Aug 27, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Iowa closes bars, nightclubs in 6 counties due to coronavirus spikes among young people

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) on Thursday ordered all bars, nightclubs and breweries to close in six counties across the state after a spike in positive coronavirus cases, specifically among young adults, the Des Moines Register reports.

The state of play: The order will remain in effect until at least Sept. 5, and counties containing major universities were specifically targeted. Restaurants in the affected counties will also be ordered to stop serving alcohol after 10 p.m.

  • Johnson County, the home of the University of Iowa, saw 19- to 24-year-olds make up 69% of its new cases in the past week.
  • Story County, which contains Iowa State University, saw 74% of its new cases from that age group over the same timeframe.

The big picture: It's the latest fallout from universities returning to in-campus instruction amid the coronavirus pandemic. The University of North Carolina was forced to halt in-person classes after just one week.

  • The University of Alabama has also seen over 500 new cases among faculty, staff and students since returning to campus.

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