As new variants loom, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says no COVID-19 lockdowns: 'Not on my watch'

Gov. Kim Reynolds' message is clear: no COVID-19 restrictions in Iowa.

A late summer wave of new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations in the United States is prompting some retail businesses, school districts and local governments in other parts of the country to reintroduce mask mandates and other requirements.

On Wednesday, Reynolds spoke out against the return of pandemic-era restrictions, slamming the door on a return of a statewide mask mandate or other coronavirus-related mitigation strategies.

“Since news broke of COVID-19 restrictions being re-instated at some colleges and businesses across the U.S., concerned Iowans have been calling my office asking whether the same could happen here," Reynolds said in a statement Wednesday. "My answer — not on my watch. In Iowa, government respects the people it serves and fights to protect their rights. I rejected the mandates and lockdowns of 2020, and my position has not changed.”

How many Iowans have died as a result of COVID-19?

Reynolds ended Iowa's COVID-19 public health disaster proclamations in February 2022. The governor had invoked a disaster proclamation in March 2020, which she had used in the early days of the pandemic to close businesses, limit gatherings and briefly require indoor mask mandates.

Since March 2020, 10,538 Iowans have died as a result of COVID-19.

Rumors of returning lockdowns have circled among conservatives nationally in recent weeks, but federal officials have made it clear Americans shouldn't expect widespread mandates. The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has said any claims of approaching lockdowns are false, noting that there's no talk of reinstating mask requirements.

Who can issue masking orders?

Orders can be issued by individual states or local governments. In addition, school districts or businesses have the ability to reinstate masking requirements or other restrictions.

"As far as I know, there has been no governmental restrictions or lockdowns of any kind," said Iowa Public Health Association Executive Director Lina Tucker Reinders. "There's been no discussion of that. We have seen some organizations, such as hospitals and schools, in a few locations around the country who have made local decisions based on their local situation. But I'd like to stress that those are local decisions by local organizations based on their local situation."

Iowa's top public health officials and other local public health experts did not comment on Reynolds' statement Wednesday. However, they did encourage continued vigilance and use of common-sense public health measures, especially during the upcoming respiratory viral season in the fall and winter months.

Is Iowa seeing an uptick in new COVID-19 cases?

COVID-19 activity in Iowa has been low in recent weeks, according to recent data from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. However, the state has seen a recent increase in new cases and hospitalizations.

Iowa reported 310 new COVID-19 cases, as of Aug. 19, the most recent state data available. The 7-day positivity rate was 14.2%.

The actual number of new COVID-19 cases is likely higher, as that total does not include people who test positive at home but do not report their result to local and state officials. It also does not account for people who are positive, but choose not to get tested.

Iowa saw 109 new COVID-19 hospital admissions the week of Aug. 19, a 51.4% increase compared to the week before, new CDC data shows.

Polk County saw 17 new COVID-19 hospital admissions the week of Aug. 19, a 6.2 percent increase compared to the week prior, according to the CDC.

What is happening with COVID-19 cases nationally?

Nationally, hospitalizations rose for the sixth consecutive week during the week of Aug. 19, rising 18.8% compared to the week before and increasing 44% from hospitalizations two weeks prior.

Still, this latest increase in new COVID-19 cases across the U.S. is relatively small compared with previous surges. So far, it appears most who are infected are experiencing mild symptoms, experts say.

Those who are becoming seriously ill are populations that face higher risk for poor outcomes, including the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions.

This uptick is not unexpected for this time of year and will likely continue as Iowa enters the fall, when respiratory illnesses become more widespread, Tucker Reinders said.

What do I need to know about new coronavirus variants?

Reynolds' statement comes as global and federal health officials are tracking the movement of two new COVID-19 variants: EG.5 and BA.2.86.

Nicknamed "Eris," the EG.5 is a highly contagious omicron subvariant that became the dominant proportion of new COVID-19 infections earlier this month, according to the CDC. Federal health projections say this version of the virus accounts for 20% of new cases across the United States.

EG.5 is neck-in-neck with fellow omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 for the most dominant strain in the region that includes Iowa. As of July 22, the latest data available, EG.5 accounted for 15.1% of COVID-19 cases and XBB.1.5 made up 15.8% of new infections.

The World Health Organization labeled EG.5 as a "variant of interest" because of its rapid spread in other countries. U.S. public health officials say EG.5 has likely contributed to the latest uptick in new infections and hospitalizations across the country.

WHO has also labeled BA.2.86 as a "variant of interest" because of its large number of mutations, which may allow the virus to be more contagious than previous versions. So far, only a small number of cases have been detected in the U.S.

So far, health experts say these newer variants don't appear to cause more severe illness.

What do public health officials in Iowa say about COVID-19 booster shots?

Local public health officials continue to encourage Iowans to take precautions against COVID-19, and that includes getting the updated COVID-19 booster when it becomes available later this fall, said Madisun VanGundy, Polk County Health Department's communications officer.

The updated booster shot, which will target omicron subvariants of the virus, is expected to receive federal approval for use in September. Those shots will likely be available to the public by the end of September, some experts say.

The new boosters were developed to target the omicron offshoot XBB 1.5, which was the dominant strain earlier this spring. However, because the new subvariants are closely related, the shots should be effective against new versions of the coronavirus, health experts say.

VanGundy said it's also important Iowans plan to get a flu shot as well as the new RSV vaccine, if they qualify, later this fall.

What should I do if I have contracted COVID-19?

Public health officials continue Iowans to test themselves for COVID-19 if they are experiencing any symptoms. If you test positive for COVID-19, the CDC recommends individuals isolate for five days.

Those who were exposed to a positive COVID-19 infection should wear a mask for 10 days following the exposure, the CDC says.

It's also important Iowans practice due diligence when it makes sense to do so, Tucker Reinders said. That includes staying home and avoiding large gatherings if you're experiencing cold-like symptoms. If they are unable to stay home from work and school while experiencing symptoms, they should wear a mask.

Tucker Reinders said individuals should also consider masking around those who are immunocompromised, older loved ones and others who might be at higher risk for complications from an infection.

"This is part of our disease awareness," Tucker Reinders said. "We keep ourselves and those around us healthy by using these common sense measures that we all became familiar with during COVID."

Though Polk County Health Department is not encouraging universal masking at this time, VanGundy said masking "is always a good option" if someone is concerned about getting COVID-19.

Other recommendations include washing your hands frequently, and wiping down frequently used surfaces.

"These hygiene practices have shown to help reduce the spread of respiratory viruses," VanGundy said. "We urge the community to follow these recommendations, so we can protect the health of our community."

Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com, at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Kim Reynolds says no to COVID-19 lockdowns as cases rise nationally