Statewide Iowa — The state website tracking deaths during the pandemic shows more than a quarter of the Iowans who’ve died after testing positive for COVID died in the month of November.
Governor Kim Reynolds says the record number of deaths last month is connected to the high numbers of Iowans who’ve recently tested positive for the virus.
(As above) “You’ll see an uptick in positive cases and if you look at the numbers on the website about two weeks later you’re going to see an increase in the hospitalizations,” Reynolds says, “and then about two weeks after that is what you start to see some of the deaths occur.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, a record 165 Iowa nursing homes had COVID outbreaks, with more than 52-hundred residents and staff infected with the virus — also a record. Reynolds says the state agencies that oversee the nursing home industry are reviewing infection control measures at facilities with outbreaks.
(As above) “Now that Thanksgiving has passed, we’re also going to be closely monitoring case counts, positivity rate and hospitalizations over the next two weeks for any significant increase,” Reynolds says. “…We are cautiously optimistic that the mitigation efforts currently in place are achieving what they are intended to do and get it into a more manageable level.”
Reynolds says the state made what she describes as “slow, steady progress” after November 17th when hospitalizations peaked. The COVID patient count has declined every day but one since then.
