INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Gov Eric Holcomb says that he won’t rush to end his stay-at-home order.

Holcomb warns Indiana risks becoming Italy or New York if it doesn’t act aggressively to slow the spread of coronavirus. He says you need only look at Marion County’s infection rate to see the risks — the county’s 161 coronavirus cases represent nearly half the statewide total, and health commissioner Kristina Box warns the pandemic is still in its early stages.

Holcomb had said last week he wasn’t ready to order Hoosiers to stay home. On Monday, he became the 14th governor to do so — three more states have followed since. Holcomb says he issued the order after reviewing the trendline in the states where the virus showed up first. Box says states like Washington and California had a two-week head start on Indiana, and Holcomb warns the state can’t risk being where those states are now two weeks from now.

 

The order to stay home and close all nonessential businesses is in effect for two weeks. State Police Superintendent Doug Carter says he’s instructed troopers and urged local police departments to use discretion in enforcing the order. Holcomb says it’s not meant to be a “hammer,” but to send Hoosiers a clear message of how serious the epidemic is and seek their buy-in to keep its impact as minimal as possible.