The White House recommends Iowans wear masks. | Pixabay
The White House recommends Iowans wear masks. | Pixabay
A document obtained showed officials of a White House Coronavirus Task Force recommended that Iowa state residents wear masks and that the state close bars because of the COVID-19 virus, despite a governor who so far has been reluctant to do so, according to a KCCI report.
The Task Force leader is Dr. Deborah Blix.
Gov. Kim Reynolds has said that businesses, restaurants, shops, theaters, churches, gyms and other activities could open to limited patronage if safety precautions were taken.
Reynolds has not mandated the wearing of masks by state residents.
The KCCI report said a nine-page document from the White House dated Aug. 9 recommended that she do just that. The document also identified “red zones” in the state, areas with the most numerous cases of COVID-19, 100 new cases per 100,000 people. Iowa counties in the red included Clark, Hardin, Lucas and Franklin.
A less serious “yellow zone” has between 10 and 100 new cases of the virus. Counties considered in the yellow were Polk, Dallas, Marshall, Webster and Story counties.
The document recommended that counties in red zones close bars and gyms and restrict indoor dining and gatherings. Yellow zone businesses would limit to 25% of capacity including gyms and close bars until positive rates fell to 3%, the report said.
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