A coronavirus-based magazine sits at the checkout counter Friday as Sammantha Stickels, middle, Kevin Wood, off to right, and their daughter Leslie wait in line at Walmart. (Rich Janzaruk / Herald-Times)
While the governor has issued a roadmap to reopen Indiana, Monroe County will be maintaining the status quo previously adopted before that Friday announcement.
“The message is pretty simple, and that is we're continuing as we have been through May 15 locally; we are maintaining vigilance,” Monroe County Commissioner Julie Thomas said during a county commissioners meeting held Friday following Holcomb's press conference. “But we're also going to be flexible, if things turn one way or the other, we are going to act locally to protect our residents, or if things go really well, then we will we will act in such a way to loosen restrictions more quickly.”
She added loosening restrictions is what everyone wants but it needs to be done safely.
Gov. Eric Holcomb said on Thursday that any easing of Indiana’s statewide stay-at-home order won’t limit the authority of city or county officials from imposing tighter restrictions. Based on what is unfolding locally in regard to the spread of the virus, the county's public health officials exercised that authority hours after the governor announced his five-stage plan to reopen Indiana.
According to the Monroe County Public Health Order issued hours after Gov. Eric Holcomb’s announcement, measures put in place as part of the Indiana stay-at-home order residents have been living under for the past month will remain in effect for the county until 11:59 p.m. May 15.
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