Governor Holcomb provides update on state's response to COVID-19

INDIANAPOLIS— During his daily press conference, Governor Eric Holcomb and several other state leaders provided an update to the state's response to COVID-19.

Holcomb announced that he will join Vice President Mike Pence in Kokomo at the General Motors plant that is producing ventilators on Thursday. 

Health Department Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box shared updates regarding health care.

A central location has been created to decontaminate N-95 face masks used by health care workers, Box said. Each mask can be cleaned up to 20 times. 

Box said the state is working to complete additional contact tracing in an effort to slow the spread of the virus by using a centralized call center that will directly reach out to positive patients and their contacts. 

The contact tracing conducted by the state will go live in May. Patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 should either expect a call or text from the state.

Deputy Health Officer for St. Joseph County Dr. Mark Fox joined the press conference virtually on Wednesday to share updates from the local level.

Fox said that many of the health department’s staff have been re-deployed to respond to the pandemic.