So the state is moving into a new phase in the pandemic. So says Governor Kim Reynolds.

Reynolds says with more testing and “hot spots” around the state identified, she’s making prudent decisions about lifting closure orders and allowing businesses to reopen. Reynolds says it’s a matter of fairness and she trusts Iowans to make the right decision for their personal situation.

The governor says the state’s meat packing plants are becoming a “well-oiled machine” again as workers are tested and production resumes. The state website with COVID-19 test data has been revamped. It shows a dozen more Iowans have died of the virus and 655 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified through test results reported to the state.