Governor Responds to U of I recommendation to delay reopening procedures in parts of the state 

(Johnston) Researchers at the University of Iowa recently released a 12-page report warning Governor Reynolds of the second round of COVID-19 infections when the state loosens mitigation guidelines. The report noted a slowdown in the viral infection and fatalities but warned the virus hadn’t peaked just yet. 

The Governor defended her reasoning at Wednesdays’ daily briefing. 

Reynolds says the state testing capacity, mitigation, in place, and Iowan’s response all helped to flatten the curve and mitigate the impact on Iowa’s health care resources and lessen the severity of Iowa’s health care facilities. 

Governor Reynolds says it’s not sustainable to continue to lock down the state and reopen it responsibly in the areas showing stabilization.  

The Governor noted 93-percent of the positive cases are contained within the 22 restricted counties. 

The Governor says the recommendation to start-up elective surgeries also came out of the University of Iowa based on the numbers seen with ventilators and ICU beds. “I didn’t just rip off the band-aid and flip the light switch,” said Reynolds. “I reopened parts of the state in a reasonable and phase-in approach.”