Dr. Allman's letter to county residents reads as follows:

Yesterday, March 23, Gov. Holcomb issued a “Stay-at-Home” order that goes in effect at midnight tonight and will remain until midnight, April 7.

We have seen the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 surge nationally in the last week, in part due to more testing that is being completed nationwide, and laboratories being able to process those tests quicker.

To date, Pulaski County has not had anyone test positive for the disease. I want to thank the community for their diligence in practicing good hygiene and social distancing. These two efforts remain our best defense against this illness.

We know that many individuals have called their primary care providers looking to be tested. It is important to note that testing swabs are in short supply – both locally and throughout the country. Due to this shortage, the Indiana State Department of Health has strict criteria in determining who should be tested, prioritizing the hospitalized, nursing home residents, and healthcare workers who may have been exposed to the virus.

Thankfully in many cases, we still see mild to moderate “flu-like” symptoms. For those individuals, self-isolation and home care are the best treatments for COVID-19.

Spring break is this week, and under normal circumstances, many of our Pulaski County families would be heading down south to escape the last of winter and to enjoy time with family and friends. Unfortunately, this pandemic has affected those travel plans, along with the travel plans of millions of Americans.

However, we do have families that kept their vacations and decided to travel to other areas that are seeing a more significant impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a small, rural community, Pulaski County exemplifies social distancing. But as members of this community travel to other areas, they are more likely to bring the virus back here. With an elderly population, we must stem this outbreak as much as possible.

Because of this, it is the recommendation of the Pulaski County Health Department, that anyone who travels outside of Indiana, impose a self-14-day quarantine and monitor their health upon their return. Pulaski Memorial Hospital is in agreement with this recommendation, and both organizations call upon residents and businesses to do the same.

With the governor’s mandate yesterday, residents should stay in their homes except when they are part of an essential business or for permitted activities, such as taking care of others and obtaining supplies for health and safety. I understand that as these families return from vacation, they are going to need groceries and prescription medications. For these families, I would ask that only individuals who show no symptoms of COVID-19 go out to the stores, and if they do, please wear a mask (or some other garment that can cover your mouth and nose, such as a scarf) and wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer frequently.

As the governor said, “the next two weeks are critical if we are to slow the spread of COVID-19, and we must slow the spread. You must be part of the solution, not the problem.”

If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Pulaski County Health Department at (574) 946-6080, and we would be happy to help in any way.