![Illinois Brings Back Mask Mandate – Should Iowa Do the Same? [OPINION]](http://townsquare.media/site/676/files/2021/08/attachment-adam-niescioruk-Z9arfr0f248-unsplash.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Illinois Brings Back Mask Mandate – Should Iowa Do the Same? [OPINION]
Illinois has brought back an old, familiar favorite (to love or hate): mask mandates. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker this week reinstated the mask mandate for his state, making it mandatory that citizens wear masks indoors. His reason is simple, his state is "running out of time as our hospitals run out of beds." This is according to an NBC Chicago story.
In Iowa, it's essentially the opposite, as it's been. Gov. Kim Reynolds never really placed a mask mandate on citizens. She did make them a requirement of sorts when cases spiked last November, but the word mandate was never thrown around. Now at the start of another school year, the governor is actually facing lawsuits over school mask mandate bans which were put in place in May when cases were dropping rapidly.

This was prior to the delta variant becoming the prominent form of COVID-19. Once again putting Iowa in the national news spotlight. The governor also made it clear no Iowa city or county could legally enforce a mandate. Despite this, Iowa City recently reintroduced its mask mandate.
Should Iowa require masks again?
So, should the Hawkeye State reintroduce required masking indoors, and at times when social distancing isn't possible? With college sports (mainly football) returning and folks wanting to pack venues, many of which will be indoors once fall and winter set in. Should we say you can be mask-free if you're vaccinated despite breakthrough cases? It's a tuff situation to give an answer to because, quite frankly, everyone has a different opinion. You can't hold a special election to decide. This is why we have politicians we elect, to make difficult choices. Still, in my opinion, vaccinated Iowans should be able to decide for themselves.
For my wife and me, it's done on a case-by-case basis. Walmart, we're looking at you. She masked at Walmart last week. I'll do the same next time I go. But I still plan to dine out and will sit inside. I still plan to live my life. I am vaccinated. I will get my boosters, and I plan to continue trying to live life with normality. I don't have kids, hence no kids in school. I don't know any current Iowa teachers intimately either. so I have no opinion there. That said, if a mask mandate was brought back into play in Iowa, I'd do it and wouldn't complain. Much.
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