Pictured: Gov. Reynolds speaks to Iowans during a Feb. 24, 2021 press conference.
Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Thursday evening she has signed her final Public Health Disaster Emergency Proclamation extension of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reynolds first signed the order on March 17, 2020 to facilitate the state’s response, and it originally contained hundreds of provisions. Over time, it was pared down to just 16 provisions, most of them focused on workforce issues. Reynolds says, “We cannot continue to suspend duly enacted laws and treat COVID-19 as a public health emergency indefinitely. After two years, it’s no longer feasible or necessary. The flu and other infectious illnesses are part of our everyday lives, and coronavirus can be managed similarly. State agencies will now manage COVID-19 as part of normal daily business, and reallocate resources that have been solely dedicated to the response effort to serve other important needs for Iowans.” The emergency proclamation will expire at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15. The state’s COVID-19 websites, coronavirus.iowa.gov and vaccinateiowa.gov, will be decommissioned the following day. Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director, Kelly Garcia, notes, “While our COVID-19 reporting will look different, Iowans should rest assured that the state health department will continue to review and analyze COVID-19 and other public health data daily, just as we always have. The new format will include data points that Iowans are used to seeing, but moves us closer to existing reporting standards for other respiratory viruses. This new phase also assures that our teams, who have been deeply committed to the COVID-19 response, can return to their pre-pandemic responsibilities, and refocus on areas where the pandemic has taken a hard toll.” According to the Governor’s Office, nearly half of U.S. states have already discontinued their public health proclamations, and several more are set to expire this month if not extended.