DES MOINES, Iowa (KWWL) — The Iowa Public Health Association released a statement Thursday calling on Governor Kim Reynolds to issue a statewide mask mandate. The IPHA says short of a statewide mandate, cities and counties should be allowed local control to be able to put in place mitigation strategies to protect their residents.

The IPHA also says school districts must have the flexibility to conduct the school year as best suits their communities. They say districts must be trusted with their ability to deliver educational content, whether that’s in-person or online, while meeting the health and safety needs of students, teachers, and support staff.

The statement goes on to say it’s a matter of when, not if, a COVID-19 outbreak occurs within a school or district and schools and public health departments must be supported to work in trusted partnership to properly conduct contact tracing. The IPHA says in ideal times, children learn best and thrive in school, but that these are not ideal times.

You can find the full statement from the Iowa Public Health Association at the bottom of this article or by clicking here:

IPHA’s request comes as the Iowa Department of Public Health and Gov. Reynolds have announced a new campaign called #StepUpMaskUpIA. The purpose of the campaign is to encourage Iowans to follow public health mitigation measures such as wearing a cloth face covering when in public.