Almost all the businesses closed by the state to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Iowa will be able to reopen. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new public health proclamation on Wednesday that eliminates most of the state’s remaining COVID-19 restrictions.
According to the governor, the state has made enough progress in controlling the virus to be able to reopen in a safe manner. Asked if reopening these businesses meant Iowa has already passed its peak of COVID-19 cases, Reynolds turned the question over to Iowa Department of Health Deputy Director Sarah Reisetter.
The answer, according to Reisetter, depends on where you live.
“We do think we’ve peaked in some areas, and we’ll probably continue to see peaks in other areas as testing continues to increase,” she said.
Reynolds said the state’s testing ability (including the Test Iowa tests, which are still being evaluated for accuracy at the State Hygienic Laboratory), its adequate supply of health care resources and IDPH’s analysis of the pandemic in eastern Iowa counties, where cases declined while mitigation orders were in place, allowed restrictions throughout the state to be lifted in a safe and responsible manner.
Although it’s true a certain number of people who otherwise may not have been infected with COVID-19 will be infected as the state reopens, the governor assured everyone that the best projections indicate there’s only a one-in-five chance of that infection leading to severe illness for most people.
“I want you to remember what the data tells us — that 80 percent of the people who get the virus will experience a mild or moderate illness and will recover at home, without any issues,” Reynolds said. “Twenty percent of people who test positive can be significantly impacted, especially older adults over the age of 65 and anyone with preexisting health conditions.”
The governor recommended those in high-risk categories continue to stay home, and everyone else practice social distancing.
Businesses allowed to reopen on Friday include all restaurants, retail stores, tanning facilities, tattoo establishments, massage therapy establishments and race tracks (for cars, horses and dogs). Fitness centers will no longer be limited to serving one customer at a time. All of these businesses can serve 50 percent of their space’s maximum occupancy limit, provided they make reasonable efforts to follow IDPH guidelines about workplace safety.
Barbershops and salons can also reopen, but will only be able to see customers by appointment.
Bars will remain restricted to only carry-out customers, unless they also serve food — food prepared on the premises, not snacks or prepackaged items — in which case, they qualify as restaurants under the terms of the proclamation.
Libraries will be able to reopen under the same rules as retail stores.
The following businesses will remain closed:
• Casinos
• Theaters (both live theater and cinemas)
• Amusements (bingo halls, bowling alleys, pool halls, arcades and amusement parks)
• Museums
• Aquariums and zoos
• Skating rinks and skate parks
• Playgrounds (outdoor, indoor and all children’s playcenters)
• Swimming pools, water slides and splash pads
• Senior citizen centers and adult daycare
The prohibition on door-to-door sales will remain in place. So will the prohibition on public gatherings of more than 10 people.
Reynolds was asked what actions she would take if any area of the state became a virus hotspot.
“What we want to watch is to make sure that the rise in the number of positive cases is not impacting our health care systems,” she replied.
The governor’s entire reply focused on health care resources.
“We want to make sure we’re prepared in case we see a spike in any of the regions or any of the counties that we’re monitoring, or communities,” Reynolds said. “And so again, we have to make sure that with that increase spike, we still have the surge capacity to handle those that would need additional hospitalization, as well as taking care of Iowans’ needs on a daily basis.”
It’s not surprising the governor would respond to questions about reopening the state by talking about health care system resources.
Since COVID-19 was first confirmed in the state on March 8, the Reynolds administration has focused on making sure hospitals were equipped to handle a surge of patients.
“The fact is we can’t prevent people from getting the COVID-19 virus,” the governor said at her May 5 press conference. It’s a sentiment she’s expressed — usually less bluntly — on many occasions.
Infectious disease experts disagree with the governor’s assessment. Although there isn’t a vaccine for COVID-19, there are measures that can prevent people from becoming infected, such as a state ordering people to stay at home, restricting travel and closing public venues where people gather.
Testifying before the U.S. Senate committee on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned against states reopening before meeting such benchmarks as two weeks of steadily declining of cases (a statewide decline, not just a decline in parts of a state).
“There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control, which in fact, paradoxically, will set you back, not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery,” Fauci said.
Reynolds was asked about Fauci’s comments during her press conference on Wednesday.
The governor said what Fauci really meant is “when we’re reopening, you have to make sure you’re not overwhelming the health care system.”
On Wednesday, IDPH reported another 377 Iowans have tested positive for COVID-19, including nine residents of Linn County. It’s unclear how many, if any, residents of Johnson County tested positive.
The total IDPH has listed for the county is 558, one fewer case than yesterday. Occasionally, the department decreases county totals after it discovers it has incorrectly reported the counties of residence of infected individuals.
Two outbreaks of COVID-19 were also reported on Wednesday, one at a long-term care facility and one at a meat processing plant.
Upper Iowa Beef in Howard County is the fifth meat processing plant to have an outbreak. Under IDPH’s definition of an outbreak at a business, at least 10 percent of its workforce at a single location must be absent due to illness, test positive for the virus or have been in contact with a known positive case.
Cases of COVID-19 have been reported at a 11 of Iowa’s meat processing plants, but five of the plants are experiencing outbreaks, according to IDPH’s definition.
Seventeen more Iowans have died from the virus, according IDPH. One of the deceased was a resident of Linn County. The state’s death toll from COVID-19 now stands at 306.
When Gov. Reynolds signed her first proclamation easing COVID-19 restrictions in the state on April 24 there were 15 counties where no cases of the virus had been reported. As of Wednesday, there are only four counties with no confirmed cases.
