Gov. Eric Holcomb is extending the state’s emergency declaration again.
The declaration over the coronavirus pandemic will now be extended until Memorial Day, May 31. This will be the 14th time that Holcomb has extended the declaration. His previous extension of the emergency order was set to expire today.
“The spread and consequences of this disease in the Hoosier state remain as demonstrated by a 7-day average positivity rate of 4.5%; new confirmed cases daily; continued hospitalizations; and tragically, continued deaths from COVID-19,” the governor said in the new declaration.
A total of 12,913 Hoosiers have died from the coronavirus, and nearly 719,000 Hoosiers have contracted the virus since March 6, 2020.
On Wednesday in the latest update, the map showed the largest outbreaks are in northern Indiana counties — DeKalb, Elkhart, LaGrange, LaPorte, Steuben and Whitley — and in Jefferson County, which is across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.
Businesses are still required to develop and implement plans to protect employees, customers, clients and members under the new declaration. The plans must be publicly posted.
The latest declaration also notes that local government officials cannot issue laws or orders that may contradict or be less-restrictive than public health emergency limits set by the state. Localities can have more-restrictive rules, such as Marion County’s continuing mask mandate.
