DES MOINES, Iowa - Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie is warning against a fast reopening of the city after Governor Kim Reynolds announced the easing of COVID-19 restrictions statewide Wednesday.
Cownie issued a statement where he urged residents to trust the advice of medical experts and remain diligent in staying safe and healthy. He noted Polk County has the most COVID-19 cases in the state and said it's not known when the numbers will peak.
NBC News reported unreleased information from the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which placed both Des Moines and Polk County in the top 10 nationally for their increase in COVID-19 cases.
Last week, Cownie extended a freeze on public event permits until July 1st, which effectively cancelled some May events including the Downtown Farmers’ Market and the Des Moines Arts Festival.
Des Moines Mayor Cownie's full statement:
"We know these two things about COVID-19 in Iowa – the most cases are In Polk County, and we are still uncertain when those numbers might peak. That is why I’m urging residents to limit events and activities that put them in contact with others and increase exposure. All of us want to return to our normal lives as quickly as possible, but we must be patient. This is not going to happen overnight because the coronavirus doesn’t follow a calendar. We need to trust the advice of medical experts and remain diligent and disciplined on staying safe and healthy."