DES MOINES, Iowa —
UPDATE: This State Public Health Disaster Emergency has been extended. Read more here.
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The governor of Iowa has issued a State of Iowa Public Health Disaster Emergency, which activates an emergency plan to respond to the spread of the coronavirus.
The plan was set to go into effect at noon on Tuesday, March 17.
Governor Kim Kim Reynolds has ordered restaurants, bars, fitness centers, theaters and casinos to close for two weeks as part of a public health emergency plan designed to ease the community spread of the coronavirus.
Drive-through, carry-out and delivery will still be allowed.
Reynolds prohibited mass gatherings and events of more than 10 people including parades, festivals, conventions, and fundraisers. Senior citizen centers and adult day care facilities have been closed.
The closures are intended to last through March 31.
Reynolds says the emergency declaration is necessary to protect the health and safety of Iowans and mitigate the spread of the virus.
“These are unprecedented times and the state of Iowa will do whatever is necessary to address this public health disaster. I have authorized all available state resources, supplies, equipment and materials to combat the spread of COVID-19,” said Gov. Reynolds. “The actions taken today are necessary to protect the health and safety of all Iowans and are critical to mitigating the spread of the virus.”
Everyone in the nation has been asked to practice "social distancing" which is a physical distance between people in public; six feet is the recommended distance. .
Read the full text of the proclamation, click here.