
In the past 24 hours Iowa had seen an increase of 1,475 cases of coronavirus. Polk, Linn, Johnson, Story, Dallas and Black Hawk are the counties that experienced the biggest spike.
Last week Johnson county, home of the University of Iowa, saw 69% of positive coronavirus tests in a group ages between 19 and 24 years old. Story county, home of Iowa State University, had an even bigger increase of 74%. To slow down the spread Governor Reynolds has ordered the closure of bars and breweries across those 6 counties. The order also restricts restaurants from selling alcohol after 10 p.m. and it will go into effect at 5 p.m. today. During the press conference the Iowa Governor said that these restrictions are temporary.
These new public health measures remain in effect until September 20, 2020.
Iowa with a governor order of 50% capacity of in person instructions, Iowa officials indicated that the Iowa Department of Education does not plan to report publicly about any outbreaks in schools across Iowa. Many schools are pushing back against Gov. Reynolds mandates.
The sharp rise in cases is happening at the same time as many counties are also trying to recover from the Derecho storm that passed through Iowa on AUgust 10. Gov. Reynolds has resisted implementing a mask mandate in the state.