Thread by @WIBC_EricBerman

After skipping last week, @GovHolcomb is again holding a #coronavirus briefing, about to get underway. Among other things, he's expected to announce whether his #MaskUp order will be extended; it's currently set to expire Saturday.

Tech crew appears to have forgotten some things in the hiatus. :)

.@GovHolcomb: when we went to Stage 5 three weeks ago, #COVID numbers were trending in right direction; most counties at low risk, infection rates and hospitalizations dropping. But...

"I said then we'd have to remain vigilant about the precautions which helped us move to Stage 5." Numbers have soared in those three weeks; more than 1,000 cases each of the last six days. Hospitalizations highest since mid-May.

Holcomb: "Stage 5 is not the stage where the checkered flag comes out. Stage 5 is not an excuse for indifference or irresponsibility...While there are so many Hoosiers who are following these best practices, that's not the case for everyone."

Holcomb: I know there's #mask fatigue. "'Pained' is not an overstatement" of reactions, including his, to rising numbers and financial costs. But there are still lots of reports of people not wearing masks or social distancing, even knowing that it is increasing community spread.

Holcomb is speaking while wearing his mask. That's a first for these briefings; he normally removes it when he starts speaking.

Holcomb: too many people are "showing disregard for the health of our fellow citizens" by not following precautions.

Holcomb: "Those decisions (not to #MaskUp) can, directly or indirectly, cost lives....Just to be blunt, those actions are costing us health care, business failures -- this is the literal definition of whistling past the graveyard."

ISDH Commissioner Kris Box does not appear to be present for today's briefing.

Holcomb notes weddings and other large gatherings are big contributors to spread. He says @Colts games, and grocery shopping, have proven people can get together safely when they follow precautions: "Too many are ignoring science and rolling the dice."

Box is participating remotely.

Box, her daughter and grandson have tested positive for #COVID19.

Grandson is 23 months old. Box: we've gotten together for weekly family dinner, stayed in our bubble. "Our exposure is very, very limited; we wear our masks, we social distance." But she says they've always known the grandson's daycare represented a risk.

Box says she left her state office and isolated at home after two workers at grandson's daycare tested positive. She says she has no symptoms; her daughter and grandson have mild symptoms.

Box says she has few or no close contacts who may have been infected, with exception of family, who are quarantining. She'll be working from home. "God willing, none of us will become more ill."

Box on state data: "Our numbers are not good, and it's very concerning to me to see what's happening at our hospitals around the state."

Back to Holcomb.

Holcomb: Stage 5 will continue, but we'll revisit status next week. Holcomb will again hold a briefing next Wednesday.

Holcomb: "This is not the time to abandon what we've been doing" in terms of precautions; "We need to double down, or the numbers will double down on us." He notes other states across the Midwest, as well as Europe, are also seeing second wave.

Holcomb: Indiana is equipped to balance medical and fiscal health.

ISDH medical director Lindsay Weaver: she, Holcomb, and other administration officials will be tested for #COVID19 this afternoon, "out of an abundance of caution" after Box's positive test.

Feed from Weaver has gone out. We're on hold.

Only a brief interruption; Weaver is back.

Weaver: "Stage 5 does not mean we're back to pre-pandemic normal. This is the new normal."

Weaver: widespread resurgence of #coronavirus in many regions. Even shrinking numbers of counties rated as blue (low risk) shouldn't get complacent. Those in yellow should be meeting regularly to discuss situation. Those in orange should restrict gatherings & require distancing.

Weaver: ISDH reserves right to impose its own restrictions on activities in red-zone counties (currently, that's just Fountain).

Those restrictions could include capacity limits on gatherings (including school events), closing senior centers, limiting visitation at jails and in #longtermcare.

Weaver: "We're still seeing people who don't think #COVID is a thing....You can look at the numbers. COVID is a thing."

Weaver: there's an uploading issue keeping some cases off the dashboard; there could be a burst of new cases when that's resolved. Even without that, state positivity rate has soared from 3.9% to 5.3% in three weeks.