Gov. Kim Reynolds announced state authorities are “confident” there is now community spread of COVID-19 ongoing in Iowa in a press conference late Saturday.

Community spread occurs when individuals have been infected and public health officials cannot specifically identify the source of the infection or determine how or where they became infected, Reynolds said.

The governor also announced an additional case of the disease in a Dallas County resident, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 18. She said Iowans should not gather in groups larger than 250 and said she would meet with legislative leaders Sunday to talk about plans for the rest of the ongoing legislative session.

Reynolds did not advise Iowa schools to close in her press conference.

“At this time we are not recommending school closures, but based on CDC guidance, if a school has a positive case in a student, faculty member or visitor, we recommend a short-term suspension for a few days for cleaning to mitigate spread of the virus,” Reynolds said. “If there is significant absenteeism of staff and students, they should consider a short to medium length suspension of two to four weeks. Or, for substantial community spread, and we are not there yet, we would look at longer suspensions of four to eight weeks or more.”

The governor said individuals over 60 years old or older with underlying conditions should stay at home to avoid exposure and avoid travel to affected areas.

“As we have done and continue to do, we encourage Iowans to implement personal protective measures, stay at home when sick, wash their hands, cover coughs and sneezes, clean frequently touched surfaces daily, ensure hand-hygiene supplies are readily available in buildings and if you are sick, call your doctor first before you go for an appointment,” Reynolds said.