The latest White House Coronavirus Task Force report has found Iowa is still in the red zone when it comes to new COVID-19 cases.
The report, which was released Sunday, found last week the state had 173 new cases per 100 thousand residents. This makes it seventh in the nation and is nearly double the national average of 86 cases per 100 thousand people.
It says 30 percent of those new cases are in Polk, Story and Johnson counties.
The report repeats its previous recommendation of a statewide mask mandate to help prevent transmission. This is something Gov. Kim Reynolds has repeatedly declined to do, calling the move unnecessary.
It also recommends dramatically increasing testing at universities to quickly find and quarantine cases on campuses, as well as ensuring rapid testing for the state’s long term care facilities.
