GOSHEN, Ind .— Elkhart County will now require people to wear face masks in all spaces where social distancing is not possible, according to a mandate signed by the county’s top health official on Monday.
Elkhart County Health Doctor Dr. Lydia Mertz signed a mandate requiring people to wear masks in areas where they cannot distance themselves from others outside of their own immediate homes, including indoor areas open to the public, the public transportation and outside areas. where social distancing is not possible.
The mandate will take effect on Tuesday, June 30 at 12:01 am. It will remain in effect until further notice.
According to the mandate, adults must supervise children from 3 to 12 years old with the use of masks to avoid misuse.
Exceptions to the face mask requirement include, but are not limited to, people who have been advised not to wear one by a medical professional, children 2 years of age and younger, and deaf people who need to remove the face covering to use facial and mouth movements. . communicate.
Pursuant to the mandate, individuals who do not comply with the order cannot receive a subpoena or be arrested by the police or other residents.
The order is intended to educate, encourage and persuade people to cover their faces, according to the mandate.
Dr. Michelle Bache, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Elkhart General Hospital, said she agrees with Mertz’s mandate and that it is “the right decision.”
According to the mandate, the availability of beds in the Elkhart County ICU has “dropped significantly”.
As of Monday, Elkhart County had the third-highest number of COVID-19 cases of all Indiana counties.
“We are starting to see our percentage of positive cases drop,” Bache said, but added that Elkhart General is still seeing the effects of the past two weeks, with the highest number of COVID-19 cases the hospital has seen since The pandemic started.
The Elkhart County face mask requirement follows a recent increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases across the county.
St. Joseph County implemented a similar face mask requirement intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Elkhart Truth reported that the mandate was signed by Mertz on Monday at a meeting of the Elkhart County Board of Commissioners.
Please read the complete Elkhart County Public Health Order 01-2020 below.
