Thread by @ISMAphysicians

.@GovHolcomb's weekly #coronavirus briefing is underway.

While younger Hoosiers remain a tiny sliver of IN death toll, Holcomb says they're a growing % of positive cases; 21% of all cases are under 30, vs. 12% at start of the #pandemic. He says it could be gap in underlying conditions, or that younger Hoosiers are taking more risks.

Box: 16% of all cases have been hospitalized, a slight drop from last week. She calls declines in hospitalization encouraging.

Box says she's disturbed by people not wearing masks, or even actively seeking hair salons where masks aren't required. She reminds that 43% of cases have no symptoms, making them unwitting carriers. She notes it'd be a "heavy burden" to know you infected someone who later died.

.@LGSuzanneCrouch: New state rental assistance program will supply up to $500/mo for 4 months for people struggling to make rent due to #pandemic job loss.

Not just job loss; income loss would qualify (fewer hours, or pay cuts).

Indianapolis has its own rental assistance program, administered separately. Both are funded by #CARESAct.

Dress code continues to evolve. Holcomb has frequently favored suit jacket over T-shirt. Today: Next Level Indiana golf shirt.

Holcomb: despite economic stress, RV and boat sales booming, housing sales ahead of last year. "For a certain part of our society, things are still growing. But we've got to have the people." He says that means not only skilling up workforce, but keeping people healthy.

Box, who's adamantly declined to release nursing home #coronavirus data broken down by facility, notes the homes themselves must give you that data if you request it (if, for instance, you're trying to pick a facility for your parents).

Non-#coronavirus news: Holcomb says he'll probably decide on his pick for Secretary of Education before Election Day. (The post of Superintendent of Public Instruction has been abolished as an elective position, effective with the end of @suptdrmccormick's term in January.)

Holcomb with a flipside to Box's anecdote about people seeking no-mask businesses: he says he's heard from people who are seeking safe places to do business, and are more likely to return to a business if they have confidence that the place is safe -- masks, handwashing, etc.

FSSA medical director Dan Rusyniak: when a nursing home has a #coronavirus case, state gets daily data on progress of outbreak until they've gone 2 weeks without new cases. (ISDH updates aggregate longterm care data on its website weekly.)

Box: ISDH is partnering with researchers on study, soon to be on website when it's complete, quantifying the benefits of masks and handwashing.

Box: "There's a lot of real-life instances of communities which saw a rise in cases, required masks, and saw those numbers go down." St Joseph and LaGrange Counties have required masks in Indiana.

Box: sharp drop in tests returned yesterday (lowest in 10 days, 1,700 below 2nd-lowest) reflects one lab which didn't get its results in. Also suggests it reflects the weekend lag effect, but comparable numbers from last week were 2,000 tests higher.

Holcomb: moratorium on #evictions, currently set to expire July 1, will be extended through end of July.

While eviction moratorium is being extended, Holcomb says he's waiting on Utility Regulatory Commission guidance, expected by July 1, before deciding whether to extend similar moratorium on utility shutoffs.