DES MOINES, Iowa (KWQC) – The State Public Health Emergency Declaration will be extended until September 20, Governor Kim Reynolds announced on Friday.

According to the governor’s news release, this extends the public health mitigation measures that have been put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This includes bars and restaurants ensuring six feet of physical distance between each group or individual dining or drinking.

Social distancing, hygiene and other public health measures are still required in gyms, casinos, salons, theaters and other establishments to help reduce the risk of transmission.

The proclamation also authorizes school districts with buildings damaged by the derecho to offer remote learning instruction with the approval of the Department of Education. Schools that are unable to conduct remote learning because of the storm can apply for a waiver of instruction time from the department.

According to the news release, the proclamation suspends certain fees for the replacement of official records by county recorders or the state registrar of vital statistics for records lost, destroyed, or damaged by the derecho natural disaster. 

The proclamation also extends many of the previously issued regulatory relief measures necessary to respond to this public health disaster, including those related to healthcare, professional licensure, educational workforce, and expirations of driver’s licenses. 

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