COVID-19

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

Recent Updates

City Launches Eviction Prevention Program | May 29, 2020
The program provides low to moderate-income households impacted by COVID-19 with rent and utility payment assistance. Read more…

Bike Share Program Returns | May 29, 2020
Cedar Rapids’ Bike Share program is returning this year. Bikes and scooters will begin arriving within the next two weeks (first two weeks of June). Read more…

Cedar Rapids Park Amenities to Reopen June 1 | May 28, 2020
The Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department announces the reopening of many park amenities on June 1. Read more…

City of Cedar Rapids Facility Closures Extended | May 28, 2020
The City of Cedar Rapids is extending building closures to the public through July 6, 2020. Closed facilities include City Hall, City Services Center, Cedar Rapids Water Administration, Central Fire Station, Animal Care and Control, Cedar Rapids Police Station,and NW Recreation Center. Read more…

Municipal Pools to Stay Closed | May 14, 2020
To protect the safety of employees and the public, the City of Cedar Rapids will not open Bever, Bender, Jones, Ellis, Cherry Hill and Noelridge Pools and Aquatic Centers this summer. Read more…

City of Cedar Rapids Transit Service Resumes Monday | May 14, 2020
City of Cedar Rapids Transit service will resume beginning Monday, May 18, 2020. Transit Service will be available on weekdays, Monday through Friday from 5:15 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with hourly service on all routes except for Route 5, which will run in 15 minute intervals. There will be no weekday peak service or Saturday service at this time. Read more…

Business Reopening Toolkit Now Available | May 11, 2020
A comprehensive business reopening guide is now available for businesses to use as they begin to restart operations. Download Toolkit… Review FAQ…

View Update Archive

City of Cedar Rapids Information

In This Section:

City Business

The City continues to operate and maintain essential services to the public. Many services and city business can be conducted online or over the phone. View a full list of online resources.

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Building Closures

In an effort to limit public interactions and gatherings, several City of Cedar Rapids facilities will be closed to the general public effective through July 6, 2020.

This includes:

City Hall (101 1st Street SE)
City Services Center (500 15th Avenue SW)
Cedar Rapids Water Administration (1111 Shaver Road NE)
Central Fire Station (713 1st Avenue SE)
Animal Care and Control (7421 Washington View Parkway SW)
Cedar Rapids Police Station (505 1st Street SW)
NW Recreation Center (1340 11th Street NW)
Downtown Library (450 5th Avenue SE)
Ladd Library (3750 Williams Boulevar SW)

Departments are making efforts to ensure minimal disruption to public services during this time. A drop-box has been installed outside the City Services Center front lobby doors for those dropping off permits, payment, or other paperwork that would normally be dropped off in person at the front counter. A drop-box is also available at the front of City Hall and the Water Administration Building.

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Public Meetings

Non-essential public meetings have been canceled until further notice. Watch this page for virtual public meeting announcements.

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Utilities

Solid Waste & Recycling
The division is observing routine collection.

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Water Service

Access to clean water is important to the public health of our community. The Utilities Department recognizes the particularly critical role its water supply can play in promoting proper sanitation and hand washing to curb the spread of coronavirus.

To comply with public health guidance, the Department will temporarily suspend water service termination for delinquent accounts until further notice. Late payment charges are not being applied to customers' accounts at this time. Charges for Utility services (Water, Sewer, Storm Water, and Solid Waste) continue to be billed to our customers based on daily charges and the customer’s actual Water and Sewer volumetric usage/consumption. We encourage those who are having difficulties making payments to contact our customer service team to discuss options for paying their account balance.

While walk-in access to the Water Administration building is temporarily suspended, the City of Cedar Rapids offers several ways to complete payments and fulfill its customer service needs:

Online Payments at www.CityofCR.com/Water
Customer Service by Phone at 319-286-5900
Drop Boxes at City Hall and Water Administration Building are still in service

The COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking-water supplies. Based on current evidence, the risk to our water supply is low. EPA recommends that Americans continue to use and drink tap water as usual. According to the CDC, washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds helps prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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Water Pollution Control & Sewer

The Sewer division reminds customers that, apart from wastewater, only the “Three P’s” can go down the drain — toilet Paper, Poo, and Pee. “Flushable” wipes are not safe for the sewer system and — like fats, oils, and grease — can cause build up and clog pipes.

