COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa

• March 8 – The first confirmed COVID-19 cases in Iowa were announced — three individuals who had traveled on a cruise in Egypt before returning home to Johnson County on March 3.[3]
• March 9 – Governor Kim Reynolds signed a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency.[4]
• March 15 – Governor Reynolds recommended closing schools for four weeks. The state worked on developing legislation to provide child care during the emergency, including food for low-income students. The total number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the state increased to 22.[5]
• March 25 – Number of cases in Iowa reached 145, and one fatality reported in Dubuque County.[6]
• March 26 – Governor expanded upon previous COVID-19 disaster proclamations to halt non-essential surgeries, and non-emergency dental appointments.[7][8]
• March 27 – Governor's office asserted: "[The] Proclamation suspends all nonessential or elective surgeries and procedures until April 16th, that includes surgical abortion procedures".[9]
• March 29 – Number of cases in Iowa reached 336, and a fourth fatality reported in Linn County.[10]

• April 1 – Number of cases reached 549, and the number of fatalities reached 9.[11]
• April 2 – Governor Reynolds ordered schools to remain closed through the end of April.[12]
• April 4 – Number of cases reached 786, and the number of fatalities reached 14.[13]
• April 9 – The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been notified of 125 additional positive cases for a total of 1,270 positive cases. There have been an additional 882 negative tests for a total of 13,703 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs.[14]
• April 10 – As of April 10, there were 14,565 negative COVID-19 test results reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs, and a total of 1,388 positive cases.[15] Members of the White House including Jared Kushner, Kellyanne Conway, Joseph Grogan, Dr. Deborah Birx, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other White House coronavirus task force members receive from Robert Redfield the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance documents and decision trees to re-open communities, however, the CDC guidance and decision trees for communities including meat packers was rejected for the White House's "Opening Up America Again Plan" that is later released in early May.[16][17][18]
• April 17 – Governor Kim Reynolds announced that Iowa schools remain closed for the remainder of the school year.
• April 20 – As of April 20, there were 22,661 negative COVID-19 test results reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs, and a total of 3,159 positive cases, with 79 deaths attributed to COVID-19.[15]
• April 23 - Sheriff Tony Thompson of Black Hawk County went on the Rachel Maddow Show to describe his frustration with health conditions at a Tyson meat plant.[19]
• April 27 – Governor Reynolds announced that 77 counties will remove some business restrictions on May 1 while the counties of Polk, Dallas, Black Hawk, Linn, Louisa, Tama, Johnson, Bremer, Benton, Allamakee, Dubuque, Fayette, Marshall, Jasper, Iowa, Poweshiek, Scott, Washington, Muscatine, Henry, Des Moines, and Woodbury will maintain full business restrictions until May 15 because they were hard hit with infections.[20][21][22]

• Early May - More than 1,000 of 2,800 workers at Tyson Foods' largest pork processing plant, in Waterloo, tested positive for the virus or antibodies, and at least 5 workers died. An additional 951 workers at the Columbus Junction and Perry plants tested positive. Safety inspectors had declined to inspect the Perry plant.[23][24]
• May 6 – Hy-Vee began limiting meat purchases to four packages.[25] Reynolds met with US President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and her response.[26]
• May 7 – As of May 7, there were a total of 11,059 positive cases, with 231 deaths attributed to COVID-19.[27]
• May 13 – Governor Reynolds announced that reopenings of restaurants, libraries, and fitness centers will be extended to the entire state, and also include barbershops, tattoo parlors, massage therapists, and salons, as of May 15.[28][29]
• May 14 – As of May 14, there were a total of 13,675 positive cases, with 318 deaths attributed to COVID-19.[30]
• May 28 – As of May 28, there were a total of 18,502 positive cases, with 500 deaths attributed to COVID-19.[31]

• June 13 – For the first time since early April, no COVID-19-related deaths were reported.[32]
• June 14 – As of June 14, there were a total of 23,879 positive cases, with 651 deaths attributed to COVID-19.[32]
• June 23 – Some bars and restaurants in the Des Moines area, and in the college towns of Ames and Iowa City closed due to increases in cases.[33]

