Rob Sand (file photo)
State Auditor Rob Sand is asking Governor Kim Reynolds to provide the public more information about the 12-point scale she’s using to monitor the spread of COVID-19 — and decide if, when and where she might order a shelter-in-place order.
“This tool is being used to guide life and death decisions,” Sand said. “Life and death decisions deserve answers — good ones.”
Last week, Reynolds and the deputy director of the Iowa Department of Public Health said after 9/11, state officials began developing plans for responding to a variety of disasters. They said the state epidemiologist has tailored the tool for this pandemic using Centers for Disease Control guidance. Reynolds yesterday told reporters Iowa isn’t like New York or New Jersey and it would be “irresponsible” to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order.
“We’re doing it on a community, county, region basis,” Reynolds said during her daily news conference. “…By using these metrics, then, we will be able to, if we hit a certain point where we think we have to take additional actions or additional steps, we can do that.”
Sand, a Democrat, said giving Iowans more information will help them make better informed decisions about their actions during the pandemic. Reynolds, a Republican, has said every Iowan needs to take responsibility for their health and the health of others and stay home.