Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave Calls For Accurate Facts  About the Status About Thr COVID-19 VIRUS

Vanderburgh County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave Calls For Accurate Facts  About the Status About Thr COVID-19 VIRUS

Evansville, IN- The most important issue for Vanderburgh County and Evansville today is the coronavirus.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been on phone calls with medical experts and advisers for hours. Here’s what I’ve heard.

1. Hospital capacity:  The hospitals are at or near capacity with over 20% of Vanderburgh County’s hospital beds occupied with COVID-19 patients.
2. Record high numbers are testing positive to COVID-19 at local testing sites.
3. The highest positive test rate in District 10 is among the 50 to 69 age group.

Vanderburgh County Commissioners have asked, repeatedly, for clear guidance about how to handle this situation. The medical advisers have not given us any standards or evidence-based recommendations.

My responsibility to the public is clear. In the absence of any such recommendation about what the Commissioners should do, it is premature for local government to make mandatory policies.  The public deserves to know the facts so that they can make their best decisions.

I call on our local hospitals to provide public, daily, and informative updates about the progress of the pandemic in plain English.

I strongly recommend that individuals, families, businesses, and schools refrain from hosting any large gathering, and to be extra cautious about hosting any gathering indoors. Wear masks to protect others and yourselves. And remember that Covid-19 is not the only illness to worry about: this is the right time to get a flu shot as well.

The Commissioners continue to monitor this situation closely. We will act on the best scientific evidence available to us consistent with our legal authorities and our need to protect the public health. At this moment, it is imperative that individuals and groups take every step they can to help bring down the spread of the virus as we move into the winter months.

We want to do all we can to slow the spread of the pandemic as we wait for a vaccine or more widely-available effective treatment. We will keep you informed as the situation develops.

During this difficult time, my thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one, who has fallen ill, or who is helping to care for those who are sick or are vulnerable. I also recognize the hard work and bravery of our nurses, doctors, and other frontline healthcare professionals, as well as the efforts of the essential workers who are keeping our community going.

This is a tough time. We all deserve the facts. And we will get through this, together.