New COVID-19 infections continued to fall last week in Woodbury County, hitting the lowest level in over a month.
According to the latest weekly report released by Siouxland District Health, the county reported 442 positive cases for the week of Sept. 27, down from 525 the prior week. The 14-day positivity rate also ticked down from 16 percent to 15.7 percent.
The number of people in Sioux City's two hospitals with COVID also fell sharply, from 42 during the week of Sept. 20 to 33 last week. Siouxland District Health officials attributed much of the spike to the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus, which now appears to be waning. More than half of Woodbury County residents remain unvaccinated, according to state figures.
As of the week of Sept. 27, 45.5 percent of county residents had completed the single- or two-dose vaccinations; little changed from the previous week.
Statewide, Iowa finds itself amid another surge. The state has once again averaged more than 1,000 new reported cases per day over the past seven weeks as the highly contagious delta variant spread throughout the state.
A surge in cases entering the fall months aligns with what happened last year. But that doesn't mean the final three months of 2021 will look the same as the final three months of 2020.
The Des Moines Register reports, that, for much of August and September, Iowa has averaged more new reported cases than the previous year. Entering October 2021, the state is averaging about 500 more cases per day than it did at the start of last October.
But unlike last October, the number of newly reported cases is currently declining. It's dropped in each of the past two weekly updates from the Iowa Department of Public Health.
That matches the general trend seen around the country, where the worst of the delta variant surge appears to be over. Cases in the U.S. peaked in early September, a few weeks before the apparent peak in Iowa.
The South Dakota Board of Regents on Thursday passed three policies that may replace diversity centers on campuses. The policies are related to “Opportunity for All” centers.
The Argus Leader reports that the centers are meant to be a "one-stop shop" for students' needs. Center structures should be in place by Jan. 1, 2022. The policy updates implemented Thursday included revisions to the academic freedom and responsibility policy, guest speaker policy and a policy on the recognition and funding of student organizations. The changes passed unanimously. BOR general counsel Nathan Lukkes said the changes are about encouraging robust thought and debate, and clarifying a divide between institutions and student organizations.
Regent Joan Wink said she commended Lukkes for synthesizing divergent opinions on the topic, but she believes in diversity, equity and inclusion and she cannot support the opportunity centers. Wink voted to approve the three aforementioned policy changes though.
