Linn County now has the largest number of residents who have tested positive for COVID-19. On Monday, the Iowa Department of Health reported 29 new confirmed cases in Linn, bringing the county’s total to 71. Johnson County, where the first three diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in Iowa were reported on March 8, had previously been […]
Iowa Department of Public Health
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Iowa’s COVID-19 ‘peak’ expected soon
“We’re thinking that we might see a peak [in the number of COVID-19 cases in Iowa] — a first peak — in the next two to three weeks,” Iowa Department of Public Health Deputy Director Sarah Reisetter said on Sunday. “That’s the best information that we have right now.” Reisetter stressed that that projection is […]
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COVID-19 cases in Linn County jump to 36, as the total number of cases in Iowa rises to 298
On Saturday, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 64 more Iowans have tested positive for COVID-19, including three in Johnson County and 14 in Linn County. • Benton County, 1 adult (18-40 years) • Boone County, 1 adult (18-40 years) • Buchanan County, 1 older adult (61-80 years) • Cedar County, 1 middle-age […]
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Gov. Reynolds orders retail businesses closed, changes position on whether counties can order shelter-in-place
Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered the closure of more businesses on Thursday, as well as the cancellation of non-essential medical and dental procedures in Iowa. At her Thursday afternoon press conference on the state’s response to COVID-19, Reynolds also said she was pushing back by a week the date businesses closed by executive order can reopen. […]
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Shelter-in-place? Gov. Reynolds opposes mandatory restrictions, and Johnson County health leaders worry about ‘panic’
At her Wednesday afternoon press conference, Gov. Kim Reynolds reiterated her belief that voluntary efforts by Iowans are the key to combating the spread of COVID-19 in the state. “Now is the critical time, when each of us can make a difference on the impact that COVID-19 will have in Iowa,” Reynolds said. “We all […]
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Another Linn County resident tests positive for COVID-19; Cedar Rapids closes its playgrounds
On Wednesday morning, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 21 new cases of COVID-19 in the state, including six in Johnson County and one in Linn County. The new cases bring the state’s total number of Iowans who have tested positive for the disease to 145. The new case in Linn County means […]
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The first Iowan dies from COVID-19; officials admit they don’t know how many ICU beds the state has
At the beginning of her Tuesday afternoon press conference on the state’s response to COVID-19, Gov. Kim Reynolds talked about what a good job her administration has done keeping her constituents up to date on the latest developments with the disease. “I made a commitment to do my part to keep Iowans informed,” she said […]
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Iowa has an ‘unprecedented number’ of unemployment claims and another new case of COVID-19, but testing remains limited
“We are seeing an unprecedented number of claims,” Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said when asked about unemployment in Iowa at Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Friday afternoon press conference on COVID-19. “It’s pretty staggering to see the number of claims that we’re receiving,” Townsend said.
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Gov. Reynolds seeks to reassure the public about the state’s response to COVID-19, as the number of cases in Iowa rises to 44
Almost the only new information presented at Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Thursday afternoon press conference on COVID-19 was the number of infected people in the state. “So, through this afternoon, we have 44 cases positive,” the governor said, almost halfway through the half-hourlong press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Johnston.
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Gov. Reynolds says ‘we now have community spread’ of COVID-19 in Iowa, but still thinks it’s too soon to take major actions
On Saturday night, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced COVID-19 has entered the “community spread” phase in Iowa. “This afternoon, the Department of Public Health was informed of one additional positive case of an Iowa with COVID-19,” the governor told reporters at a hastily-called press conference. “The individual is an older adult, age 61 to 80, and […]
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Gov. Reynolds encourages social distancing, is cautious about ‘disruptive’ closings in COVID-19 update
The first number Gov. Kim Reynolds mentioned at her Friday afternoon press conference on the state’s response to COVID-19 may have been more surprising than any of the other figures cited during the half-hour event: It’s only been five days since the first person in Iowa was diagnosed with the disease. In that five days, […]
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COVID-19, now officially a pandemic, shuts down CR Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, puts UI on alert (updated)
The Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Society of Cedar Rapids — better known as SaPaDaPaSo — prides itself on never calling off its annual March 17 parade on account of bad weather. But this year, the organization has run into a problem bigger than cold or rain. SaPaDaPaSo announced on Wednesday morning it is canceling its 2020 parade out of coronavirus concerns.
