The Speaker issued the following letter to the Health Advisor of the House in respect to the upcoming health renewal decision.
Declaration No. 221-03 issued on March 7, 2022 is set to expire on April 10, 2022 (see § 3 of H. Res. 41, agreed to on April 2nd). Pursuant to HCC § 11-1-2(b)(i), you have the sole authority to renew the Health Directives as described in Declaration No. 221-02, et seq. (see Id.). Renewing this will renew the COVID-19 Testing Requirements (see H. Res. 7) and the mask requirement in K-12 Schools (see H. Res. 27)—as H. Res. 31 clarified both requirements will remain in effect as long as a Health Emergency exists.
Declaration No. 221-04 issued on March 27, 2022 provides only for a mask requirement in public under certain conditions. We have decided, as the executive of the House (see HCC § 1-1-2, implied), to treat this as a separate directive set to expire on April 27, 2022.
Therefore, if you choose not to renew Declaration No. 221-03, the requirements set forth in H. Res. 7 and 27 expire at 11:59 PM on April 10, 2022. If you renew the directives, they will remain in effect until May 30, 2022; unless revoked or renewed.
As the Health Advisor (see Id.), you have the power to amend the Directives. Our office will support being mask optional in schools if the following are included in the new Declaration:
1. COVID-19 cases are in the “Blue” level as cited by the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH);
2. COVID-19 cases are in the “Green” level as cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC);
3. No one in the family is ill, regardless of any test; and
4. If no one around you (six feet or less) is visibly ill.
As soon as on of the following is not met, the mask requirement shall resume until all four requirements are met again. We will support and encourage mask wearing in schools and will, when cases spike again, ask you to reinstate the mask requirement.
Our office asks that you renew the COVID-19 Testing Requirements (see Id.) for an additional thirty (30) days.
Finally, we ask that all eligible get a COVID-19 booster shot as soon as possible. Those fifty and above can get one at ourshot.in.gov.
We look forward to your response.