GOSHEN, Indiana. Elkhart County will now require adults to wear face masks in public, health officials said Monday.
Dr. Lydia Mertz, Elkhart County Health Officer, has signed a mandate requiring people to wear masks in areas where they cannot distance themselves from others, according to a report by Elkhart Truth.
The mandate will take effect on Tuesday, June 30.
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.”
As of Monday, Elkhart County has 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.
The Elkhart Truth reported that the mandate was signed Monday at a meeting of the Elkhart County Board of Commissioners.
