Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Monday that more aggressive orders to halt the movement of Iowans are not needed even though the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise. Reynolds said the state now has 105 positive cases, an increase of 15 from Sunday. They now span 26 counties. She confirmed for the first time Monday that seven Iowans are hospitalized with the illness caused by the coronavirus. Reynolds said positive cases are increasing in large part due to expanded testing and the number is likely to grow. She said state transportation reports show overall traffic on major roadways is down 47% from a year ago, while truck traffic is normal, an indication Iowans have curtailed travel significantly except for those providing essential services. Sarah Reisetter, the deputy director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, said the rate of hospitalizations, the length of hospital stays, the anticipated spread of the disease within a community and the rate at which people with underlying conditions are becoming infected are among the criteria used when evaluating the severity of measures needed to halt the disease’s spread. Local officials do have the authority to initiate shelter in place orders if they deem it necessary, according to Reynolds.
