Gov. Kim Reynolds is ordering more Iowa businesses to close until April 30 in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
"I know that I've asked a lot of Iowans over the course of the last month, and today, I'm asking more," Reynolds said at a press conference Monday morning.
Reynolds signed a new proclamation Monday extending the State Public Health Emergency Declaration, ordering additional business closures and relaxing additional regulations to support the state's efforts to combat the coronavirus.
"We are going to hold Iowans accountable to what I have ordered," Reynolds said.
Additional businesses that must close their doors by 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7 are:
- Malls
- Tobacco or vaping stores
- Toy, gaming, music, instrument, movie, or adult entertainment stores
- Social and fraternal clubs, including those at golf courses
- Bingo halls, bowling alleys, pool halls, arcades, and amusement parks
- Museums, libraries, aquariums, and zoos
- Race tracks and speedway.
- Roller or ice skating rinks and skate parks
- Outdoor or indoor playgrounds or children’s play centers
- Campgrounds
Additionally, all unsolicited door-to-door sales are prohibited.
Read the full proclamation below.
The new proclamation also calls on law enforcement to enforce these mitigation efforts. A violation of the orders could mean a simple misdemeanor charges, but officials said it could be worse.
"Your actions may needlessly place Iowans at risk," Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens said.
Bayens also said officers don't want to arrest or cite anyone, but they will if they have to.
"Law enforcement will take reason and measured steps if needed to do so," Bayens stated. "However, we are asking Iowans to take their responsibility seriously and police themselves so we can conserve our law enforcement resources for those who truly need it."
As of Monday morning, three more Iowans have died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the total number of deaths in the state to 25. There are 946 positive cases and 10,653 negative tests.
99 are hospitalized from the coronavirus as of Sunday night. A total of 284 patients have recovered from COVID-19.
"I believe that most Iowans are being responsible, but I need every Iowan to take responsibility," Reynolds said. "This week is critical. Stay home. The best way to avoid the virus or stop spreading the virus is to stay home as much as possible."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, applauded Reynolds mitigation efforts on Monday.
"I had good conversations with the governor of Nebraska and the governor of Iowa here. And it's interesting that functionally, even though they have not given a strict stay-at-home— what they are doing is really functionally equivalent to that," Fauci said during the White House Task Force briefing.
"I want to make sure people understand that just because they don’t have a very strict stay-at-home order, they have in place a lot of things that are totally compatible with what everyone else is doing," he concluded.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends frequent hand washing, avoiding close contact and staying home if you are sick as main areas of focus for prevention and containment of COVID-19.