Iowans are no longer required to wear masks in public as of Sunday, Feb. 7.
Gov Kim Reynolds issued a new public health disaster proclamation Friday that replaces previous guidance that was set to expire as of Feb. 7. The new order does not mandate guidelines for businesses or private gatherings. As in the first eight months of the pandemic, Reynolds again merely asks Iowans to take precautions to protect vulnerable people.
The Centers for Disease Control has not changed its recommendation that all persons over the age of 2 wear masks and keep a social distance from one another indoors.
The new proclamation takes effect Sunday, Feb. 7.
The new order does not require masks in public settings. Restaurants and bars may operate at full capacity with no social distancing or masks. Reynolds new order “encourages” establishments to continue to take public health precautions.
Gyms, barber shops, hair salons, spas and movie theaters are no longer mandated to take any Covid-19 precautions. Instead, they are “strongly encouraged” to take “reasonable measures” to prevent the spread of the virus.
Reynolds also asks hosts of social gatherings to “take reasonable measures” to ensure the safety of gatherings.
The easing of mitigation requirements comes as public health agencies across Iowa scramble to provide vaccines, with supplies far less than demand. According to the CDC, just 6.5 percent of the population has received the first shot of two required for protection against Covid-19.
In addition, at least three cases of the new UK strain of Covid-19, which is more contagious than the strain thought to originate in China, have been identified in Iowa.
As of Friday, the 14-day positivity rate of Covid-19 testing statewide was 9.1 percent.
