INDIANAPOLIS – Two weeks after Governor Holcomb announced that Indiana was fully opening to Stage 5, the state shattered its one-day record of positive COVID-19 cases. With no statewide COVID-19 restrictions, and no enforcement mechanism for the governor’s mask order, local counties are left to find their own ways to mitigate coronavirus spread.

Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) had the following statement on the recent, concerning rise of COVID-19 cases:

“Only two weeks after the governor completely reopened our state, we are looking at what could turn into the worst COVID-19 surge Indiana has experienced since the pandemic began.

“It’s sad to see that we currently have a governor who is more than willing to move the goal posts just to fit his personal narrative. After months of touting our state’s reliance on measurable health data, Governor Holcomb now seems to ignore all of the numbers that he once claimed would drive Indiana’s reopening plan.

“We now have the highest single day of cases since the pandemic started. We have hospitalizations rising to levels we have not seen since May. The list of concerning data goes on and on.

“The governor has said that a positivity rate above five percent in a county should be a cause for alarm. Yet, when the entire state’s positivity rate climbs above that same threshold, it’s business as usual for the Holcomb administration?

“IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, in my own district, has reported ‘an all-time high of COVID-19 positive inpatients.’ This is not business as usual; this is a deadly disease spreading uncontrollably through Indiana.

“I see a complete lack of guidance, leadership and enforcement from Governor Holcomb’s administration. Local governments must fend for themselves to stop the virus spread. Counties don’t even have complete school COVID data to rely on, as the state dashboard does not report almost 40 percent of Hoosier schools.

“Indiana is now turning into a perfect example of what not to do to stop the spread of this deadly virus. Governor, I plead with you to stop this foolish reopening, enforce your mask mandate and get aid to the folks who need it most right now. It’s time to stop playing politics with people’s lives.”