White House warns Iowa it has the highest coronavirus rate in the U.S.

The White House Coronavirus Task Force told Iowa officials on Sunday that the state has the country's highest per capita infection rate and must enact stricter restrictions to curb the spread.

In a report, the task force recommended closing bars in 61 counties, imposing a statewide mask mandate, limiting social gatherings to 10 people, and testing every returning college student, the Des Moines Register reports. "Common sense preventative measures must be implemented to stop further spread," the report states.

The Iowa Department of Public Health shared with the Des Moines Register the three most recent reports sent by the task force, and the Aug. 23 document shows that at the time, Iowa had the ninth-highest case rate in the United States. Over the last two weeks, 10 percent of all people who have tested for COVID-19 in the state have had positive results.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

On Thursday, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) ordered that bars, breweries, and nightclubs shut down in six counties, but said she would not impose a statewide mask mandate because it was "not enforceable."