(INDIANAPOLIS) – Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb held his first press conference Monday after releasing his plan to reopen the state in stages.
Gov. Holcomb announced his plan on Friday to reopen Indiana’s economy, and “Stage Two” started today for most of the state. That means retail shops can open at 50 percent capacity. It also means travel restrictions are lifted, and people can gather in groups of up to 25.
During Monday’s update, Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) Chief Medical Officer Lindsay Weaver said a new website is being launched to help people find COVID-19 testing locations.
The website is a living document containing location, hours, and the testing criteria for each site. It will be updated as locations open, close, or change requirements.
Any Hoosier can register to get tested. The state expects to test 100,000 Hoosiers each month.
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) Commissioner Peter Lacy said during “Stage Two” of Gov. Holcomb’s plan, the BMV will operate 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday by appointment only.
There is currently one branch open within an hour of any Hoosier, Lacy said. They hope to have all branches opened by Memorial Day.
BMV appointments can be made on their website or by calling 888-692-6841. Lacy noted 20,000 appointments are already on the books.
All branches will be following guidelines from the CDC and areas will be wiped down between appointments.
Gov. Holcomb also noted over the weekend he took a photo with constituents while not wearing a mask.
He called the incident an “unforced error” and apologized for the lapse in judgement.
“No one was harder on myself than myself over this past weekend,” he said.
Monday afternoon, ISDH reported 583 new positive COVID-19 cases and 19 new deaths, bringing the statewide totals to 20,507 and 1,151 respectively. More than 113,000 people have been tested across the state.