• July 22 - One of the first outbreaks at a meatpacking plant, in early April, was much more severe than initial reports indicated. Officials at the Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Columbus Junction told inspectors that 522 employees were infected; however, the Iowa Department of Public Health publicly confirmed only 221 cases in its May 5 news conference.[34]

• August 7 – Vacation destination Dickinson County, home to Lake Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes region, had 377 cases, up from only 8 on Memorial Day. Mask wearing was unpopular among local residents.[35]
• August 17 – The Iowa Department of Public Health website experienced "a software error that artificially lowers the number of new confirmed cases."[36]
• August 18 – Drake University sent 14 students home for violating guidelines on on-campus and off-campus gatherings.[37]
• August 19 – Inmate transfers from county jails into the state prison system were suspended temporarily due to cases among 59 inmates and 6 staff members the state's intake center, the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville.[38]
• August 23 – The White House urged Iowans to be required by mandatory order to wear face masks statewide; however, Governor Reynolds resisted issuing a mandatory order which would be unenforceable saying that Iowans should do the right thing and voluntarily wear face masks.[39] Previously, Reynolds barred local ordinances in Iowa from issuing a mandatory mask requirement.[40]
• August 24 – The University of Iowa had 111 cases.[41]
• August 25 – Johnson County had positivity rates over 30% for the third day in a row.[42]
• August 27 – Iowa had a positivity rate during the last 24 hours of over 18%.[43] Governor Reynolds ordered bars, breweries, and nightclubs closed in six highly populated counties: Black Hawk, Linn, Johnson, Story, Polk, and Dallas until September 20 due to Iowa having the highest rate of increase in positive coronavirus cases in the United States.[44] In Iowa, if an establishment, including breweries, tasting rooms for wineries and distilleries, pubs, taverns, bars, and nightclubs, which "prepares and serves food, the sale of which results in at least half of the establishment's monthly revenues, may reopen or remain open" as a restaurant following approval from either a local food licensing authority or the state's Department of Inspection and Appeals; however, alcohol sales must end at 10 pm, bars in venues such as theaters and casinos must close, and since late June 2020, carry out cocktails are allowed.[45][46][47]
• August 28 - Iowa's test positivity rate "jumped to a record 79.43 percent for the preceding 24 hours", as antigen tests were added to state totals.[48]
• August 31 - The White House announced that Iowa had the highest rate of positive coronavirus cases in United States.[39] The New York Times listed both Ames and Iowa City as the United States' worst metro hotspots per capita at 8.2 cases and 7.6 cases per 1,000 over the last two weeks and both are in the top four metro areas in the United States with the highest rates of increase over the last two weeks.[49] 28 Iowa counties, including Polk, Johnson and Story, were listed as "red zones."[39] In an August 30 report released on August 31, The White House again called for a mandatory mask requirement for Iowa because Iowa has the fifth from highest positivity rate in the United States and highest number of new cases per capita in the United States at 232 per 100,000 which is much higher than the national average of 88 per 100,000.[40]

• September 2 - A news story stated that "nearly half of an Iowa National Guard battalion that came to train at Camp Ripley in Minnesota this summer became sick with or were exposed to COVID-19."[50] During an evening stop in Black Hawk County in Iowa, Senator Joni Ernst stated that she is "so skeptical" of the official coronavirus numbers and deaths alleging hospitals and physicians of inflating COVID related information to gain more money through reimbursements.[51][52]
• September 3 – Surgeon General Jerome Adams stated that he agreed with Governor Reynolds not issuing a mandatory order to wear face masks statewide in public "... because people in the Midwest are going to do the right thing" and that the recent spike is only in the 18-25 age group with all other age groups have lowering numbers of positive cases in Iowa.[53]
• September 3 – At least 107 schools in the state had reported cases.[54]
• September 4 – Iowa had a positivity rate during the last 24 hours of over 15%.[55]
• September 7 – The scope of the outbreak among the Iowa National Guard unit in Minnesota had been "misstated," according to the commander of Camp Ripley. He said fewer than 60 out of 500 soldiers were sent home, principally due to exposure risks, rather than as active cases.[56]
• September 12 - Iowa had a positivity rate during the last 24 hours of over 14%, had 425 ICU beds available and 744 ventilators (76.64%) available, and had 90 COVID-19 patients in ICU with 35 COVID-19 patients on a ventilator.[57]
• September 16 - Bars and nightclubs reopen at 5 pm in Black Hawk, Linn, Polk, and Dallas counties but Story and Johnson county bars remain closed until Sunday September 20.[58][59][60]
• September 19 - Iowa had a positivity rate during the last 24 hours of almost 15%, had 409 ICU beds available and 778 ventilators (80.21%) available, and had 76 COVID-19 patients in ICU with 38 COVID-19 patients on a ventilator.[61]
• September 26 - Sixteen counties reported a positivity rate greater than 15% over the previous 14 days.[62]
• September 29 - The hospitalization rate increased, with 61 new admissions of virus patients in 24 hours, for a total of 390 virus hospitalizations. 100 patients were the ICU, with 31 on ventilators. There were 18 deaths.[63][64]

