Month: April 2020

DES MOINES – Today, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been notified of 146 additional positive cases for a total of 2,141 positive cases. There have been additional 660 negative tests for a total of 18,543 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs.

According to IDPH, an additional 7 deaths were also reported, 175 are currently hospitalized, and 987 Iowans have recovered.

The additional 7 deaths were reported in the following counties:

• Allamakee County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Linn County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Polk County, 1 adult, 1 older adult, 1 elderly adult (81+)
• Louisa County, 1 middle-age (41-60 years)
• Tama County, 1 elderly adult (81+)

The state of Iowa has released an updated dashboard on coronavirus.iowa.gov that will be updated daily to include comprehensive tracking of COVID-19 in Iowa. The new dashboard includes cases, deaths, and tests conducted in each county. The state is now providing demographic information that was not previously provided as well as Iowa’s epidemiological curve.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updated Guidance for Pharmacies during the COVID-19 Pandemic in which the CDC makes the following new recommendations for pharmacies:

• Everyone entering the pharmacy should wear a face covering, regardless of symptoms. Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
• Pharmacists and pharmacy personnel should always wear a facemask while they are in the pharmacy for source control.
• Pharmacists should postpone and reschedule delivery of routine clinical preventive services, such as adult immunizations, which require face to face encounters.
• In pharmacies where there is a co-located clinic:
  • Direct clinic patients with respiratory illness to remain in their vehicle and contact the clinic via telephone.
  • If possible, provide a separate entrance for clinic patients.
  • Provide facemasks or cloth face coverings for patients, ideally prior to entering the store.

The Board will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updated information as it becomes available.

The Louisa County Department of Public Health today, Thursday, announced the first death associated with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the county. The individual was a middle-aged adult age 41-60.

“We wish to extend our sympathy to this individual’s family,” said Louisa County Public Health Director Roxanne Smith. “Louisa County Public Health and all of our key partners throughout the county and state continue to work to limit the spread and impact of this virus in our communities.”

All residents should:

• Stay home as much as possible. Leave only for essential errands like groceries or getting medication. When you run these errands, send only one person from the household, if possible.
• Stay home when even mildly ill (the kind of illness that normally wouldn’t prevent you from your everyday activities)
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow/upper arm.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the IDPH webpage at https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus and follow the department on Facebook at @IowaDepartmentOfPublicHealth and on Twitter at @IAPublicHealth.

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is April 12-18, 2020. The hardworking dispatchers and public safety telecommunicators serve as a vital link between community and fire, medical, and law enforcement agencies. It’s a time to recognize dispatchers – the men and women who work every day behind the scenes.

Henry County Sheriff Rich McName says the county has “seven wonderful dispatchers.”  Serving Henry County are Jill Benedict, Kim Henkle, Laura Ruby, Janae Body (PT), Christina Dress, Aspen Anderson, and Laura Roen. In total they have almost 60 years of combined experience with one over 20 and the newest one starting on April 13. They dispatch all E911, all ambulance, all fire, and all law enforcement except Iowa Department of Public Safety, in Henry County.  In 2019 they took over 24000 calls for assistance from our public and answered the telephone well over 50000 times.  Sheriff McNamee said he hopes the public appreciates them as much as law enforcement and emergency responders do.  Henry County Dispatchers are the lifeline for all emergency services.

As COVID-19 Case Counts Rise in Louisa County, Residents Asked to Continue Prevention Efforts

Louisa County has a total of 166 positive COVID-19 cases today, 37 of those cases have recovered from the illness. Of the 166 cases, 148 are associated with the outbreak at Tyson Foods, Inc. in Columbus Junction. Both the State and local health departments have been working closely with Tyson on increased testing efforts to identify positive cases and their contacts in order to reduce community spread associated with this outbreak.

While most of our cases are associated with this outbreak, it remains important for everyone to stay home as much as possible and to practice social distancing – this simply means to stay away from groups of people, and to keep a 6-foot distance from other individuals.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, fever (100.4 or greater) and shortness of breath. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should call your health care provider before going into the office. The provider may have special instructions for you and will determine if you should be tested.

All residents should:

• Stay home as much as possible. Leave only for essential errands like groceries or getting medication. When you run these errands, send only one person from the household, if possible.
• Stay home when even mildly ill (the kind of illness that normally wouldn’t prevent you from your everyday activities)
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow/upper arm.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the IDPH webpage at https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus  and follow the department on Facebook at @IowaDepartmentOfPublicHealth and on Twitter at @IAPublicHealth.

AGENDA

April 16, 2020

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Supervisors Sub-Committee Updates

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The city of Ainsworth in Washington County reported a wastewater discharge to DNR shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday.

The discharge began about 6 p.m. Tuesday evening and ended about 10 a.m. Wednesday after a contractor unplugged paper and wipes from the sewer line. An estimated 1,000 gallons of untreated wastewater per hour flowed a few hundred feet into the North Branch of Long Creek during the discharge.

The DNR cautions residents to keep children and pets away from the creek and the area north of Railroad and First Streets in Ainsworth for the next 48 hours.

As a reminder, DNR urges all Iowans to flush only toilet paper and waste down toilets. Flushing other products, such as flushable wipes, baby wipes, paper towels and tissues, can block sewer pipes or filters at treatment plants. Blockages may result in sewage backups into homes or discharges to streams and the environment.

Wastewater discharges must be reported to DNR within 24 hours.