Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is urging residents to focus on what they can do individually to stop the spread of the coronavirus and less about whether she will have to order further restrictions to fight the outbreak. Reynolds told reporters that “everyone is getting so hung up on the metrics” guiding the state’s response, including whether stay-at-home orders may become necessary.
The Iowa Department of Public Health reports 125 additional #covid19 cases; total of 1,270 positive cases. Yesterday, there were 2 additional deaths since the day before–both from Linn County. Today’s new case totals: Black Hawk (02), Johnson (24), Linn (18).
Iowa hospitals have been ordered to report daily statistics to the state on the number of patients they’re treating and whether they have enough resources. The Iowa Department of Public Health issued an order last Friday requiring hospitals to report every day on the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized, in intensive care and on ventilators. Gov. Kim Reynolds has said repeatedly that data is driving her decisions on how to manage the outbreak. Officials say the mandatory order was necessary because hospitalization numbers haven’t always been accurate or timely.
A historic surge in unemployment claims continued last week in Iowa as more workers lost their jobs due to the coronavirus. The U.S. Department of Labor reported yesterday that 67,334 people in Iowa filed for unemployment last week…That is roughly the population of Waterloo, Iowa’s sixth largest city. The labor department said the claims were a 20 percent increase over those filed in Iowa the prior week, which had been a high for the state.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart is one of those who has been calling for the governor to issue a statewide stay-at-home order…during yesterday’s Linn County news briefing, the mayor said he had talked to the governor about it, and said Cedar Rapids officials do not believe they legally can order people to stay at home in the city.
U.S. Senator Charles Grassley is calling for another quarter trillion dollars of aid for small businesses trying to stay afloat during the pandemic-induced economic shutdown. The $250-billion proposal is on top of the $350 billion already approved by Congress. Grassley said the money was being used more quickly than members of Congress anticipated. The high demand for federal relief comes as roughly 10% of the entire nation’s workforce has filed for unemployment in recent weeks.
East High School in Waterloo plans to go ahead with an annual spring play, but this year, the audience will be virtual…and the actors will not be on the same stage. The high school is inviting the community to watch the play on the Facebook Page, “East High Drama.” The performances will take place on May 15 and 16th at 7:00 p.m. The play that was chosen is designed to be practiced and performed through a video conference. Students will be able to rehearse and perform the play from their homes.
A state auditor’s report released Thursday says an Iowa Department of Human Services employee filed more than $10,000 worth of improper or unsupported travel claims over three years. State Auditor Rob Sand says in the report that a Dallas County social worker claimed more than $3,100 in excess mileage for some trips and also claimed reimbursement for work-related travel on days she was out sick or on vacation. The special investigation was requested by department officials who suspected wrongdoing. Sand says copies of the report have been filed with Des Moines police, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Polk County Attorney’s Office and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.
The Iowa City City Council unanimously turned down a proposal for a solar farm this week…after complaints that it would disrupt the prairie land in that area. MidAmerican Energy planned to put solar panels on 19 acres of land in the city’s northeast side, creating enough energy to power the equivalent of 580 homes. It was part of Iowa City’s Climate Action Plan that the city council did approve last year. The rental agreement with MidAmerican would have lasted for the next 30 years.
