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Holcomb Rescinds Temporary Halt On Non-Emergency Surgeries

Indiana hospitals were required to halt non-emergent, elective, in-patient surgeries from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3.
Indiana hospitals were required to halt non-emergent, elective, in-patient surgeries from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3.

Hospitals across Indiana can once again schedule non-emergency, elective surgeries after Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday he’ll lift the temporary ban on such procedures.

Holcomb announced three weeks ago that hospitals must halt elective, in-patient surgeries from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3.

Now, the governor said after talking with hospital systems and seeing slight improvement in hospitalizations from COVID-19, he’s ready to lift the ban.

“But we monitor these numbers, again, every day, every week," Holcomb said. "And so, while there’s an executive order that’s out there that goes three weeks, we’re going to be reviewing this tomorrow and the next day – whether it’s a holiday or not – and track and follow that ebb and flow of the cases.”

READ MORE:  Indiana Hits 500,000 Positive COVID-19 Cases, Maintains Nearly Two Month Pace

Holcomb’s latest executive order – for the next three weeks – extends gathering restrictions in counties experiencing the highest risk of COVID spread.

Contact reporter Brandon at  bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page  here .

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Brandon J. Smith has previously worked as a reporter and anchor for KBIA Radio in Columbia, MO. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, IL as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.