Marion County Urges Wearing Masks Indoors

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Marion County Public Health Department recommended Tuesday that all residents of the county including Indianapolis wear masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

The department said the recommendation was “especially important for those who are, or who live with someone who is, at higher risk for complications from COVID-19.”

The recommendation came after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a similar recommendation, citing a rise in cases and waning vaccination rates and revising guidance issued by the agency in May.

READ MORE: The CDC Updated Its COVID-19 Guidance. Here's What You Need To Know

The department said “vaccination remains our most powerful tool against COVID-19, and masks provide an extra layer of protection." It urged all eligible residents ages 12 and up to walk-in to a nearby COVID-19 vaccine clinic and get vaccinated.

“COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe illness and hospitalization and lessen the risk of death from COVID by nearly 100-fold. In fact, from January through mid-July, only roughly 1.5 percent of those hospitalized with COVID in Marion County were fully vaccinated,” the health department said.