Iowa's Governor Kimberly Reynolds has lifted on Sunday through a Proclamation Of Disaster Emergency the statewide restrictions placed in line with the coronavirus for mass gatherings, social distancing, and masking, a report said.
As per The Blaze, the governor has lifted the statewide COVID mandate set in November and now encourages "personal responsibility" instead such that there are "no more mandatory masks social distancing, or gathering restrictions. The Washington Post and Des Moines Register reported similarly.
The Blaze said Iowans are now "free to make more decisions for themselves as responsible adults" instead of the government mandating them because Reynold's proclamation "promotes personal responsibility and common sense" instead of essentially the "quarantining of healthy people."
Meanwhile, Reynold's 22-page "Proclamation Of Disaster Emergency" primarily aims for the "protection of vulnerable Iowans" and the protection of the "employee and public." It also provided the new guidelines for gatherings and the instructions for dental services, mandatory screening of health facility staff, in-person instruction at schools, education workforce licensure relief, education field experience flexibility, private instruction requirements, and authorization of certain remote learning, among others.
The Republican governor reinforced through the proclamation that the "state of public health disaster emergency continues to exist throughout the entire state of Iowa" until March 7, 2021.
"I continue to strongly encourage all vulnerable Iowans including those with preexisting medical conditions and those older than 65, in all counties of the state to continue to limit their activities outside their home, including their visits to businesses and other establishments and their participation in gatherings of any size and any purpose. And I encourage all Iowans to limit their in-person interactions with vulnerable Iowans and to exercise particular care and caution when engaging in any necessary interactions," she stressed in Section One of the Proclamation.
She also encouraged all businesses and other employers that are still in operation to "take reasonable measures under the circumstances of each establishment to ensure the health of employees, patrons, and members of the public." By this, she highlighted compliance to "social distancing practices, increased hygiene practices, and other public health measures to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 consistent with guidance issued by the Iowa Department of Public Health."
"I strongly encourage that a gathering organizer or host take reasonable measures under the circumstances of each gathering to ensure the health o participants and members of the public ,including social distancing, increased hygiene practices, and other public health measures to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 consistent with the guidance issued by the Iowa Department of Public Health," she said under Section 3 of the Proclamation.
According to The Blaze, the Democrat Mayors of Des Moines and Iowa City have expressed contradiction to Reynold's proclamation and insists to enforce mask mandates amongst their constituents.
Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie told the Register that the presence of positive COVID-19 cases and the detection of the latest version of the virus in the state is in contrast to the governor's proclamation making it "confusing and can't be rationalized."
While Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague said that their masking mandate, which runs until end of May 2021, is not impacted by the governor's latest order.
"Residents should continue to wear masks in all public spaces within Iowa City in accordance with the City's order," Teague emphasized.
