After a recent report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force showing that Iowa has nearly three times the infection rate as the national average, Governor Kim Reynolds continues to not require face masks.

Reynolds says she stands by her public health proclamation that strongly encourages Iowans to wear a face mask as a way to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. She describes her main reasons why she is not in favor of a mask mandate.

“First of all, it’s not practical. There are people that have health conditions that can’t wear a mask, and so we don’t know. I mean I think Iowans are responsible. I believe businesses can make the decision if they want to – and they are – if they want to require a mask or not.”

As for public entities such as counties and cities, Governor Reynolds says legally they can’t require people to wear a mask.

“According to the Attorney General (Tom) Miller local government, with the health care disaster declaration – that’s what changes everything, otherwise local control is local control – but when that is in effect you can’t have a local government supersede what is in the health care declaration.”

Reynolds claims those local governments that are requiring masks will not be able to enforce it and it isn’t legal to begin with.