IOWA, USA — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds held her first COVID-19 press conference a week after extending coronavirus restrictions across the state.
Gov. Reynolds says restaurants and bars in Iowa may return to normal business hours but patrons must still wear masks when not seated for eating or drinking, and groups sitting together must be at least six feet from one another under a new state proclamation effective on Thursday, Dec. 17.
The restriction on the number of people who may gather at one time is lifted but groups or individuals must distance themselves from one another. Reynolds’ revised coronavirus pandemic emergency proclamation comes as the state has seen the spread of the virus and hospitalizations slow in the past month.
"I encourage you to celebrate but celebrate responsibly," Reynolds said about the holiday season. "We've seen the positive effects of gathering in small groups can have."
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The press conference comes after Reynolds announced the state is returning $21 million of federal coronavirus aid money it planned to spend on upgrading state information technology systems and is allocating $10 million to pay the salaries of state police officers.
The governor said she hopes to allocate the $21 million in funding by the end of the year.
Test Iowa sites, including the Davenport location, will be close at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. Locations will be closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day.
