URBANDALE, Iowa - Governor Kim Reynolds says she's open to restrictions at bars to fight COVID-19, but doesn't think face mask orders are appropriate.
Reynolds held her weekly press conference at the Iowa Behavioral Health Association in Urbandale to announce $50 million in federal money for mental health services.
While there, she stated that changes could come if contact tracing shows an increase in cases linked to bars.
"Maybe we need to take a look at the hours, or maybe we need to take a look at rolling back some of the mitigation efforts at bars,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds was also asked about local face mask orders after the mayor of eastern Iowa's Muscatine imposed one Monday.
She said any measure at the local level should conform to guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health. "We believe that when the Public Health Disaster Proclamation is in effect, unless the local government's declaration or proclamation is consistent with the state proclamation, unless it's consistent, then it's not appropriate," Reynolds said.
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller's office has stated that city and county governments are not able to issue local mask orders unless they're consistent with Governor Kim Reynolds emergency declarations.
Muscatine Mayor Diana Broderson issued an order requiring face masks in any indoor or outdoor public setting that took effect Monday.