Greene County can’t claim the lowest positivity rate for Covid-19 testing in contiguous counties going into the weekend. As of Friday morning, Nov. 6, the 14-day positivity rate is 12.4 percent, according to Greene County public health director Becky Wolf. The Iowa Department of Public Health’s coronavirus.iowa website shows Greene County at 12.7 percent. Boone County has a lower rate at 11.8 percent, Carroll County has the highest rate of contiguous counties at 21.8 percent. Thirteen counties have positivity rates lower than Greene.
There have been 36 new cases in the county in the past three days, 43 in the past seven days, and 61 new cases in the past 14 days. The total cases as of Friday morning stands at 258.
There are currently 109 active cases and 149 persons have recovered. Forty-five percent had no pre-existing health condition and 32 percent had no Covid symptoms.
Breakdown for age groups for positive cases is as follows:
- 0-18 years: 11 percent
- 19-39 years: 35 percent
- 40-59 years: 34 percent
- 60-74 years: 17 percent
- 80 and older: 3 percent
People who have active Covid-19 should remain isolated as recommended by Greene County public health, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control. They should remain isolated, including from other household members, until there is no fever for at least 24 hours (without any over-the-counter medication) AND symptoms have improved AND at least 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms.
Greene County public health staff will contact persons with new positive test results to share information about dealing with the illness and isolation. Persons who have questions can call the public health department at 515-386-0564.
Wolf asks the public to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by following the Three Ws:
- Wash your hands
- Watch your distance
- Wear a mask.
Wearing a mask, especially when in close proximity to others, is crucial for slowing the spread of Covid-19, but masks must be worn correctly to decrease the risk of becoming infected and spreading the virus to others. Common mistakes when wearing masks include
- Dangling the mask from one ear
- Wearing the mask below the nose
- Resting the mask below the chin.
A mask must cover both the nose and mouth to be effective.
