Indiana’s COVID-19 precautions further eased Thursday under new executive orders issued by the governor, even as he cited worries about the state’s lagging vaccination rate.
The state’s public health emergency was extended until at least the end of July as Gov. Eric Holcomb on Wednesday signed the 16th renewal of that order that he first issued in March 2020.
Holcomb’s order said its renewal ensures Indiana can continue responding effectively to the pandemic. It also keeps the state eligible for additional Medicaid funding and other federal assistance programs.
The governor pointed out that Indiana’s fully vaccinated rate of 48% ranks the state 38th in the country—and that 98.5% of new COVID-19 infections are among unvaccinated people. The coronavirus “remains a threat to the health, safety and welfare of all residents of Indiana,” the order said.
The state health department has recorded 36 coronavirus-related deaths over the past week, boosting Indiana’s pandemic toll to 13,855.
Holcomb has lifted nearly all statewide restrictions over recent months as Indiana’s levels of new COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths have declined to their lowest since widespread tracking began in spring 2020. Wednesday was the last day for the indoor mask requirement for students and K-12 school workers.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Just get your shot, knuckleheads!
But what about those who have had COVID and recovered fully? Data seems to show that they have the same immunity (if not longer immunity) than those who have received the vaccine? So why do they need to be vaccinated?
Russell, that’s incorrect. The average immunity for someone who contracted covid-19 is 10 months. There’s evidence that the mRNA vaccines might last for years. Nothing is 100% certain yet, but my aunt had covid-19 twice within 9 months last year. That’s enough evidence to me, not to mention possible long haul symptoms from getting the virus.
“We just need two weeks to flatten the curve…”
Over a year later, how’s that curve been the last few months?
Keep in mind that the true definition of “flatten the curve” is that the area under the curve (ie, the number of cases) would not change. They were just being delayed. It is a fallacy to say that “flatten the curve” meant prevention or eradication.