AP/Hunter
10/22/20
The number of Iowa residents dying from the coronavirus is quickly rising again after weeks of increasing hospitalizations and outbreaks at nursing homes.
The state set a record of 534 in hospitals being treated for Coronavirus as of Wednesday morning, breaking the record set a day before.
The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 31 new deaths from the virus Wednesday, the most confirmed in a 24-hour period since the beginning of the pandemic. The Department of Health says many of the deaths happened a few or several days ago but were just reported.
Public health officials, including unionized University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics workers, are concerned in the recent upsurge, as it indicates that mitigation efforts, here and in other states, aren’t working.
A joint statement from the unions representing over 2000 UIHC workers and about 4000 UIHC nurses and other health care professionals was released Wednesday. It not only mentioned how devastating the coronavirus can be, but the fact that over 600 of their members have tested positive. It said, “We and all workers on the front lines of the fight against COVID need Iowa’s leaders to step up and provide the personal protective equipment and the resources necessary for us to care for Iowa.”
The statement also called out Governor Kim Reynolds’ office use of $21 million of CARES Act funds for the new HR computer system that has been deemed improper. The joint union statement said, “We need those funds for patients, not computers.”
