The mandatory face mask order for the State of Indiana remains in effect through at least Nov. 14.
Back in July, Governor Eric Holcomb cited several reasons for the order including an increase in the COVID-19 positivity rate and an increase in the number of Hoosiers who are hospitalized with the virus, an increase in cases and positivity rates in neighboring states, the priority to get children back to school, and to keep Indiana businesses open and operating.
The mask order is in effect for all residents 8 years or older when in public indoor spaces, when using public transportation and in outdoor spaces where social distancing isn’t possible.
It will also require students in the 3rd grade and above to wear masks.
There will be exceptions for exercise, eating, drinking or if you have a medical condition to prevents it.
Holcomb said enforcement will begin with education and appealing to Hoosiers’ civic duty and pride. He said not wearing a mask will be a Class B misdemeanor, but that the “mask police will not be patrolling the streets”.
Governor Holcomb’s office sent the following news release regarding the face mask mandate:
Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced he will sign an executive order requiring Hoosiers to wear face coverings in most public settings.
“As we continue to monitor the data, we’ve seen a concerning change in some of our key health indicators,” Gov. Holcomb said. “Hoosiers have worked hard to help re-open our state, and we want to remain open. By masking up, we can and will save lives and slow the spread of COVID-19.”
A mask or other face covering may be factory-made, sewn by hand, or improvised from household items such as scarfs, bandanas and t-shirts. The mouth and nose should be covered.
The executive order will require face coverings for anyone 8 years old or older in the following places:
- Public indoor spaces and commercial entities
- While using public transportation or other vehicle services such as a taxi or ride share
- Outdoor public spaces when it’s not possible to socially distance from people not in the same household
Additionally, face coverings will be required in schools for students in the third grade and above, faculty, staff, volunteers and anyone else in schools. Mask are also required for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities with exceptions for strenuous physical activity.
The order will have exceptions for medical purposes, disabilities, exercising, and eating and drinking.
The state will approach enforcement of the face covering requirement with an emphasis on education. The executive order states a penalty can be levied under the authority of state law. Local governments may impose more restrictive guidelines.
Once signed, the executive order will be found here: https://www.in.gov/gov/2384.htm
28 comments
Stupidity continues. They keep violating civil and constitutional rights. I won’t be voting for him again. Not that anyone cares about what we think.
You’re crazy, can you imagine how much worse it would be with a Democrat as governor? Also you are wrong about rights violations. The Governor and/or the Health Department are completely within their legal rights when it comes to public safety. Read the laws, they can lock you inside your home under the quarantine order if they so choose. If you don’t like it pay the fines or stay home.
There is no LAW, so no one can legally be arrested. Law suits waiting to happen. The Governor cannot snap his fingers and say something is now a law.
David you are so right. I too will not be voting for the Rhino Governor again. Sure looks like to me that his real last name is Witmer. He is keeping us down just like that Whitmer thing is in Michigan. And because he is keeping our economy down that piece of crap will raise taxes on us is make up for the shortfall caused by HIM!!!!!! Funny thing is he and his wife have been caught out and about not wearing those ridiculous masks and not social distancing. Talk about a hypocrite!!!!! He has to go.
If you think Holcomb is bad, wait until your illogical position gets a genuine Democrat elected as governor.
Seriously, it is better to be wrong on one thing than on everything!
Truth!
What happened to our Rights????
You don’t have many when it comes to public health. Go read the laws. The Governor and/or Health Department can do much more than a mask order. They can lock you in your house under the quarantine order. If you aren’t happy with your limited freedoms in the USA 🇺🇸 good luck finding a country which will give you more.
read the full constitution. none of those rights can be revoked
Better him than the other guy with a (D) by his name, simply because it is better to disagree on one issue than to be wrong on all of them.
Of course the numbers are going up. Everyone is getting tested. Common sense.
It isn’t just the testing numbers that they are looking at! They look at ER visits, ambulance runs those admitted to the hospital, those admitted to the ICU and those that get out on ventilators. Common sense duh!
