The City of Cedar Rapids has instituted a mask order. | Pixabay
The City of Cedar Rapids has instituted a mask order. | Pixabay
Iowa cities continue to take steps to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and Cedar Rapids got into the act last week.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart signed an emergency proclamation making face coverings mandatory in public places throughout the city.
Masks must be worn whenever social distancing cannot be maintained and the mandate was effective immediately.
There was no word on when the mandate would be lifted. The City of Ames just announced a similar resolution and it is in effect until the end of the year.
According to a press release, scientific studies have shown that face coverings over the mouth and nose significantly reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
“For several months, I have been encouraging, even begging, for the voluntary use of masks by all residents in public in order to protect our residents and get us back to our normal lives more quickly,” Hart said. “Unfortunately, we have continued to see an increase of cases throughout Iowa, making a mask mandate more critical than ever to slow the spread in our community.”
The Cedar Rapids Police Department will have face coverings available to distribute to residents not following the mandate.
The proclamation can be found here.
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