World news – US – change course, Iowa Governor enacts limited mask mandate

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – with full Iowa State hospitals, Republican government. Kim Reynolds dropped her longtime opposition to mandating the mask statewide and enacted a limited edition of one on Monday.

Reynolds signed an ad asking everyone 2 years of age or older to wear masks when out in indoor public places. The mandate only applies when people are within six feet of others for 15 minutes and are not family members.

Reynolds also limited gatherings for social, community, business, and entertainment purposes to no more than 15 people indoors and 30 outdoors, saying the restriction applies to family events. An exception is made for routine work in offices, factories, and spiritual gatherings, although it urged employers and churches to take precautions..

Reynolds refused calls to close bars and restaurants to provide personal service and instead instructed them not to be allowed to stay open after 10 a.m.. M. It has suspended sports and recreational activities for youth and adults, with the exception of high schools, college and professional sports.

Reynolds announced the steps in a rare evening televised address. It won’t be easy or popular, she said, but it is essential to fight a virus threatening to overwhelm the state’s health care system.

She said, « If the people of Iowa are not convinced of this, we are losing. ». “The companies will be closed again. More schools will be forced to go online. Our healthcare system would fail and the cost in human life would be prohibitive. So now is the time to come together for the common good.

She said her new restrictions are not related to « powers » or the government, saying there is not enough law enforcement in the country to enforce mask requirements or work restrictions.

Critics said they were too little, too late after the governor rejected calls for stronger action for months while attending election rallies that violated public health guidelines.

Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Mark Smith said, « These guidelines have long been delayed and are far short of what Iowa residents need to flatten the curve aggressively and take the pressure off overcrowded hospitals and frontline workers. ». .

The speech represents a change in the tone and policy of Reynolds, who weeks ago was joining President Donald Trump and other Republicans at crowded rallies where not many people wore masks.. The governor said the election results in which Republicans dominated state races proved her small government approach.

Since then, the pandemic toll has rapidly worsened. One in 100 state residents received a diagnosis of COVID-19 in the week that ended Sunday, even as others reported delays taking testing or were awaiting results.. It was the third-worst diagnostic rate in the country, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

1,510 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized statewide, after another increase in the number of new patients was reported Monday evening.. The number of patients in the hospital has doubled in two weeks and is expected to increase further in the coming days as the number of infections increases. Among them were 130 people fighting for survival with ventilators.

For several months, Reynolds rejected the consensus of public health experts and refused to activate a statewide mask mandate, claiming one of them would be ineffective.. But she said the rapid rise in the number of hospitalized patients was not sustainable and she changed her mindset.

Without stronger relief, she cautioned that medical care may not be available to those who need it for any reason.

A spokeswoman said Monday that University of Iowa hospitals and clinics in Iowa City have been « very full » and are making adjustments to provide beds for the most critical patients.. .

The Polk County Department of Public Health reported over the weekend that hospitals in the Des Moines metropolitan area are also filled with a « worrisome and urgent » case..

Employment was a particular concern, with more workers in isolation or quarantine due to the spread of society and others being exhausted from months of work fighting the epidemic.

Hospitals are limiting measures to preserve bed capacity and move patients elsewhere when necessary, says Iowa Hospitals Association President Kirk Norris..

The Iowa Department of Public Health issued an emergency request for proposals on Monday to find a contractor to conduct contact tracing and case investigation services. The ministry announced that the proposals were due on Tuesday, saying that foreign aid is urgently needed « due to the steady increase in the number of cases » that have exhausted their resources.

On Tuesday, Iowa is expected to reach a milestone of 2,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

For thousands of public school students, Monday marks the start of taking virtual lessons from their homes. Several of the largest counties, including those in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport, received state waivers last week to close personal instruction for at least two weeks..

The infection rate was higher in three rural counties with state prisons as the virus spread among inmates and staff. In Jones County, 741 inmates at Anamusa State Prison have tested positive – nearly 3 out of every 4 inmates there, according to the Department of Corrections..

State prisons in Clarinda and Rockwell City have reported hundreds of more cases among inmates, and dozens of prison staff have been injured..

The department announced that two other prisoners have died of complications after contracting the virus – 72-year-old Gene Dreyer and 59-year-old Jonathan Strain.

Iowa, Kim Reynolds, Coronavirus