IOWA, USA — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds emphasized residents' personal responsibility Wednesday after the White House Coronavirus Task Force released a report indicating the state had the highest rate of new cases in the country.
The state is reporting 100 new cases per 100,000 people.
The Aug. 30 report recommends a mask mandate to be implemented across Iowa, a policy Reynolds has long criticized. The report also recommends closing bars and limiting restaurant capacity in red and yellow zones.
"It has really been a tough year," Reynolds said, defending her decision to close bars in six counties: Black Hawk, Dallas, Johnson, Linn, Polk and Story.
Reynolds said she'll wait to determine whether closing bars in those counties causes spread of the virus to slow before considering additional steps.
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Reynolds says the soaring number of confirmed virus cases is largely due to infection among young people, especially those in the college towns of Iowa City and Ames. That trend prompted her last week to order the closure of bars.
Now, she says it’s best to wait to see if those moves will cause numbers to drop. If not, she will consider additional actions.
In those counties, small business owners can apply for a one-time $10,000 grant in relief funding if they were affected by closing.
Reynolds noted that from Aug. 23 to 29 statewide, the positivity rate was 12.1% and 62% of cases were among the 18-to-40-year-old demographic.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
