Gov. Reynolds orders more closures throughout Iowa

This past Thursday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds extended the closures of schools, non-essential businesses and the limiting of social gatherings to 10 or fewer people. Less than a few days later, the Governor of Iowa ordered closures of more public areas and shops.

During her daily briefing, which took place on Monday morning at the State Emergency Operations Center in Johnston, Reynolds ordered the closure of malls, bingo halls, bowling alleys, museums, libraries, amusement parks, various stores, playgrounds (outside and inside) and campgrounds to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

The order will be enacted at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and will last through April 30.

Reynolds also issued a penalty of a simple misdemeanor for anyone not following guidelines, most notably to those not limiting social gatherings to 10 or less people.

Currently, there are 946 positive cases of COVID-19 and 25 deaths. The Iowa Board of Medicine and the Iowa Medical Society has also urged Reynolds to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order in statements made this past Friday.

According to Sarah Reisetter, the deputy director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, the state of Iowa still expects the COVID-19 outbreak to peak in two weeks’ time.

Due to the additional closures made by Reynolds, The Graphic-Advocate will not provide virtual tours of Historic Central School in Lake City and the Calhoun County Museum in Rockwell City this week. Instead, the virtual tours will be postponed until a future date.