(Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa Governor Reynolds has released the following statement following the Biden Administration issuing new COVID-19 guidance:
“The Biden Administration’s new COVID-19 guidance telling fully vaccinated Iowans to now wear masks is not only counterproductive to our vaccination efforts, but also not grounded in reality or common sense. I’m concerned that this guidance will be used as a vehicle to mandate masks in states and schools across the country, something I do not support.
“The vaccine remains our strongest tool to combat COVID-19, which is why we are going to continue to encourage everyone to get the vaccine.
“I am proud that we recently put new laws in place that will protect Iowans against unnecessary government mandates in our schools and local governments. As I have throughout this pandemic, I trust Iowans to do the right thing.”
Iowa lawmakers passed legislation this year prohibiting schools and cities from instituting mask mandates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today (Tuesday) issued a recommendation that those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 wear a mask in public, indoor settings, in places where there are COVID hot spots.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky issued the updated recommendations amid the rapid spread of the Delta variant. She said that strain is behaving differently than other identified variants.
The CDC has published a map showing roughly 60-percent of the counties in the U-S with high COVID transmission levels. Roughly one-third of Iowa's counties are included in the map.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map of Iowa. Red= high COVID transmission Orange= moderate COVID transmission Blue= low COVID transmissionPhoto: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention