Gov. Eric Holcomb has said he plans to announce Friday modifications to the statewide stay-at-home order that has been in effect since March 25 — a time during which that state’s confirmed deaths with COVID-19 illnesses stood at 35 fatalities.
The state's current order ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday but authorities have previously made clear it could be extended "if the outbreak warrants it."
Holcomb has not specified his planned modifications but indicated more workplaces and businesses could reopen while under guidelines such as requiring masks, additional spacing between employees and frequent cleanings.
State officials are considering information such as hospitalization and death rates, along with the availability of intensive care unit beds and ventilators for those who are seriously ill, in deciding whether to lift any restrictions, Holcomb said.
“We’re going to have positive cases month after month after month after month after month,” Holcomb said. “It’s how we manage our way through this. It’s how we have the ability to care for those folks who are in need.”
The state health department has reported at least 600 new coronavirus infections per day for the past week.
The Indiana State Department of Health reported 44 additional deaths on Thursday, boosting the state’s confirmed COVID-19 death toll to 1,007. Health officials said 669 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours brought the statewide total to 17,835 cases on Thursday.
