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COVID-19

IVH clear of COVID-19

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 at the Iowa Veterans Home has ended. According to interim Commandant Penny Cutler-Bermudez, all residents on campus tested negative on Tuesday and the COVID unit is closed. An outbreak was confirmed on June 22 with eight cases. The Iowa Department of Public Health considers it an outbreak in a long-term care facility if there are at least three confirmed cases. Cutler-Bermudez said the variant which struck the IVH in June was not one of concern. She said COVID can change over time. However this one has a low mutation rate when compared to other ...

Outbreak among vaccinated IVH residents

The outbreak of eight cases of the COVID-19 virus on the Iowa Veterans Home campus was first found on June 22 when a vaccinated staff member tested positive. Acting Commandant Penny Cutler-Bermudez said the positive result led to the mass testing of residents. From that, five asymptomatic ...

Iowa to shutter state-run coronavirus Test Iowa in July

DES MOINES — The state of Iowa is ending its coronavirus testing program next month saying demand has fallen for testing at the state-funded drive-thru and clinic sites. “Demand for testing is at its lowest levels in more than a year since vaccine is now widely available and virus activity has significantly decreased,” Iowa Department of Public Health spokeswoman Sarah Ekstrand said in a statement. She said Iowa is finalizing plans to provide at-home test kits free to Iowa residents once the state test sites close on July 16 and more details will be released in the coming ...

Polk County approves vaccine lottery

Polk County is starting a COVID-19 vaccine incentive program in the form of a lottery this summer. Fully vaccinated residents can enter to win up to $50,000 starting June 25. The county is beginning the vaccine lottery with its first drawing on June 25, the Polk County Board of Supervisors ...

Auditor questions Reynolds’ spending for COVID-19 ads

DES MOINES — Iowa’s Democratic auditor accused the state’s Republican governor Thursday of violating a 2018 state law that prohibits statewide elected officials from using public funds for self promotion, arguing she broke the law by making ads promoting coronavirus public safety ...

Iowa COVID-19 vaccinations drop 32% in a week

The number of COVID-19 vaccinations in Iowa has dropped by 32 percent in the past week, the Washington Post reported. The state has shifted to focusing on select populations and events such as baseball games. Some businesses are offering incentives for getting vaccinated. With 43.9 percent ...