HHS Secretary urges vaccinations in Des Moines as Iowa COVID-19 cases surge

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra toured a Polk County Public Health facility on Thursday afternoon, praising the county’s vaccination efforts and emphasizing the need for more people to get shots. He also encouraged vaccinated people to continue to wear face coverings as the more contagious delta variant sweeps across Iowa. 

“We wish we could say that as soon as we’re vaccinated we can go back to doing everything the way we wish, even if everyone else hasn’t been vaccinated,” Becerra told reporters. “That’s not the case. We all have to care for each other.”

COVID-19 cases have been rising quickly in Polk County, health officials said Thursday. Polk County Health Director Helen Eddy said there are currently 120 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the county, including four minors.

“We have not seen a trend in COVID-19 hospitalizations like this since the last COVID-19 surge in October of 2020,” Eddy said.

Becerra reminded Iowans that the delta variant, which is the cause for the vast majority of cases in the state, is more severe and contagious than the initial COVID-19 strain. He acknowledged the variant does seem to pose more of a risk to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. 

“The Delta variant hits harder, moves faster and moves farther,” Becerra said. “It is impacting even those who are vaccinated.”

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported Wednesday that 79% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 are unvaccinated. Of patients in the ICU, 86% are unvaccinated.

Becerra encourages businesses and schools to keep people safe

Becerra did not offer specific guidance for Iowa businesses, which can decide individually whether to mandate employee vaccinations, or for schools, which are not permitted to require masks under Iowa law.

“I would want to see every employer have a safe workplace for their employees and for their patrons, and I believe they should do everything the law permits them to do to make sure we’re all safe,” Becerra said.

Iowa is one of several states prohibiting schools from requiring masks. When asked how Iowa schools should protect children against COVID-19, Becerra said the federal government had been clear on what they expected at schools.

“I hope that every school district recognizes its responsibility to protect its students, and I applaud those school districts and those superintendents and principals who have taken it upon themselves to make sure that, at their schools, our children and all those who work with those children are safe,” he said.

School districts in other states have instituted mask mandates in defiance of state laws. President Joe Biden has backed these efforts, promising federal money to school districts who are punished for imposing mask requirements. 

No Iowa school districts have disobeyed the state law banning them from requiring that staff and students wear masks.