Several governors who refused to impose a statewide mask mandate at the start of the coronavirus pandemic are now reversing course as cases around the country surge past 11,000,000.
, requiring that anyone over the age of 2 wear a face covering when inside of a public indoor space and when they are within six feet of someone who is not a member of their household.
“The pandemic in Iowa is the worst it has ever been,” she said. “No one wants to do this. I don’t want to do this.”, which went into effect on Tuesday, also limits social gatherings to no more than 15 people indoors and 30 outdoors. It also restricts the operating hours that bars and restaurants can open for in-person dining.
“If Iowans don’t buy into this, we lose,” the governor said. “Businesses will close once again, more schools will be forced to go online, and our health care system will fail.”Reynolds, a Republican, had previously dismissed statewide mask mandates as a"feel good" measure, telling WHO-AM radio during a July 15 interview that there was no way to enforce such an order.
The document, which was not publicized, recommended that those states impose more stringent protective measures and ask residents to wear a mask at all times.