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Iowa business owners respond to Gov. Reynolds' decision to lift mask mandate

Many are choosing to keep mask requirements in place, while others are easing up on them.

DES MOINES, Iowa — During a Wednesday a press conference, Gov. Kim Reynolds stood by her decision to lift a mandate that required Iowans to wear masks and placed limitations on capacities for Iowa businesses.

"I’m not saying go out there and be carefree and irresponsible," Reynolds said. "I’m saying I trust Iowans to do the right thing, and I know our businesses will do the right thing, too."

With the choice now in their hands, some business owners are choosing to stick with mask requirements they already had in place.

"We want to let everyone know that even though Governor Kim Reynolds lifted the mask mandate, we are STILL requiring our team AND customers to wear masks inside of our restaurant," 5 Borough Bagels posted on Facebook.

The same goes for Noce Jazz Club in Des Moines, where they also plan to continue operating at limited capacity.

However, not all businesses are keeping up with restrictions. Yoni Wax Boutique in Des Moines posted on Instagram that they will no longer require masks.

Credit: Instagram
Yoni Wax Boutique posts to Instagram they will no longer require masks.

Jeff Bruning, owner of multiple bars and restaurants in the metro such as Buzzard Billy's and Fong's Pizza said staff members will still wear masks, noting he wants customers to still feel safe. 

He was less clear about how they'll adjust capacity, adding, "Right now, it's prudent and wise to follow the Governor's opinion in saying that she strongly recommends we follow the Iowa Department of Public Health."

"Our livelihoods are on the line here," George Migliero, owner of G.Mig's 5th Street Pub in Valley Junction and Iowa Restaurant Association committee member said during the press conference. "We just want to make sure that people don’t think that because [Reynolds has] lifted some of these [restrictions] that everybody is ... that it’s a free-for-all. It is not."

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