change in percent positivity from the previous week

The new system is designed to help local and school officials understand and respond to the level of community spread in their county. The map will be available on the ISDH coronavirus dashboard next week.

The Governor also signed an executive order extending the public health emergency an additional 30 days.