(Radio Iowa) – A local health official is scolding University of Iowa football fans for packing into downtown Iowa City bars on Saturday to watch the first game of the season. At times, the lines at some establishments stretched out the door. The crowded, indoor social gatherings during the pandemic are a concern for Sam Jarvis, the community health manager for Johnson County Public Health.

Elsewhere in town, students held large house parties, or pulled TVs outside to watch the Hawks in small groups. Jarvis says it’s incredibly important for Iowans to continue to take precautions to slow the spread of coronavirus.

COVID-19 cases in Johnson County declined dramatically after Governor Kim Reynolds closed bars earlier this fall. Now that those restrictions are lifted, a resurgence in cases is a constant worry. Statewide, hospitals are seeing a surge in patients as cases and deaths increase. According to the New York Times, Iowa’s death rate is twice that of the nation as a whole.

(By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)