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.

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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."