On Sunday, February 7th,  the state of Iowa lifted all of its COVID-19 restrictions with no warning, and without consulting the state’s public health department.

The governor, Kim Reynolds, lifted all mask mandates, indoor dining restrictions, and limits on gatherings.  The restrictions were lifted under false hope;  the vaccine is available and numbers are going down, so it must be fine, right?  Not necessarily. The numbers are working against the state. Iowa is one of the worst three states, per capita, in vaccine distribution, meaning they have almost the lowest vaccine supply.

Reynolds is receiving backlash for lifting the mask mandate; in particular, the Iowa Public Health Association cites, “[It is] actively detrimental to our pursuit to end the pandemic.”  Reynolds states that she trusts Iowans to keep numbers down and that the state does not need mandates because law enforcement cannot actively enforce the mandate.

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