Although Greene County hasn’t been on the list of counties in which residents have tested positive for COVID-19, residents shouldn’t assume the virus isn’t here.
At Gov Reynolds’ daily press conference Sunday (March 29), Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) deputy director Sarah Reisetter said the virus is everywhere.
Reisetter was answering a question about the map IDPH updates showing where COVID-19 patients live. The question came from a reporter in Carroll, who asked “if folks in western Iowa have a false sense of security, and perhaps it (the virus) has spread further?”
Reynolds said tests have been done in all 99 counties. Reisetter added, “It should be every Iowan’s assumption that the virus is currently circulating in their community. We all stand up here like a broken record, but those mitigation strategies are very important regardless of where you live in Iowa at this time.”
Reisetter said case counts are expected to continue increasing, with a “first peak” in the next two to three weeks. “That could change, but that would be our best estimate right now,” she said.
Reynolds tipped her hand about what she thinks the length of public health emergency might be. She was answering a question about the federal stimulus packages, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed Friday by the president.
She said she had reached out to Iowa’s congressional delegation to make sure they knew how Iowa was being impacted by the pandemic. “It’s going to take a while to walk through this (CARES Act) and see what they’ve included and what the state has done and how we can stack and really minimize the impact and get people through these next, hopefully, four months and get this economy back going,” she said.
Sen Joni Ernst participated in the press conference via a video link to her home in Red Oak. She named the basic elements of the CARES Act, including that it provides increased support for commodity purchases in an effort to shore up the agricultural economy.
During her prepared comments, Reynolds again said that 80 percent of those who get COVID-19 will have only mild symptoms and can recover at home without medical attention. (Click here for a previous GCNO post that explains at-home self-care.)
Daily information from the IDPH shows 38 additional positive cases of Iowans with COVID-19, for a total of 336 positive cases. There have been a total of 5,013 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs.
According to IDPH, one Iowan with COVID-19 passed away Saturday, an older adult (61-80 years) from Linn County.
According to IDPH, the locations and age ranges of the 38 new COVID-19 patients include:
• Cedar County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Cerro Gordo County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
• Dallas County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Dubuque County, 1 child (0-17 years), 2 middle-aged adults (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Henry County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Iowa County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
• Jasper County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Johnson County, 2 adults (18-40), 2 middle-aged adults (41-60 years)
• Linn County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 3 middle-aged adults (41-60 years), 2 older adults (61-80 years)
• Marshall County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
• Polk County, 2 adults (18-40 years), 2 middle-aged adults (41-60 years) 5 older adults (61-80 years),1 elderly adult (81+)
• Tama County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
• Washington County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years), 1 elderly adult (81+)
• Winneshiek County 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
• Woodbury County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
