Today’s update discusses:
- Governor announcing statewide mask mandate beginning Monday
- Michigan City and Whiting closing their Lake Michigan beaches
- Indiana colleges changing plans due to shortage of COVID-19 testing supplies
- Many Indianapolis school districts delaying start of school year
EXECUTIVE ACTIONS
- As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the state and local and county governments issued face coverings orders, Governor Holcomb issued a statewide mask mandate beginning Monday, July 28. Holcomb stated that all residents aged eight and older must wear face coverings in public spaces unless an exemption applies. Anyone not abiding by the order could face a
Class B misdemeanor.
HEALTH
- Michigan City and Whiting closed their Lake Michigan beaches as a result of large crowds and out-of-state visitors.
EDUCATION
- Many Indiana colleges and universities plan to resume in-person classes this fall, requiring that students be tested for COVID-19 before arriving on campus. To prevent putting further strain on the current shortage of testing supplies and increased wait times for lab results, some of those schools sought alternate ways to do the testing. Purdue, for example, has partnered with Rutgers University and Vault Health to provide at-home saliva tests, which will be mailed to students in the coming weeks. IU Bloomington, on the other hand, is now only requiring testing for students living on campus and in Greek houses.
- As the pandemic continues, many Indianapolis school districts have decided to delay school re-openings. The Lawrence Township teachers’ union requested a full-time virtual school year, but as of now the district’s board voted only to delay re-opening by 10 days. Other areas, such as Marion County and Washington Township, have decided to start virtually, while places like Warren Township will implement a hybrid instruction model.