On November 17, 2020, The Hill reported on a statement made by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R) regarding the justification for a state-wide mask mandate to curb the spread of COVID-19. When asked to justify the scientific basis for the mask mandate, Reynolds responded that “there’s science on both sides… If you look, you can find whatever you want to support wherever you’re at.”
The week before Governor Reynolds’ comment, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) released a new report confirming that mask wearing can help limit the spread of COVID-19, protecting both the wearer and others. In a brief, the CDC said that “studies demonstrate that cloth mask materials can . . . reduce wearer’s exposure to infectious droplets through filtration, including filtration of fine droplets and particles less than 10 microns.” The Hill reported that, although Reynolds’ initial comment contradicted recommendations of CDC officials and other health experts, her spokesman Pat Garrett did clarify that Reynolds “meant to say there are people on both sides of the issue.”
Update:
Reynolds lifted Iowa's state-wide mask mandate on February 7, 2021, and defended her decision to do so in a news conference three days later. In her statement, Reynolds said "Iowans know what to do. We've been telling them for a year what they need to do. And they're doing it." Reynolds' decision to lift the mask-mandate was criticized by public health experts, including the Iowa Public Health Association, which called it "actively detrimental to our pursuit to end the pandemic."