All Iowans encouraged to participate
Governor Kim Reynolds on Tuesday launched the Test Iowa Initiative to expand testing capacity to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Iowa. The state is partnering with Nomi Health and its subsidiary DOMO, which has already launched a similar initiative in the state of Utah.
Gov. Reynolds made the announcement at today’s news conference. “As Iowa and the nation prepare to re-open, the ability to conduct large-scale assessment and testing is critical to understand how prevalent the disease is and how it’s evolving,” Reynolds said.
She is looking at Test Iowa to provide data that will help control the novel coronavirus “while making evidence-based decisions on how to ease the restrictions that have impacted our daily lives, and begin to open up our businesses in a safe and responsible manner.”
“Iowa is now the second state in the nation to deploy this ambitious initiative, and starting today I am encouraging Iowans to go to testIowa.com to complete their own health assessment,” said Reynolds. “This type of information will help Iowans assess eligibility for testing and further inform the state’s response to COVID-19.”
The Test Iowa initiative includes an assessment that was developed in coordination with the Iowa Department of Public Health. It will better inform Iowans of their current health status, whether or not they should get a COVID-19 test, and instructions on how to get tested. The assessment asks about existing symptoms and occupational considerations.
Up to 540,000 tests will be available through the initiative over the next six months. That’s in addition to tests available using current sources. The additional tests were located through a Utah-based private partnership, Silicon Slopes. Silicon Slopes located testing by using “non-obvious sources” domestically and overseas, according to Morgan Nelson, CEO of Silicon Slopes.
Those who will be tested first will include first responders and healthcare providers, followed by highly symptomatic persons and then asymptomatic persons.
The assessment queries a person’s symptoms, his or her exposure to COVID, and travel to areas with a high incidence of the disease. Persons who should be tested receive information about scheduling a test and a QR code to take to the test site.
The initiative includes drive-thru testing. The locations for the testing will be determined based on answers to the online assessment. Persons receive their test results along with recommendations for treatment.
Qualtrax Inc is part of the Utah partnership. Qualtrax provides compliance software focusing on highly-regulated industries. It has ISO 27001 certification, meaning it meets stringent requirements for cyber security. All information will be encrypted in storage and in transit. The data will be owned by the state of Iowa. HIPAA provisions apply.
The Test Iowa initiative is being funded through a federal block grant to the state for COVID-19 mitigation.
Governor Reynolds also kicked off the #TestIowaChallenge in a video encouraging Iowans to go to testIowa.com and complete the assessment. The #TestIowaChallenge encourages all Iowans regardless of symptoms to take the assessment and get tested if needed. Those part of the essential workforce are especially encouraged to take the assessment and then get tested if needed.
Watch the Governor Reynolds’ #TestIowaChallenge video here.
Reynolds opened her daily press briefing with numbers. According to IDPH, there were 482 new cases reported during the 24 hours preceding April 20 at 10 am. That brings the state’s total to 3,641 cases. Cherokee and Humboldt counties were added to the list of COVID-positive counties. Eighty-four of Iowa’s 99 counties have had at least once case.
One-third of the new positive cases were diagnosed through surveillance testing done at meat packing plants.
Four deaths reported, all of them related to long term care outbreaks. An adult age 81 or older died in Linn County, and two adults age 81 or older and one adult age 61-80 died in Polk County. Fifty-one percent of all deaths have been long term care residents. The death toll is now at 83.
Reynolds provided a new statistic: one in every 113 Iowans have been tested.
More information is available at coronavirusIowa.gov
