Hunter
11/09/20
The coronavirus pandemic has hit Iowa to the point where all 99 counties had a 14-day rolling positivity rate at the level deemed moderate, as the state has suffered a 50 percent increase in cases in less than a month.
Iowa Department of Public Health statistics released Sunday showed every county at or above the ten percent threshold, which the Centers for Disease Control say show a moderate risk of transmission. Over half are at or above the 20 percent rate, and adding in counties at or above 15 percent, the virus is prevalent in 81 of Iowa’s 99 counties.
Johnson County was at 13.6 percent rolling average, while Linn was at 20.7 percent. Jones County had a 14-day rolling average of 41.8 percent.
School districts whose county positivity rate is above 15% and has a student absentee rate of ten percent or higher can apply with the state for a waiver of in-person learning, and those with 20% don’t have to meet any absentee rate.
The Clear Creek Amana school district has gone to online-only learning as they await approval of their waiver application.
Public Health announced another 4212 cases of COVID-19 cases and 3 additional deaths Monday, bringing the respective totals to 156,816 and 1845 deaths.The 24-hour positivity rate was reported as 42.4 precent
A record 1034 Iowans are being treated for coronavirus in hospitals. 184 are in ICU, and 82 patients are on ventilators.
The state has so far declined to follow the White House Coronavirus Task Force’s recommendation that action is needed to bring the widespread transmission of COVID-19 under control. Governor Kim Reynolds recently announced the launch of a media campaign to bring awareness and encourage mitigation efforts that is due to start today.