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COVID-19

Tyson says third of Waterloo, Iowa plant workers vaccinated

WATERLOO — Tyson said about a third of workers at the company's Waterloo, Iowa plant have received the COVID-19 vaccine, the Quad-City Times reported Sunday. The virus has already sickened about a third of the site's nearly 3,000 employees, and Waterloo Tyson is linked to at least six worker deaths from the coronavirus. The company this month hosted vaccination clinics for Waterloo workers and partnered with grocer Hy-Vee to provide shots to Independence, Iowa employees. About a third of the 265 workers at the Independence plant have been vaccinated, according to Tyson. Last ...

Four virus cases confirmed in school district

The Marshalltown Community School District confirmed four new cases of COVID-19 among students and employees on Friday: • Total cases among students: four • Total cases among staff: zero This week’s report is one higher than the last two weeks, which both had three confirmed cases ...

State lifts restrictions on most nursing home visits

As COVID-19 cases continue to fall in Iowa and more residents get vaccinated, state officials on Friday announced nursing homes can allow access to more visitors. The Iowa Department of Public Health said the facilities “should allow responsible indoor visitations at all times and for all ...

Iowa extended contact tracing contract as cases plummeted

Iowa City — As virus cases plummeted, Iowa quietly extended a $3.9 million contact tracing contract with a company owned by a major Republican Party donor and supporter of Gov. Kim Reynolds, according to documents released Friday. After a one-day emergency bidding process in November, the Iowa Department of Public Health hired MCI, an Iowa City telemarketing firm, to trace the contacts of residents infected with COVID-19. The award of the two-month, $2.3 million contract came during a surge in cases that filled up hospitals with patients and after months of complaints from counties ...

Iowans tops 1M shots as state struggles with appointments

DES MOINES — More than 1 million doses of coronavirus vaccine have been administered in Iowa, the state announced Friday, even as residents who qualify struggled to make appointments for a shot. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Iowa has administered 1.03 million doses. The milestone reflects significant increases in vaccine supply, but it was unclear how the state would handle surging demand as more adults become eligible in the coming months. Iowa has no centralized system for people to make a vaccine appointment. Gov. Kim Reynolds dismissed an early plan to pay ...

Four cases confirmed in district

The Marshalltown Community School District confirmed four new cases of COVID-19 among students and employees on Friday: • Total cases among students: four • Total cases among staff: zero This week’s report is one higher than the last two weeks, which both had three confirmed cases of ...