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Large numbers of coronavirus cases have been trending for the last week in Iowa. In Woodbury County, since yesterday, there have been 121 new cases and no further deaths. There have been 8154 cases in Woodbury County and 102 deaths since the pandemic began. The county has a 14-day positivity rate of 20.9 percent.
Iowa public health officials reported 3,533 new confirmed cases Friday and 14 more deaths. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals reached a new high of 912. Yesterday there were more than 45 hundred new cases and 20 further deaths, according to the Iowa coronavirus website.
On the same day, Gov. Kim Reynolds launched a media campaign to encourage people to take action to reduce the state's surging number of coronavirus infections. The governor did not impose any mandates or enforce new rules.
The coronavirus has ravaged South Dakota's prisons in recent months, and those close to it — from inmates to family and friends — say the system wasn't prepared for it.
The Argus Leader reports more than 1,800 incarcerated people, and an unknown number of prison staff have tested positive for the virus since September.
The 20 inmates, family members and friends of inmates and correctional officers representing five facilities told the newspaper they've been left in the dark.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and Jasper County Auditor Dennis Parrott announce a recount after announcing a discrepancy during the vote-counting process. Parrot has asked for a recount of nearly 11,000 absentee ballots after the scanning, and the tabulating machine jammed and began tearing ballots.
The Newton Daily reported that the request came after election workers noticed they were short ten absentee ballots of what they should have had on election night. As of Wednesday, auditors said seven of the ten missing ballots had been found.
Small numbers of outstanding mail ballots are arriving after the election in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, where the candidates remain locked in a tight race. I
In unofficial returns, Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks leads Democrat Rita Hart by 282 votes out of 393,000 tabulated.
The candidates are competing for a seat that opened with the retirement of Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack. Iowa will count absentee ballots postmarked by Monday and arrive by noon Nov. 9 and any eligible provisional ballots. Iowa will count absentee ballots that were postmarked by Monday and arrive by noon Nov. 9 and any provisional ballots that are deemed eligible. Johnson County has received 28 absentee ballots thus far that have yet to be counted. Hart carried Clinton and Jefferson counties. Those counties have a combined total of 18 absentee ballots that are not yet counted.
