(Radio Iowa) — Two of the state’s five medical cannabis dispensaries have abruptly closed. The Have a Heart Compassionate Care dispensaries in Council Bluffs and Davenport are permanently closed. A news release from the Iowa Department of Public Health says state officials were “made aware today” of the decision to close the two outlets. There are three other state-licensed facilities that sell medical cannabis products in Sioux City, Waterloo and Windsor Heights, which is a Des Moines suburb.

In a written statement, officials in the Department of Public Health said the agency will work to license two new dispensaries in western and eastern Iowa as soon as possible. The medical cannabis industry has been lobbying legislators to expand the state law that set up the system for growing, producing and selling cannabis products in Iowa, arguing current restrictions mean they are not able to make a go of their businesses.

Last year, Governor Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill that would have let the businesses sell more potent medical marijuana products. This year, lawmakers have been crafting a bill that would meet the governor’s objections, but medical marijuana advocates say it’s still too restrictive.

Council Bluffs, Iowa- Officials with Miller Orthopedic Specialists say they are now offering Telehealth options for all established patients. With COVID-19 (Coronavirus) cases on the rise, Miller Orthopedic Specialists is working hard to provide quality care while protecting their patients and staff. This would give the opportunity to better practice social distancing while still providing for patients’ orthopedic needs.

The telehealth option for established patients will allow the clinic staff and providers to interact with patients through Internet capabilities, audio and video via their tablets, phones or computers. This will help the doctors do check-ups on patients without the patient feeling as though they are being put at risk by going out. With many older patients, this is very important as it allows the patient to be seen and have their questions answered, without having to leave their home.

During a time of uncertainty, it is important that patients can feel as though they can have their orthopedic needs addressed without endangering themselves or others. It will help limit patients having to cancel their appointments by providing better access to this healthcare.

While this option is currently only available for established patients, it will still greatly increase the safety of new patients and staff. Telehealth can provide a quick, accessible and easy option for appointments, without violating social distancing.

Patients can call the Council Bluffs office 712-323-5333 or Omaha office 402-991-9958 to schedule an appointment.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Workforce Development has updated its leave policy for filing unemployment insurance benefits following the enactment of the federal coronavirus relief bill. Iowa Workforce says, employees who are or will be laid off, or are unable to work for reasons related to COVID-19, will no longer be required to use all paid leave prior to being eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.

This change is not retroactive and claims will not be backdated prior to the week of March 29th for new or existing claims. The federal bill known as the CARES ACT provides funding to help sustain the Iowa Unemployment Trust Fund, which is funded entirely by employers doing business in Iowa and is the source of all benefit payments.

For more information, see the Iowa Workforce Development website.

(Radio Iowa) — State officials have confirmed there’s an outbreak of COVID-19 at a Cedar Rapids nursing home. Governor Kim Reynolds made the announcement Monday afternoon:

“Twenty-one of Linn County’s 71 total positive COVID-19 cases are directly related to this outbreak,” Reynolds says. “State and local public health officials are working closely with the facility regarding the care of those who are sick and assisting with the monitoring of residents and staff.”

Last week, Reynolds issued an order that all staff entering any long-term care facility in the state be screened for a fever, as that’s one of the key symptoms of COVID-19. Some city and county officials in the state have been asking the governor to issue a statewide “stay at home” order, but she says the data does not indicate that move is necessary at this point.

Officials with the Cass County Health System in Atlantic report, that as of 2-p.m. today (Monday), CCHS has done 34 tests. None have come back positive. 33 have come back as negative for COVID-19, and one is pending. The test result numbers released so far, are only what CCHS has tested. Officials say if someone who lives in Cass County was tested by another provider, CCHS would not know that.

While Cass County remains COVID-19 free, one case of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Guthrie County. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Guthrie County Public Health, the individual is self-isolating at home.

Guthrie County Public Health Director Jotham Arber said “While this is Guthrie County’s first case, it may not be the last, and that’s why we encourage all residents to continue working together as a community to make prevention a priority.”

(Radio Iowa) — As tens of thousands of Iowa business owners seek ways to stay financially afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, the U-S Small Business Administration is offering a range of low-interest loans and grants. Jayne Armstrong, director of the S-B-A’s Iowa District Office, says the agency’s Electronic Loan Application portal crashed a few times last week due to extremely heavy traffic, but the website has been repaired.

“It’s up and running and it’s accepting applications and everything looks good, knock on wood,” Armstrong says. “We’re just getting slammed. It’s unprecedented how many businesses are reaching out.” Crooks are doing their best to dupe Iowa business owners and Armstrong says the S-B-A will not call you out of the blue, so simply hang up on those potential scammers.

“Nobody should be getting calls from us soliciting for the economic injury disaster loan program,” Armstrong says. “There is no immediate deadline for it — it’s not until November. People are getting calls for it, saying they have to hurry up and that there’s a charge to apply. There is absolutely no cost to apply.” The two-point-two trillion dollar aid package was signed into law by the president over the weekend, making available 367-billion dollars in loans and grants to small businesses nationwide.

“What we’re anticipating is, this could be a real big game changer,” Armstrong says, “for all the businesses that feel like they’ve been left out or there’s different issues or that have programs haven’t been meeting their needs.” For Iowa business owners who encounter a problem with the website, they can still download, print off and fill out the forms, scan them and upload them to the S-B-A. While it’s not ideal, Armstrong says there are 30-million small businesses nationwide that have been affected by the COVID-19 disaster.
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The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan portal: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/

Des Moines – The Iowa Insurance Division is alerting investors to be on guard against an anticipated surge of fraudulent investment schemes amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“In these extraordinary times the health and welfare of our people is our first concern, and that includes financial health,” said Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen. “Scammers will begin perpetrating schemes that require little or no advance planning and minimal sophistication. Most will simply be old scams dressed up in new clothing.   Especially in these times of market and economic challenges, investors must stay calm, keep their eyes on the longer term ‘big picture’ and remain vigilant to protect themselves.”

In particular, the Iowa Insurance Division warned investors to be on the lookout for investments specifically tied to the threat of COVID-19. Bad actors can be expected to develop schemes that falsely purport to raise capital for companies manufacturing surgical masks and gowns, producing ventilators and other medical equipment, distributing small-molecule drugs and other preventative pharmaceuticals, or manufacturing vaccines and miracle cures. The schemes often appear legitimate because they draw upon current news, medical reports and social and political developments.

Scammers also will seek to take advantage of concerns with the volatility in the securities markets to promote “safe” investments with “guaranteed returns” including investments tied to gold, silver and other commodities; oil and gas; and real estate. Investors also can expect to see “get rich quick” schemes that tout quickly earned guaranteed returns that can be used to pay for rent, utilities or other expenses. These schemes also target retirees and senior citizens, falsely claiming they can quickly and safely recoup any losses to their retirement portfolios.

“Investors should stay clear of anything sounding too good to be true, such as guarantees of high returns with no risk,” Ommen said. “Iowans can double-check with our office to make sure the investment and the person offering the investment are properly licensed or registered.”

Iowans can contact the Iowa Insurance Division at iid.iowa.gov or 877-955-1212.   For more information: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IACIO/bulletins/283f2ea