Gov. Kim Reynolds is fundraising off her elimination of Iowa’s few COVID-19 restrictions, telling supporters she is standing up to “radicals on the Left” who “want to shut Iowa down.” The governor tweeted out that message on Thursday morning, and asked “Are you with me?” Iowa is coming back and we are coming back strong. […]
COVID-19
Posted inCommunity/News
Linn County will receive an increased number of COVID-19 vaccines through the end of February
Linn County’s vaccine allocation will increase for the remainder of February, although public health officials are still expecting it to take “weeks to months” to vaccinate residents in Phase 1B. Starting this week, the county will receive about 3,000 doses per week for the next three weeks, said Heather Meador, Linn County Public Health’s Clinical […]
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‘Absolutely mind-boggling’: Gov. Reynolds didn’t ask for the IDPH’s opinion before eliminating statewide mask mandate
Gov. Kim Reynolds did not consult with the Iowa Department of Public Health before eliminating the limited statewide mask mandate that had been in place since mid-November, according to state Sen. Claire Celsi. The Des Moines Democrat tweeted on Monday that she “listened in on a phone call” between interim Iowa Department of Public Health […]
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Free rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments available to Linn County residents
Linn County LIFTS is now providing free next-day rides for county residents who have a scheduled COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Individuals in need of transportation assistance who are traveling to or from a Linn County vaccine provider are eligible for a ride from Linn County LIFTS, the county announced on Monday. The rides are only for […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Gov. Reynolds eliminates Iowa’s few significant COVID restrictions
Gov. Kim Reynolds is eliminating the state’s few remaining significant COVID-19 restrictions, even though the Iowa Department of Public Health confirmed earlier this week that a more contagious variant of the virus is circulating in the state. On Sunday, the state’s limited mask mandate will end, and the restrictions on the size of gatherings and […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Biden administration teaming up with pharmacies to get vaccines to underserved populations
The Biden administration announced a new partnership between the federal government and retail pharmacies on Tuesday, which will provide vaccines directly to selected pharmacies. This is a different program than the one that has been used to vaccinate residents and workers at long-term care facilities, and is intended to increase access to vaccines in a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Johnson County Public Health offers advice regarding B117 variant of COVID-19
Following the Iowa Department of Public Health’s announcement on Monday that three cases of the B117 variant of the coronavirus had been detected in Iowa — two in Johnson County and one in Bremer County — Johnson County Public Health put out a brief statement. “This particular variant has been detected in a number of […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Staffing problems at UIHC are dire
By Matthew Peirce, Des Moines If you live in Iowa, you have an interest in what goes on at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. UIHC is the most comprehensive health care center in our state, serving all our residents and those from large swaths of neighboring states. I underwent major […]
Posted inCommunity/News
ICCSD families will have to choose all in-person or all online instruction as new state law limits district’s options
Following Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signing of a new law requiring school districts to offer an all in-person class option, the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) announced it will discontinue the hybrid model of education it implemented when limited in-person instruction resumed last fall. “Effective February 15, 2021, the District will no longer offer the […]
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RAGBRAI organizers release 2021 route, hoping virus spread will be controlled by July
Normally, the route for RAGBRAI remains a secret until it is revealed at the end of January. But not this year. RABBRAI XLVIII’s route across northern Iowa had been know for a year before the official announcement on Saturday night. That’s because RAGBRAI 2021 is using the route that was announced for last year’s ride, […]
Posted inCOVID-19
U.K. variant of COVID-19 detected in Johnson County
A variant of COVID-19 that spreads more easily than the strain that has already infected more than 319,000 Iowans has been detected in the state, the Iowa Department of Public Health announced Monday. The department said three cases of COVID-19 caused by the B117 variant — also known as the U.K. variant, since it was […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Vaccine dashboard added to state’s COVID-19 site as more Iowans become eligible for shots
The Iowa Department of Public Health added a new page containing vaccine information to its COVID-19 information site on Friday night, just before almost 20 percent of Iowa’s population became eligible for the vaccine on Monday. Starting Feb. 1, approximately 530,000 Iowans who are 65 and older, as well as 130,000 people in Tier 1 […]
