The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends frequent hand washing, avoiding close contact and staying home if you are sick as main areas of focus for prevention and containment of COVID-19.
A number of local governments are taking precautions because of rising COVID-19 cases in central Iowa, including in Polk County.
Among those measures is closing to the public or limiting access to its public buildings. Others are still open to the public.
Local 5 is On Your Side tracking what they're doing, and how it affects you and your family.
This list will be continually updated.
Altoona
Effective July 23, Altoona has decided to close all city offices until further notice, following recent recommendations from the Polk County Health Department.
The city shared the impact this will have on services to the community in a press release below:
More information about COVID-19 impacts in Altoona is available here.
Ankeny
City offices have been closed since March 17, a spokeswoman for the city said. However, the Ankeny Kirkendall Public Library reopened with restrictions on June 22.
More information on Ankeny's COVID-19 response is available here.
Clive
More than a week ago, leaders in Clive decided to close many of its public buildings because of increasing COVID-19 infections in Polk and Dallas County.
The closures, which took effect July 14, are scheduled to last until July 31.
The city posted on Facebook a specific breakdown of what's closed and what's open, such as trails and recreation programs.
The Clive Aquatic Center is still closed for open swimming, but limited lap swimming and small group swim lessons will continue.
The city has a special page on its website for COVID-19 information here.
Dallas County
Dallas County leaders have noted specific impacts COVID-19 have had on services to residents there.
For instance, the Assessor's Office is open with social distancing guidelines in effect. The county also highlights measures taken at the jail.
More information on specific offices, and their response to coronavirus, is available here.
De Soto
On July 29, the De Soto Police Department posted on Facebook that because of increasing COVID-19 cases, the city hall in that community will be closed until further notice.
They said staff will continue to be in the office, and ask residents to call for issues like utilities bills.
Des Moines
The City of Des Moines has closed facilities to the public until October 1. In addition, all deadlines for city permits, licenses, certifications and fines remain suspended until further notice.
Additionally, the July 31 deadline to request pet licences has been extended to Aug. 31.
More specific information on how the COVID-19 is affecting various facets of Des Moines' city services is available here.
Grimes
City Hall has not reopened in Grimes.
But that's because it's been under construction, according to City Administrator Jake Anderson.
"Given the trajectory of the COVID-19 numbers, we may need to close the facilities we’ve reopened," Anderson said. "We have not yet made that determination but are monitoring the situation closely."
Anderson told Local 5 that he anticipates the building will reopen when the project is done.
The public library is open, but is restricting the number of patrons inside the facility. The community center has also reopened, but Anderson said they are trying to keep "programming in the building to a minimum."
"City staff in all departments have been delivering services to the community. In some cases that has required creativity and extra effort," he said. "The change has been stressful for our employees and the public alike but I’m proud of the work our team is doing."
Johnston
City offices in Johnston are currently open. Recently, City Hall was closed until July 20 after a city employee tested positive for COVID-19.
More information on Johnston's COVID-19 response is available here.
Polk County
In the spring, Polk County officials made various closures and service modifications as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which were outlined in a Facebook post in March.
Polk County officials tell Local 5 that buildings are closed to the public, with the exception of the Courthouse. In addition, staff are still providing services online or by phone, and they urge you to call ahead if an in-person visit is necessary.
Urbandale
With cases of COVID-19 increasing, the City of Urbandale tweeted they've extended all city office and public building closures through August 31. This also includes the library, officials said.
Waukee
City offices in Waukee are restricted to authorized personnel only, according to a Facebook post from the city.
While City Hall and the Development Services Annex are "re-closed", the phone lines are still being staffed during office hours in those facilities.
In addition, Waukee City Council public meetings, and those of its boards and commissions are being done virtually.
More information is available here.
West Des Moines
A spokesperson for West Des Moines said city facilities are still open.
Updates on COVID-19 in the community are available here.
Windsor Heights
Over in Windsor Heights, its city council voted on Monday to close the community center through August 4 because of rising cases of COVID-19. The dog park is still open, officials said.
This comes after Windsor Heights leaders closed its city hall to the public until further notice earlier this month. A city employee tested positive for COVID-19.
Leaders posted on Facebook there is a dropbox outside of City Hall for residents who need to drop off paperwork.
Updates on COVID-19 in Windsor Heights are available at its website here.
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