(Des Moines, IA) -- The City of Des Moines is re-instating a mask mandate in city buildings. City Manager Scott Sanders says it's because of increased COVID cases in Polk County. The policy is for both staff and visitors and those attending public meetings, boards and commissions.
“As the Administrator of public facilities, we’re requiring masks inside those facilities because the trends are disturbing and we need to keep our employees and residents healthy and safe inside our buildings,” Sanders said. “As in the past, we’ll base our decisions on CDC guidelines, and when the level of COVID-19 community transmission in Polk County remains high or substantial, the face covering mandate will remain in place.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week declared Polk County and 58 other Iowa counties as high transmission areas for COVID-19 and the Delta variant.
The masking requirement includes City Hall, Public Libraries, Argonne Armory, Municipal Service Center, Public Works buildings, the Des Moines Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation Authority (WRA), Des Moines Police and Fire Departments and the office locations for the Municipal Housing Agency and the Civil & Human Rights Department at Polk County River Place and all other City buildings where employees work.
Sanders added that the face covering requirement does not extend beyond City buildings and offices.