Governor wants Indiana state employees in offices in July

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana's governor is directing all state employees to return to their offices by early July.

Gov. Eric Holcomb told state workers that the transition from a March 2020 stay-at-home order starts with senior staff who must return by June 7. Other employees should spend at least 50% of their time at the office by June 21 and return full-time by July 6.

Staffers for many state agencies have been working remotely, but Holcomb said in a Wednesday email to employees that 'œit is not the optimal way for us to serve Hoosiers.'ť

'œWe work better together, and build more solid and collaborative teams, when we can have regular face-to-face conversations,'ť Holcomb said. "Returning to the office means the impromptu discussions that so often lead to innovation will be happening again with more frequency and energy.'ť

The state will offer a vaccination clinic at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis on June 21-22. About 2.4 million Indiana residents were considered to be fully vaccinated by Wednesday, although the state's vaccination rate is the 14th lowest in the country at about 35% of total population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.