Thread by @WIBC_EricBerman

.@GovHolcomb about to begin his weekly #coronavirus briefing.

Box: "What concerns me is we're seeing more infections. The positivity rate has steadily increased." Last few days, accompanied by hospitalization increase.

Box: surge confirms wisdom of last week's decision not to lift final #coronavirus restrictions.

State Fairgrounds "summer carnival" for August has been canceled.

Midway operator had announced five-week summer carnival "fun park" last week. The very next day, Box said at the briefing that it "need(ed) to be discussed."

In the last 15 days of June, rate of positive cases was under 6% every day. It's been at least 6.2% every day in July. Hospitalizations have increased 12% since a low of 595 on June 27.

472 schools (public, private, charter) will receive masks and sanitizer from the state.

Schools participating in mask program will receive at least one mask per student, plus 500 adult masks.

Box: "We have the ability to test more individuals. We want more people to go and get tested."

Box notes studies indicate #HerdImmunity is not a solution to #coronavirus, because immunity to the virus isn't like immunity to, say, measles. It's more like the common cold in that regard; the immunity goes away.

Box adds Sweden has tried the herd immunity strategy without success. She's emphasizing that antibody tests, while useful for showing if someone has been exposed to the virus, do NOT equate to immunity.

Holcomb: video of #lynching threat in Bloomington "beyond disturbing." He says DNR is acting appropriately in pursuing what's still an ongoing investigation.

Box elaborates on a question earlier today on this platform: the daily count of tests performed reflects unique patients. If it counted every test conducted, including cases where someone was tested multiple times, the number would be about 100,000 higher.

Box: we're seeing a #coronavirus surge in Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties -- 159 new cases in Vanderburgh in the last week, more than a quarter of its cases since the start of the #pandemic. 28 in Warrick in the last week.

Holcomb says he still plans to attend RNC in Jacksonville, but as he's said before, that could change -- "I haven't booked my flight yet." He says the US has seen how one state or another can seemingly be out of the virus woods, only to get hit again or worse.

Holcomb: #MaskUp is "a social compact...This is how we're going to get through this together."

Box: East Chicago also seeing an uptick. Permanent testing site to be set up soon in Gary; she hopes East Chicago and Hammond will soon follow.

Lake County had 64 new cases countywide in today's update, 404 in the last week.

Box: still working to relocate some testing sites, either to places which are more convenient for people to reach or to places which have air conditioning (many of the initial sites, at National Guard armories, didn't have AC, which Box says may deter people from going).

Box, elaborating: lack of air conditioning has been the biggest barrier to testing. Some sites have shut down because it got too hot for technicians in full #PPE to continue.

Some sites have been moved to schools, and thus will need to move again as the school year starts.

Holcomb: tentative July 18 reopening date is more a milestone to take stock of all the data and assess what restrictions can be modified/lifted/etc.

In response to question about whether Indiana should consider changing the name of the state, Holcomb says he's talked with Native American leaders about shared Hoosier heritage and how to share the state's story, "and will have more to say on this in the near future."

Holcomb backs Indy decision to require #masks, which takes effect tomorrow. He notes pit crews at #Brickyard400 were all wearing masks; "If they can do that in 102-degree heat, it's the least [the rest of us] can do." (He's urged #MaskUpHoosiers bu hasn't required it statewide.)

Box: @IMS has impressive plan for #Indy500, and the fact it's an outdoor venue makes her feel better about admitting fans. Holcomb adds the size of the track leaves lots of room for #socialdistancing. But both say they'll continue to consult with IMS on whether fans can attend.