• October 5 – Two staff members tested positive at Scott Community College Belmont Campus, and the school announced it would close until October 12.[65]
• October 5 – The Globe Gazette reported that "The worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa appears to have moved from college campuses to more rural pockets, particularly in northwest Iowa." Lyon County had a two-week average positive case rate of 31.5%.[66]
• October 6 – Restrictions were lifted in Johnson and Story County, the last two counties impacted by a five-week bar closure. On-campus cases at universities had dropped. The University of Iowa reported six new cases, for a total of 2,011 among students, and 48 among employees since Aug. 18. Iowa State reported 53 new cases September 28 and October 4, for a total of 1,754 cases since August 1.[67]
• On October 9, the Ames Haunted Forest announced it would close for the first time in 20 years, due to COVID-19 and the derecho. Half of the college-age actors for the event were reluctant to confirm participation.[68]
• An October 10 article in the Omaha World-Herald noted that both Iowa and Nebraska were in the top 15 states for cases, but Iowa had seen 72% more deaths, 1,441 compared with 514 in Nebraska. This was attributed to Iowa having a higher percentage of elderly people, and three times more outbreaks in long-term care homes.[69]
• On October 12, Iowa cases had broken the 100,000 mark. The nature of the outbreak had changed, from a "cluster of nursing home and meatpacking plant outbreaks early on to 47% of positive cases now in the 18 to 40 age group."[70] State Medical Director and Epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Pedati said "What we have seen is what we would call more of a community activity, or community spread, of this virus in some areas."[70]
• October 14 - A campaign rally by President Trump at Des Moines International Airport was attended by thousands of supporters.[71] Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie urged attendees to wear masks.[72] Rally organizers played a Phil Collins hit, "In the Air Tonight", and few attendees wore masks.[73] A nonprofit, Rural America 2020, sponsored a red-and-white billboard near the event which featured a big arrow pointing towards the airport and the words "Trump Covid Superspreader Event."[74]
• On October 20, a nursing home in Amana reported that 36 of 42 residents, and 25 staff tested positive.[75]
• On October 22, 70 long-term care facilities in the state had reported cases, including 779 deaths.[76] Rural areas throughout the Midwest were experiencing a surge, and in Iowa's rural Carroll County, about 20% of tests were positive.[77]
• On October 22, a researcher at the University of Iowa reported that nine patients were involved in a clinical study of Regeneron, the drug used on President Trump. Results for efficacy and safety were not expected for some months.[78]
• On October 23, one headline stated that "Iowa hospitals fear overwhelming patient surge if coronavirus cases continue to climb."[2]

• On November 9, the Iowa Department of Corrections reported COVID-19 outbreaks at Iowa prisons in three areas. At prisons in Clarinda, there were positive cases in 377 inmates and 16 staff members, and in Rockwell City, there were positive cases in 254 inmates and four staff members. At Anamosa prison, there were 485 infected inmates and 50 infected staff members.[79]
• On November 10, Governor Reynolds issued a proclamation that, among other things, "prohibit[ed] all social, community, recreational, leisure or sporting gathering with more than 25 people indoors or 100 people outdoors unless all people over the age of 2 wear masks" and required that "[a]ll events of over 10 people must ensure 6 feet of social distancing between groups."[80] The proclamation stated that all employers "shall evaluate whether any more of their employees can feasibly work remotely and to the extent feasible, shall take steps to enable such employees to work from home." Subsequent paragraphs called for businesses remaining open to take precautions "including appropriate employee screening, social distancing practices, and increased cleaning and hygiene practices;" yet stated that that section shall not be used for enforcement. The proclamation was to come into effect after midnight the next day, and last through November 30.[81]

