Gov. Eric Holcomb is apologizing after he was photographed this weekend out in public without following proper COVID-19 safety procedures.
A selfie posted on an Indiana woman’s Facebook page – and shared widely by a local Democratic Party Twitter account – shows Holcomb taking a photo with the woman and her daughter, all of them without masks and well within six feet of each other.
. @GovHolcomb can you confirm that you were in Brown Co. and interacted with local residents without proper PPE (including mask) and in close proximity (less than six feet) on 5/2/20? @marybschneider @adamwren @brandonjsmith5 . @sarawittmeyer pic.twitter.com/UUd9NDOUSb — NinthDistrictDems (@NinthCDDems) May 3, 2020
In a statement, Holcomb says he left his mask in the car when retrieving takeout from a local restaurant – what he calls a lapse in his “usual vigilance.”
READ MORE: Governor Holcomb Outlines How – And Why – The State Will Reopen
He apologized to health care professionals and every Hoosier working to slow the spread of COVID-19. He calls the incident a “lesson learned” that even a quick photo requires following experts’ guidance to wear a mask in public.
In a statement, the Indiana Democratic Party called Holcomb’s actions hypocritical and selfish.
For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here.
Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
