Iowa was recently labeled as being in the “red zone” for COVID-19 cases by the White House Coronavirus Task Force for having the highest rate of new cases in the country at the end of August.

The task force’s state report recommends mask mandates across Iowa to decrease virus transmission, and that bars must be closed and indoor dining must be restricted to 50% of normal capacity in yellow zone counties of which Dallas was included, and 25% of normal capacity in red zones. Social gatherings should also be limited to 10 or fewer people in red zone counties and 25 or less people in yellow zones. A few days before this report was released Governor Kim Reynolds ordered that bars close in six counties including Dallas until at least September 20th. Reynolds has not issued a mask mandate, though cities like Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City have issued their own.

Guthrie County Public Health Director Jotham Arber comments on the Governor’s approach to the pandemic, “I think it all boils down to our personal responsibilities when we’re looking at response, right? Every disaster’s a local response, so yes, Iowa is in the red zone, and I think people need to understand that that means we need to do more and we need to be good neighbors and look at what mitigation things we can put in place in our own lives to make sure that our neighbors and friends and loved ones are taken care of.”

Iowa had 232 new cases per 100,000 population in the week ending August 29th, compared to a national average of 88 per 100,000. Arber mentions that whether cases rise or fall, Iowans need to work together to respond to the virus, meaning wearing face masks when we can’t social distance and following other guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.