• On May 20, 2021, at the close of the 89th Iowa General Assembly, Governor Reynolds signed into law the Vaccine Passport Ban Law which prohibited organizations or local governments from requiring individuals to show proof of receiving a COVID-19 vaccination and prevents state and local governments from issuing ID cards which would indicate an individual's vaccination status. The law took effect immediately.[82] Earlier in May 2021 and based on new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Iowa Department of Public Health, Governor Reynolds signed into law a ban on school districts and local and county governments from requiring masks worn on public property if the individual is fully vaccinated. This law took effect on May 20, 2021.[83]

• On September 27, 2021, Federal Judge Robert Pratt issued a temporary order, which overturned the ban on mask mandates for school districts (Iowa Code section 280.31), barring Governor Reynolds and Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo from enforcing the Iowa law banning mask mandates for school districts. Judge Pratt's temporary order will remain in effect until the court issues an order for a preliminary injunction.[84]
• On September 29, 2021, 6,563 Iowans had died from COVID-19 since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Currently, 624 were hospitalized with 157 in ICUs and 81.2% of COVID-19 hospitalizations were unvaccinated Iowans. During the last week, 1,300 people tested positive every day for COVID-19 in the state with a 9.5% average positivity rate for the state of Iowa over the last 14 days.[85]

Iowa's largest industry sector is manufacturing,[129] with food manufacturing constituting the largest subsector.[130]

Five meat packers dominate the United States with over 80% of the market: JBS, Smithfield, Cargill, Tyson, and Hormel.[131]

On April 26, 2020, John Tyson, the billionaire heir and chairman of the board of Tyson Foods which is the second-largest meat packer in the world, stated that nationwide meat shortages were likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[132] According to Liz Croston, Tyson Foods communications manager, they will not reveal the specific number of affected employees at the Perry plant until it crosses the threshold of 10% of their workforce, a company policy they've used at other locations.[133]

• In April 2020, a Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Columbus Junction closed down after 148 workers tested positive for coronavirus, and two workers died.[134][135]
• The Tyson plant in Waterloo shut down on April 22 after more than 180 tested positive for the coronavirus.[136][135] The Tyson Foods plant at Waterloo re-opened on May 7, 2020.[137] On May 8, 2020, Black Hawk County health officials revealed that 1,031 of the 2,800 workers or 38% at the Waterloo plant tested positive for the coronavirus.[138][139]
• The entire workforce at the Perry Tyson Foods plant was tested on April 25, 2020.[132][117] On May 6, 2020, Sarah Reisetter, deputy director for the Iowa Department of Health, stated that 730 out of a workforce of over 1,200 at the Perry Tyson Foods plant had tested positive for coronavirus and that before closing, 26% of the Columbus Junction plant and 17% of the Waterloo plant had tested positive for COVID-19.[140][135][141]
• On May 8, 2020, at Sioux City in Woodbury County, health officials were conducting extensive testing for the Siouxland District Health Department due to its close proximity to the Tyson Foods plant at Dakota City, Nebraska, in addition to the testing at the Test Iowa site. According to Tyler Brock, deputy director for Siouxland District Health, no results of the testing will be made public until the Iowa state epidemiologist, the state director of health, approves its release to the public.[142] On May 2, 2020, Woodbury County had the second highest coronavirus test positive rate at 35% in Iowa.[117]
• On Saturday May 16, 2020, the state of Iowa through Test Iowa will test more than 3,000 employees at the two Tyson Foods plants at Storm Lake in Buena Vista County.[143]

On May 6, 2020, the Iowa Premium National Beef plant in Tama was reported having a coronavirus cluster.[144]

On May 6, 2020, the Hormel plant in Osceola was reported having a coronavirus cluster.[145]

On May 8, 2020, the West Liberty Foods turkey packing plant at West Liberty announced furloughing one third of their workforce after the sharp decline in demand for turkey products which resulted in a huge oversupply of turkey products in cold storage and that 136 employees out of 994 tested positive for the coronavirus. Since farmers will reduce the size of their turkey flocks sent to the plant for 18 weeks beginning in June, the plant will not process turkeys beginning in November 2020 and continuing for four months until spring 2021.[146]

