AMES, Iowa — With some restaurants and businesses starting to reopen Friday, many people have asked how cities will enforce social distancing guidelines.
Story County, which includes Ames, is one of 77 counties preparing to reopen.
"Most of everything that we have looked into over the past month and a half has been complaint-driven from the community," Ames Police Commander Jason Tuttle said.
Tuttle said in Ames, the department first wants to educate people if they find anyone not following the governor's COVID-19 orders.
"We haven't issued any tickets from anything that we've had come through so far," Tuttle said. "We really do look at this as a chance to educate the community and work with those business owners to help get back into the new normal for us."
Ames Mayor John Haila said he things slowly opening areas without high case numbers is a good way to start reopening Iowa.
"I have confidence in our local restaurant owners and businesses that they're going to endeavor to enforce, as best they can, the social distancing and not having crowded stores," Haila said. "They don't want to be shut down again. If it turns out that good practices aren't put in place, that could occur."
There is a concern about people driving from other counties to Ames and possibly spreading the virus.
Haila said he's asking people to take precautions if they come out, not just from Story County, but from any county they might be traveling from.
"We're not throwing the door wide open and saying, 'come one, come all'", Haila said. "There are stipulations in terms of 50% occupancy and social distancing. I think I would call it more of a soft open than a hard open."
The state has detailed measures they'd like restaurants to take when they reopen.