Officials with Pottawattamie County Public Health, today (Friday) reported three new COVID-19 cases. The total of COVID-19 cases in Pottawattamie County is now 45. Twenty-three individuals have recovered, 19 are self-isolating at home, one is hospitalized, and there have been two deaths.

The three new cases are residents of Council Bluffs and include two males and one female. These individuals were tested for COVID-19 between April 28 and April 29. One of the cases is a child between 0-17 years old, one is between 18-40 years old, and the third individual is between 41-60 years old. Two of them have pre-existing conditions. All three new cases had contact with an existing COVID-19 case, and all three of these individuals are self-isolating at home.

Pottawattamie County Public Health continues to conduct contact tracing investigations for each COIVD-19 case. A part of contact tracing is assessing risk to the general public. If there is not a risk to the general public, Public Health will communicate directly with the specific contacts identified in the investigation. If and when a risk to the general public is identified, Public Health will publicly identify the location and communicate any actions the public should take.

Authorities say “Because we have community spread of COVID-19, individuals should be taking precautions to protect themselves. Stay home as much as possible, limit travel and shopping. 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. And if you are sick, self-isolate at home.