Mask mandates back in some Iowa facilities after spike in COVID cases

Spike in COVID cases in Iowa

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(ABC 6 News) — Mask mandates are back in close to 10 Iowa facilities after a recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

According to the state’s COVID-19 data, cases were steadily dropping after Christmas, but numbers started to climb again in June.

Since COVID-19 tests are no longer tracked by the counties, public health officials are relying on reports from the CDC. The reason for the rise in cases is still unclear.

“It’s hard to say why we’re seeing an uptick in cases now, but … throughout the past four years now since we’ve seen SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, we’ve seen different patterns,” said Sam Jarvis, the Johnson County Public Health Community Health Manager.

So far, mask mandates are only in place at a number of healthcare facilities including Iowa City, Coralville, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport.