The state of Iowa today is reporting more than 850 new cases of the coronavirus this morning and three new deaths. Iowa has had more than 71 thousand cases of the virus and more than 12 hundred deaths. Woodbury County Iowa reports 38 new cases of the cor0navirus and a total of 58 deaths, with no further deaths, and a total of over 44 hundred cases since the start of the pandemic.
South Dakota is reporting 263 news and four new deaths from the coronavirus today. Dakota County, Nebraska reports eight new cases today and no new deaths. The state of Nebraska is reporting 456 new cases of the coronavirus and six new deaths today.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is ending nearly all of his state's social-distancing restrictions even as the number of new coronavirus cases has trended upward over the last few months. The new rules will still limit the size of indoor gatherings but will drop all other state-imposed mandates in favor of voluntary guidelines, as other conservative states have done.
And Iowa communities with higher positive COVID-19 cases have made progress in controlling the virus' spread. However, Gov. Kim Reynolds said yesterday she plans to continue monitoring the trends before lifting an order that temporarily closed bars and limited restaurant hours in six counties.
Statewide, positivity rates are moving downward, but Reynolds said she is concerned new COVID-19 cases remain high in Johnson, Linn, Black Hawk, Story, Polk, and Dallas counties — especially among Iowans in the 18- to 40-year-old age range.
The positivity rates in those six counties, for the past two weeks, are Johnson and Story Counties, home to the University of Iowa and Iowa State, both have positivity rates of almost 30 percent. Blackhawk County, home to the University of Northern Iowa, has a nearly 16 percent positivity rate.
The location of Friday's 9/11 remembrance ceremony has been changed.
The ceremony will now be held at the Dakota City Fire Hall, 208 S. 21st St., at 7 p.m.
The service is held to honor and remember the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.
Due to COVID-19, social distancing will be practiced. Everyone is encouraged to wear masks.
Sioux City Chief Rex Mueller will hold a press conference at 12:30 pm today at the Sioux City Police
Department to provide details on a homicide that the department is investigating.
The Department responded to a report of a stabbing at a residence in the 2100 block of
Nebraska St where they found two adult-victims suffering from stab wounds.
Both victims were transported to MercyOne where one victim succumbed to their injuries.
We will have more on that coming up today on Siouxland Public Media News.
