A handful of states require residents to wear face coverings when going out in public. Indiana is not one of those states.
However, the Indiana State Department of Health is urging the use of cloth face coverings as well as the practice of social distancing and frequent hand washing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains the use of simple cloth face masks slows the spread of the virus and helps those who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.
Medical professionals have determined that COVID-19 can be transmitted by a person who is asymptomatic - a person who is sick but shows no symptoms or even a person who has been infected but has not yet fallen sick. And a recent study by The Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI suggested that nearly half of all Hoosiers who are positive for the virus don’t show symptoms.
READ MORE: Study Suggests 186,000 Hoosiers With COVID-19; Nearly Half Without Symptoms
Stores can mandate the use of masks by customers, but it is difficult to enforce. Still, some businesses such as Costco and Menards are not allowing the public in their facility without a mask. Customers without a mask will either be given one or they can buy one for a nominal charge from the store. Most business are implementing safe practices such as requiring employees to wear masks, marking social distancing perimeters and making shopping aisles one way.
You should practice social distancing with anyone outside your core social unit, meaning the people you live with. This includes friends and close relatives who do not live with you.
For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here.
