Gov. Kim Reynolds said on Wednesday she doesn’t expect COVID-19 to be an obstacle to the University of Iowa playing football this fall, because the UI community will observe restrictions imposed to mitigate the spread of the virus. “I think that the universities, the university presidents, the students, the Greek systems, I think understand the […]
University of Iowa
Big 10 reverses course, schools will play football starting next month

The Big 10 Conference announced on Wednesday morning its football teams will play this fall in an abbreviated season that starts on Oct. 23. The announcement comes 36 days after the conference declared it had canceled the fall season due to concerns over the health of student athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The mental and […]
COVID-19: UI, ISU and UNI eliminate spring break; more than 1,800 UI students have reported testing positive

There will be no spring break in 2021 for students at Iowa’s three public universities, the schools announced on Monday. The elimination of this standard part of student life is part of the effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. Gaining […]
Iowa Republican leaders join President Trump in trying to pressure the Big 10 into resuming fall football season

The Republican leaders of the Iowa Legislature sent a letter to Big 10 Commissioner Kevin Warren, asking him to restore the conference’s fall football system, which was canceled due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. “Just last month, under your leadership, the Big Ten released updated and enhanced testing, quarantine and isolation policies,” Speaker […]
Almost 800 cases of COVID-19 have been reported among UI students this week

The University of Iowa began its Friday COVID-19 update with an optimistic-sounding statement. “Following a disappointing spike in COVID-19 cases last week, both Johnson County and the University of Iowa are seeing an improvement in the number of daily positive cases,” the statement on the UI COVID-19 information page said. “UI Health Care administrators say […]
More than 1,100 UI students have tested positive for COVID-19

Another 220 University of Iowa students self-reported positive COVID-19 tests between Monday and Wednesday, according to the latest update to the UI COVID-19 information page. Three more staff members also self-reported positive test results. The new cases bringing the number of UI students who have self-reported COVID-19 to the university since Aug. 18 to 1,142. […]
Another 329 cases of COVID-19 reported at the University of Iowa since Friday

The surge in COVID-19 cases in Johnson County continued on Monday, with the Iowa Department of Public Health reporting another 122 positive test results for county residents between 10 a.m. on Sunday and 10 a.m. on Monday. The department’s official estimate of the county’s 14-day positivity rate for its COVID-19 tests at 10 a.m. was […]
COVID-19: Iowa City ranks high on list of surging U.S. cities as more than 500 UI students report testing positive

The surge of new COVID-19 cases in Johnson County continued on Friday, with the Iowa Department of Public Health reporting 258 new cases in the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m., and the New York Times ranking Iowa City second on its list of cities where cases of the virus are have risen fastest on […]
Reynolds: Bars in Johnson and Linn County must shut down due to COVID-19 spike

Downtown Iowa City bars that saw dozens of college-age patrons line up outside their doors just days ago must close up by 5 p.m. this Thursday, by order of the governor. In a new proclamation of disaster emergency Gov. Kim Reynolds signed on Thursday morning, the state is requiring “bars, taverns, wineries, breweries, distilleries, night […]
Johnson County has confirmed more than 300 new COVID-19 cases in four days

“Over the past four days we have seen a surge of [COVID-19] cases reported to us, totally over 300, and primarily in younger persons,” Johnson County Public Health Director Dave Koch said in a written statement on Wednesday. “We anticipate this trend to continue.” Koch stressed the importance of social distancing and other simple mitigation […]
COVID-19: UI discloses 111 cases, IDPH reports the first death of child and Indianola schools confirm new case

As classes resumed at the University of Iowa on Monday, the university’s administration published its first COVID-19 case count of the new semester: at least 107 students and four staff members have tested positive so far. “These numbers reflect only self-reported positive or presumed positive COVID-19 tests from UI faculty, staff, and students on the […]
University of Iowa cuts swimming and diving programs, men’s gymnastics and tennis, citing COVID-19 losses

On Friday afternoon, University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld and Director of Athletics Gary Barta released a statement containing “some extremely difficult news.” Harreld and Barta said that due to COVID-19 financial losses in the Athletics Department, four of the university’s 24 intercollegiate varsity sports programs will be cut: men’s and women’s swimming and diving, […]