Thread by @ISMAphysicians

.@GovHolcomb's weekly #coronavirus briefing underway.

Holcomb opens with tribute to former Gov. #JoeKernan, who died this morning at 74. "We lost a good man, a trusted man, a devoted man, a loyal man, someone who taught so many so much."

One Navy guy to another, Holcomb wishes the former fighter pilot #JoeKernan "fair winds and following seas."

Current #coronavirus restrictions ("Stage 4.5") extended again, to August 27. "I want to be safe, not sorry."

Holcomb: persistent high positivity rate is reason to keep restrictions in place. As always, local governments will have his support if they impose stricter limits.

Statehouse and other government buildings will reopen Aug 17.

Holcomb is again extending eviction/foreclosure moratorium, this time through August 14. That syncs with moratorium on utility disconnects.

Holcomb says he's optimistic the extension of limits to August 27 will give time for #MaskUpHoosiers order, which took effect Monday, to reduce #coronavirus spread.

216 testing sites open. ISDH Commissioner Kris Box says testing contract with @Optum runs through end of August and will be evaluated then.

New color-coded map, to be added to ISDH dashboard later this week, will show #coronavirus hotspots and positivity rates by county.

Box says she's worried about people known to be infected and refusing to cooperate with contact tracers. She says those people likely aren't following other precautions either.

I keep getting questions asking if the state count of tests double-counts people who have been tested more than once. It doesn't...but ISDH will now add a separate line showing how many repeat tests there are.

The count doesn't, and won't, count antibody tests. Only infections.

Dan Rusyniak: 80% of all #longtermcare staff were tested for #coronavirus in June. 466 (1%) tested positive.

Rusyniak is chief medical officer for @FSSAIndiana.

Rusyniak: we're going to retest all #LTC staff in August.

DWD director Fred Payne with an update on announcement a few weeks ago on suspicions of unemployment fraud, voiced a few weeks ago when new claims spiked unexpectedly. Not a big update; he says it's a problem and they'll remain vigilant.

Deadline to apply for assistance with energy bills (federal program) is Friday.

Holcomb: expanded #absenteevoting for November isn't as necessary as it was in June. In the runup to June, state was still under lockdown -- the election itself was pushed back. In contrast, plenty of time to vote early for Nov if they don't want to do it on Election Day.

Indiana is one of 7 states not expanding #MailInBallots for November.

Box: specific numerical thresholds for #schoolsreopening or staying closed, like those recommended by @sjchealth, not appropriate. She says a burst of testing of one cluster could create misleading picture.

While Indiana is holding off loosening its last #coronavirus restrictions, Holcomb says he's trying to avoid reimposing them, as Kentucky did this week. He says the focus has been on getting local data out there so local governments can impose restrictions if warranted.

Kentucky, BTW, has higher positivity rates, but only slightly: 7.9% last week vs 7% in Indiana. 98 cases per 100,000 people, vs 86 in Indiana.

Marion County has re-closed bars and reinstituted limits on mass gatherings. Not aware of other local rollbacks. (This is your cue to let me know what I've missed.)

Holcomb: suit filed by landlords challenging the eviction/foreclosure moratorium won't alter his course. "We feel very confident of where we are" under the law.

Holcomb on #mask resistance: the pain and inconvenience of being infected with the virus is a lot greater than any pain and inconvenience from wearing a mask. "You've got to take this seriously, because it's taking us, seriously....This is just science to me."

Holcomb: #masks weren't as controversial in other countries, where they're already a fact of life to deal with air pollution; here, the newness of the idea sparked resistance. But he says they're essential to containing the spread -- he says Phoenix is the latest illustration.

GOOD HEAVENS, MISS SAKAMOTO

(This tweet will make zero sense to anyone who's not actively listening to the briefing and missed Holcomb dropping a Thomas Dolby reference. Maybe even to those who are.)

Box on #Fauci warning yesterday that Midwest, specifically including Indiana, could be on brink of a surge: "That's why we did the #mask mandate. That's why we're being very careful so we don't end up back where we were...They're right to call us out on this situation."