In a new Iowa Poll published on Sunday, 41 percent of the respondents who identified themselves as Republicans said they have no intention of being vaccinated against COVID-19. Among those who said they voted for Donald Trump in November, the rate of vaccine rejection was even higher, with 45 percent saying they have no intention […]
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All Iowans will become eligible for COVID-19 vaccination on April 5, Reynolds says
All adults in Iowa will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination starting on Monday, April 5, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced at her news conference on Wednesday. The new eligibility expansion will be contingent on the vaccine supply increasing. According to Reynolds, Biden administration officials assure the nation’s governors vaccine supplies will soon begin to […]
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Iowa Department of Public Health signed a $1.58 million deal with GOP-connected contact tracing company
With no public announcement, the Iowa Department of Public Health approved in January a contract extension for a company with ties to the Iowa Republican Party that the department hired in November to provide COVID-19 contact tracing assistance, Ryan Foley of the Associated Press reported on Friday. The three-month extension will pay MCI $1.58 million. […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Linn County Public Health will begin allocating vaccine to residents with underlying medical conditions starting next week
Linn County Public Health has made “significant changes” to vaccine allocation and will begin vaccinating residents with underlying medical conditions next week, the department announced on Sunday. The Iowa Department of Health announced last Thursday that adults under 65 who have a condition the CDC recognizes as putting them at higher risk of developing severe […]
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‘Extremely frustrating’: Linn County will not be receiving additional COVID-19 vaccines despite IDPH expanding eligibility
Linn County will not be receiving additional COVID-19 vaccines from the state despite the Iowa Department of Public Health expanding the number of individuals who will become eligible to be vaccinated. The Iowa Department of Health announced on Thursday that adults under 65 who have a condition the CDC recognizes as putting them at higher […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Cedar Rapids high schools will hold in-person graduation ceremonies this spring
Students graduating from the Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) will have an in-person graduation ceremony, the district said in an email to families on Friday. Ceremonies for Jefferson, Kennedy and Washington high schools will be held in the Alliant Energy PowerHouse, formerly known as the U.S. Cellular Center. The ceremony for Metro High School […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Iowans under 65 at increased risk from COVID-19 will be eligible for vaccination starting Monday
Starting Monday, adults under 65 who have a condition the CDC recognizes as putting them at higher risk of developing severe illness due to COVID-19 will become eligible to be vaccinated in Iowa, the Iowa Department of Public Health announced on Thursday evening. According to the CDC, “Adults of any age with the following conditions […]
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Gov. Reynolds assesses her pandemic performance ahead of Iowa’s COVID anniversary
Gov. Kim Reynolds began her news conference on Wednesday by noting that “almost 23 percent of eligible Iowans age 18 and up, and almost 70 percent — 69.5 — of older Iowans, age 65 and above, have received at least their first dose” of COVID-19 vaccine. The governor said she expects the rate of vaccination […]
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UI now planning in-person commencement ceremonies after Republican lawmaker introduces bill that would mandate them
The University of Iowa has reversed its decision to hold only virtual commencement ceremonies for its spring 2021 graduates in an attempt to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and will hold in-person ceremonies. UI announced on Feb. 3 it would be holding a virtual ceremony. In its statement, the university acknowledged “how much [in-person] […]
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UIHC warns about a COVID-19 vaccination phishing scam
The University of Iowa Health Care is warning about a scam related to COVID-19 vaccinations. In a message posted on social media, UIHC said people have been receiving phone calls from scammers who claim to be from UIHC and “can schedule your COVID-19 vaccination if you provide your social security number and credit card number.” […]
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Ninth annual Cedar Rapids Restaurant Week kicks off Saturday
Cedar Rapids Restaurant Week is kicking off its eight days of creative cuisine on Saturday, Feb. 20. The start of the ninth annual Restaurant Week will be celebrated via a Facebook Live event, according to the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance. The Metro Economic Alliance announced in December that the usual kick-off event, Fork & […]
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Gov. Reynolds cancels plans for a ‘one-stop shop’ website for COVID-19 vaccination scheduling
Two weeks after announcing the state was going to launch a website that would be “a centralized registration and referral system” for people trying to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination, Gov. Kim Reynolds said no such site will be created. The governor described the planned website as “a one-stop shop where Iowans could provide their information […]
