Le Mars, Iowa – Iowa health officials have confirmed 38 cases of the U.K. COVID-19 variant in Iowa, and we know at least seven of them are in Plymouth County.
Officials from the Iowa Department of Public Health and local public health departments say they have already initiated contact tracing with these cases. They’ll be working to gather details on their illness, travel history and potential exposures so they can initiate the health monitoring process.
Officials say they will be notifying anyone these seven individuals have been in close contact with and will advise them to isolate in accordance with IDPH and CDC guidance.
The IDPH says they will not share any identifiable information about the individuals affected.
Based on epidemiologic and modeling data, researchers believe this variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, can spread more easily than the original strain of COVID-19. Researchers believe current vaccines will likely protect against the variant.
The same day these cases were made public, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she anticipates all Iowans will be eligible for a vaccine starting April 5.
Story courtesy of our news partner, KTIV TV
