In the last three days, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) confirmed 248 new cases of COVID-19 and recorded an additional 14 deaths. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced this (Monday) morning at her press conference she is expanding mandated closures throughout the state.
Iowa remains one of only a handful of states that do not have a shelter-in-place order for its residents. While Reynolds has resisted issuing a proclamation of that scale, she stresses the measures taken so far are equivalent to states with shelter-in-place mandates.
Reynolds adds they are constantly reviewing case numbers and other metrics and will issue a shelter-in-place order when the data deems it necessary. According to her, a vast majority of Iowans are complying with recommendations from the state, but a small number of people are putting others at risk by ignoring social distancing orders. Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner, Stephan Bayens, says they are issuing guidance to law enforcement agencies throughout the state as to how they should handle these incidents.
As of April 6, 946 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Iowa with 25 deaths to date. State health officials expect numbers to continue to rise this week with a peak expected in the next two or three weeks. Reynolds announced Monday they will be shifting their daily press conferences to 11 a.m., and 1380 AM and 95.1 FM KCIM will be carrying this live. To read the full April 6 proclamation, follow the link included below.
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