Thread by @ISMAphysicians

.@GovHolcomb's daily #coronavirus briefing about to get underway.

Holcomb begins by announcing he's cutting back the briefings to every other day, rather than daily. Next one will be Wednesday.

.@StateHealthIN Commissioner Kris Box notes a new high in daily testing, with nearly 6,700 reported yesterday.

ISDH is beginning expanded contact tracing today, and more tests will mean more tracing.

325 of planned 500 contact tracers have been added to ISDH; hundreds more have applied. (Contact tracing is normally done by local health depts; ISDH is centralizing it because of the scope of the #pandemic.)

For third straight briefing, Box strongly urging anyone with symptoms, or anyone in a high-risk group, to get tested.

Also a recurring theme: don't ignore it if you're sick with something other than #coronavirus symptoms, and don't put off key screenings like mammograms, colonoscopies, etc. Box says doctors are taking precautions in waiting rooms. #CheckIt4Andretti

Indiana American Academy of Pediatrics president Tony GiaQuinta (nephew of House Minority Leader @PhilGiaQuinta) is joining the briefing to talk about the safety of doctor's offices. He warns vaccination rates have dropped 30-40%.

Holcomb, asked about #CurtisHill suspension, notes he called for Hill to resign back in 2018 when allegations came to light. He says he's seeking answers from his legal team on implications of ruling, presumably including whether Hill still qualifies as eligible to serve as AG.

Holcomb: "There's no good news in any of this." He says this is the fourth inquiry to concur the four women who accused Hill were truthful (inspector general, hearing officer in disciplinary case, special prosecutor, though prosecutor declined to bring charges).

Back on #coronavirus: Holcomb reminds "This is not going to be, 4th of July, boom, it's over." Everyone needs to continue practicing handwashing and social distancing, and businesses who don't feel safe reopening, shouldn't.

Governor's counsel Joe Heerens says last week, the state issued its 1st cease-and-desist order in seven weeks of lockdown to a business defying orders on who can open. He says that business, in Benton County, came into compliance over weekend.

Heerens says 137 other complaints have been found to be valid, but successfully resolved through verbal warnings.

Back on Hill: Holcomb says his legal team didn't discuss whether Hill remains eligible to serve as AG w/ suspended license because he didn't know whether the Supreme Court would address that issue. He stresses he didn't ask the court to address it, or indeed contact them at all.

Holcomb notes #INLegis had bill which would have made clear AG is disqualified if suspended for more than 30 days, but Senate killed it. So it's up to the lawyers to figure out what existing law says.

Box: 30 new testing sites on track to open Wednesday. "We've got a lot of testing out there; we just need people to go and do it."

That's not counting @FSPH_IUPUI study, which has tested nearly 5,000 so far; Box expects to report results at Wednesday's briefing.

Box: we knew #longtermcare would be at greatest risk; "We've messaged that from Day 1." She says those facilities have been high priority for testing -- but testing everyone would be 100,000 people. The message has been, if you live or work there, and have symptoms, get tested.