Gov. Eric Holcomb is apologizing after he was photographed this weekend out in public without following proper COVID-19 safety procedures.
A selfie posted on an Indiana woman’s Facebook page – and shared widely by a local Democratic Party Twitter account – shows Holcomb taking a photo with the woman and her daughter, all of them without masks and well within six feet of each other.
In a statement, Holcomb says he left his mask in the car when retrieving takeout from a local restaurant – what he calls a lapse in his “usual vigilance.”
READ MORE: Governor Holcomb Outlines How – And Why – The State Will Reopen
He apologized to health care professionals and every Hoosier working to slow the spread of COVID-19. He calls the incident a “lesson learned” that even a quick photo requires following experts’ guidance to wear a mask in public.
In a statement, the Indiana Democratic Party called Holcomb’s actions hypocritical and selfish.
Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
This is a rapidly evolving story, and we are working hard to bring you the most up-to-date information. However, we recommend checking the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Indiana State Department of Health for the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases.
