The Iowa Department of Public Health reported an additional 2,782 positive cases of COVID-19 in the state. Now, Iowa’s individual case count is at 161,804 cases.

 In response to the increase in cases, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced in a press conference Tuesday she would require masks for indoor public gatherings exceeding 25 and outdoor gatherings of 100 or more people. 

The state of Iowa has a positivity rate of 15.4 percent while hospitals face capacity limits. Story county currently has 4,972 cases, ranking it in the top 10 counties for the highest cases in the state. 

Reynolds’ new proclamation will not apply to schools or religious gatherings. 

There have been 1,871 deaths in Iowa, 18 of them from Story county. Of these deaths, 1,217 cases have pre-existing conditions.