Iowa City mayor extends mask mandate ‘indefinitely’

IOWA CITY — Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague has “indefinitely extended” the city’s emergency order requiring masks in indoor gathering spots and when social distancing is not possible.

The emergency order, first issued on Aug. 19, was set to expire Thursday.

“We have to do what we can individually to protect ourselves, as well as everyone else,” Teague told The Gazette.

He said a number of factors went into his decision to extend the mandate indefinitely. He noted the prevalence of the delta variant and Johnson County’s high level of community transmission — a problem in all of Iowa’s 99 counties, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Iowa City is still on high risk alert,” Teague said. “I don’t feel that now is the time to change the requirement. … At some point we will turn the corner.”

Face coverings will continue to be required in indoor public settings such as grocery and retail stores, pharmacies, restaurants and bars, movie theaters and houses of worship, among other locations in the city. Masks are also required when using public transportation, taxis or ride share.

The order also requires masks be worn in public school buildings and in University of Iowa academic buildings and businesses offices. But UI administrators previously advised campus leaders that the mandate does not apply to them due to state law. And the Iowa City Community School District unanimously reinstated its own mask mandate earlier this month after a federal judge issued a restraining order barring the state from enforcing a law that prevents local school boards from issuing mask mandates.

The order says children under 2, people with certain medical conditions and a few others are exempt. There is no penalty for violating the order. Compliance will be obtained through “education and moral leadership,” according to the extended emergency order.

A state law says local officials cannot require business owners to issue mask requirements for their establishments. But Iowa City’s order places the onus on individuals — not business owners — to comply.

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