Officials with Pottawattamie County Public Health today (Saturday), reported five new COVID-19 cases. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Pottawattamie County is now twenty-five. Seventeen individuals have recovered, seven are self-isolating at home, zero are currently hospitalized, and there has been one death.

The five new cases all reside in Council Bluffs and include three males and two females. These individuals were tested between April 13 and April 23. Two individuals are in the 41-60 age range, two are in the 18-40 age range, and one is a child between 0-17 years old. Two of them have pre-existing conditions and three do not. Two of these individuals have had contact with an existing COVID-19 case, and three were the result of community spread. All five of these individuals are self-isolating at home.

Pottawattamie County Public Health is conducting the contact tracing investigations and is in communication with the Iowa Department of Public Health. Pottawattamie County Public Health wants to draw attention to the fact that an increase in COVID-19 testing capacity will likely result in an increased number of positive COVID-19 cases. The total number of Iowans tested for COVID-19, along with positive and negative results, can be found at www.coronavirus.iowa.gov.

Governor Reynolds continues to encourage all Iowans, regardless of symptoms, to go to www.testIowa.com and complete the assessment. TestIowa is a new initiative designed to dramatically increase the rate of COVID-19 testing so Iowans can have better access to testing and help stem the spread of COVID-19 to get us back to normal as quickly as possible. In the first 48 hours nearly 121,000 Iowans completed the assessment.

The best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 is to stay at home as much as possible. Only leave home for essential reasons. Do not visit big box stores except for essential grocery and pharmaceutical needs. If you must leave home, practice social distancing, and stay at least six feet away from others. Implement excellent hygiene and disinfectant practices. Wash hands and disinfect frequently touched surfaces multiple times per day. Isolate if you are sick.