T-R photos by Thomas Nelson — As the state reopens and people get out and about, the number of cases of COVID-19 are rising.

On Saturday, Marshall County reached 1,000 cases of COVID-19.

A seven-day period saw 37 new cases of COVID-19 and cases continue to rise as more businesses and city buildings opened their doors to the public.

As of Monday there were 1,011 reported cases in Marshall County, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 website.

“We are getting out more so there’s going to be more exposure,” Marshall County Public Health Nurse Pat Thompson. “We expect some of that.”

Thompson encourages people to continue to social distance, wear masks and wash their hands.

Citizens are seen walking in downtown Marshalltown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s not going to stop soon, it’s something that’s going to continue,” Thompson said.

Iowa has seen numbers spike across the state as well.

As of Monday, there were 28,780 reported cases statewide and 707 deaths.

On June 22 there were 26,047 cases and 686 deaths.

During a seven-day period more than 2,700 Iowans caught the life threatening virus and more than 20 have died.

Thompson does not think the increased numbers show a second wave, because school has not started yet. She does not have a specific number which would signify a second wave.

“We’ll see a steady increase or a sharp increase when people start coming together even more,” she said. “That’s expected.”

The more people congregate the more people will be exposed.

“If we had huge amounts it would be a different thing,” Thompson said. “It’s not surprising because people are out there more.”

She hopes people only go out for essential things.

Marshall County’s first case of COVID-19 was reported on March 26. The first COVID-19-related death in the county was confirmed on April 29.

“We are all ready to move on, but we still have the virus. It’s still circulating. It’s still there,” Thompson said. “It can overwhelm our hospitals and our clinics.

“It’s not back to normal yet”

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Contact Thomas Nelson at (641)753-6611 or tnelson@timesrepublican.com