The last Test Iowa sites closed down on Friday, as the Iowa Department of Public Health ceased using drive-through test sites and started relying on at-home test kits to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Like the drive-through testing, the at-home testing program, which IDPH is doing in partnership with the State Hygienic […]
Iowa Department of Public Health
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Gov. Reynolds says no to vaccine incentives, yes to running for reelection; State Auditor says she misused pandemic aid again
“I am really happy with where we’re at,” Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters on Thursday, explaining that Iowa doesn’t need to follow the example of other states and create lotteries or other incentives to persuade people to be vaccinated against COVID-19. In April, the governor announced a goal of having 65 percent of eligible Iowans […]
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Hy-Vee will give gift cards to people who get their COVID-19 vaccinations at its locations
States around the country have used federal pandemic aid to create incentives programs, ranging from million-dollar lotteries to free fishing licenses, to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Iowa’s Gov. Kim Reynolds has decided to rely on outreach programs by county health agencies, and done nothing new at the state level. Instead, her approach […]
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Gov. Reynolds signs bill making it illegal for schools to require face masks, further eroding authority of local governments
It is now illegal for schools in Iowa to require students or staff to wear face masks, even though the CDC recommends mask use in schools, because of a bill signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday morning. HF 847 also strips cities and counties of their authority to create mask mandates that […]
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Iowa City and Coralville lift their mask mandates
Iowa City and Coralville announced on Tuesday an end to their city-wide mask mandates. In written statements, both cities cited the revised guidance issued by the CDC last week stating that people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or engage in social distancing even while indoors to mitigate the spread of […]
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Biden partners with Uber and Lyft to provide free rides to get vaccinated, as rates continue to slow
As the rate of COVID-19 vaccination slows across the country, President Joe Biden announced a new partnership between the country’s two largest ride-hailing services and the federal government to make it easier for people to reach sites where they can be vaccinated. The partnership was announced Tuesday as part of a set of new initiatives […]
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India variant of COVID-19 detected in Iowa
On Tuesday, the Iowa Department of Public Health confirmed two cases of the B.1.617 coronavirus variant in Iowa. B.1.617 is also known as the India variant because it was first detected in the country late last year. The first case of the India variant in the United States was confirmed in California last month. The […]
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Gov. Reynolds boasts about returning $95 million in federal COVID-19 aid, rejecting migrant children during Fox News forum
Gov. Kim Reynolds boasted to an audience of Fox News fans in Orlando, Florida on Thursday night that she had rejected $95 million in pandemic relief funds from the CDC. The Iowa Department of Public Health informed the CDC of that decision on April 23, but the governor had not previously disclosed that she approved […]
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Gov. Reynolds says vaccine hesitancy is a problem, but doesn’t acknowledge refusal to be vaccinated among Iowa Republicans
Gov. Kim Reynolds started her news conference on Wednesday by noting the progress the state has made getting Iowans vaccinated against COVID-19. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, 53 percent of Iowa residents 18 or older have had at least one dose of vaccine. But the state is also seeing people either refusing […]
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Brazilian variant of COVID-19 virus detected in Johnson County
On Wednesday, interim director of the Iowa Department of Public Health Kelly Garcia confirmed the B.117 variant, the so-called U.K. variant, has become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Iowa. On Thursday, IDPH announced the first case of the P.1 variant, known as the Brazilian variant, in Iowa. The Brazilian variant was detected by the […]
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ICCSD changes its COVID-19 quarantine policy amid rising rates
The Iowa City Community School District Board of Directors voted during its meeting on Tuesday to relax the district’s standards for when students need to quarantine due to potential exposure to COVID-19. ICCSD had been using the standards recommended by the CDC and Johnson County Public Health and the directors voted 6-1 to switch to […]
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IDPH tells vaccine sites to temporarily stop using J&J one-shot vaccine after CDC and FDA advise ‘pause’ for safety review
The Iowa Department of Public Health has advised all vaccine administrators in the state to temporary cease using the one-shot Johnson & Johnson following a joint statement on Tuesday morning from the CDC and FDA calling for “a pause in the use of this vaccine.” The CDC and FDA called for the pause in response […]
