Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, today (Friday), reported there have been 11 additional deaths related to COVID-19 since Thursday’s report, for a total of 107 deaths.

According to IDPH the additional 11 deaths were reported in the following counties:

• Bremer County, 1 elderly adults (81+) 
• Black Hawk County, 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years), 2 older adults (61-80 years)  
• Linn County,  2 older adults (61-80 years), 2 elderly adults (81+) 
• Polk County, 2 elderly adults (81+) 
• Scott County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)

There were 521 new, Positive Covid-19 test results returned, for a total of 4,445. The Governor says 31, 973 Iowans have been tested (1 in 98 per capita). The increase in positive cases, she said, are attributable to testing that’s occurring among essential workers. She said 30% of Iowa’s cases are related to manufacturing, while 15% are related to health care workers. There have been an additional 2,190 negative tests for a total of 27,528 negative tests to date

Reynolds said 1,604 Iowans have recovered from COVID-19, for a recovery rate of 36%. The RMMC’s report 278 Iowans are hospitalized, 44 were admitted, 104 are in ICU’s and 60 are on ventilators. There are 3,896 In-patient COVID-19 beds available across the State, 534 ICU beds and 682 ventilators available for patient care. There was one additional long term care facility outbreak at Mitchell Village Care Center, in Polk County, for a total of 13 outbreaks at long-term care facilities.

The Governor said the efforts of Iowan’s to follow the health guidelines and the rate of progress in staving-off the spread of COVID-19, will allow  some changes to take place next week.

She said these past few weeks have forced her to make some of the toughest decisions she’s ever made as governor, “But they were necessary and all made in the best interests of our collective health.”

She said effective Monday, April 27th, Iowa Health Systems/Health Care Providers may begin the process of resuming elective surgeries and procedures through a phased-in approach, based on the discretion of each facility whose administrators feel it is safe to do so. Rescheduling patients and procedures is also at the discretion of those facilities. In addition, her proclamation permits Farmer’s Markets to begin limited operations with appropriate Public Health precautions, and provides additional relief to Iowans affected by the COVID-19 emergency.

(She said additional announcements regarding the first phase of re-opening Iowa will be released, Monday.)

Reynolds also put out a call for nurses to work at nursing home as demand at the centers increase.