This past weekend a post on social media caught the attention of Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer. Someone from her hometown area wrote about the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes in west central Iowa’s Harrison County.
This person wrote, “It’s a sad, sad time for our towns”. She heard a majority of residents at a care facility in Dunlap tested positive for COVID-19, including her grandmother. She also saw several posts about deaths.
Siouxland Public Media reached out to the head of the Harrison County Health Department Brad Brake to hear what he has to say about the outbreak that hit three of the county’s four long-term care facilities.
Harrison County was ranked top in the state on October 19, 2020 for the 14-day positivity rate for novel cornavirus testing, at almost 26%. And, three of the four nursing homes; in Missouri Valley, Woodbine and Dunlap, have outbreaks involving 225 staff members and residents. That’s according to Iowa’s coronavirus website. Brake says Harrison County is looking into issuing a mask mandate.
* Siouxland Public Media also reached out to Dunlap Specialty Care for an interview. The request wasn't answered.
