INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric Holcomb announced on Friday, April 3, that Indiana has been granted a federal major disaster declaration, which provides funds to help communities recover from COVID-19.

The funding can be used to cover costs of emergency needs including crisis counseling, food programs, temporary shelters, protective equipment, safety resources and personnel.

Gov. Holcomb also announced he will extend the stay-at-home order and the restrictions on bars and restaurants an additional two weeks to 11:59 p.m. April 20. The executive order will be signed Monday.

The governor also signed an executive order to extend the public health emergency by an additional 30 days to May 5. The first public health emergency was declared on March 6 and allows the state to increase coordination across all levels of government in the state’s response to coronavirus.

Additional steps taken include:

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has been working closely to provide maximum flexibility, including using telehealth, to treatment providers to ensure that crucial services for people that suffer from serious mental illness and children who suffer from severe emotional disturbances can continue.

Hoosiers can call 211 or contact their insurance company to find access to tele-therapy. Talk to you doctor about whether medication might be right for you during this time.

FSSA announced more than 152,000 Indiana households will receive additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits when April distributions begin this Sunday. The additional funds are intended to help Hoosiers obtain food and support for their families while Indiana responds to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This weekend, the Indiana National Guard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Indiana State Department of Health will scout locations for potential alternative care sites. Hoosiers may see the Indiana National Guard members traveling in communities and should not be alarmed.

Gov. Holcomb signed a joint letter from all three branches of government to local criminal justice leaders regarding the impact of COVID-19 on detention facilities. The governor, Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, House Speaker Todd Huston and Chief Justice Loretta Rush signed the letter which asks local judges, sheriffs and county leaders to properly identify which low-risk, non-violent juveniles and inmates, if any, may be re-evaluated and releases safely into their communities under pretrial, probation or community corrections supervision.