Following CDC guidance, Des Moines drops mask requirement – KCCI Des Moines

IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. LAURA: DESPITE THE GOVERNOR’S PROCLAMATION, THE CITY OF DES MOINES’ MASK MANDATE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE. MAYOR FRANK COWNIE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THIS AFTERNOON. HE SPECIFICALLY EMPHASIZED THE NEED TO WEAR A MASK AS SINCE THE COVID VARIANT WAS CONFIRMED IN IOWA EARLIER THIS WEEK. THE CITY’S MASK MANDATE HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE AUGUST. >> TO ME THE SCIENCE HAS BEEN YOU VERY CLEAR, WHEN YOU SEE A SEE IS VERY CLEAR, WHEN YOU SEE A SPREAD LIKE WE’RE SEEING IN THE STATE OF IOWA AND IN POLK COUNTY, WE NEED TO BE MORE DILIGENT THAN EVER. LAURA: WE ASKED MAYOR COWNIE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO LIFT THE MANDATE. HE SAYS THERE’S NO SET STATISTIC, HE SAYS CIT

Following CDC guidance, Des Moines drops mask requirement

Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie on Friday removed the city’s COVID-19 mandatory face-covering requirement, following a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.City officials said the rescinding of the requirement takes effect immediately and follows yesterday’s CDC recommendation that those fully vaccinated no longer have to wear face coverings or maintain distance from others.In February, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a proclamation lifting a majority of the COVID-19 restrictions, including mask mandates. Cownie kept the Des Moines mandate in place.The original Des Moines mandate was issued last August.

DES MOINES, Iowa —

Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie on Friday removed the city’s COVID-19 mandatory face-covering requirement, following a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.

City officials said the rescinding of the requirement takes effect immediately and follows yesterday’s CDC recommendation that those fully vaccinated no longer have to wear face coverings or maintain distance from others.

In February, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a proclamation lifting a majority of the COVID-19 restrictions, including mask mandates. Cownie kept the Des Moines mandate in place.

The original Des Moines mandate was issued last August.