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IDPH reports 4 deaths, 257 new COVID-19 cases in Iowa Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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okay, we'll go ahead and get this started this morning and of course, we'll start with an update on the numbers. Today we have 257 new positive cases for a total of 3159 positive cases. We have no new counties to report, so we have still 82 total counties in the state of Iowa. We have 1013 negative cases today for a total of 22,661 negative test. The state hygienic lab has 7556 test available. We have 1235 Iowans that have recovered for recovery rate of 39%. I am very sorry to have to report that we did have four additional deaths for a total of 79 deaths. And again, 48% of all deaths in Iowa are among residents in long term care facilities across all of the R. M. C C regions. Yesterday there were 214 cove it 19 patients hospitalized, 23 were admitted in the last 24 hours. 91 patients are being treated and I see youse and 58 are on ventilators. Also in hospitals across the state, there are 4402 inpatient beds, 552 I C U beds and 691 ventilators that are available for patient care. And just as a reminder again. For more information, including a breakdown of data by county or by region, go to Corona virus dot Iowa dot gov. Over the weekend, we had two additional outbreaks of cove it 19 that were confirmed one at the Bishop Drum Retirement Center, which is a long term care facility in Polk County, bringing the total number of our long term care outbreaks to 10. We had an additional we had one at Iowa premium National beef, which isn't tame a county. And I'm sure I am ones also saw our case count climb significantly, and I just want to point out that 261 or 67% of the 389 positive cases that were reported on Sunday can be attributed to the fact that we're doing survey surveillance testing that's being a conducted at the meat processing facilities and those souls were included in those numbers. We will continue to see clusters of positive cases in these types of facilities because Cove it 19 spreads quickly and easily among people in close proximity. And once the virus is introduced into this type of an environment, it's very difficult to contain. But these also are are essential businesses and an essential work force. And without them people's lifes and our suit, our food supply will be impacted. So we're going to continue to dio. We must do our part to keep them open in a safe and responsible way. The Department of Public Health is working closely with our long term care facilities and our food processors that are experiencing not only a decrease in attendance or when a point. Employees have tested positive. By identifying potential issues early, they can deploy a strike team thio, conduct even more surveillance testing, contact tracing thio, understand the virus activity, identify and isolate people who are sick and implement where possible, or if they have an additional mitigation efforts to slow the spread and protect the workforce or develop plans for partial staffing. While the staff is recovering at home, the department of public health, is also partnering with the Iowa Department of Corrections in a similar way. On Saturday, the Department of Corrections announced that an inmate at the Iowa Medical and Classifications Center had tested positive for Covert 19 and this is the first positive case identified in any of Iowa's correctional facilities. The Department of Correction corrections was proactive early on by implementing significant mitigation measures. As soon as I was first covert, 19 cases were identified and director Skinner and her team have continued to take the situation seriously and responsibly.