Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Friday morning during her daily COVID-19 press conference the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed 118 new cases and two additional coronavirus-related deaths, an older adult and an elderly adult in Linn County. To date, Iowa’s total case number has grown to 1,388 in 81 of the state’s 99 counties, 37 percent of which are classified as recovered, and 31 total deaths. As for the listening area, Audubon, Carroll, Greene and Guthrie Counties have each recorded a single confirmed case since the beginning of the pandemic according to the IDPH. Crawford and Shelby Counties remain at six. With personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies at critically low levels, Reynolds signed a new order designed to make the most of available materials. It requires healthcare providers, hospitals, clinics and similar organizations to decrease PPE demand by minimizing patient contact when possible, utilizing longer-life equipment and potentially reusing disposable PPE if required. Friday’s proclamation also lifted restrictions on community colleges and school district to better allow distance learning. For more information on COVID-19 in Iowa, follow the link included below.
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