And you don’t have any common sense. People are getting a report letting them know they have COVID and never took the test! Duh who not seeing the whole thing? Duh!!
Regarding the Gov’s right to impose quarantine, yes READ the law. Specifically Indiana Code Title 16. Health § 16-41-9-1.5 An Indiana public health authority can quarantine AN INDIVIDUAL or INDIVIDUALS separately who are INFECTED or demonstrably EXPOSED to a dangerous communicable disease ONLY AFTER petitioning and obtaining authority to do so from a circuit or superior COURT. There is no legal basis for quarantining the healthy or mandating a state wide quarantine of the healthy. Or issuing a quarantine outside of the approval and authority of the court. Doing so violates and individual’s right to due process.
Well first of all how does a mask work, if you can smell anything through the mask, how is it going to stop the virus? Also it is a violation of our civil rights. I have health concerns which prevent me from wearing a mask and don’t believe in credit cards or debt. This prevents me from getting food, because store are refusing to allow me in. If you follow the mask guidelines, it states anyone with medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask is exempt. I called the health board and they stated i still need to wear it. I asked to speak to supervisor and got hung up on. We have guidelines but we don’t follow them, WHY? If you read federal guidelines, it states anyone place or person requiring a face mask must supply it at no charge. I call on a different elected officials this next vote.
Sorry the numbers are total BS too! When you label every death “COVID” whether it was a heart attack, car accident, etc. When multiple people say they went to get tested and the line was too long so they left and a few days later get notified of their positive test result – but they were never tested. When they sent in tests in Tanzania using a goat, pawpaw fruit and purified water and they all came back positive! Wake up!!! This is not about a virus. It probably is about pushing a liability free, poorly tested and dangerous as hell vaccine. Think before you comply with any of what they are asking.
i could no agree more
it is just the government trying to control us. if you remember world war ii same things were happening right before concentration camps
Well,
At least Gov. Bonehead is going to stop the mass deaths occuring in Indiana due to this virus…in 5 days. WTF! I guess for 5 days its OK to sread the virus because surely without mandated masks that is what is happening. If masks are the answer then I guess Gpv. Bonehead is personally responsible for every Hossier that gets the virus in the next 5 days and didn’t really care about them. Makes you wonder his real reason for this ridiculous mandate.
On a side note, How did the masks work out for China? They have been wearing them since 2003. People are so stupid!
Bestlesvii is this comment a joke? I’m not sure if you have a correct understanding of what people were put into concentration camps for. Do you realize that people were put into camps because they were Jewish, homosexual, gypsies, mentally retarded etc etc? Oh yeah and the Nazis did it.
Masks need to go!! This whole thing was blowed way out of proportion!!!
I will not comply. If a business requires it, I’ll go somewhere else.
FREEDOM!
If the Masks work so well, what happened to the ND Football players as they have been following the rules and getting tested all the time, talk to 10 real Doctors who are out there treating and 8:10 will tell you mask do no good what so ever, people need to get there head out in the open and quit being so stupidly scared, I am amazed at people who still believe everything the local news says.
Srad you’re exactly right! There is another voting option, read the Libertarian Donald Rainwater’s stance. I believe most of you will be pleased.
how bout just wear the mask for the short period of time you’re in a store and quit complaining, none of us know for sure how much it helps, but it definitely doesn’t make it worse, christ it’s the only time in our entire lives that we’ve been in a scenario like this and people are more concerned about putting on a mask for 15 minutes then they are about people dying, the countries that listened to their government/health officials are Covid free or have very few cases, how are we doing here?
We’ve had mask laws for 2 months now, and yet the cases are going up. It’s either not working, or slowing the inevitable. Spread this virus among the healthy and it will be gone in 6 months.
Socialism is still happening! Why? Government and politically correct went to far! Now, I will be pissed if I get sick or die because, I wear a muzzle just like all the other stupid people in my world.
I’m voting for the Libertarian Gov Candidate.
Otherwise, straight Republican ticket.
My rights don’t end when a cold virus comes around.