Governor Kim Reynolds.
Iowa bars and restaurants have been given permission to provide carry-out or delivery of cocktails and other alcoholic beverages as their seating areas have been closed to the public, but that was set to expire at midnight. Shortly after five o’clock Tuesday afternoon, Governor Kim Reynolds issued a new proclamation, so that service may continue until April 7th.
In March, Reynolds declared a public health emergency in the entire state of Iowa and ordered specific types of businesses to close, but she has resisted calls for issuing a statewide “stay at home” order.
“I can’t lock the state down. I can’t lock everybody in their home,” Reynolds said during her daily news conference. “We have to make sure the supply chain is up and going. We have an essential workforce that has to be available…People also have to be responsible for themselves.”
Other parts of the order Reynolds issued late Tuesday give county hospitals more flexibility to borrow money and allow Iowa corporations to hold annual meetings electronically. In addition, the governor waived upcoming continuing education and certification deadlines for peace officers and jailers.