(UPDATE 10-a.m., 7/28/20) – The State’s Coronavirus dashboard today (Tuesday) shows 253 additional positive, confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the past 24-hour reporting period, and seven more deaths from the virus. IDPH reported 3,327 individuals tested Monday, with a 7.2% positivity rate. There have been 458,738 Iowans tested for the virus. One of 7 Iowans have been tested and one of 74 have tested positive.

The IDPH says 414,286 Iowans have tested Negative; 30,476 have recovered from the virus, and 836 have died. Hospitalization data show: 253 are hospitalized across the State from COVID-19 (an increase of 12 from yesterday); 75 patients are in an ICU (3 less than Monday); 30 were admitted to a hospital since Monday’s report, and 31 people were on a ventilator.

Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa report: 2 more hospitalizations from COVID-19, for a total of 13; Four more are in an ICU, for a total of nine; two people with virus symptoms were admitted to the hospital since Monday, and one person remains on a ventilator.

Long-Term Care facility (LTC) data show 21 outbreak (One less than yesterday), 651 staff/patients have tested positive for COVID-19, 213 have recovered, and 455 have died (7 more than reported on Monday).

IDPH Dashboard, current County Positive case counts, and the number of reported recoveries ( )

• Cass: 37, (29)
• Adair: 20, (16)
• Adams: 13, (Recovery data not available)
• Audubon: 25, (no recovery data available)
• Guthrie: 122 [3 more than on Monday], (69)
• Montgomery: 39 [1 more than yesterday], (20)
• Pottawattamie: 1,049 [3 more than on Monday], (760)
• Shelby: 135 [2 more than on Monday], (126)

One person was injured during a single-vehicle, rollover accident Monday morning, in Montgomery County. Authorities say 67-year old Michael K. Reynolds was driving a 2011 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup pulling a trailer, when the trailer began to sway as he was traveling west on 110th Street. The swaying action caused the pickup to leave the road and rollover. The accident happened at around 7:30-a.m., west of Pilot Grove Park.

Reynolds was extricated from the pickup and flown to Nebraska Medicine, in Omaha, for treatment of serious injuries. Red Oak Fire and Rescue, Grant Fire, Elliott Fire and Villisca Fire all assisted at the scene.

Red Oak Police have arrested a woman on a Felony Theft charge. 41-year old Heidi Ann Divis, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 6:20-p.m., Monday in the 400 block of E. Corning Street, for Theft in the 2nd Degree. Divis was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $5,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

UNDATED (AP) — A survey conducted by the Iowa auditor shows a majority of health care organizations are dissatisfied with the state’s Medicaid program and think the privatized system hasn’t been good for the more than 650,000 poor and disabled residents receiving care. Iowa shifted the state’s Medicaid system from a state-run program to one managed by private insurance companies in 2016. There have been persistent complaints over the past four years that providers have a more difficult time getting fully paid and that access to care has worsened for patients. Auditor Rob Sand said Monday that his survey reinforces those complaints.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa physician groups are urging Gov. Kim Reynolds to order the public to wear masks as cases continue to rise. The Des Moines Register reports that the Iowa Medical Society and 14 other health-professional groups said Monday in a letter to the governor that “widespread use of cloth masks in public settings will dramatically slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.” The Republican governor has encouraged Iowans to “mask up,” but she has rebuffed calls to join more than half of other states in requiring it.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s campaign against voting by mail is setting his party back in the race to sign its voters up for the easiest and safest way to cast a ballot during the pandemic. Republican strategists have worried privately for months that the president’s baseless claims of widespread mail voting fraud would put them at a disadvantage in November. Now that seems to be coming true. Republicans have traditionally dominated in mail voting in Florida. But now Democrats have leapt ahead in the race requesting mail ballots. The situation is similar is several other swing states.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A woman has died in an apartment fire in downtown Fort Dodge. Firefighters were called to the building Sunday afternoon after a fire alarm activated and a neighbor reported smelling smoke. Crews were met with heavy smoke in the apartment and then found an unresponsive woman. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office. She was identified Monday at 67-year-old Jeanne Miller. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – The number of Iowans hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 is more than double what it was a month ago. On June 27th, there were 118 Iowans with COVID were in the hospital. A month later, there are 241. A third of them are in an intensive care unit and 32 patients are on a ventilator. The deaths of 829 Iowans have been linked to the virus and more than half of those who’ve died of COVID-19 complications were nursing home residents. COVID-19 outbreaks are currently reported in 22 long-term care facilities.

Passengers inside the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids will be required to wear face coverings, starting tomorrow (Tuesday). Officials in Des Moines announced that due to a surge in COVID cases in Polk County, city hall and a handful of other city buildings will remain closed to the public until October 1st. Starting today (Monday) in Ames, face masks are required in the public library and on city buses.

(Radio Iowa) – President Trump’s campaign, along with state and national G-O-P groups are asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit over new rules on how Iowa election officials correct problems on absentee ballot request forms.

The new law forces county auditors to call, email or send a letter to voters if there’s missing or incorrect information on a ballot request form. Previously, county officials could cross-check voter registration data to correct discrepancies. The lawsuit filed by the League of United Latin American Citizens and a Democratic non-profit argues the new process increases the risk some voters will not get their mail-in ballot on time.

The Trump campaign and Republican groups have filed a motion asking an Iowa judge to dismiss the lawsuit. In addition, the Republican National Committee is asking Iowa’s Secretary of State to order Linn and Johnson County Auditors to stop mailing ballot request forms that include the voter’s I-D number. Republicans say that’s a breach of election security.

Democrats say many Iowans do not know what their voter I-D number is or how to find it.