Yesterday, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb spoke about how Indiana is under a public health emergency. With 24 confirmed COVID -19 Illnesses over 13 counties and the first confirmed death, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are enacting Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Measures. 

  The Evansville Police Department will continue to remain at full staffing to continue to respond to law enforcement calls for service in order to provide our community professional, measured, and responsible service during the current concerns over the Coronavirus outbreaks.

  Police Supervisors will be screening citizen calls to dispatch to determine whether or not an officer needs to respond to the caller’s residence, or if it could be handled over the phone. Obviously, if it’s a serious event that is in progress, officers will still respond and handle the incident accordingly. 

   For minor traffic accidents where no one is injured and vehicles are able to be moved safely out of the roadway, we are asking that the involved individuals exchange driver’s information including names, cell phone numbers, insurance companies, policy numbers and telephone numbers of their respective insurance companies. 

  Local bars and restaurants have been closed down except for delivers and takeout orders and we are asking that no more than 10 people gather together at one time.  

  We ask that people would adhere to some simple home care instructions to keep you and your family safe. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60% to 95% alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Practice social distancing of up to 6 feet or more. 

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that a second Hoosier has died from COVID-19. The patient is a Johnson County adult over age 60 who had been hospitalized. No further information about the patient will be released due to privacy laws.

ISDH has received six new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing to 30 the number of Hoosiers diagnosed through ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. The new cases involve residents of Lake (2), Franklin (2) and Marion (2) counties and will be included on ISDH’s online dashboard at https://www.in.gov/coronavirus/. The full list of counties with cases is included in the dashboard, which will be updated daily at 10 a.m. Cases are listed by county of residence.

Additional updates on the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak may be provided later today.