BROWN COUNTY, Ind. (WTHR) – Governor Eric Holcomb is apologizing for what he calls a “lapse in vigilance” after he failed to follow social distancing guidelines over the weekend.
Viewers sent 13 Investigates images of a Facebook post showing a photo of the governor with two people in Brown County.
In the selfie taken at a popular restaurant, neither the governor nor the other people in the photo are wearing a mask, and they are not observing the 6-feet social distancing guidelines that have been in place since early March.
In response to questions about the situation, Gov. Holcomb confirmed he was in Brown County overnight and sent a statement to 13News:
“I ordered take out for dinner and ran in to pick it up, leaving my mask in the car. It was a lapse in my usual vigilance. I should have gone back out to the car to get my mask. My apologies to all the healthcare professionals and Hoosiers who are working so hard to slow the spread. This is… a timely reminder that even a six second snap of a picture requires following the doctors’ recommendation to wear a mask while in public. Lesson learned.”
Under state rules, customers are allowed into a restaurant to pick up a carryout order.
Brown County residents have been particularly concerned about visitors spreading the virus in their county, especially since the county does not have any hospital facilities.
As of Saturday night, 18 Brown County residents have confirmed cases of COVID-19, and one county resident has died.