Indiana hospitals must halt all nonemergency inpatient surgeries from Dec. 16 through Jan. 3, Gov. Eric Holcomb said during a media briefing Dec. 9.
The decision comes as the state grapples with a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The governor's media briefing revealed that the number of COVID-19 deaths in Indiana have reached 60 percent higher than the peak in April.
"The state of Indiana is on fire," Mr. Holcomb said.
The governor said his decision was bolstered by a desire to help relieve overwhelmed healthcare workers.