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READ: White House COVID-19 Task Force Report For Iowa

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will host a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 11:00 a.m. as COVID-19 cases in Iowa continue to trend upward.

Read the White House coronavirus task force's latest state report for Iowa, dated August 30, which says Iowa has the highest rate of new infections in the country.

A new report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force has found Iowa has the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the country.

The report released Sunday puts the state in the red zone for both cases and test positivity, which is more than 10 percent. It says community transmission continues to be high across the entire state.

The task force recommends that state leaders close bars and gyms in many counties as well as limit indoor capacity at restaurants to 50 percent or even less. It also recommends a statewide mask mandate to limit the transmission.

Last week Gov. Kim Reynold closed bars in six counties in response to the growing number of cases. She has declined to issue a statewide mask mandate saying instead at a press conference last Thursday that she now strongly encourages masks.

Katarina Sostaric
Katarina Sostaric is an Iowa City based reporter covering Eastern Iowa for Iowa Public Radio.
Lindsey Moon is IPR's Senior Digital Producer
Natalie Krebs is IPR's Health Reporter