Gov. Holcomb Signs Executive Order To Require Face Coverings

This executive order does not include criminal penalties.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) — Indiana Governor Holcomb has officially signed the executive order requiring Hoosiers to wear face coverings after making the announcement Wednesday. 

Executive Order 20-37 requires all Indiana residents 8-years-old or older to wear face coverings starting on Monday to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 

“Hoosiers have worked hard to get where we are today with businesses open and people back at work. We want to keep it that way. We don’t want to dial things back. Face coverings can and will help us blunt the increase of this virus,” Gov. Holcomb said.

This executive order does not include criminal penalties for not wearing a face covering. It will be up to state and local health departments to enforce compliance through education of the importance of wearing face coverings. 

Additionally, the requirements for mask-wearing in schools is outlined in the order. 

The decision to mandate face coverings was driven by data. At this time, Indiana is facing:

• An increase in overall hospitalizations from approximately 600 a day near the end of June to approximately 800 now
• The highest number of cases in a single day with 1,011 Hoosiers reported positive today
• A rise in COVID-19 positivity across the state from a low of 3.6% a month ago to nearly double that percentage now
• Some counties, which early on had minimal positive cases in some instances, now reporting regular double-digit positive cases

This order will be in effect through at least Wednesday, August 26. Local governments may create more restrictive guidelines as they see fit based on their current situation.