A Station for Everyone
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
News and resources regarding COVID-19

News 10.8.20: Record C-19 Hospital Rates for Siouxland States, Preventable Deaths in IA and More

pxhere.com

430PM.mp3
SPM NEWS 10.8.20 - 432PM

All three Siouxland States are seeing record levels of hospitalizations due to COVID-19.

In Iowa, there are 449 patients with Siouxland District Health reporting 72 getting treatment at Sioux City’s two hospitals.  There were 31 in the middle of September.  Siouxland District Health recorded two more deaths in Woodbury County for a total of 76.  There were more than 100 new cases.

Even as Nebraska sees an all-time high in patients, with 288, some medical officials in the state insist they can handle any surge in serious infection.  Less than 30% of hospitals beds are available and 22% for the ICU.

Dakota County Health officials say there are 14 more people who tested positive and 44 deaths.

South Dakota is experiencing all-time highs for hospitalizations, new cases, and deaths. The Department of Health reported 14 people had died from COVID-19 in one day, bringing the state’s death toll to 272 people.

September was the state’s deadliest month of the pandemic as it posted 56 deaths. But the state is on-pace to see far more deaths in October, recording 49 deaths in the month so far.

The state has recorded the nation’s second-highest number of cases per capita over the last weeks. There were roughly 711 new cases per 100,000 people, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.

A White House task force focusing on the coronavirus pandemic has told Iowa officials that many of the deaths caused by the high level of virus spread in Iowa were preventable. The report was released to the media a day after Gov. Kim Reynolds said Iowans shouldn't let the virus dominate their lives. Average daily deaths have increased over the past two weeks to 10 per day. State health data shows 1,515 new cases were identified through testing over the last 24 hours on Thursday and five additional deaths bring the state death toll to 1,419.

The report says long-term care facilities have been hit hard.  There are currently nine outbreaks at nursing homes in northwest Iowa.

Fifteen counties in Iowa now have an average positive rate over 15% for the last 14 days. Topping the list is Lyon with almost 28%.  Sioux is number three with more than 24%.  Woodbury County is just under the 15% threshold.  That is one criteria for school district to apply for on-line learning.  The Iowa Department of Public Health says anything over 5% signals community spread.

The South Dakota Board of Regents has determined the spring academic calendars for the state’s universities will remain unchanged, despite a recent surge in coronavirus cases in the state. The regents have agreed to maintain a spring semester with 77 class days starting Jan. 11 and ending May 7. The regents’ executive director says university and board officials initially thought about adjusting the semester in the wake of the pandemic, but that drew mixed reactions.

Five newly elected Winnebago Tribal Council members have been sworn in.  Tribal council elections were held Tuesday. The top vote-getter in the election was Lorelei Hope Decora with more than 21% of the vote, followed by Victoria Kitcheyan with 20%. Brian Chamberlain came in third, and Rona Stealer and Thelma Whitewater followed. Kitcheyan was appointed tribal chairwoman.

No significant rainfall in more than two weeks has pushed portions of nine northwest Iowa counties into the extreme drought category.

The U.S. Drought Monitor released today (Thurs) lists a little more than 47 percent of the state in moderate drought. More than two thirds of Iowa is still abnormally dry.

This week’s numbers represent a shift in the location of the driest conditions. Most of the summer, west central Iowa had the largest moisture deficit.

The counties now in extreme drought include Palo (pal) Alto, Clay, Dickinson, Osceola, O’Brien, Lyon, Sioux, Plymouth and Cherokee.