Another 16 people in Iowa have died of the coronavirus as the number of confirmed infections continues to soar, according to state data released Thursday.
Iowa reported the 16 deaths in the past 24 hours as well as 1,057 new confirmed coronavirus cases. There now have been 1,358 deaths and 89,612 confirmed positive cases. The state reported 18 deaths Wednesday.
The high numbers come as hospitalizations surged past 400, a number not reached in Iowa since May. More than 50 patients a day have been admitted for treatment of COVID-19 in each of the past nine days, the most consecutive days of that level of hospitalizations.
As cases rise, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced this week a new guidance for schools that does not require students or staff exposed to a confirmed positive individual to quarantine for 14 days if all involved were wearing face masks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend that those exposed should quarantine.
Reynolds said the change is in response to frustration she has heard among school administrators who had to quarantine many staff and students when only a few people had tested positive.
Numerous schools, especially in northwest Iowa counties, have recently had to send hundreds of students and staff home due to exposure.
State Medical Director Dr. Caitlin Pedati said comparisons of schools in Sioux County, where the virus spread is the highest in Iowa, shows three school districts in which students and staff did not wear masks had a rate of spread 30% to 130% higher than a district that did use masks.
“I don’t want to insinuate there’s zero risks associated with this,” said Pedati, who advises Reynolds on public health policy. “There’s always risk associated with most things in life.”
State data shows 7,527 children under age 17 tested positive for coronavirus as of Thursday, an 11% increase from a week ago. In addition, 3,855 educators have tested positive for the virus so far this week, a 17% increase in the past week.
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