The toilet is NOT a trash can. Please do not flush:

Baby wipes
Kitchen cleaning/disinfecting wipes
Makeup removal pads
Paper towels
Tissues
Toilet brush pads
Diapers or nursing pads
Hygiene products
Personal care products

Find more information from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies at nacwa.org/toilets

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Transit Service

Beginning Monday, May 18, City of Cedar Rapids Transit service will be available on weekdays, Monday through Friday from 5:15 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with hourly service on all routes except for Route 5, which will run in 15 minute intervals. There will be no weekday peak service or Saturday service at this time. Read more about precautions and requirements for riders.

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Parks & Recreation

The Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department will reopen playgrounds on June 1. All playgrounds throughout the Cedar Rapids park system were fully disinfected while closed. Signage will be placed at the 52 playground sites reminding park users to practice social distancing, stay home if they are not feeling well, and to use hand sanitizer before, during and after play.

In addition, beginning on June 1, ballfields in parks will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, unless a user group has a preexisting agreement that is in place for a location. The Riverside Skate Park will also reopen on June 1. Staff will begin reinstalling basketball hoops and sand volleyball nets throughout the week. Tennis courts have already been re-opened. Posted signage will list recommended guidelines. Splash pads remain closed by proclamation of Governor Reynolds until June 17.

Park pavilions will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Restrooms will remain closed and patrons are asked to continue carrying out their trash at this time. Ushers Ferry Lodge will be available to rent in June with a new capacity of 150 people which is 50 percent of normal capacity. The facility will receive additional cleaning and users will be required to follow public health guidelines for social distancing.

Twin Pines Golf Course will open on June 4. The course’s clubhouse and driving range will soon be fully ADA accessible. Social distancing will be required in the clubhouse, parking lot, and on all golf property. Loitering will not be allowed inside the clubhouse and outside picnic tables have been placed 6 feet apart. Carts and push carts will be disinfected after each use. Ball washers, water coolers, and sand trap rakes will not be used. Cup holes have been raised to allow golfers to retrieve their ball without touching the sides of the cup, and golfers are asked to leave the flag stick in the cup. Only credit card payment will be allowed, and all staff at the course and clubhouse will wear masks. Jones Golf Course remains closed. The decision to open it will be based on the overall demand for golf after Twin Pines has opened.

Facilities currently closed include:

Bender Pool
Jones and Twin Pines Golf Courses
Northwest Recreation Center
Tait Cummins Sports Complex
Tuma Sports Complex
Riverside Skate Park
Outdoor basketball courts, volleyball courts, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, and baseball fields.

Program changes include:

Canceled:

Pavilion rentals from May 1 through May 15.
Preseason pool pass sales at Noelridge and Cherry Hill Aquatic Centers on May 2, 9 and 16.
Mother's Day Open House at the Noelridge Greenhouse, scheduled for May 10. The sale of plants and flowers produced at the greenhouse will be moved online with details to come.
Easter Open House at the Noelridge Greenhouse, scheduled for Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12.
April session of swim lessons at Bender Pool. The next session of swim lessons is scheduled to be held in June.
Open swim and water exercise
Open gym at Northwest Recreation Center

Postponed:

Noelridge Farmers Market, scheduled to begin May 1, is postponed to a later date.
Old MacDonald’s Farm in Bever Park will tentatively open in May.
Arbor Day celebrations are postponed to a later date.
The opening of park restrooms, drinking fountains and pavilions are postponed to a date to be determined. Patrons are asked to provide their own drinking water and hand sanitizer.

Municipal pools to remain closed for Summer 2020:

To protect the safety of employees and the public, the City of Cedar Rapids will not open Bever, Bender, Jones, Ellis, Cherry Hill and Noelridge Pools and Aquatic Centers this summer. The City has spent more than six weeks reviewing potential guidelines for operation and determining if accommodations could be made to safely allow public swimming. With over 160,000 pool users each summer, the potential for exposure to COVID-19 exists, even following guidelines, due to the number of surfaces at the facilities that are touched by hundreds of people each hour. In addition, social distancing within the pool and lifesaving would be problematic. Read more…

Please Note While Using Parks:

Cedar Rapids has more than 97 parks and trails on over 4,171 acres of land. The Parks and Recreation Department urges the public to explore smaller parks that are less congested when they go out. A complete list of parks with amenities is available at www.CityofCR.com/ParksFinder.

