The Mills County Public Health Department reports 3 new COVID-19 cases in the county for a total now of 29 confirmed positive cases to date. 22 of those individuals have recovered from the virus.

All three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported today are adults, 41-60 years old. All cases were contracted through community spread.

We want to remind all county residents that even though the Governor has eased restrictions on businesses and social gatherings, COVID-19 continues to spread in our county. It is now more important than ever to practice social distancing, wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm and stay at home when you are ill.

(Radio Iowa) — Starting September 1st, Iowans in their 70s may be able to renew their drivers license for up to eight years rather than just every two. Under current law, Iowans who reach the age of 72 must renew their licenses every two years. The new law Governor Kim Reynolds has just approved raises that every-two-years requirement to the age of 78. The bill passed the House unanimously in February, without debate. It easily cleared the Senate last weekend, but not before 69-year-old Senator Herman Quirmbach, of Ames, raised objections.

Quirmach says many Iowans in their 70s are capable drivers, but everyone knows friends or relatives who should not be driving. According to the federal government, 86 percent of Americans who are 65 or older continue to drive and are more likely than all other age groups to be involved in fatal accidents. Iowa D-O-T records indicate nearly 480-thousand Iowans who were 65 or older were licensed to drive in 2018.

As of this (Friday) morning, positive cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in Shelby County and now stands at 56 positive cases, 40 people have recovered, there have been 3 positive serology test, 333 negative tests and 5 tests are pending. 83% of the positives are under the age of 60 which is consistent with the overall state numbers.

Throughout the state, this morning the state site is reporting 197 individuals are hospitalized with 7 of those individuals being from our RMCC area. One week ago Shelby County had 41 cases of COVID-19 with 5 individuals being monitored. This is a 27% increase in one week.

Health officials ask you to “Please as group settings become larger and more individuals venture out into public keep in mind the efforts that have helped us keep the positive case counts down in Shelby County – social distancing, wearing a face covering and washing your hands.”

(KNOD)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s unemployment rate was 10% in May, down from April but still remarkably high as many businesses and organizations curtailed operations due to the coronavirus. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday that the May unemployment rate was down from 11% in April but was more than triple the 2.7% rate in May 2019. Beth Townsend, the director of the agency, noted the number of unemployment claims has declined, indicating more people are returning to work. The number of unemployed Iowa residents dropped from 188,000 in April to 168,100 in May. The U.S. unemployment rate for May was 13.3%.

The Adair County Fair Board is excited to announce that the 2020 county fair will occur from Thursday, July 16 – Sunday, July 19, with changes due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Adair County Fair Board and Adair County ISU Extension and Outreach have been working together to navigate through all the guidance provided by Iowa 4-H, Governor Reynold’s Proclamations, CDC, Emergency Management and the Department of Public Health.

This year’s Friday night Grandstand event will be the Demolition Derby. Saturday’s Grandstand event will be the Mid America Truck and Tractor Pullers. The Wright Rodeo Company will be on Sunday. There will be food vendors on the fairgrounds and camping allowed. Unfortunately, there will not be open class or vendors allowed in the Varied Industries Buildings. The 4H/FFA Center will not be open to the public.

In coordination with Adair County ISU Extension, the primary focus will be on our youth, and to provide a safe and healthy experience for them to showcase their hard work and projects in a ‘show and go’ format. Adair County ISU Extension will be sharing additional details on 4H and FFA events soon.

Although fair plans are moving forward, the fair board is taking extra precautions to ensure the health and safety of all fairgoers. Plans are in place to increase sanitation, including increasing hand sanitizer throughout the grounds. Additionally, the fair board plans to disinfect main seating areas, including the show ring, grandstand and bleachers daily and provide signage to remind people to social distance and to use good hygiene practices. Following the State of Iowa’s lead, personal responsibility is requested for people to determine if they feel comfortable attending the fair during this time and implement social distancing if they choose to attend. We encourage high risk, vulnerable individuals or anyone not feeling well to stay home.

The Adair County Fair Board and Adair County ISU Extension wants to thank our local communities, sponsors, volunteers, families, and other partners for continuing to support the Adair County Fair as we navigate through this challenging time. An updated schedule will be released as soon as events are confirmed. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. Please stay tuned to www.adaircountyfair.org, www.extension.iastate.edu/adair or our Facebook pages Adair County Fair-Iowa or Adair County ISU Extension & Outreach for additional details.