Last week, Iowa broke its record for single-day increases in coronavirus cases nearly every day. The death toll also continues to rise.

Despite that, Gov. Kim Reynolds has continued to say Iowa is rounding the corner, and talks about plans to reopen the state’s economy.

A national modeling system developed by the University of Washington pushed Iowa’s expected peak in deaths to fall on May 5, rather than the earlier projection of April 30, though it’s shifted forward from a May 8 date it had at one recent point.

“Iowans have been responsible and I didn’t have to issue a stay-at-home order,” Reynolds said yesterday on Need To Know with Jeff Angelo, a daily radio program hosted by the former Iowa state senator.

“We actually have 70 percent of the positive cases are in eight counties. Most of them are tied, again to two specific areas, long-term care facilities and packing plants, and so we’re in a pretty good place throughout the state to have the conversation about how we, in a responsible and safe manner, start to open up the state,” she said.

Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Public Health have used a regional metric system — not a county-by-county one — to assess what mitigation efforts are needed in different parts of the state.

During the radio broadcast Reynolds said she plans to announce, either this week or early next, what the requirements are to reopen Iowa.

“We’re looking at metrics right now and we’re looking at ways we can safely and responsibly start to open back up Iowa,” Reynolds said. “Now, like I said, there are counties that are still, there are still significant positive case outbreaks but there are so many counties across this state where there are minimal positive cases.”

As of Thursday morning, 82 of Iowa’s 99 counties have reported at least one person who tested positive for COVID-19.

The worst hit areas are in the eastern part of the state, though Western Iowa — particularly around Sioux City — is seeing growing numbers, and will likely continue to with outbreaks at meatpacking facilities across the border.

Some of the increasing numbers of cases in Iowa are likely a result of expanded testing capabilities. And as testing continues to increase, the numbers will continue to rise. Those tests also show that the virus is more widespread than in initial numbers indicated. Already, the governor has sent hundreds of tests to the most affected regions in Eastern Iowa, and has since announced a program called Test Iowa to further increase testing in the state.

But Iowa and the rest of the Midwest have seen significant rates of infection at meatpacking plants and in long-term care facilities. And those numbers continue to grow, suggesting continued transmission in the community.

But Reynolds says Iowa’s case-rate is looking up, and she’s trying to balance rates of the virus with its economic impact on the state.

“We’re focused on taking care of Iowans, making sure we’re protecting our most vulnerable. But at the same time, we’re also talking about the economic impact this is having on Iowans that are not able to work, that are seeing businesses that they’ve worked hard to start and be successful, falter,” Reynolds said.

“So we need to be looking at physical, mental and financial well-being of Iowans. And so we’re looking at all of that as we move through this unprecedented time in our history.”

by Nikoel Hytrek

Posted 4/23/20

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