Iowa has surpassed 200,000 coronavirus cases today, with 4,359 confirmed additional cases. Another 25 people with COVID-19 have died, according to the state coronavirus website, coronavirus.Iowa.gov.
In Woodbury county, there have been 127 cases added in the last 24 hours.
Siouxland District Health reports that there has been one additional death of an older adult female (61-80).
A prominent Nebraska infectious disease expert is sounding the alarm about the state's surging coronavirus cases and calling for a statewide mask mandate. Governor Pete Ricketts has repeatedly refused to issue such a mandate. Dr. James Lawler, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said yesterday the pandemic had reached its most dangerous point since the virus outbreak began earlier this year. He described the recent increase in virus hospitalizations as unsustainable.
Nebraska hospitals are straining to cope with the spike in coronavirus patients, and officials urge the public to wear masks and take other precautionary steps to slow the spread of the disease.
Iowa's unemployment rate dropped to 3.6% in October, and it now is tied with South Dakota for third-lowest in the nation, behind Nebraska and Vermont.
Iowa's unemployment rate is continuing a steady decline since it began improving last spring. The improvement came after large job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
