Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

UNDATED (AP) — A White House task force focusing on the coronavirus pandemic has told Iowa officials that many of the deaths caused by the high level of virus spread in Iowa were preventable. The report was released to the media a day after Gov. Kim Reynolds said Iowans shouldn’t let the virus dominate their lives. Average daily deaths have increased over the past two weeks to 10 per day. State health data shows 1,515 new cases were identified through testing over the last 24 hours on Thursday and five additional deaths bring the state death toll to 1,419.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa City hospital has informed state officials it plans to lay off 29 employees because of losses suffered during the coronavirus outbreak. The Gazette reports that Mercy Iowa City filed notice of the layoffs with Iowa Workforce Development, noting that the layoffs will be effective Nov. 21. According to Mercy Iowa City spokesman Aaron Scheinblum, the layoffs will affect a variety of non-specific areas in the hospital. The notice was filed days before the hospital announced last month that it would close its inpatient mental and behavioral health unit. Scheinblum says the layoffs are not specifically tied to that unit.

UNDATED (AP) — Federal agriculture officials are awarding $22 million in grants to gas stations, convenience stores and fuel distribution sites in 14 states to upgrade pumps, fuel lines and storage tanks as part of a program designed to increase the use of higher blends of ethanol fuel and biodiesel. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the grants in several stops on Thursday including two locations in Iowa. In May the government announced it would allocate $100 million for a program to help businesses upgrade gas pumps, fuel lines and storage tanks to sell gas and diesel fuels with higher ethanol content such as E15. Critics called the announcement a Donald Trump administration election year stunt.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The city of Cedar Rapids is preparing to undertake more than $7.4 million in construction work next year on its flood control system. The Gazette reports that the city will open bids this month for key projects, including demolition of a bridge and construction of a permanent levee and gatewell in Czech Village. Bids will also open for construction of a flood wall, pump stations and watermain protecting the Quaker Oats plant along the riverfront. Cedar Rapids, the state’s second-largest city, was devastated by historic flooding in 2008 flood that wiped out downtown neighborhoods.