S-N Editorial: Where's the common sense?

The pandemic has reached its eighth month, but it feels like eight years. There's still no end in sight and hope is admittedly hard to come by these days – it's just one thing after another.

COVID-19 hasn't gone anywhere. The threat is still very real, and here in the Hawkeye State, lackluster leadership and poor decisions have led to a spike in cases. Ames, home to Iowa State University, was identified by the New York Times for having the highest number of new cases in the country relative to its population over the last two weeks. Just a short drive down I-80 to Iowa City, you'll find the No. 2 coronavirus hotspot in the country at the University of Iowa. Who knew the Cy-Hawk rivalry could get so grim?

Iowa's inability to enact stronger preventative measures has drawn the eye of federal officials. According to a report in the Des Moines Register, White House coronavirus experts warned Iowa leaders on Aug. 30 that the state has the country's steepest coronavirus outbreak. They urged the closing of bars in 61 counties and to test all returning college students for the virus. The recommendations were significantly stronger than ones put in place by Gov. Kim Reynolds, who last week ordered bars and other establishments closed in only six counties.

Iowa's lip-service effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is bearing its fruit. Public health officials for months warned the state wasn't doing enough to reduce infection rates, but those alarms fell on deaf ears. Reynolds seemed more prone to please the president than protect the public, and now that very administration is telling her to step it up. The White House on Aug. 23 also urged Iowa to require mask-wearing statewide, but Reynolds has repeatedly swatted down those suggestions. She believes such mandates are unenforceable, and repeatedly said she trusts Iowans to do the right thing voluntarily. We aren't.

One of the more shocking developments this week came from the campus of nation's the No. 1 hotspot. ISU is still planning on playing its football game Saturday, and in a stunning move, will allow 25,000 fans into the stadium. While strict protocol will be enforced, the optics are absolutely terrible. This state is a laughingstock and we're only making it worse. Story County, where Ames is located, is one of the six counties affected by Reynolds' edict last week, but apparently college football stadiums were exempted.

Whether Reynolds reverses course and heeds suggestions from Washington is anyone's guess. It's becoming increasingly clear we're just making this up as we go and never making the right choice. Leadership is clearly lacking in Des Moines. Failing to forcefully implement certain protocols is only going to make the pain worse by repeatedly forcing businesses to close, re-open and close again. Schools will be next. Like Florida, Texas and Arizona earlier this summer, we're stuck in reverse and have no idea how to shift out of it.

We all know what preventative measures help slow the spread of coronavirus. As Iowans, we pride ourselves on having strong common sense; however, we've sadly failed to use it over these last eight months. The proof is in the pudding, or in this case, infection rates.