Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb recently announced the mask-wearing mandate will be lifted Tuesday.
Masks will still be required in all state buildings and at vaccination and COVID-19 testing sites, but nowhere else unless counties and local governments require them for entrance.
Shelbyville Mayor Tom DeBaun met with local health officials Friday morning and will not steer away from the governor’s directive.
“We will still require masks in all our (city) facilities until further notice just as the county is (requiring),” said DeBaun. “We still highly encourage people to wear masks.”
The no mask mandate will allow restaurants and retail outlets not to require masks for entrance. That will be a business-by-business decision.
“Each business can make that decision just like, ‘No shirts, No shoes, No service,’” said DeBaun.
If Shelbyville and Shelby County were to see a surge in COVID-19 cases DeBaun believes Major Health Partners Medical Center is prepared for the increased workload.
“I believe they have the ability and the capacity, if we have a surge, to be able to cover it,” said DeBaun.
Shelby County remains in a Blue advisory level according to the Indiana State Department of Health. Neighboring counties Johnson and Decatur are in Yellow advisory levels with an upswing in cases.
Shelby County has reported 4,710 cases of COVID-19 as of today and 95 deaths, according to the state department of health.
School systems in the state will stick with mask wearing during school hours and at school events until the end of the school year.
Schools in the Shelbyville system sent out messages this week reminding parents that students must continue to wear masks and visitors to each respective school must wear a mask as well.
DeBaun was cautiously optimistic that with masks, social distancing and vaccines available to anyone age 16 and older, the pandemic is winding down. He cautioned, though, it is not yet time to let up from taking precautions from the pandemic.
“My personal opinion, we ought to wear masks until at least the end of this month,” said DeBaun.
