Gov. Reynolds Announces More Restrictions for Region Including Cedar Rapids

At her daily press conference Thursday, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced Region 6 has reached 10 on the 12-point scale that she and the Iowa Department of Public Health use to determine if a shelter in place order is needed. While the governor didn't issue that order, she did announce other measures for the area in a new proclamation.

Governor Reynolds has proclaimed that gatherings in the region should be limited to only people that live in the same household. There should be no more social, recreational, leisure, sporting, or other community gatherings. Medical care and child care are not included. Funerals, weddings, and religious or spiritual gatherings are also exempt. However, those gatherings are still limited to a maximum of 10 people.

The proclamation also asks that all employers in the region examine whether more employees can work from home during this time.

The rules go into effect at midnight tonight Thursday, April 16, and will continue through Thursday, April 30. The region covers Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Howard, Jones, Linn, and Winneshiek counties.

The governor also revealed 146 additional positive cases of COVID-19 in the state, bringing the total to 2141 across 82 of Iowa's 99 counties. She stated 987 people, 46 percent, had recovered. Governor Reynolds also announced seven more deaths in Iowa, bringing the state's total to 60.