297 million people in the United States are under some form of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. That's about 90% of America's population.

WHY ISN'T THE STATE OF IOWA OFFICIALLY IN A LOCKDOWN???

Taking a look at the map below, 38 U.S. states have issued stay-at-home orders, asking residents to shelter in place and go out only for essential services. Partial state lockdowns are represented in tan on the map, marking the 7 states in which at least one city or county has issued a stay-at-home order for residents.

Courtesy - Business Insider
Courtesy - Business Insider
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That leaves 5 states left in white...our state, Iowa, is one of them, along with North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Arkansas, As of today, (Fri. Apr. 3rd) COVID-19 is now present in 65 of Iowa's 99 counties with nearly 700 confirmed cases. The death toll from the pandemic in Iowa now stands at 11.

To be fair, Governor Kim Reynolds is continuing the State Public Health Emergency Declaration. This includes the closure of schools until April 30th. The proclamation also extends closures and limits placed on bars and restaurants, prohibits social gatherings of more than ten people, among other things. However, is this enough? Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, just said on Thursday "he doesn't understand why every state hasn't issued stay-at-home orders."

What's the difference between "stay at home" and "shelter in place'? Nothing really, it's just a matter of semantics. In both cases, people are encouraged to stay home, except for essential activities, which include buying food and health care. By the way, violations of any of the governor's public health orders is a simple misdemeanor.

So is it really just a matter of quibbling over wording?...or do we need an official proclamation from the Governor?

I SAY "YES"!

Would anything really change from what we're doing now? No, but declaring a "lockdown" sure sounds more urgent to me! I feel like a lot of people are taking this crisis way too lightly and they need to be told what to do and they need to listen! If the governor makes it mandatory it feels more official rather than just a "helpful hint".

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