What you need to know about Indiana’s mask mandate

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Gov. Eric Holcomb’s statewide mask mandate went into effect Monday.

The governor said he initiated the mask mandate because Indiana is seeing an increase in overall hospitalizations and a rise in positive COVID-19 cases.

“I think we need it, so that we can all go to school and stuff and not have to stay home as much. Then we can just start and try to get back to normal,” Libby Taylor, of Indianapolis, said.

“I say we definitely need it, because of too many cases,” Margaret Rhea, of Fishers, said Monday.

Now anyone over the age of 8 must mask up in indoor public spaces, or if you’re outside and cannot socially distance.

The mandate began on Monday and is summarized below:

• Applies to anyone 8 or older in indoor public spaces, commercial entities or transportation services, or outside public spaces when people cannot socially distance.
• Mask use in schools required for Grade 3 and higher for faculty and staff, volunteers and anyone in schools. Masks also will be required for co-curricular and extracurricular activities, with exceptions for strenuous physical activity.
• Exceptions will be made for medical purposes, strenuous physical activity, eating and drinking.
• Masks are strongly recommended for ages 2-7.

State and local health departments will be responsible for enforcing compliance of the mask mandate.

Fishers started its own mask mandate on Friday.

“The cloth mask is most effective at preventing you from transmitting your virus, if you should be an asymptomatic carrier, to those around you,” said Monica Heltz, the director of the Fishers Health Department.

Still, not everyone agrees with the statewide mask requirement.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous, personally,” Fishers resident Sherry Mizrahi said. “I don’t think this is going to do anything to save anything. First of all, we’re touching everything.”

Fishers Health Department told News 8 they’ve already gotten complaints from residents who have noticed businesses aren’t following the rule.

“When we notice those, we contact whoever they’ve complained against to kind of talk through how they might improve their policies,” Heltz explained.

So just exactly how is this being enforced?

Late last week, Holcomb dropped mask violation penalties from his executive order. In Fishers, they’re concentrating on education first, but as a health department, they do have the power to enforce mask mandates.

“The state law for health departments and public health departments for putting an order like this into place could include taking someone to court and then the court would set whatever the consequence would be. That’s not something we’re trying to do. That’s something we’re trying to avoid, but that is a carve-out in the law that can be enforced,” Heltz said.

Fishers spokesperson Ashley Elrod further explained to News 8: “Enforcement is carried out by the local health departments. For Fishers, the health department will begin with educating and creating awareness around the benefits of wearing a mask. If required, the Health Department has the authority to Court Order an individual or business to ensure enforcement. This would be a rare case and only if repeated violations occur. Residents can submit their complaints at www.fishers.in.us/healthdepartment.”

Betsy Swearingen, the director of Public Health Preparedness Coordinator for the Johnson County Health Department told News 8: “The Johnson County Health Department will not physically enforce the mask mandate. We will take complaints and follow-up when possible with educational information on the need to wear masks as the Governor has mandated.”

But bottom line, health officials urge people to wear face masks or coverings.

“If we can all do this for a number of weeks together, we can get through this and hopefully move ourselves and our state forward,” Heltz explained.

Indiana’s mask mandate comes after neighboring states have created mandates: Illinois, since May 1; Kentucky, May 11; and Michigan, June 18. Ohio’s mask mandate began on July 23.

Holcomb said he does not regret waiting until now to mandate masks. He delayed the start of the mandate until Monday so people and their communities had time to adjust.

The governor’s executive order for this mask mandate is in effect until at least Aug. 26.