OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — With a surge in COVID-19 cases in Iowa, some suggest the state should rollback the re-opening plan. This comes the same day Governor Kim Reynolds focused on re-opening schools.
Many hoped the first wave of COVID infections were over by now, but states like Iowa are seeing some of their highest numbers in months. Iowa is reporting almost 900 new COVID-19 cases in a single day.
"We are seeing a bit of an increase of cases coming in," said Pottawattamie County Director of Planning and Development Matt Wyant.
Wyant says overall the response is going well. There has been between two and 25 cases a day over the last week.
"We will have a few days of low case numbers and then a day or two of some higher case numbers, which seems to be consistent with the rolling data we get out of Test Iowa."
This amid a report that says Iowa is one of 18 states in the coronavirus Red Zone and is suggested to roll back re-opening measures.
"Our positivity rate yesterday, even with the numbers, was still 7.5%, way below the 30% where it was at our peak," Reynolds said at a re-opening schools news conference. "But there's a lot of factors and metrics that we take into consideration when we're making those decisions."
The state says 1,300 people that are 21-years-old have been infected, the highest number of cases per age.
"Part of what we've been seeing, like many other states over the past several weeks, is an increase among a young adult population in particular who are not necessarily presenting severely ill, but those numbers are increasing," said Iowa State Medical Director Caitlin Pedati.
Wyant says it's important for the 18 to 40 year old crowd to realize the importance of wearing a mask for everyone's sake.
"Wearing a face covering is really the unselfish thing you can do. You're doing it to protect others," Wyant said. "And while the virus may not affect you very dramatically, it could have big ramifications on someone you interact with, and those are the ones you want to think about."
Wyant says hospitalizations are a little bit higher than normal in Pottawattamie County, but still only 9-10 people are there for COVID-19-related issues.
