Iowa City, Iowa – Iowa regulators ordered health care providers Friday to take steps to address a shortage of personal protective equipment for workers seeing an increase in coronavirus patients.

The Iowa Department of Public Health issued an emergency order telling providers what to do if they cannot get enough face masks, shields and gowns to provide standard care. The order requires them to first take several steps to decrease demand for the equipment if they haven’t done so already, like cancelling elective procedures.

If they face shortages, workers are directed to not change their face masks for each patient encounter, use washable gowns and shorten hospital stays for medically stable coronavirus patients. As a final step in a crisis situation, providers would be directed to reuse some face masks and gowns, prioritize masks for only essential activities and consider alternative approaches such as homemade masks.

Department deputy director Sarah Reisetter said the order may be “unsettling” but was a necessary step. She said that supplies are low in Iowa and around the world and finding more has been difficult.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said that about 20% of the nearly 1,400 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state involve health care workers.

– Associated Press