Gov. Reynolds Issues Mask Mandate For Many Settings And Puts Limits On Gatherings

During her televised speech Monday night, Governor Kim Reynolds said Iowa’s health care system is being pushed to the brink and she has issued a statewide mask mandate for many public places.

(as said) “If Iowans don’t buy into this, we lose,” Reynolds says. “Businesses will close once again. More schools will be forced to go online and our health care system will fail and the cost in human life will be high, so now is the time to come together for the greater good.”

The governor has ordered bars and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. and masks must be worn by staff AND by customers when they’re not sitting at a table. Face coverings are required indoors, in public spaces and state buildings when someone cannot stay six feet away from others for at least 15 minutes. It does not apply to schools. The governor is also limiting the crowd size for weddings, funerals and other gatherings to 15 people indoors and 30 people outdoors. These limits apply to family gatherings, too.

(as said) “I don’t want to do this, especially as we’re coming into a holiday season that is normally filled with joy,” Reynolds says, “I cherish Thanksgiving with my family and this year we’re postponing that.”

The crowd size limits do not apply to businesses and the governor is providing exceptions for religious gatherings as well as high school and college sporting events. During an address to Iowans Monday night, Reynolds cited troubling trends. More than 30-thousand cases of the virus have been confirmed by testing in the past week and the number of Iowa hospital patients with Covid has doubled in the past two weeks.

(as said) “About 5% of Iowans with Covid-19 require hospitalization and because of the increase we’ve seen over the last two weeks our health care system is being pushed to the brink.”

The Iowa Democratic Party’s chairman said the new restrictions fall far short of what’s needed to relieve the stress on Iowa’s hospitals and front line workers. Both of Iowa’s Republican U.S. Senators praised the governor’s actions — and urged Iowans to wear a face mask.