Mayor Bruce Teague lifts Iowa City mask mandate after new federal guidance

Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague lifted the city's mask mandate Monday morning, citing new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control allowing most Americans to unmask indoors.

A news release from Iowa City said, starting Tuesday, masks will no longer be required in public; however, masks will still be available for those who wish to wear one in city facilities.

Teague's mask order, which was issued in August and extended indefinitely in September, required that everyone within the limits of Iowa City wear a face covering that covers the nose and mouth when in public places and maintaining six feet of distance from others wasn't possible. The order included indoor and outdoor public places, including public schools and "University of Iowa academic buildings and business offices," despite the university not having formal rules requiring masks on campus.

At the time, a spokesperson for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds called the mandate “against the law” and “not enforceable."

City Attorney Eric Goers said Iowa City never faced litigation over this mask order.

Iowa City's mandate did not include a mechanism for enforcement, and no one was ever cited for not wearing a mask.

"New cases of COVID-19 are decreasing and hospitalizations due to the illness continue to fall," Teague said in the release. "I ask the entire Iowa City community to continue to do your part to prevent the spread of this disease; make responsible choices; isolate or quarantine when necessary; and wear a mask if you're a risk to others."

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North Liberty lifted its mask mandate for indoor public buildings Saturday, while Coralville began removing signs asking visitors to wear masks in public buildings Monday morning.

Despite Teague's order being lifted, masks will still be required on public transportation, including Iowa City's bus system. The news release urges people using city buses to continue wearing masks and maintaining social distance when on the bus. 

The release said residents are still encouraged to vaccinate themselves against COVID-19 and receive a booster shot if they have not done so already, and those who feel they should continue wearing masks are urged to keep doing so.

According to data from the CDC, Johnson County is listed as "medium" on its COVID-19 community level ratings based on cases, hospital beds being used and hospital admissions.

This means residents are encouraged to get tested if they have symptoms and stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations. Those who are at high risk for severe illness are encouraged to talk with their health care provider about whether masks or other precautions are necessary.

Some 74% of people living in Johnson County are fully vaccinated as of Feb. 15, according to data from Iowa Department of Public Health; that leads all other Iowa counties in this statistic. The CDC considers someone fully vaccinated two weeks after they've been given a single-dose shot (Johnson & Johnson) or a second shot (either Pfizer or Moderna).

The news release said residents should respect mask-wearing policies of businesses, hospitals and medical facilities, and at events in Iowa City. 

"The individual choices of residents to wear masks should also be respected, as many Iowa City residents wore masks in public before the city's mask order," the release said.

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George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen's local government and development reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be reached at GShillcock@press-citizen.com and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge