Siouxland Public Media News

Today, health officials say COVID-19 has claimed the lives of two more Iowans, for a total of six deaths during the pandemic.

There are 88 more positive tests for a total of 424.  Three of the new cases are in Monona County for a dozen in northwest Iowa.

Gov. Kim Reynolds says the shortage of personal protective gear, or PPE continues to be one of the state’s biggest challenges . 

At a news conference this afternoon, Gov. Reynolds said the Iowa National Guard and other state agencies have so far made 153 equipment deliveries to all 99 of the state’s counties. 

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Two more people have died from complications of COVID-19 in Iowa, and that brings the total number of deaths to three. And 56 more have tested positive. 

At her daily coronavirus news conference today, Governor Kim Reynolds talked about the need to adjust the state response to the spread of the coronavirus as time goes on.  In response to a question about a letter from President Trump about labeling counties according to risks, Reynolds said she wasn’t ready to start rating counties without the proper data.

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Two more people have died from complications of COVID-19 in Iowa, and that brings the total number of deaths to three. And 56 more have tested positive. 

At her daily coronavirus news conference today, Governor Kim Reynolds add that there have been a total of more than 3,700 negative tests.

Reynolds talked about the need to adjust the state response to the spread of the coronavirus as time goes on.  She said there may be a need to impose more regulations or to dial back on what has been done, depending on data from the state. 

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The state of Iowa reports two more people have died from complications of COVID-19.  This brings the total number of deaths to three.

On Friday, the Iowa Department of Public Health added 56 more positive cases for a total of 235.  There have been a total of more than 3,700 negative tests.

The number of Siouxlanders impacted increased as well.  There are new confirmed cases in Woodbury, Monona and now Dickinson County for a total of eight people.  All the new cases involve people 61-years or older.

The new coronavirus has put pressure on medical facilities from the very large to smaller, rural operations, including Twelve Clans Unity Hospital in Winnebago, Nebraska.  

Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer reports.

Laura Gamble is the COO of Twelve Clans Unity Hospital in Winnebago, Nebraska.  She has extensive experience in the medical field in northeast Nebraska.  Gamble joined Twelve Clans about nine months ago.  The Winnebago Tribe took over operations a year earlier, in July of 2018. 

The state of Iowa reports two more people have died from complications of COVID-19.  This brings the total number of deaths to three.

On Friday, the Iowa Department of Public Health added 56 more positive cases for a total of 235.  There have been a total of more than 3,700 negative tests.

The number of Siouxlanders impacted increased as well.  There are new confirmed cases in Woodbury, Monona and now Dickinson County for a total of eight people.  All the new cases involve people 61-years or older.

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Gov. Kim Reynolds today expanded the state's disaster health proclamation.  At Reynolds daily coronavirus briefing, Reynolds said she was prohibiting elective non-essential surgical and dental procedures and expanding the breadth of the state's retail closures.

All existing closures including restaurants and bars will be now be extended another week until April 7th, as now also  book stores, clothing and shoe stores, jewelry, luggage, cosmetic, perfume and beauty supply stores and home furnishing stores are included in the proclamation.

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Gov. Kim Reynolds today expanded the state's disaster health proclamation, halting elective non-essential surgical and dental procedures and expanding the breadth of the state's retail closures.

All existing closures, including restaurants and bar closures, were extended an additional week to April 7. That is effective as of 10 p.m. Thursday.

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COVID-19 cases have increased to 179 in Iowa 

The Iowa Department of Public Health says 34 more people have tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. 

Drive-through testing for COVID-19 will start in Woodbury County tomorrow.

But, testing isn’t available for everyone.  It’s being held in an undisclosed location for patients with recommendations from their doctors.

On this edition of The Exchange, we talk with Tyler Brock of Siouxland District Health about the number of COVID-19 cases in Woodbury County and how to keep ourselves safe during the pandemic.

We also speak with Sioux City Community Schools Superintendent Paul Gausman about the outlook for students, who are currently out of school because of the coronavirus, to get back to class this school year.

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A Sioux City homeless shelter closed early for the season, today (Wednesday) because of COVID-19.

Lindsay Landrum (LAN-drum) is the executive director of the Warming Shelter in Sioux City. She says the shelter doesn’t have the ability to quarantine people or staff if they become exposed to the new coronavirus. She told the residents this morning (yesterday/Wednesday morning) that they needed to leave.

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Monona County has its first case of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

This is the fourth such case in Northwest Iowa.  Woodbury County was the first in the region to have a positive case announced over the weekend, followed by Sioux Countynthe following day. A second case was confirmed in Woodbury County this week. 

The state of Iowa reports 21 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 for a total of 145. 

This comes the day after Governor Kim Reynolds announced the state's first death linked to the coronavirus outbreak.

The victim is a resident of Dubuque County who was between 61 and 80 years old.

Another news conference is planned for 2:30 this afternoon.

Because of concerns surrounding the new coronavirus, Iowa’s Secretary of State Paul Pate pushed back the date of a special election for Woodbury County Supervisor.  

Supervisor Jeremy Taylor, a Republican, stepped down after residency issues.  

Two candidates vying for the seat, Democratic State Representative Tim Kacena and Republican Justin Wright, a teacher at North High, will face off in an election pushed back from April to July 7th.  

Before the threat of the new coronavirus, the biggest concern of school districts this time of year might be “how do you make up snow days”?  

Snow days are nothing compared to the current reality facing students, staff, teachers and administrators. 

The head of Sioux City Community Schools, Superintendent Dr. Paul Gausman, gives us more information about what the area’s biggest school district faces right now. 

The COVID-10 pandemic has forced many local governments and groups to find creative ways to conduct official business.  On Monday, the Sioux City council held a meeting with social distancing.  Council Member Alex Watters chose to attend the meeting by phone.

He is in self isolation and shares his thoughts on the new coronavirus, the state’s response and what issue is keeping him up at night.  Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer reached him by phone the day after the council meeting.

There are 19 more confirmed cases of COVD-19 in Iowa for a total of 124.  None of the new cases involve anyone in the Siouxland area.  Governor Kim Reynolds is planning a news conference for 2:30 this afternoon that you can hear her on Siouxland Pubic Media,

More COVID-19 cases have been reported in five Nebraska counties, bring the state total to 61. One of the new cases involves a woman in her 30s from Madison County who has underlying medical conditions.  She has not left her home since symptoms started on March 18th.

The COVID-10 pandemic has forced many local governments and groups to get creative when it comes to conducting official business.  As Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer reports, Sioux City leaders briefly talked about the virus during a social-distancing meeting on Monday.

Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott says he has heard concerns over the city not issuing an order forcing people to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Scott says it’s not legally possible.  

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says the State Hygienic Lab now has the capacity of conducting 620 tests.  The announcement comes as public health officials announced one new case of coronavirus in the state, bringing the total positive cases here to 45. 

There has been a shortage of tests nationwide.

Reynolds says the state is working with private companies to try and come up with solutions for shortages in medical supplies.  Reynolds admits she doesn’t know the number of ventilators available in the state but the state is working on the problem.

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Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed an emergency declaration designed to offer an array of relief to state residents as efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus also slow the economy. 

The state public health emergency declaration, among other things, temporarily suspends collection of property taxes, some home evictions, and certain regulation fees and penalties. It also allows bars and restaurants to sell unopened bottles of alcohol for consumption off-premises. 

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Siouxland District Health said this morning that, so far there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Woodbury County.

At a news conference at Western Iowa Tech, Deputy director Tyler Brock was asked about the limited supply of tests for the virus.

“The focus is getting people tested who need it the most.  O.K.   Folks with mild system are going to be told they don’t need to be tested, ok?” 

Brock said he couldn’t put an exact number on tests conducted in Woodbury County.  But, says all have come back negative, so far.