JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds says restaurants and bars in Iowa may return to normal business hours but patrons must still wear masks when not seated for eating or drinking, and groups sitting together must be at least six feet from one another under a new state proclamation effective on Thursday.
The restriction on the number of people who may gather at one time is lifted but groups or individuals must distance themselves from one another. Reynolds’ revised coronavirus pandemic emergency proclamation comes as the state has seen the spread of the virus and hospitalizations slow in the past month. Still, Iowa reported an additional 14 deaths on Wednesday and 1,986 new confirmed cases in past 24 hours.