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Iowa and Woodbury County saw some fairly large upticks in COVID-19 cases today. Woodbury County has 17 new COVID-19 cases, with a total of 3,112 and 43 deaths. Iowa has nearly 500 new cases and 701 deaths.
At a news conference his afternoon, Kevin Greime director Siouxland District Health, said he was disappointed with those numbers, and the reluctance of some people to wear face masks.
Greime was also said he was disappointed with the Iowa Department of Education decisions not to require facemasks for students, teachers and staff in K-12 schools. However, Greime says he will work with local school districts to improve safety.
“It will probably end up being school district by school district, and in some cases, depending on the size of the district, and in some cases, even building by building, but I think it’s going to be some very challenging times.”
Greime said he was glad to see that the Sioux City Community School district has passed a basic “Return to Learn” plan that advises the use of masks by everyone in schools, however, it does not lay out how that would be initiated or enforced.
Briar Cliff University will begin the fall semester as planned on Aug. 24, with a new schedule that has online elements, does not include Friday courses and requires students and college employees to wear face masks on campus.
In a Friday news release, BCU President Rachelle Karstens said the new steps will allow flexibility over the 2020-21 year, increase the likelihood of smaller class sizes and result in less exposure for students and faculty to the novel coronavirus spread.
