Indiana health official: Leave your gloves at home

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb weighs re-opening parts of his state's economy, he has suggested Hoosiers may need to don masks at businesses. In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear has urged residents to wear face coverings as restrictions are lifted.

But what about gloves? Many people already are choosing to cover their hands when they head out to shop or make essential trips in the age of COVID-19.

Just leave the gloves at home, said Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer for the Indiana State Department of Health.

"I absolutely agree about not wearing gloves in public," she said.

Speaking in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Weaver said she and other health care workers know how to properly wear gloves and remove them.

"The problem with going into public is that people aren't trained on the proper use of gloves," she said. "So you would go and touch several surfaces and therefore continue to spread the virus around."

"My recommendation and what I've been telling other people to do when I go to the grocery store is: I wear a mask, I bring hand sanitizer with me, and I just frequently wash my hands," she said.

She also suggested tucking away cell phones in pockets and purses. And fight the urge to touch them.

"Every time you touch something and go touch your phone again, you're potentially exposing your phone to some of the things that you may be touching on surfaces," she said.