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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Wednesday said he would extend the state’s mask mandate for another month amid sharply rising COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. He made the announcement while revealing that Dr. Kristina Box, the state’s health commissioner, had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Holcomb, however, said he would not bring back restrictions that were lifted three weeks ago and would leave the state in Stage 5 of the recovery plan for another month.
The mask order, which Holcomb first issued in July, had been set to expire on Saturday.
The Indiana State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 1,357 statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19 as of Tuesday, the highest mark since May 13. Hospitalizations have risen 68% in the last month.
The state also reported 1,172 new COVID-19 cases. New reported cases have topped 1,100 for eight straight days and have exceeded 1,000 a dozen times in the past 14 days.
The governor decided three weeks ago to lift nearly all of Indiana’s restrictions on businesses and crowd sizes, a decision his Democratic election challenger has called on Holcomb to reverse in hopes of slowing the coronavirus spread.
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