As COVID-19 numbers have increased across Iowa with hospitalizations at the same rate as January of this year, some public spaces have reinstated mask requirements in line with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Washington Public Library Board of Trustees announced on August 26th that they are following CDC guidelines and requiring visitors two years and older to wear a face mask in the building. Interim Library Director Leann Kunz shares the board’s reasoning, “Their main concern is the safety of our patrons and our staff. We’re trying to do some in-person programs this year and we want to be able to do that safely and keep everybody healthy, those people attending those programs as well as people just coming in the library.”

Kunz says patrons have so far been respectful of the mask requirement, and this comes as they have guest speaker events this and next week.

The Iowa Supreme Court also announced last week requiring face coverings for all people entering court-controlled areas in all 99 counties regardless of a person’s vaccination status or a county or area’s positivity rate or transmission status. Besides indoor public places, the CDC is recommending that in areas with high numbers of COVID-19 cases to consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and for activities involving close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated. Almost all of Iowa’s counties are seeing high community transmission of COVID-19, with Washington County at a seven-day positivity rate of 5% as of Tuesday.