Today, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been notified of 534 additional positive cases for a total of 9,703 positive cases. There have been an additional 3,441 negative tests for a total of 47,458 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs. Eighty-five percent of new positive cases are in the 22 counties where restrictions remain in place.
No new cases were reported in Greene County; the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the county remains at 11.
According to IDPH, an additional four deaths were also reported, bringing the total number of deaths to 188. There are 389 Iowans currently hospitalized with COVID-19, and 3,486 Iowans have recovered. At this time, 1 in 55 Iowans have already been tested.
The additional deaths were as follows:
• Appanoose County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Jasper County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Poweshiek County, 1 elderly adult (81+)
• Wapello County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
Gov Kim Reynolds said at her press briefing Monday that numbers were high over the weekend due to the effort at the State Hygienic Lab to work through a backlog of tests. She said the work was caught up as of Monday, and that a total of 17,098 rests were run last week.
She admitted that not all Iowans received test results within the expected 72 hours because of the volume of testing and validation of the Test Iowa results. She again said delayed test results is a temporary issue.
Reynolds noted Public Service Recognition Week this week, a time set aside to honor federal, state, county and local government employees. “This year it’s especially fitting to recognize the employees of our state agencies, many of whom are serving on the front lines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Reynolds said.
Department of Human Services director Kelly Garcia talked about how response to the first postivie COVID-19 case at the Woodward Resource Center last week. It was the first positive case among the six facilities DHS operates. As of Monday, six Woodward clients have tested positive. “Not dissimilar to long term care facilities, our employees are in close contact with some of Iowa’s most vulnerable individuals, and we’ve undertaken significant efforts to keep everyone safe,” Garcia said.
Garcia reported that nine DHS employees at five facilities have tested positive as well. Most of the employees had not been on campus for several days before receiving the positive results, nor had they had client interaction, Garcia said.
Reynolds was asked during the Q & A about a conference call with other governors earlier in the day dealing with reopening strategies. The journalist asked the governor to clarify what she meant when she named “growth” as the next phase.
Reynolds answered the first phase discussed during the call was stabilization, mitigation and resource management. The second phase is easing restrictions during a containment and management of virus activity. She said that’s the phase 77 Iowa counties are in with restrictions eased as of May 1.
The public health emergency declaration in place now expires May 15.
Reynolds said later in the week she will provide information about the Economic Recovery Task Force, and that will be the growth phase, after stabilization and then containment and virus activity management.
An Associated Press reporter asked Reynolds how she is balancing “political pressure to reopen the state with the data you’re reviewing and the real-life implications of reopening.”
“This isn’t political,” Reynolds answered. “That’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to stand here every day and talk to Iowans about making decisions based on data and metrics, based on the expertise I have working for the citizens of Iowa, whether it’s the Department of Public Health… or collaboration with the CDC.
“These are some of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make as governor…. We can’t look at it from one isolated perspective. You have to look at it from the health, the mental well-being, the livelihood of Iowans… Iowans are meant to work and we need to open back up, but we have to do it in a safe and responsible manner. This isn’t political and it shouldn’t be for anybody. It’s about trying to do the right thing in an unprecedented time to really manage the health of Iowans and their livelihood. We’re going to continue to make decisions based on great recommendations from a group of experts I feel confident in the information they’re providing me.”
COVID numbers are continuing to climb in areas in which restrictions have been eased. A journalist asked Reynolds if there are metrics for putting more strict measures back in place in some of those 77 counties. Reynolds said IDPH is looking closely and spikes in numbers on a daily basis, and that testing and contact tracing allows a rapid, efficient response. She said as mitigation controls are eased, responsibility is being assumed by taken by businesses and entities for the health of the public.
The state of Iowa has released an updated dashboard on coronavirus.iowa.gov that will be updated daily to include comprehensive tracking of COVID-19 in Iowa.