By May 13, 2020, 22 of 150 people associated with an Upper Iowa Beef plant in Lime Springs, Iowa, were tested positive for COVID-19.[147][148]

By May 14, 2020, Iowa reported record new weekly unemployment claims for eight straight weeks, totaling at 299,098, which represents almost 20% of Iowa's eligible workforce.[149]

The University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa are expecting losses from the COVID-19 pandemic to exceed $76 million, $89 million, and $28 million, respectively.[150] All three public universities are also considering freezing tuition and fees for the academic year 2020–21. Both University of Iowa and Iowa State University project decreased fall enrollment.

On September 28, the University of Iowa had received over 450 complaints regarding non-compliance with coronavirus safety measures, including seven reports of failure to isolate or quarantine. Iowa City police responded to numerous calls about loud parties, noise, and COVID-19-related matters. The University of Iowa reported over 2,000 cases since August 16. Iowa State University had 1,701 cases since August 1. The University of Northern Iowa had 163 cases since Aug. 17. University officials praised a bar closure in selected counties, set to expire on October 4, for "helping prevent spread among students."[151]

On September 29, a group of RAs at the University of Iowa started a petition for hazard pay, due to duties that included "delivering meals to infected students living on isolation floors", cleaning up biohazardous substances like blood and vomit, and enforcing a one-guest-per-person policy which included breaking up parties of intoxicated or maskless students.[152]

On October 6, the state teacher's union said that 39% of Iowa's 339 school districts, area education agencies and community colleges, 39% still did not require face coverings.[153]

On October 7, "13 Iowa counties were over a 15% threshold set by Reynolds at which school districts may temporarily shift to online-only instruction." There were 927 children under age 17 and 4,171 educators who tested positive, with 568 of the educators were at risk of serious health complications.[153]

In Iowa's primary elections, polling locations were greatly reduced: for example there were 28 locations instead of the usual 135 in Polk County.[154] 55,000 absentee votes were cast in the county.

Through a statewide prison labor program, prisoners across Iowa helped make 98,000 masks, 40,000 gowns, 17,000 face shields, and 24,000 gallons of hand sanitizer within a few weeks.[155]

Due to Minor League Baseball being shut down and cancelled for 2020, the Iowa Cubs, a Triple-A baseball team in Des Moines, are exploring making Principal Park available for concerts and amateur baseball games.[156]

Softball and baseball games were supposed to begin being carried out again in Iowa starting on June 15.[157]

NASCAR cancelled the Xfinity Series and Gander RV & Outdoor Series 2020 events at Iowa Speedway in Newton, The track opted to replace one of the event's with a Second INDYCAR Race in which happened to be a doubleheader Iowa INDYCAR 250s on July 17–18, and the ARCA Menards Series date remains on the calendar

The MLB's Field Of Dreams Game in Dyersville, originally scheduled for August 13, has been rescheduled for 2021 which is to feature the White Sox and New York Yankees.

On August 31, The University of Iowa announced pausing its athletics training programs until after Labor Day on September 7.[158]

On August 31, Jamie Pollard, athletic director at Iowa State University, announced that 25,000 fans would be allowed to attend Iowa State's opening home football game against Louisiana on September 12 and its Big 12 Conference home opener against Oklahoma on October 3, 2020, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames if fans can follow mitigation efforts during the Louisiana game.[159][160] On September 2, Pollard stated that no fans will be allowed in Jack Trice Stadium for the September 12, 2020, home opener Iowa State vs. Louisiana football game.[161][162] On September 4, Pollard estimated an athletics department budget deficit will increase from over $17 million to $30 million because of coronavirus impacts which will result in cutting sports programs in accordance with the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act (Title IX laws); closing C.Y. Stephens Auditorium, which also requires up to $50 million in renovations; more payroll cuts and layoffs in addition to the department wide actions which have already been implemented saving almost $4 million: suspension of incentives and bonuses along with most coaches and staff receiving a 10% reduction in pay.[163][164]

On September 19, the Big Ten announced its 2020 season football schedule and that on October 24 the Iowa Hawkeyes will play their first game at Purdue.[165]