Iowa Emergency Declaration Has Been Extended with Several Changes

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds held a press conference yesterday afternoon to announce an extension to the latest emergency declaration, plus a few small changes.

According to an article from CBS 2, the most recent emergency declaration from the governor has been extended to next Wednesday, December 16th. It was originally set to expire today, but Kim Reynolds wants to keep the downward trend of positive cases and hospitalizations going. She said during her conference, "We've made good progress over the last few weeks, but our ultimate goal is to get virus activity to a level that we can manage over the next few months."

The article says that the notable changes include a lifting of the ban on organized sports/recreational events for both youth and adults, and that includes bowling. But, there will only be two spectators allowed per participant. That also applies to cheerleaders, band members, and other participants in these types of events.

The current declaration says that Iowa bar and restaurants are still required to close to dine-in customers at 10 p.m., but that rule will now apply to casinos, as well. An article from KCRG says that rule is being put in place "to ensure better consistency among restaurants, bars, and other venues that serve alcohol." The article also states that the reduction on elective surgeries/procedures will decrease from 50% to 25%.

Aside from those few minimal changes, the rest of the emergency declaration that went into effect on November 17th still applies. You can read more on that HERE.