Just more than a month after closing businesses to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Kim Reynolds has given some businesses in 77 of Iowa's 99 counties permission to operate again, with some limitations, starting Friday.

The counties that can partially reopen either have no confirmed coronavirus activity or have seen a downward trend in positive COVID-19 cases over the past 14 days, Reynolds said Monday.

The Republican governor also lifted statewide restrictions on spiritual and religious gatherings that had been in place since March 17, as long those institutions follow social distancing guidelines and sanitize gathering spaces.

Among the businesses that can operate in those 77 counties:

Restaurants can open at 50% of their normal operating capacity. Restaurants cannot seat more than six people at a table, and all tables must be at least six feet apart. Restaurants cannot have buffets or other self-serve items.

Malls, fitness centers, libraries and retail stores can also open at 50% of their legal occupancy capacity, which is determined by fire code. Mall operators must keep play areas and other common seating areas, such as food courts, closed.

Race tracks, other than those conducting horse or dog races, can reopen as long as they do not permit spectators.

Social, community, recreational and leisure sporting events are limited to 10 people or fewer.

The governor already has eased some of her restrictions. Effective Monday, Reynolds lifted Iowa’s ban on nonessential surgeries and allowed farmers' markets to open again.

Other businesses will remain closed through May 15 — two weeks after the governor's initial emergency proclamation closing businesses was set to expire.

Reynolds said she is moving from an "aggressive mitigation strategy" to a focus on targeted containment so Iowa can begin to kick-start its economy again. She acknowledged COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, is likely to be in the state until a vaccine is developed.

"Instead, we must learn to live with COVID virus activity without letting it govern our lives," Reynolds said.

A total of 5,868 people have tested positive for COVID-19 statewide, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. The IDPH reported Monday that an additional nine people with COVID-19 have died, for a total of 127 deaths attributed to the disease.

Some states have begun lifting restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the virus. Conservative activists have organized anti-quarantine protests at several state capitols, even though national polling shows a majority of Americans oppose lifting restrictions too quickly for fear the pandemic could worsen.

Reynolds, who has been noting recently that most of the state's cases are in a handful of counties, has forbidden those hard-hit counties from reopening. They include the state's largest — Polk — as well as counties with virus outbreaks, like Black Hawk, Louisa, Linn, Tama and Johnson.

In addition to those six, the other counties not allowed to reopen are Allamakee; Benton; Bremer; Dallas; Des Moines; Dubuque; Fayette; Henry; Iowa; Jasper; Marshall; Muscatine; Poweshiek; Scott; Washington and Woodbury.

Some of the 77 counties where restrictions will be eased Friday have had recent spikes in newly reported cases. Twelve cases were reported in Winneshiek County on Sunday, doubling the county's total. Fifteen of the 27 cases in Pottawattamie County have been reported in the past two weeks, including seven in the past three days. Overall, 18 of the 77 counties have had more than 20% of their cases reported within the past three days.

Reynolds said she came to her decision to reopen businesses by looking at factors including new virus activity, the rate of positive cases in a county, hospitalization rates and the number of people who have recovered from the virus.

She said her team will monitor cases in those counties and will consider bringing back the restrictions. She still encouraged people to stay home when they're sick and isolate for 14 days if they've been exposed to the coronavirus.

"If we do see an uptick and we start to see some of the numbers really start to spike, then we’re going to have to take a look at maybe dialing back some of those things, too," the governor said.

Medical experts warn about dangers of increased social interaction

Dr. Hans House, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, said he thinks it's too soon to reopen any part of the state, urging the governor to instead wait for "a stable case count."

"I would like to see a decline in cases before we restart most interactions and reopen businesses like restaurants," he said. "We are still very much on the upswing."

Iowa officials expect the state's positive cases of coronavirus to peak in the next few weeks, meaning more patients will be using medical resources such as hospital beds and ventilators. Having people interact too soon and potentially spread the virus may overwhelm Iowa's health systems, House said.

In a statement, the Iowa Medical Society, the state's largest professional organization for physicians, sounded a similar note of caution, saying Iowans need to continue limiting travel outside the home and following health guidelines to ensure that increased social interaction doesn't "overwhelm" the health system.

"A sudden influx in social interactions is all but certain to cause a spike in new COVID-19 patients and potentially overwhelm our healthcare system. No area of our state is immune from these concerns. Until an effective treatment protocol is identified or a vaccine is discovered, we must accept that we will not be able to return to the normal routines we enjoyed just a few months ago," the group's statement said in part.

'We are aching and eager to come back to normal'

Representatives of Iowa businesses and houses of worship are weighing whether and how to reopen in light of Reynolds' proclamation. Many welcomed the news.

The Mother Mosque of America in Cedar Rapids will begin offering prayers at the mosque again with restrictions in place. Imam Taha Tawil said it will be especially meaningful to allow worship to resume during the holy month of Ramadan, which runs from April 23 to May 23.

"It’s great news because we are aching and eager to come back to normal, to come back to our worship and to have our prayers done at the mosque as usual," he said.

Jodi Hamilton owns The Diva Inside, a boutique with a location in Boone and another in Ames. While Monday’s proclamation clears both locations for reopening, Hamilton said she plans to keep the Ames store closed for a while longer: It’s a smaller space, with less room for social distancing.

At her store in Boone, Hamilton said she will allow only two or three customers in at a time and will ask them to wear masks. She will wear a mask and gloves while working. Shoppers can also make an appointment to shop solo, if they prefer.

“How do I keep my business running but keep my customers safe?” she said. “Because when it comes down to it, really, my customers are more important to me than making money.”

Randy Russell of the Lucky Pig Pub & Grill in Boone County said he’s ready to reopen on Friday. He plans to operate with his normal hours, but the service will be a little different than usual, with tables six feet apart and only half the capacity of guests.

“It’s absolutely going to hurt compared to regular business, but it’s better than nothing,” said Russell, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Deb. “We’ll do what we have to do to get back to full steam.”

Since Reynolds suspended dine-in service in mid-March, the Lucky Pig has offered takeout and delivery from its Ogden location. Russell estimated he’s earned 15% to 20% of his usual sales.

He expects the return to the status quo to be “a slow climb,” but he thinks many people — including customers in still-restricted Polk County — will be eager to eat out.

“People want the atmosphere. They want the experience. They’re tired of cooking at home,” Russell said. “I think we should see plenty of people coming from (Des Moines).”

Register journalists Katie Akin, Tim Webber and Tony Leys contributed to this article.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach him at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or 515-284-8169.

Support reporters who follow your government by becoming a subscriber. Sign up at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal.