Name: The governor of Iowa lifted coronavirus restrictions. These cities are keeping them anyway.
Brand: washingtonpost.com
SKU: washingtonpost-com-574
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

The governor of Iowa lifted coronavirus restrictions. These cities are keeping them anyway.

preview

This article was published more than&nbsp;2 years agoCommentGift ShareIowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Friday that she will lift coronavirus restrictions, including the use of masks, social distancing and limitations on social gatherings, yet at least four cities in the state have defied the new and said they will keep their own measures in place, arguing that this is not the time to “let the guard down.”Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie (D) announced Saturday that the city’s mask mandate will remain and criticized Reynolds’s “confusing” decision, saying it “can’t be rationalized with the number of positive cases we continue to see across the state and here in Polk County.”Iowa City, which instituted a mask mandate in July long before the Republican governor followed suit, also rejected the new order and said Saturday that it will continue with its mask mandate.Advertisement“Iowa City’s mask order is not impacted by the Governor’s latest order and is still in place through May 31, 2021,” said a statement from City Manager Geoff Fruin, according to the . “Residents should continue to wear masks in public spaces within Iowa City in accordance with the City’s order.”Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart (R) also announced this weekend that the city will continue to mandate the use of face coverings in public despite state orders. And the Ames City Council extended until June 30 an adopted in September requiring face coverings.Reynolds’s , issued Friday and effective Sunday, lifted a limited mask mandate that was issued in November long after many states had already instituted such measures. The new order rolled back social distancing for bars, restaurants, casinos, fitness centers and other establishments, as well as social gatherings, urging people instead to “be safe” and use their own judgment.AdvertisementThe governor “encouraged Iowans, businesses and organizations to take reasonable public health measures consistent with guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health,” Reynolds spokesman .The proclamation also urged businesses that remain open and those with in-person operations “to take reasonable measures under the circumstances of each establishment to ensure the health of employees, patrons and members of the public.”The move follows a drop in the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the state. But with emerging virus variants and a slow vaccination campaign nationwide, experts and heath officials repeatedly have urged the public to continue to use masks and even them, as well as maintain social distancing.Meanwhile, there are reports that the highly contagious variant first discovered in is spreading rapidly across the United States and has been in Iowa.The mayor of Des Moines acknowledged that threat on Saturday.Advertisement“With an alarmingly more transmissible version of the virus now detected in Iowa, it is more important than ever that our residents and visitors follow the advice of medical experts, keep social distance and whenever out in public, wear a mask,” Cownie said in a news release.“Now is not the time to put our guard down. We have to be more diligent than ever,” he added, saying the use of masks is “part of the solution” to keeping people healthy.Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) called the governor’s decision “.”Reynolds’s new guidelines stand in contrast with President Biden’s desire for the universal use of masks as a core strategy to ending the pandemic. The president hasface coverings on planes, in airports and in all federal buildings, and he has urged Americans to mask up for three months until vaccinations reach the majority of the population.“It’s time to end the politicization of basic, responsible public health steps like mask-wearing and social distancing,” Biden said on his first day in office. “The single most effective thing we can do to stop the spread of covid: Wear a mask.”The latest: , a strategic shift that puts more of the onus on individuals, rather than on schools, businesses and other institutions, to limit viral spread.Variants: BA.5 is the most recent omicron subvariant, and it’s quickly become the dominant strain in the U.S. , and why vaccines may only offer limited protection.Vaccines: For people under 50, while the Biden administration works to roll out shots . Immunizations for became available this summer. Here’s by your prior infections and booster history.Guidance: CDC guidelines have been confusing — if you get covid, here’s . We’ve also created .Where do things stand? See the latest coronavirus numbers and . The is behind much of the recent spread.For the latest news, . CommentsGift ArticleTOP STORIESClimate ChangeReporting on Earth’s changing climate and the people trying to find solutions to one of the biggest challenges of our era.Try a different topic or to save your preferences

This article was published more than&nbsp;2 years agoCommentGift ShareIowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Friday that she will lift coronavirus restrictions, including the use of masks, social distancing and limitations on social gatherings, yet at least four cities in the state have defied the new and said they will keep their own measures in place, arguing that this is not the time to “let the guard down.”Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie (D) announced Saturday that the city’s mask mandate will remain and criticized Reynolds’s “confusing” decision, saying it “can’t be rationalized with the...

The governor of Iowa lifted coronavirus restrictions. These cities are keeping them anyway.

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS