You’ve got to wear a mask in many public spaces starting today.
Indiana’s mask mandate started at 12:01 AM this morning and will go through Wednesday, August 26th at 11:59 PM, unless changes are made by Governor Eric Holcomb before that time.
According to the Governor’s Executive Order, signed last Thursday, you must wear a mask, covering both mouth and nose:
- Inside a business, public building or other indoor place open to the public. This does not extend, however, to private offices, private work spaces or meetings in which six feet of social distancing can be achieved and maintained between people not in the same household.
- In an outdoor public space wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household.
- Using public transportation or while in a taxi, private car service or ride-sharing vehicle.
Some exemptions to wearing a face covering include:
- Children under two years of age should not wear the face covering because of the risk of suffocation
- Children who are over the age of two and under the age of eight years unless otherwise required by a directive in this Executive Order
- Any person with a medical condition, mental health condition or disability which prevents wearing a face covering
- Any person who is deaf or hard of hearing, or communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication
- Any person for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines
- Any person while consuming food or drink, or is seated at a restaurant or other retail food establishment to eat or drink
- Any person while exercising or engaging in sports activity and who can maintain six feet of social distancing from other people not in the same household
- Any person who is in a swimming pool, lake, or similar body of water and who can maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household
- Any person while driving alone or with passengers who are part of the same household as the driver
- Any person obtaining a service which requires temporary removal of the face covering for security surveillance, screening, or a need for a specific access to the face, such as while visiting a bank or while obtaining a health-related or personal care service involving the face, however the removal of the face covering must be temporary and limited only to the extent necessary to obtain the service
- Any person, upon request, as part of a law enforcement investigatory stop or investigation or court-related proceeding
- Any person who is incarcerated
- Any person who is experiencing homelessness
- Any person while giving a speech for a broadcast or to an audience if the person can maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household
- Any person attending or engaged in a religious service as he or she must already maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household
