IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is urging residents to follow her new partial mask mandate, while claiming “there’s science on both sides” about whether face coverings reduce the spread of coronavirus. After months of opposition, Reynolds signed an order Monday that requires people to wear masks in indoor public places under some circumstances.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds gives a primetime televised address announcing new efforts to combat COVID-19 in the state, on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, at Iowa PBS, in Johnston, Iowa. (Kelsey Kremer/The Des Moines Register via AP)

She said that she changed course because the state has seen an exponential increase in the number of people hospitalized with the virus this month. She warned that without action, hospitals will be overwhelmed and people will be at risk of not being able to get medical care of any kind.