When using parks, follow these guidelines:

Maintain social distancing standards of a minimum of six feet between you and other park users.
Do not gather in groups beyond members of your own household.
Do not use park amenities where social distancing cannot be followed.
Please carry out any trash that is brought into the parks.
If you have been sick in the last two weeks or have a cough, fever or other flu like symptoms, stay home for your health and the safety of others.
Individuals 60 years of age and older, or those with underlying conditions, should stay at home to avoid potential exposures.
Trail users on any trail system are encouraged to maintain distance between themselves and others by signaling their presence with voice, bell or horn, and stepping off the trail to allow others to pass.

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Park CR Downtown Parking

Cedar Rapids’ downtown parking system has enacted changes to provide assistance to downtown workers and businesses during this time.

On-street parking regulations remain in effect for safety and control purposes only, with enforcement limited to public safety concerns and situations in which violators are significantly impeding businesses or city services.

Monthly permit parking fees are waived for April.

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Partnerships & Planning

The City of Cedar Rapids is working with local, state and federal partners to keep our community informed about the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

The City currently has a plan in place to keep our employees safe so that they can continue to provide essential services to our community. We also want to make sure that we provide facts and prevention tips from our partners, like Linn County Public Health and the Iowa Department of Public Health.

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Videos

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The FAQs have been moved to another page.

View COVID-19 FAQs »

Rumor Control and Trusted Sources

As we continue our efforts of promoting official, verified information, we wanted to provide residents with a list of trusted sources. While this list is certainly not exhaustive, it includes a snapshot of trusted sources in the healthcare, food, and transportation industries. Their respective social media pages are the best places to find and share information that addresses many resident concerns and rumors.

The FEMA rumor control page can be found here: https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus-rumor-control. The purpose of the FEMA page is to help the public distinguish between rumors and facts . Rumors can easily circulate within communities during a crisis. We can all stop the spread of disinformation by following 3 key steps: don’t believe the rumors, don’t pass them along, and go to trusted sources of information to get the facts. Encourage your friends and families to do the same, and be advocates for responsible and accurate messaging during this already stressful time.

The City has been actively addressing rumors and posting factual information on City communications channels. Recent rumors about COVID-19 “at home” test kits was addressed on the City’s Facebook page (there are no FDA approved kits currently on the market).

The official City communications channels include:

Iowa State of Public Health Disaster Emergency

The Governor issued a State of Public Health Disaster Emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 27, a new proclamation continues the State Public Health Emergency Declaration through May 27, 2020. The proclamation loosens social distancing measures in 77 Iowa counties effective Friday, May 1 and continues other restrictions until 11:50 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2020. Linn County's social distancing measures were not loosened.

View proclamation.

COVID-19 Coronavirus Prevention Information

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The Center for Disease Control always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

The Iowa Department of Public Health has provided guidance for businesses, schools, healthcare, long-term care, general public, and travelers.

It is important for Cedar Rapids residents to prepare for the potential of COVID-19 in the same way they prepare for severe weather or other events that could disrupt their normal routine.

Make a plan and discuss it with your family. What would you do if you could not go to work or school because of illness? What if your daycare provider was ill? How would you get groceries if you were ill? These are all questions to think about.
It is normal to be concerned about a new virus.

Being uncertain and anxious about COVID-19 is normal, especially with reports of illness and death in other countries.
It is important to understand the risk of influenza is much higher than the risk of COVID-19 in Iowa right now.
Prevention of COVID-19 is the same as that for other respiratory illnesses (like flu).

The Center for Disease Control has the following recommendations to stop the spread of germs:

Mayor Brad Hart Facebook Live Video Transcript

City of Cedar Rapids

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Alert Detail

City of Cedar Rapids

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

On This Page:

Recent Updates

City of Cedar Rapids Information

City Business

Building Closures

Public Meetings

Utilities

Transit Service

Parks & Recreation

Park CR Downtown Parking

Partnerships & Planning

Videos

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Rumor Control and Trusted Sources

Iowa State of Public Health Disaster Emergency

COVID-19 Coronavirus Prevention Information